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Flying pet dog to spain

9K views 60 replies 18 participants last post by  Pesky Wesky 
#1 ·
Hi, This is my first post so please be gentle with me :D My wife and I are looking at moving to Spain to retire in around a years time. So we are thinking about renting a Villa for three months just to see how it goes and we would like to take our little dog with us. The problem is that we thought we could just get a pet passport and then book him a place in the hold on the flight that we were going on, and that would be all that was required. But now having looked into it, its not that easy and it looks like we have to use an Agent to sort this out. Is there any way around these astronomical agents fees ? They were quoting us £1200 for the return journey. How can this price be justified when we can get a return flight for less than £100 ? Any help on this will be appreciated. ( and any other general tips also. ) Thanks........ Chris
 
#3 ·
From what I have read in the past, yes, most airlines only accept dogs via an agent BA use IAG Cargo. I think the days if self booking dogs onto flights have been over for some time it's also important to note not all airlines allow dogs in the hold, EasyJet and Ryan air are two

We looked at this when we moved here, but it was very expensive even for two cats, so we came by ferry

I'm afraid, this is one of those occasions where there is no way around it. The alternative is to drive to your destination, taking in the magnificent scenery in France etc or ferry to one if the Spanish ports. In France and Spain there a plenty of dog friendly hotels to stay in enroute

I could have this wrong, but I'm thinking I'm correct
 
#49 ·
We brought our dog over for 3 months by ferry, Dover - Dunkirk was the cheapest. We kept him in the car for the trip (taking him out for a quick leg stretch) and drove down staying in about 3 or 4 bed and breakfast places on the way. If it wasn't for the heat it would have been fine as the French are very dog friendly and allow you to bring them into the restaurants as well as the hotels and B & B's.
The added advantage of driving isd also you can bring a lot of your stuff with you! lol
 
#4 ·
I don't know about the mechanics of it, but I do know that my dog would never be able to handle it and I'm not particularly soppy when it comes to animals. It would be like drugging a child and putting him/ her in a closed off dark, noisy and I think cold place with no understanding of what was happening.
Having said that thousands and possibly millions of animals are transported by air every year, but if it was us we'd have to do it by car... or leave the dog behind with someone else to care for him/ her.
 
#6 ·
There are several reliable pet transport companies that will transport you furbaby to Spain.
I work with a dog rescue and can give you some names of trustworthy transporters.
Our babies are normally going northbound to forever homes in U.K. :D
 
#11 ·
There have been done horror stories about dogs in cargo but then again I have no idea how Nancy people use this now. Personally, I would rather drive with my dogs, but then I have a 60kilo mastin and Border Collie 😂😂
 
#16 ·
Good idea - I've added a link to this thread to the 'Animals' section of our FAQs sticky.

If we had an individual sticky for each section we'd have over 30 stickies......
 
#17 ·
I'm reading this thread with great interest.
It's my first post here and the reason for posting is this thread.
We are not totally expat yet and would love to bring our dog with us but it seems such a complicated and expensive thing to do.
Many times we have flown into a Spanish airport and have been greatly amused at the amount of dogs that wander around with their owners so we know it is possible.
Why do uk airlines make it so hard and expensive....or in most cases don't even offer the service at all.
 
#18 ·
I don't think that its complicated to take a Dog Spain. It just needs a pet passport and a rabies jab. (see your vet and they will sort it all out) I think the Pet Passport is around £100, then you get in touch with one of these Robbing **** Sorry AGENCIES , and they sort it out for you. I don't suppose I mind too much about paying around £1000 as a one off to take my dog to Spain (If I must) but we were hoping to take our dog back to the UK for long "Holidays" when we moved to Spain, but this will now be impossible for us to afford.(£2000 return trip). We Cant and wont put him in Kennels for two or three months while we return to the UK too see Friends and Relatives
 
#20 ·
I don't have experience of flying dogs from the UK to Spain but the dog rescue and rehoming charity I help run frequently flies dogs to the UK and other destinations in Europe, sometimes with the dog's adopter, sometimes with a flight buddy.
As long as the paperwork is in order there is no problem. Norwegian are a good airline, in our experience at least.
Our dogs always fly from Malaga.
I would personally not fly my dog anywhere but then he is rather large (a Ridgeback) and the experience can be traumatic for some dogs. Our vet has prescribed a mild sedative for our more nervous dogs.
When we moved from Prague to Spain we preferred to drive. The journey took three days but our boy was snug and comfortable in the back of our Discovery, we had plenty of breaks for him to exercise etc. and most importantly he was in our care all the time. We made the journey pleasant for ourselves too, booking 'nice' dog-friendly hotels with recommended restaurants.
That would always be my choice but of course it isn't always possible for some people so if not flying with your dog yourself it's important to choose your pet transporter very carefully. There are some rogue companies around.
 
#27 ·
https://www.norwegian.com/en/travel-info/baggage/travelling-with-pets/


Cost to transport your pet in the cargo: 38 - 55 GBP (online) 47 - 66 GBP (airport), per animal, each way.

Cats and dogs can travel in the cargo hold on the following flights:


Kennels and crates
Make sure your pet is comfy and secure in its kennel, and that it meets the requirements needed to fly.

In the cargo hold
Your pet must be able to stand up, turn round and lay in a natural position when it's in its container.

The container must be no bigger than 120 x 81 x 84cm (L x W x H).
It must be clearly marked with your name and mobile phone number.
It must be clean, in good condition, and be made be of a solid material that is fully waterproof. However, weld mesh containers are not allowed.
You must remove or fasten any wheels.
You must secure the kennel door with zip ties/cable ties.
 
#28 ·
My friends have just arrived from England with their dog for a two-month stay. They came via Britanny Ferries to Santander. Apparently on the "economy" ship you can take the dog in the cabin with you, but on the luxury one it has to stay in a kennel - though you can visit it any time and there is an exercise area.

PETS Travel Scheme - Brittany Ferries
 
#34 ·
The 26 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

thus neither Ireland or the UK allow unrestricted access of people or dogs by plane or boat . Dogs are not now allowed to travel except via approved carriers.

Has anybody booked through an agent for a dog?
6 years ago Brittany ferries made us use an agent of their choice to book our horsebox, 3 horses and 1 dog onto the ferry and the agents could not have been better. They not only talked us through all the paperwork required but found us all overnight accommodation for 3 overnight stops. In addition they got us on a ferry on the correct day after Cherbourg was closed due to snow the day before we were due to travel and then made sure each day our journey was going smoothly. We paid no extra for this.
 
#39 ·
Sorry if you thought I was implying that we were made to use an agent for the dog that came with us.

It was because Brittany likes to make sure that their backs are fully covered i,e, no sick or stolen horse in a load. Their paperwork is much more complicated than a dog's. Once at the port the sea state has to be calmish and the lorry must be loaded on board to ensure maximum fresh air for the horses at all times. I think the agents may also be able to locate lairage, vet and feed near the port in the event of an unreasonable delay.

The dog was just another body in the lorry cab until she went into a kennel on board.

What I was trying to point out that the agents did earn whatever money they made off the commission for our journey.
 
#40 ·
It was this bit of your post that confused me.................
"thus neither Ireland or the UK allow unrestricted access of people or dogs by plane or boat . Dogs are not now allowed to travel except via approved carriers." But thanks for clarifying things.
 
#56 ·
Hi, that was Airpets, a big operation based inside Heathrow airport. They are one of the more expensive agents on British Airways' squad. There are cheaper, smaller outfits.

One way cost.

The actual cost varies, depending on if you need them to do the vet certificates, provide a box, keep the poor thing overnight etc.,


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