Moving a dog or cat from the UK to the US has a strange shape. The US paperwork is about as light as it gets, because Great Britain is not on the CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies. The flights are the opposite. On direct UK to US flights, pets do not travel in the cabin and do not travel as checked baggage. They fly as manifest cargo, booked through a cargo operation rather than at the passenger desk. For a large dog that is simply how it works, and Heathrow handles it well. For a small dog or cat that could otherwise sit at your feet, it has created a popular workaround: leave the UK by land or sea, then fly from Paris or Amsterdam with your pet in the cabin.
This guide covers both routes and the decisions between them. It is part of our inbound series led by the Europe to the US hub, which covers the continental carriers in more depth.
The US side, briefly
A dog arriving from the UK that has spent the previous six months only in low-risk or rabies-free countries needs to be at least six months old, carry a microchip a universal scanner can read, look healthy on arrival, and travel with a receipt from the online CDC Dog Import Form. That is the whole federal list. Cats need no CDC form at all. For the full federal picture, including what changes if your dog has been somewhere high-risk, see our guide to importing a dog into the US.
Why direct flights mean cargo
British Airways does not carry pets in the cabin or as checked baggage. Every pet on a BA flight travels as cargo through IAG Cargo, the group's freight arm. Virgin Atlantic suspended its pet cargo service in 2020, and as Travelnuity's UK to USA guide notes, it has not brought it back. The US airlines flying the Atlantic do not fill the gap: American Airlines does not take cabin pets on transatlantic flights, and Delta and United take pets as cargo only for military and State Department personnel on orders. The net effect is that a direct, nonstop UK to US move for a pet means IAG Cargo out of Heathrow for almost everyone.
How the Heathrow cargo route works
Heathrow is well set up for this. IAG Cargo runs a dedicated pet service and, through a partnership announced with PetAir UK, offers UK-wide home collection, bespoke travel crates and document support, along with a meet-and-greet pet area at Heathrow. In practice, the pet is checked in at the cargo facility several hours before the flight, travels in a pressurised, climate-controlled hold, and is collected at the US cargo terminal or through the shipper's agent on arrival. You do not need to be on the same flight, which is useful if you are flying from a regional airport or relocating in stages. You can start a booking through the IAG Cargo pets page, which also connects travelers with partner agents.
Two points owners often miss. First, because the pet is freight, your own airline ticket does not reserve anything for the animal. Book the pet first, then build your own travel around it. Second, cargo booking windows depend on crate size and aircraft, so a large dog may have fewer flight options than a medium one on the same day.
The via-Europe workaround for small pets
If your pet and carrier weigh under about 8 kg, you may prefer to keep it beside you. Continental carriers including Air France and KLM accept small cats and dogs in the cabin on flights to the US, so the workaround is to get yourself and the pet across the Channel, then fly from Paris Charles de Gaulle or Amsterdam Schiphol. Eurostar does not take pets other than assistance dogs, so the usual crossing is by car, either on the Channel Tunnel vehicle shuttle or a car ferry, or using a specialist pet taxi service that runs London to Paris. Once in France or the Netherlands, you check in at the passenger desk with the pet as a cabin booking. KLM asks you to reserve the pet place in advance and confirms it before travel, and Air France works the same way. Our Air France and KLM pet policy guides cover carrier sizes and fees.
The workaround is not free. Add the Channel crossing, a night in a hotel near the airport for most families, and the risk that a missed connection leaves you and the pet stranded in a third country. For a cat or a small dog that would be distressed alone in a hold, many owners find it worth it. For a 30 kg Labrador, it changes nothing, because the dog would still fly in the hold.
Cargo or workaround: deciding by size, temperament and budget
For a large dog, direct cargo from Heathrow is usually the better route. It avoids an extra land journey, keeps the trip to one flight, and uses a facility built for animals. For a small dog or cat, the decision comes down to temperament and cost. A calm, crate-trained cat may cope fine with cargo. An anxious small dog that has never been crated may do much better under the seat, even with the extra travel. If you own a snub-nosed breed, the calculation shifts again, because many carriers restrict brachycephalic breeds in the hold, especially in warm months. Our cargo vs cabin guide walks through the welfare side.
| Route | Pet travels | Best for | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct, Heathrow via IAG Cargo | Manifest cargo, can be a different flight from you | Medium and large dogs, owners who want one flight | No cabin option at any size |
| Via Paris CDG on Air France | Cabin up to about 8 kg, or hold | Small dogs and cats that should stay with you | Channel crossing plus a hotel night |
| Via Amsterdam on KLM | Cabin up to about 8 kg, or hold | Small pets, owners driving through northern Europe | Longer drive from most of the UK |
| Full-service shipper door to door | Cargo, handled end to end | Busy moves, two or more pets, very large dogs | Highest cost |
The UK export side: what your vet and shipper will want
The US does not ask for a UK government export certificate for a pet dog from Great Britain. The paperwork you carry out of the UK is shaped by your carrier and shipper. Cargo operators typically want a recent health certificate from a vet confirming the animal is fit to fly, and many UK shippers prepare paperwork through an Official Veterinarian, the APHA-authorised vets who sign export certificates, as a matter of routine. Ask your shipper exactly which document it will present at cargo check-in and how recent it must be, then book the vet appointment to fall inside that window. Keep the microchip and rabies vaccination records together with it, even though the US does not require rabies proof for a low-risk dog, because many US states and landlords will ask for it later.
