Relocating Internationally With Multiple Pets

This is for a household moving two or more pets across an international border at the same time, whether that is two dogs, a dog and a cat, or a small multi-pet family. The honest bottom line: the paperwork, the health certificate fees, and often the crates all multiply per pet, so a two-pet move is not simply twice the hassle of a one-pet move, it is closer to twice the hassle plus a few coordination problems that only show up when more than one animal is involved. Planning the household as a single unit, rather than as separate one-pet moves bolted together, is what keeps a multi-pet relocation from becoming its own project. Households whose move is specifically into the United States with more than one pet should also read the moving to the US with a pet hub, since it lays out the inbound entry rules this article assumes and applies per animal.

Why the paperwork and cost multiply per pet, not per household

Every government in this process, from the exporting country to the destination country, treats each animal as its own case file. That means each pet needs its own microchip confirmation, its own rabies vaccination record, and its own USDA-endorsed international health certificate examined and signed by an accredited veterinarian close to travel. If you are exporting from the United States, USDA APHIS export requirements apply per animal, and the federal endorsement fee structure is per animal as well, with a modest reduction for each additional pet on the same certificate batch rather than a flat household rate as documented on APHIS' endorsement cost page. If a destination requires a rabies titer test, each pet needs its own blood draw and its own lab result, so two pets means two draws and, in practice, two waiting periods that need to be tracked separately in case one pet's sample has to be redrawn. Budget for full per-pet costs rather than assuming a bulk discount anywhere in the process; a full-service international relocation commonly runs roughly $1,000 to $5,000 or more per pet depending on size, route, and whether a professional shipper is handling logistics, and that range should be multiplied by the number of animals, not treated as a household ceiling. For the step-by-step sequence every pet in the household needs to go through, see how to relocate a pet internationally, and run it once per animal on your own tracking sheet.

A mixed-species household, most commonly a dog and a cat moving together, adds an extra wrinkle because dogs and cats are often held to different rules by the same government. Cats moving into the United States face a much lighter federal bar than dogs under current CDC dog importation rules, which require every dog to be at least 6 months old, carry an ISO-compatible microchip, and be covered by an online CDC Dog Import Form, with extra rabies documentation added if the dog was living in a country the CDC classifies as high risk for dog rabies. Treat each species' paperwork as its own checklist rather than assuming what applies to the dog automatically covers the cat, or the reverse, since the two animals in the same carry-on bag can legally be on completely different tracks.

Crate sharing: when IATA actually allows two pets in one container

Sharing a crate sounds like the obvious way to cut cost and hassle, and it is sometimes allowed, but the rule is narrow. Under the IATA Live Animals Regulations guidance for pet travel, a maximum of two adult animals may travel in the same primary enclosure only if they are of comparable size (each generally under about 14 kg), are compatible, and are genuinely used to living together, and airlines and ground handlers can still require separate crates at check-in regardless of what the rule technically permits. Weaned puppies or kittens from the same litter have a bit more flexibility, up to three per container under the same size and age limits. What crate sharing is not for: two pets that merely tolerate each other at home, two different species, or any pair where either animal shows stress or resource guarding around the other, since IATA's own guidance warns that animals can become aggressive under travel stress even if they get along at home. In practice, most multi-pet international moves end up with one crate per animal once airline-specific policy, size limits, and the destination country's import rules are all layered on top of the baseline IATA allowance, so treat crate sharing as a possible cost saver to ask about, not a plan to build the whole move around.

Flying together on the same flight, or staggering the move

Two pets do not have to travel on the same flight, and sometimes they should not. Flying together keeps the household move to one trip and one set of travel-day logistics, which is simpler if both pets are healthy, similarly sized, and the route and airline can accommodate both as manifested cargo or as accompanied checked pets. Staggering the move, sending one pet ahead or having a second trip a few weeks later, can make sense when the pets have different fitness to fly (an older or brachycephalic pet needing a cooler travel window than a younger, more flight-tolerant one), when one pet's paperwork or titer result lags behind the other's, or when the household itself is traveling in stages. The tradeoff is that staggering means paying for two separate transport events and coordinating care for the pet that is not yet with you, so weigh the actual savings against that added complexity before assuming staggering is cheaper. Either way, book far enough ahead that neither pet is trying to make a strict rabies-titer or health-certificate deadline; see how far in advance to plan an international pet move for the lead-time math, since titer-required destinations commonly need six to seven months of runway per pet.

Airline per-passenger pet limits if you are flying with them yourself

If you plan to accompany your pets rather than book a manifested cargo shipment, check the per-passenger pet limit before you book, because it is usually the tightest constraint in a multi-pet move. Most airlines cap in-cabin pets at one carrier per passenger, and a growing number of carriers cap the total number of pet carriers allowed in the cabin per flight, which can fill up on popular routes well before departure. Some airlines will allow two small, same-species pets in a single in-cabin carrier if they are compatible and fit comfortably together within the carrier's dimensions, echoing the same compatible-and-comparable-size logic IATA uses for cargo crates, but this is airline-specific and should be confirmed directly with the carrier rather than assumed. A two-pet household traveling together, in practice, often needs either two adult travelers each accompanying one pet, or one pet accompanied in-cabin while the other travels as manifested cargo or checked baggage on the same or a separate flight. None of this removes the need for sedation: the AVMA advises against sedating pets for air travel because it can impair breathing, temperature regulation, and balance, and airlines will generally refuse a visibly sedated animal, so plan crate training and a calm travel routine for each pet individually rather than relying on medication for either one.

