International Pet Transport Without the Owner

Traveling separately can mean different arrangements

Your pet may travel with an authorized accompanying person or under an accepted cargo arrangement, depending on the route, animal and airline. We discuss the available format before booking and identify who handles each part.

The proposal states whether an accompanying traveler is included. The accompanying arrangement and handover responsibilities are defined for the journey. Access to the pet during airline handling depends on the operating arrangements.

Your own itinerary still matters

For EU non-commercial travel with an authorized person, the owner must travel within five days before or after the pet and the required declaration must accompany the journey. Where those conditions are not met, a different import pathway applies.

Tell us the actual owner travel dates and whether ownership is changing. We plan the documents for the real arrangement, without changing its description to fit a simpler category.

Define both ends of the journey

• Departure address or meeting point and the person handing over the pet.
• The agreed accompanying or shipping arrangement.
• Who carries or presents the original travel documents.
• The arrival contact, identification and collection arrangements.
• Who can make decisions if the itinerary changes.

Agree the update points

Ask us to set out the planned contact points in the proposal: collection, departure and arrival handover, as applicable. Airline handling and border checks can limit when a pet can be accessed or photographed.

Tell us about feeding instructions, medication and other care needs before we confirm the scope. Medical instructions and fitness to travel should come from the veterinarian.

Start with the route and the people involved

Send the departure city, destination, dates and pet details, plus your own travel dates if any. You can add collection and receiving contacts once the arrangement is being prepared.

Explore route planning pages, quote details and photographs from our journeys.

Official references

• European Commission: owner and authorized-person conditions

Policy references checked October 10, 2026. This page describes the service and planning questions; use the linked destination guide and official instructions for the complete entry requirements.