Crates, sedation and the cargo check-in
A cargo pet travels in an IATA-compliant crate: rigid, ventilated, large enough for the animal to stand, turn and lie down, with water accessible from outside. The crate is usually the single item owners get wrong, and a crate rejected at Heathrow means a missed flight. Buy or rent it early and let the pet sleep in it for weeks before the move. Do not sedate a pet for air travel unless your vet specifically advises it, since sedation affects breathing and balance at altitude and many carriers refuse visibly sedated animals.
Cats from the UK
Cats are the easiest UK to US pets on the US side, since there is no CDC form for them. On the flying side they face the same cargo-only reality on direct flights. Most UK cat owners either accept cargo, which cats generally tolerate well in a familiar, well-ventilated crate, or take the via-Europe route if the cat is a nervous traveler. Check your destination state's rules on arrival, as some require current rabies vaccination for cats too.
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and regional airports
Most UK to US pet cargo routes through Heathrow, so owners outside London should expect either a drive to Heathrow or a shipper collection that brings the pet south. That is where the home collection service matters: a shipper collecting from Edinburgh or Cardiff saves a long drive the day before a long flight. Owners in Northern Ireland should check routing carefully, since a pet may need to move through Great Britain before departure, and the rules for moving pets between Northern Ireland and Great Britain have their own requirements.
What it typically costs
Cargo from Heathrow is priced by crate size and route, so a cat in a small crate costs much less than a giant breed. Owners commonly report starting figures of several hundred pounds for small animals through IAG Cargo, rising into the thousands for large dogs and full door-to-door service with a shipper. The via-Europe workaround replaces the cargo charge with a cabin pet fee, often 100 to 400 euros on Air France or KLM, plus the cost of the crossing and a hotel. Get two shipper quotes in writing before you commit.
If you might move back
Leaving the UK is easy. Coming back is not. Re-entry into Great Britain requires its own paperwork, including a rabies vaccination and, for dogs, a tapeworm treatment within a specific window before arrival. If there is any chance you will return within a few years, keep the microchip and rabies records current and read our US to UK guide before your US stay ends. Our British Airways pet policy guide covers the carrier side in both directions.
A realistic timeline, working back from moving day
Because the UK side is light on government paperwork, most of the lead time goes into logistics rather than vet work. Eight to twelve weeks out, get quotes from two shippers or contact IAG Cargo directly, and decide between cargo and the via-Europe route. Six to eight weeks out, confirm the pet booking in writing, order the crate and start crate training. Four weeks out, check the microchip reads and that rabies vaccination is current, which matters more for your US state and any future return to the UK than for the CDC. In the final two weeks, book the vet certificate to fall inside your carrier's window, submit the CDC Dog Import Form, and confirm collection arrangements at the US end. Summer moves need the longest runway, because cargo capacity on transatlantic flights tightens when many families relocate at once.
Two pets, or a pet alongside a family move
Two dogs can usually travel on the same cargo flight in separate crates, and a bonded pair of cats can sometimes share a large crate if the shipper and carrier agree. What gets complicated is splitting pets across routes: a cat going via Paris in the cabin while a large dog flies cargo from Heathrow means two departure days, two arrival points and two sets of collection plans. Many families simplify by sending every animal as cargo on one flight with a shipper, then traveling themselves without pets. If you are also moving furniture, remember that household movers will not transport live animals, so the pet plan has to run separately from the shipping container.
Arriving in the US
Dogs from the UK can land at any US airport, provided the arrival airport matches the one you entered on the CDC form. On a cargo booking, collection happens at the cargo terminal rather than baggage reclaim, and it can take a few hours after landing while the shipment is processed, so plan transport and a quiet first night accordingly. If your final destination is far from the gateway, remember that US domestic airlines rarely carry pets in the hold for the general public, so the last leg is usually by road.
A short checklist
- Confirm the dog is at least six months old and has been only in low-risk countries for six months.
- Check the microchip reads on a universal scanner.
- Choose direct cargo or the via-Europe cabin route based on size and temperament.
- Book the pet first, then your own travel.
- Get the crate early and crate-train for several weeks.
- Book the vet certificate inside your carrier's window and complete the CDC Dog Import Form.