Why a professional shipper earns its fee most clearly with multiple pets

A single, straightforward pet move to a low-documentation destination is often manageable without professional help, but the math changes once a second or third animal enters the picture. An IPATA-member international pet shipper coordinates export paperwork, health certificate timing, and destination import rules for every animal in the household at once, catching a missed titer deadline on pet two before it derails the whole trip, and matching crate, airline, and routing choices across pets so the household does not end up with two different airlines, two different layover cities, and two different arrival days by accident. A shipper can also negotiate airline capacity for more than one pet on a route with a tight per-flight pet cap, something an individual traveler calling an airline directly may not be able to do. The tradeoff is cost: professional handling adds a service fee on top of the government and airline fees you would pay either way. For a straight comparison of what doing it yourself actually saves versus what it risks with more than one animal in play, read DIY pet relocation versus hiring a company before deciding, since the calculus shifts meaningfully once a second pet is added to the plan.

The case for a shipper gets stronger the stricter the destination is. Rabies-free or quarantine-heavy destinations already demand a titer test with a waiting period per pet, and a household moving two or three pets into one of those countries has two or three separate lab results, two or three separate quarantine bookings, and two or three sets of paperwork that all have to land inside the same narrow validity window. A single missed detail on any one animal can hold up that pet's entry, or its quarantine intake slot, without affecting the others, which is exactly the kind of per-animal failure point a shipper who works these routes regularly is built to catch before it happens. If a household is weighing whether the strictness of the destination itself is worth it, the fitness and comfort of every pet involved, not just the paperwork, belongs in that decision too.

A practical timeline for moving more than one pet at once

Start every pet's paperwork clock on the same day, even if you plan to stagger their travel, so you are never caught reacting to one animal's deadline while ignoring the other's, and write each pet's key dates, microchip check, rabies shot, titer draw, health certificate exam, on a single shared calendar rather than juggling separate mental timelines for each animal. Confirm each pet's microchip and rabies vaccination status first, since a lapsed or newly given rabies shot can restart a titer waiting period and derail the whole household's schedule around the slowest pet. Book each pet's USDA-accredited veterinary exam and health certificate close enough to travel to meet the destination country's validity window, and submit each certificate for federal endorsement separately, tracking both animals' paperwork on one shared calendar rather than two separate ones so nothing falls through the gap between them. If you are flying yourself, confirm each airline's per-passenger and per-flight pet limits before you buy tickets, not after, since a full cabin allotment on your preferred flight can force a last-minute change of route for one animal. This is the same underlying process every mover in the household is going through; the full step sequence is at how to relocate a pet internationally, and the timeline math is at how far in advance to plan an international pet move. Households moving multiple pets domestically within the United States instead of across a border face a materially different, lighter rule set; see moving across states with multiple pets for that version, since federal import rules and destination-country quarantine and titer requirements do not apply to an interstate move. Build in slack for the slowest pet, not the fastest. If one animal in the household is older, has a health condition that needs vet sign-off closer to travel, or is a breed with airline restrictions, let that pet's timeline set the pace for the whole household's booking rather than forcing every animal onto the same departure date regardless of readiness. It is common, and often the more responsible choice, for a multi-pet household to accept a staggered arrival so that no single pet is rushed through a step that a slower approach would have handled more safely.

Household size | Health certificates needed | Crates typically needed | Crate sharing realistic? | Typical total cost range
1 pet | 1 | 1 | Not applicable | $1,000 to $5,000+
2 pets, same species, similar size, cohabiting | 2 | 1 to 2 (ask airline) | Sometimes, if IATA size and compatibility rules are met | $1,800 to $9,000+
2 pets, different species or very different size | 2 | 2 | No | $2,000 to $10,000+
3 or more pets | 1 per pet | 1 per pet in most cases | Rare beyond a compatible pair; check per airline | Roughly per-pet range times pet count

Frequently asked questions

Does it cost less per pet to move two pets internationally instead of one?

Slightly, in some line items. USDA APHIS charges a lower per-animal endorsement fee for each additional pet on the same certificate batch, and a shipper may offer a modest discount for handling more than one animal, but health exams, vaccinations, crates, and airline fees are still charged close to full price per pet, so total cost roughly scales with the number of animals rather than dropping sharply per pet.

Can two dogs travel in the same crate on an international flight?

Only if they meet IATA's narrow allowance: comparable size, generally under about 14 kg each, genuinely compatible, and used to living together, and even then the airline or ground handler can still require separate crates. Two different-sized dogs, two different species, or any pair that is not truly comfortable together should each get their own crate.

Should we fly all our pets on the same flight or send them separately?

Flying together is simpler if every pet is healthy, similarly fit to travel, and the airline and route can accommodate all of them at once. Staggering makes sense when pets differ in fitness to fly, when one pet's paperwork lags, or when a strict per-flight pet limit forces the split, but it means paying for two separate transport events.

How many pets can one passenger bring on an international flight?

Most airlines allow one pet carrier per passenger in the cabin, and some cap the total number of pet carriers allowed on the whole flight, which fills up fast on popular routes. A few carriers permit two small, compatible, same-species pets in one carrier if they fit comfortably together, but this must be confirmed directly with the airline before booking.

Is it worth hiring a shipper for a multi-pet move instead of doing it yourself?

It is worth strongly considering. A professional shipper coordinates paperwork, timing, and routing across every pet in the household at once, which is where DIY multi-pet moves most often go wrong, since one pet's missed deadline or airline capacity limit can derail the whole household's plan. Compare the actual tradeoffs before deciding.