Iberia Pet Policy: 8 kg Cabin Limit, Hold Fees and US Route Rules (2026)

Iberia lets dogs, cats, tortoises and small birds fly in the cabin if the pet and its carrier weigh no more than 8 kg, at USD 215 per carrier online on a flight between Spain and the Americas. Cats and dogs up to 45 kg with their crate can fly in the hold, for USD 340 to 390 per segment to or from the Americas, paid at the airport. Iberia refuses snub-nosed breeds in the hold and refuses nine dog breeds it classes as dangerous altogether, and some of its US routes, including Boston and Washington Dulles, do not take pets in the hold at all.

Iberia publishes one of the most complete pet pages of any airline, but the details that trip people up are spread across tabs: route restrictions, the breed lists, connection-time limits and fees that differ online and at the airport. This guide pulls them together from Iberia's Travelling with pets page as read in October 2026. Iberia reserves the right to change prices and conditions, so check the page and your booking before you fly.

Iberia pet rules at a glance

The table compares Iberia's cabin and hold options.

Flying in the cabin

Dogs, cats, tortoises and birds (except poultry and birds of prey) can travel in the cabin with you if the pet and carrier together weigh 8 kg or less. Ornamental fish need prior authorization from Iberia's booking offices. The carrier can be no larger than 45 cm long, 35 cm wide and 25 cm high, with the three sides adding up to no more than 105 cm. It must be robust, ventilated on at least 16 percent of its four sides, and have a safe, leak-proof base. On Iberia flights operated by Air Nostrum the carrier must not be rigid. Birds travel in a strong, locked, covered cage with food and drink that cannot spill.

Up to three small, light animals of the same species can share one carrier, and Iberia charges per carrier, not per animal. Your pet stays inside the carrier for the whole flight, the carrier cannot go on a seat, and it must sit under the seat at your feet whenever the seat belt sign is on. Pets are not allowed in emergency exit rows, and Iberia refuses animals with a strong odor or other traits that would bother other passengers. Our list of the best airline-approved dog carriers includes soft carriers in this size range.

Booking a cabin pet online

Iberia is one of the few large airlines that lets you add a cabin pet online. In the flight search, open the passenger menu and select "Pet in cabin", choose your flights, fill in the species, breed and the passenger responsible for the pet, accept the carrier rules, and add the pet to your booking. The price shows next to the Add button. You can also add a pet later through Manage my booking. At the airport, staff check the pet's documents and conditions and complete an IATA form, and they can refuse the pet if any requirement is not met.

Cabin fees

Iberia charges cabin pet fees per segment, by zone, and the airport price is higher than the online price:

• Spain, excluding the Canary Islands: EUR 40 or USD 50 online, EUR 44 or USD 55 at the airport.
• Canary Islands, Europe, North Africa and Israel: EUR 60 or USD 75 online, EUR 66 or USD 80 at the airport.
• America, Asia and Qatar: EUR 180 or USD 215 online, EUR 198 or USD 235 at the airport.

Connecting itineraries use a separate, slightly higher scale, reaching EUR 200 or USD 235 online for the America, Asia and Qatar zone. When a trip crosses zones, the most expensive zone applies. Bookings made through Iberia's call centers are paid at the airport.

Flying in the hold

Iberia, Iberia Express and Iberia Regional Air Nostrum carry cats and dogs in the hold, except snub-nosed and dangerous breeds. You need prior authorization from Iberia's booking offices at least 48 hours before departure, and you must tell Iberia the breed. The maximum is 45 kg for pet and carrier together. The crate must follow IATA pet container rules: robust, lock securely, let the animal stand naturally, turn around and lie down, have no damage, be well ventilated, and have a waterproof base with cushioning so the pet does not lie directly on the aircraft floor. Two adult animals used to living together can share a crate if each weighs 14 kg or less, as can three littermates under 6 months old. See how to choose a pet transport crate.

Hold fees

Hold fees are paid at the airport only and depend on the pet's weight and the zone. To or from America, Asia and Qatar, Iberia charges:

• Up to 10 kg: EUR 290 or USD 340 per segment, EUR 340 or USD 400 with a connection.
• 11 to 25 kg: EUR 310 or USD 365 per segment, EUR 360 or USD 425 with a connection.
• 26 to 45 kg: EUR 330 or USD 390 per segment, EUR 385 or USD 455 with a connection.

Within Spain the range is EUR 90 to 110 per segment, and within the Canary Islands, Europe, North Africa and Israel zone it is EUR 135 to 155.

Connection rules for hold pets

If your pet is in the hold and you have a connection, the layover must be at least 90 minutes and no more than 4 hours, or the pet cannot travel. Iberia only grants permission once every flight in the booking is confirmed. If you connect in the US to a different airline, you must collect your pet at the transfer airport, check it in again and pay the new airline; cabin pets also pay each airline separately. Make sure every airline on the trip has confirmed your pet. See connecting flights with a pet.

