Flying with a pet
on Iberia.

1. Cabin pets and carrier fit

Dogs and cats have an 8 kg combined cabin limit. Carrier maximum: 45 × 35 × 25 cm, total 105 cm. Air Nostrum requires a non-rigid carrier. Pets stay enclosed; book online or through Manage my booking.

Sources: Iberia: carriage of pets.

2. Hold booking and connections

Hold maximum is 45 kg including the crate; request at least 48 hours ahead. Connections must be 90 minutes–4 hours. Air Nostrum’s crate limit is 83 × 65 × 56 cm. All flights need confirmation.

Sources: Iberia: carriage of pets.

3. Breed and age checks

The agency guidance includes eligible brachycephalic dogs and cats in cabin acceptance, while excluding potentially dangerous dogs. It excludes pre-weaned and pregnant animals. Do not read a government exemption for a young animal as airline approval: have Iberia verify its age and breed before booking.

The passenger page excludes listed snub-nosed breeds from the hold and dangerous breeds from both ordinary-pet formats. Check the full breed list.

Sources: Iberia: agency conditions for animal transport · Iberia: carriage of pets.

4. Identify the operator and restricted route

Iberia, Iberia Express and Air Nostrum have distinct aircraft limits. UK, Doha, Dublin and South Africa have directional restrictions. Madrid hold exclusions include BOS, FOR, SJU, REC, YYZ and IAD; Express also lists Cairo, Tel Aviv and Keflavik. Vueling does not accept accompanied hold animals. Check the exact operating itinerary.

Sources: Iberia: carriage of pets.

5. Price the actual booking method

The agency schedule lists online one-way cabin charges of €40 within Spain excluding the Canary Islands, €60 for the Canary Islands/Europe/North Africa/Israel zone, and €180 for America/Asia/Qatar; airport rates are higher. Connections have separate rates. Payment through an agency or call centre can differ from online purchase. Get the full amount and currency with the booking, especially for mixed-zone journeys.

Sources: Iberia: agency conditions for animal transport.

6. IAG Cargo requires separate acceptance

Iberia directs cargo arrangements through a cargo agent. A passenger-hold refusal does not guarantee cargo carriage.

For example, IAG Cargo’s Heathrow station page excludes dangerous dogs and restricts some brachycephalic breeds. Station handling windows and entry arrangements also matter. Ask the agent for written acceptance of the animal, crate, all flights, any transfer handling and the collection location before paying for the passenger journey.

Sources: Iberia: carriage of pets · IAG Cargo: Heathrow live-animal station restrictions.

7. Genuine assistance dogs

Iberia accepts qualifying assistance dogs in the cabin without a carriage fee. Notify the airline at booking or at least 48 hours before departure, and prepare its requested accreditation and health documents. Emotional-support and therapy dogs use the ordinary-pet rules.

For travel to or from the United States, Iberia expressly includes disability-task-trained psychiatric service dogs and permits up to two service dogs per person. Its U.S. process requests the DOT paperwork. Under U.S. DOT rules, a relief attestation may be required for individual flight segments scheduled for eight hours or more; late bookings have a separate notice exception. Do not impose the general recognised-school wording on a U.S. journey without checking the U.S.-specific rules.

For the UK, Iberia asks for animal-reception pre-approval arranged at least 72 hours before flight. The dog stays controlled at the handler’s feet, clear of aisles and other passengers. Confirm the receiving airport and paperwork directly.

Sources: Iberia: assistance dogs.

Federal form scope: 14 CFR 382.75: service-animal documentation.

8. Keep animal-entry rules independent

Check the EU or destination authority for microchip, rabies, certification, permitted entry point and any treatment requirement. Iberia’s pet page uses “vaccination” when discussing tapeworm requirements; use the government’s treatment instructions instead. No universal puppy or kitten travel age is established by the cabin weight limit. The feasible date depends on the route’s veterinary and entry timeline.

For U.S. dogs, check the current CDC rules rather than relying on an airline summary’s airport list.

Sources: Your Europe: travelling with pets · CDC: bringing a dog into the U.S..

Prepare a route review

Send your departure and arrival cities, dates and operating flights, plus your pet’s breed, age, weight and measurements. Include the carrier’s external dimensions and loaded weight, who will accompany the animal, and any existing airline confirmation.

Keep separate checklists for airline acceptance, veterinary preparation, government entry and transit rules, and arrival handover. Ask who receives the animal if a flight changes or an inspection takes longer than expected.

Request a route and quote.

Questions before you book

Related reading: Airline pet travel guides · Carrier preparation · Pet shipping costs.

Official sources and scope

• Iberia: carriage of pets
• Iberia: agency conditions for animal transport
• Iberia: assistance dogs
• IAG Cargo: Heathrow live-animal station restrictions
• Your Europe: travelling with pets
• CDC: bringing a dog into the U.S.
• 14 CFR 382.75: service-animal documentation

Official sources checked 11 October 2026. Availability, documents, charges and acceptance require confirmation for the actual journey. Government entry rules must be checked independently. Iberia passenger text has misleading tapeworm wording; government treatment guidance controls. Cargo referral is not acceptance, and no unsupported universal minimum age is asserted.