DFDS carries dogs, cats and ferrets on all its main passenger routes, but the rules change completely from one route to the next. On the short Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkirk crossings, your pet stays in your car and the fee is GBP 15 per pet each way. On Newhaven to Dieppe and Newcastle to Amsterdam, you can also book kennels and pet-friendly cabins, and foot passengers can bring pets. Every route requires pets to be at least 15 or 16 weeks old, and only assistance dogs are allowed in public areas.
This guide is built from DFDS's pet travel page and its route pages for Newcastle to Amsterdam and Newhaven to Dieppe, read in November 2026.
DFDS pet fees by route
| Route | Where pets stay | Fee per pet, each way |
|---|---|---|
| Dover to Calais or Dunkirk | In your vehicle only | GBP 15 |
| Newhaven to Dieppe | Vehicle, kennel or pet-friendly cabin | Vehicle GBP 20, kennel GBP 30 per dog, cabin GBP 20 plus cabin price |
| Newcastle to Amsterdam | Pet-friendly cabin, kennel (dogs), or vehicle (cats and other pets only) | GBP 30 cabin or vehicle, kennel GBP 30 per dog |
| Rosslare to Dunkirk | Pet-friendly cabin | EUR 30 plus cabin price |
| Portsmouth to Jersey | Dog-friendly lounge, pet cabin or vehicle | Free, but the pet must be added to the booking |
| Poole to Jersey | Vehicle, or carrier in a dedicated area for foot passengers | Vehicle free, foot passenger GBP 11 |
| Jersey to St Malo | In your vehicle | GBP 20 |
| Klaipeda to Kiel | Pet-friendly cabin | EUR 40 transport fee |
Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkirk
These are the short Channel crossings most British drivers use. Your pet must stay in your vehicle for the whole sailing; there are no kennels or pet cabins, and pets cannot go into public areas, except guide, hearing and assistance dogs. The fee is GBP 15 per pet each way on top of the vehicle fare. You cannot stay in the car with the pet during the crossing, for safety reasons, so leave it with ventilation, water, food and absorbent bedding, lock the car and turn off the alarm. Visits can be arranged at the Guest Service Centre, depending on operations, so ask as soon as you are on board if you want to check on your pet. Foot passengers cannot bring pets on the Dover routes.
Priority boarding is not available if you travel with a pet, because of the way vehicles with animals are loaded.
Newhaven to Dieppe
This is the most flexible DFDS crossing to France for pet owners. Drivers can leave a pet in the car for GBP 20 per pet each way. Dogs can use a kennel for GBP 30 per dog each way. And there are pet-friendly cabins, 4-berth with a sea view and room for up to 2 pets, which cost GBP 20 per pet on top of the cabin price. Foot passengers can travel with pets on this route only, using a kennel or a pet cabin, and can bring a dog on the transfer bus if it is on a lead.
The two DFDS pages disagree on kennel numbers. The pet travel page says there are only 3 kennels on board, measuring 75 cm high, 85 cm wide and 114 cm deep, while the Newhaven to Dieppe route page mentions 5 kennels for foot passengers and 3 new pet cabins. Either way, space is very limited, so book well ahead. Drivers can book kennels online; foot passengers book through the DFDS customer care team.
Newcastle to Amsterdam
On the overnight Newcastle to Amsterdam crossing, dogs cannot stay in the vehicle. A dog travels in a pet-friendly cabin with you or in a dog-friendly kennel. Cats and other pets can stay in the vehicle, ideally in a secure carrier. The fees are GBP 30 per pet each way to add the pet to a cabin or vehicle, on top of the cabin or vehicle price, and GBP 30 per dog each way for a kennel.
Pet-friendly cabins are 4-berth sea view cabins for up to 2 pets, with vinyl floors and an en-suite. They are on deck 4 of Princess Seaways and deck 5 of King Seaways, reachable by stairs only, with no lift. DFDS warns that if no pet-friendly cabin is free, you must not book an ordinary cabin instead, because other cabins do not take pets.
Kennels come in four sizes on King Seaways, from small (54 x 56 x 60 cm) to extra large (76 x 68 x 101 cm), and in large and extra large only on Princess Seaways. You get a key card at check-in so you can visit your dog during the sailing, and both ships have a dog-friendly exercise deck close to the kennels and pet cabins.
Two limits on this route are easy to miss, so check them before you plan the trip: pets cannot travel on the Mini Cruise to Amsterdam, and DFDS does not carry birds of any kind on Newcastle to Amsterdam.
Rosslare to Dunkirk
The direct Ireland to France route has pet-friendly cabins on deck 6 of Victoria and Athena, 4-berth with a sea view and room for up to 2 pets, near a dog-friendly exercise deck. Adding a pet costs EUR 30 per pet each way on top of the cabin price.
Jersey routes
DFDS's Jersey routes have their own rules and some of the lowest pet fees it charges. On Portsmouth to Jersey, pets travel free in a dog-friendly lounge, a 2-berth pet cabin or your vehicle, but you must still add the pet to the booking. On Poole to Jersey, a pet in your vehicle is free, and a foot passenger pays GBP 11 per pet each way. On Jersey to St Malo, a pet in your vehicle costs GBP 20 each way. Foot passengers on Poole, Jersey and St Malo sailings must keep pets in an RSPCA approved carrier, and the pet is placed in a dedicated area on board. DFDS also warns that some dog types are not allowed into Jersey at all.