US routes where the hold is closed

This is the detail most guides miss. Iberia restricts animals in the hold on its own flights between Madrid and Boston, Washington Dulles, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Toronto, Fortaleza and Recife. Pets in the cabin and assistance dogs can still fly on those routes if they meet the rules, but you must contact Iberia's booking offices to guarantee the cabin space. If you are flying with a dog too big for the cabin from Boston or Washington, plan on a different route or a cargo shipper. On Iberia Express, hold pets are also restricted between Madrid and Cairo, Tel Aviv and Keflavik.

Breeds Iberia will not carry

Iberia does not carry these breeds, classed as dangerous, in either the cabin or the hold: Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Doberman, Argentine Dogo, Brazilian Mastiff, Tosa and Akita. Other breeds may be refused depending on build, muscle, height and weight.

Separately, Iberia does not carry brachycephalic dogs and cats in the hold, though they can fly in the cabin if they meet the cabin rules. The dog list includes Affenpinscher, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Griffon, all Bulldogs, Bull Mastiff, Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Cavalier and King Charles Spaniels, Chihuahua, Chow Chow, Dogue de Bordeaux, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Mastiff, Miniature Pinscher, Pekingese, Pit Bull, Pug, Saint Bernard, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Tibetan Spaniel and Yorkshire Terrier. The cat list is Burmese, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan and Persian. Iberia also does not carry ferrets or any other animal in the weasel family. For these pets Iberia points owners to a cargo agent. See our guide to the snub-nosed dog breed flying ban.

When your pet must fly as cargo

Iberia sends pets to IAG Cargo, booked through a cargo agent, when they weigh more than 45 kg with the crate, when the destination only accepts animals as cargo, when the breed is restricted, when the species is not accepted, or when the pet is flying alone. You cannot book IAG Cargo directly as a private owner. Iberia names WOOF Airlines as one agent that handles these bookings.

Flying to the United States

Iberia applies the US CDC dog import rules to every dog flying to the US, in the cabin or the hold, including assistance dogs. Fill in the CDC Dog Import Form a few days before travel and show the receipt at the Iberia desk. If your dog has been in a high-risk rabies country in the past six months without a valid US vaccination certificate or USDA-endorsed export certificate, it can only enter through an airport with a CDC animal care facility, and you must reserve that facility in advance. Spain is not on the CDC high-risk list. See importing a dog into the US.

Flying from the US to Spain

Spain follows the EU rules for pets arriving from the US: a microchip, a rabies vaccination given after the chip, and an EU health certificate completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA APHIS, as set out on the APHIS page for Spain. Pets must enter the EU through an authorized travellers' point of entry, and Iberia asks you to confirm your Spanish arrival airport is on the official list. The European Commission's pet travel page has the full EU rules, and our guide to pet transport to Spain covers the US side step by step.

The UK, Ireland and other restricted destinations

Iberia does not carry pets in the cabin to London Heathrow, Manchester or Edinburgh, does not allow cabin pets on any London Gatwick flight, and does not carry hold pets to or from any UK airport. Pets can only reach the UK as cargo through an agent. Hold pets are also not accepted on flights from Dublin, cabin pets are not accepted to or from Doha, and South Africa only accepts pets as cargo.

Assistance dogs on Iberia

Iberia handles assistance dogs under a separate procedure from pets, and they can fly in the cabin even on routes where the hold is closed, such as Madrid to Boston or Washington. The CDC rules still apply to an assistance dog flying into the US. Contact Iberia ahead of time to arrange the booking and check which documents your route needs, since the paperwork for an assistance dog differs from the pet process.

Flights operated by partners

Iberia flights operated by its low-cost sister LEVEL accept cabin pets and assistance dogs, but not hold pets. Iberia flights operated by Vueling do not accept rodents in the cabin or any animals in the hold. Always check which airline actually operates each flight on your ticket.

Tips for a smooth Iberia trip

• Book a cabin pet online at the same time as your ticket; it is cheaper than paying at the airport and secures one of the limited spots.
• Check which airline operates each flight, because Air Nostrum, LEVEL and Vueling apply different rules.
• If your dog needs the hold, avoid Boston, Washington Dulles, San Juan and Toronto on Iberia, and keep any connection between 90 minutes and 4 hours.
• Weigh the pet in its carrier at home and measure all three sides; airport staff will check both.
• Bring printed copies of the EU health certificate or CDC receipt, the rabies certificate and the microchip record.
• Most vets advise against sedating a pet for a flight; ask yours, and see should you sedate a dog for travel.

Frequently asked questions

Comparing Iberian carriers? See our guide to the TAP Air Portugal pet policy, which caps hold pets at 32 kg on US flights and does not fly pets to the UK.

The other Madrid airline has different rules; see our guide to the Air Europa pet policy.