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.
Moving to a specific country? Start with the route guides: pet transport to Ireland, to Greece, to Portugal, to Japan, to France, to Singapore, to Italy.
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
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Traveling With a Service Dog on a Road Trip: A Practical Prep Guide
A service dog does not stop being a working animal just because the family is driving cross country instead of flying. A…
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Service Dog Hotel Rights: What a Hotel Can and Cannot Ask or Charge
A hotel cannot charge a pet fee for a service dog, cannot demand paperwork or an ID card before check-in, and cannot…
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How to Transport a Service Dog
Moving a service dog is not the same job as moving a pet, and the difference matters from the first phone call…
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PCS Pet Timeline: What to Do and When, From Orders to Arrival
Most PCS pet problems are ordering problems. The dependency chain, a month by month countdown, and why the health certificate has to…
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Pet Care During Deployment: Fostering, Costs and Agreements
A deployment is not a PCS, so the pet allowance usually does not apply. Foster networks, what the carer agreement must cover,…
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PCS With a Cat: Travel, the Safe Room and the Risks to Watch
Cats bond to territory, not people, so a move hits them differently. Cabin travel, the safe room method, and the two medical…
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PCS With a Dog: Preparing, Travelling and Settling In
Most of what makes a PCS go well for a dog happens in the weeks either side of the move. Method by…
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Short Notice PCS With a Pet: What Can and Cannot Be Rushed
Domestic pet moves can be arranged in days. Overseas rabies titre waiting periods cannot be shortened at any price. How to tell…
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Flying With a Pet on Military Orders: Patriot Express Rules
Patriot Express pet rules: two pets per family, 150 lb hold limit, 20 lb cabin limit, and you do not need orders…
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PCS to Hawaii With a Pet: Quarantine Rules and What It Costs
Hawaii is OCONUS for the pet allowance, so the ceiling is $2,000. The 30-day and 10-day deadlines decide whether your pet leaves…
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Military Housing Breed Restrictions: What Is Actually Banned
The force-wide banned breed lists are shorter than most articles claim, the Coast Guard bans none, and a banned breed may be…
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Military Pet Transport Reimbursement: What the DoD Pays for a PCS
The DoD pays up to $550 CONUS, $2,000 OCONUS and $4,000 from high rabies risk countries for PCS pet transport. What qualifies…
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