Baltic routes
On the Baltic Sea routes between Lithuania, Germany and Sweden, pets travel in pet-friendly cabins, and dog-friendly kennels are available only on Luna Seaways and Aura Seaways. On the Klaipeda to Kiel route, DFDS charges a EUR 40 transport fee, and you can walk your pet on the open deck when needed.
Minimum age and documents
Pets must be at least 16 weeks old on Newcastle to Amsterdam and the UK to France routes, and at least 15 weeks on the Jersey, Rosslare and Baltic routes. For dogs, cats and ferrets, DFDS lists the usual EU rules: a microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, a wait of 21 days after the vaccination (day one is the day after), and an animal health certificate or EU pet passport. If you live in Great Britain, you need an animal health certificate issued by an authorised vet no more than 10 days before the pet enters the EU; EU pet passports are not valid for travellers who live in England, Scotland or Wales, even if the passport was issued in the EU. The certificate is valid for 10 days for entry, 6 months for onward travel in the EU, and 6 months for return to Great Britain, and you need a new one for each trip.
Tapeworm treatment on the way back
Dogs entering Great Britain need tapeworm treatment containing praziquantel, given by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before you arrive. The vet records the date, time, product and manufacturer, with a stamp and signature, on the travel document. The UK government's bringing your pet to Great Britain page has the current rules.
Check-in with a pet
Drivers check in at the vehicle booths, where the microchip is scanned and documents checked, and you get a mirror hanger showing there is a pet in the car. On Newcastle to Amsterdam, cats and other pets are checked in inside the terminal in a carrier. Foot passengers always check in inside the terminal, which DFDS warns can be busy and loud, so keep dogs close and cats in a secure carrier.
Assistance dogs
DFDS accepts guide, hearing and assistance dogs recognised by Assistance Dogs International and the International Guide Dog Federation programmes. Tell DFDS before travelling, bring the documents it asks for, and make sure the dog meets the destination's pet entry rules. There is no fee, and assistance dogs can go into public areas on a harness or lead.
Other pets, horses and livestock
For pets other than dogs, cats and ferrets, call DFDS to book. Its team checks the animal is approved for carriage, and you sign a waiver confirming you meet the destination's pet rules, which must be emailed at least 24 hours before departure. Horses and other livestock cannot travel in the passenger area and go through DFDS's freight service.
Summer travel
DFDS says never to leave pets alone in vehicles in warm weather, to give them plenty of water, ventilation and shade, and to avoid the hottest part of the day. On the short Dover crossings, where the pet has to stay in the car, a morning or evening sailing in summer is the safer choice.
What to bring on board
DFDS does not supply bedding in kennels, and pet food is not provided on board, so pack for the whole crossing. DFDS suggests water bowls, food, water, treats and favourite toys so the pet feels at home. For cats and ferrets in a pet-friendly cabin, bring your own litter box; DFDS asks that litter is not emptied into the cabin toilet. On longer routes like Newcastle to Amsterdam, where the crossing is overnight, bring enough for an evening meal, a morning meal and a spare in case of delays.
Before you reach the terminal, DFDS recommends walking your dog in a nearby park so it can stretch its legs and relieve itself. There are no vets on board, so you are responsible for making sure your pet is fit and healthy to travel.
Booking tips
Add your pet when you book, using the passenger and pet selector on the DFDS booking form, which allows up to five pets on a booking. Kennels and pet-friendly cabins are limited on every route and sell out first in school holidays, so book those early and have a fallback sailing in mind. On the Jersey routes, even where pet travel is free, you still have to add the pet to the booking. If you are a foot passenger on Newhaven to Dieppe, contact customer care rather than booking online, since kennels for foot passengers are arranged through the team; DFDS notes that telephone booking fees apply on that route.
Coming from outside Europe
DFDS crossings are usually the last leg of a longer trip. A dog arriving in Britain from the US must first meet Britain's entry rules and usually arrives by air, as our guide to moving a pet to the UK explains. A dog flying into the Netherlands or France from the US travels on a USDA-endorsed EU health certificate, and our pet passport guide explains why US owners cannot get an EU passport at home.
DFDS or another crossing?
If you are driving and only need a short crossing, DFDS's Dover routes are simple and cheap, as long as your pet is fine in the car. If you want your dog with you, or you are travelling on foot, Newhaven to Dieppe or Newcastle to Amsterdam suit you better. Brittany Ferries offers kennels and pet cabins on longer sailings to Normandy, Brittany and Spain but does not take foot passengers with pets. The Eurostar does not carry pets to or from London at all, as our Eurostar guide explains. For more on ferries in the US and elsewhere, see our ferry guide.
Moving to the Netherlands or France with a dog
If the crossing is part of a move, the documents matter more than the ferry. Our guides to pet transport to the Netherlands and pet transport to France cover the timeline, and the European Commission sets out the EU rules on its movement of pets page.