Pet relocation: international, cross-country, long-distance
Moving a pet across state lines or across an ocean. Real costs, paperwork timelines, quarantine rules, country-by-country guides. From Hawaii returns to Spain immigration, and everything in between.
Pet relocation is the deep end of pet transport - weeks of paperwork, multi-country regulations, sometimes mandatory quarantine, and total costs that easily reach five figures for difficult destinations. The good news: most countries accept pets with the right preparation, and many have transparent rules if you know where to look (USDA APHIS pet travel pages, plus the destination country's veterinary authority).
We publish step-by-step relocation guides for each major destination, with the specific paperwork chain, timeline, cost, and best airlines for each route.
Overseas moves carry extra exposure, which is why international pet shipping insurance is worth a closer look.
Moving to a specific country or across the country? Start with the route guides: pet transport to Canada, to Costa Rica, to Dubai, to the Netherlands, to Switzerland, to the UK, cross-country pet transport.
What's in this hub
- Long-distance pet transport cost - the cross-country US baseline
- Pet transport to Spain - EU compliance, no quarantine
- Pet transport to Australia/UK/Hawaii - the quarantine routes (in progress)
- Private jet pet transport, flight nanny services - premium options
Numbers worth knowing
- Cross-country US ground (typical): $1,200–$2,500
- US to EU pet transport: $1,800–$3,500 (no quarantine)
- US to Australia: $5,500–$8,500 + 10–30 day quarantine
- US to UK: $3,500–$5,500 + paperwork-only entry (no quarantine since 2012)
Read everything we've published on this
-
International Pet Relocation Checklist: A Step by Step Countdown
A step by step action checklist for moving a pet abroad: shipper, vet timeline, microchip order, titer draw, crate training, and arrival.
-
Bringing a Rescue Dog Home From Overseas: What to Know
Adopting a rescue dog from another country? Learn the current CDC import rules, real scam risks, realistic cost, and how to bring…
-
Military Pet Relocation Overseas: OCONUS PCS With a Pet
Moving a pet on an OCONUS PCS. Timelines, on-base pet policies, Patriot Express limits, who pays, and how to plan for Japan,…
-
Moving Back to the US With a Pet: The Re-Entry Rules
Coming home with a pet you got or kept overseas. The current CDC dog rules, the high risk country distinction, cats, and…
-
Studying Abroad With a Pet: The Honest Student Guide
Weighing a semester abroad with your dog or cat. The real cost, housing rules, timeline, and when leaving your pet with family…
-
Retiring Abroad With a Pet: A Practical Planning Guide
Planning to retire abroad with a dog or cat? Compare pet-friendly destinations, senior-pet flight fitness, timelines, and when to hire a shipper.
-
Moving Overseas for Work With a Pet: What to Know
Relocating abroad for a job and bringing your pet. What relocation packages actually cover, the titer timeline, who pays, and pet friendly…
-
Relocating Internationally With Multiple Pets
Moving 2 or more pets abroad? See how paperwork and cost multiply per pet, when crates can be shared, and whether to…
-
Moving Abroad With a Cat: A Complete Owner's Guide
Planning to move abroad with your cat? Learn how cats handle international travel, the export paperwork order, titer waits, and when to…
-
Moving to the US With a Pet: The Complete Inbound Guide
Bringing a dog or cat into the United States. Entry rules, the CDC Dog Import Form, flying vs a shipper, and how…
-
Snowbird Pet Transport: Moving Your Dog South and North Each Year
How snowbirds move a dog south for winter and north for spring: round trip booking, timing around heat and cold embargoes, and…
-
Shipping a Puppy From a Breeder: How It Works
How puppies travel from an out of state breeder to you: age minimums, ground vs flight nanny, the health certificate, and breeder…
Three things that make us different.
Vetted operators, ranked by data.
Every operator in our network is ranked on service quality signals - USDA registration, insurance coverage, response time, customer reviews. Sponsored or promoted listings are clearly labeled.
USDA-verified partners only.
Every operator in our network holds USDA Class T registration - required for commercial pet transport across state lines. We verify before we recommend.
Most quotes back in 24 hours.
When you submit a quote request, we send it to a small panel of pre-vetted operators. You'll typically have multiple quotes within 24 hours - no chasing, no spam, no obligation.