Pet Overseas

One of the best parts of traveling is sharing new adventures with your loved ones – including your pet. When flying, in most cases, you must check your pet as baggage, so as you prepare to comply with the airline’s rules, you should also prepare to make your pet's trip as comfortable as possible. Make sure you give your pet enough food and water for the voyage. You might consider gradually getting your pet to spend longer amounts of time in its carrier, so that being confined for the length of the trip is not a source of stress.

DO PETS NEED A PASSPORT? It sounds silly but if you are traveling to the European Union (EU), in fact, your pet will require a passport for entry. In an effort to protect its citizens from the threat of rabies and certain other animal-borne diseases, the EU requires dogs, cats and ferrets to obtain a passport that is valid for the life of the pet.

If you decide to take your pet with you when you go abroad, check with the embassies of the destination countries as to specific requirements that must be met before a pet may be brought into the country. Many countries have strict health, quarantine, agriculture, wildlife, and customs requirements and prohibitions.