Chapter 2: Who to contact before your trip

Time to read: Approximately 3 minutes

These are the contents of Travel Rules.

Followed by

Chapter 1
The Jargon

Followed by
Followed by

Chapter 3
Paperwork

Establish all these obligations BEFORE you travel.

Check with your home Animal Quarantine Authority first!

It's easy to launch into trip planning with the destination first in mind; people without an Assistance Dog do it all the time! However, if your own country has strict quarantine controls, you may have to fulfil their requirements first in order to be able to return home.

If this is the case, your Travel Process will vary depending on the country you are visiting. The process may involve obligations before and during your travel, as well as after you've returned home. So, please be sure to get in contact with the Animal Quarantine Authority in your home country as the first step of your planning.

Home and abroad Animal Quarantine Authorities

You will also need to communicate with the Animal Quarantine Authority in each of your destination countries before your trip as one authority will not manage the entire process for you. Unfortunately, it is not a one stop shop and so will likely require some back and forth. Again, it is better to email or phone, and check.

Don't forget to confirm that all Animal Quarantine Authorities can meet your arrival and departure time BEFORE you book. Then email and confirm just before you fly.

You may be required to complete some Travel Processes before you even travel, and they could be out of the order you expect.

As an example, you may need to complete your Travel Process in the following order:

  • Step 1, Process for Returning home (your own country's Animal Quarantine Authority)
  • Step 2, Process for Arriving into your destination (destination's Animal Quarantine Authority)
  • Step 3, Process for Leaving home (your own country's Animal Quarantine Authority)
  • Step 4, Process for Leaving your destination (destination's Animal Quarantine Authority)

Multiple Destinations

To reiterate, if you have multiple countries in your itinerary, you will need to discuss your requirements with every individual country's Animal Quarantine Authority.

Keep in mind that every time you cross a country border you are starting a new Travel Rules process. If possible, try to organise your trip to have no repeat border crossings, as each crossing will cost you time and money.

Of course if you are travelling on a valid EU pet passport within Europe then life is a lot simpler for you.

Airlines and Cruise Ships

Finally, you must also check with your airline or cruise ship before booking anything, as they may have additional requirements. These usually have a lead time of several days/weeks and relentless paperwork so anticipate this.

Previous chapter

Chapter 1: The Jargon
Overview of International Travel Rules

Next chapter:

Chapter 3: Paperwork
Including in your home country and your destination.