Flying with your dog or cat on a private jet
On a private jet your dog, cat or ferret can travel with you, including into Great Britain, where pets on scheduled flights must go as cargo. The aircraft operator must be approved to carry pets to the airport you land at, and your pet needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination and the right certificate.
Why a private charter makes the difference
Pets coming into Great Britain by air must travel as cargo. The government makes two exceptions: guide and assistance dogs, and pets on a chartered private flight.
That only works if the operator is on the government's list of charter operators approved to carry pets to your arrival airport. Operators also set their own limits on how many pets they take, and may ask for proof that your pet is fit to fly, so we check both before we quote.
Flying from Ireland to Great Britain, no approved route is needed.
Flying into Great Britain
These rules cover dogs, cats and ferrets arriving in England, Scotland or Wales.
- Microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination.
- Rabies vaccination. Wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination (or the last dose of the first course) before travelling.
- Tapeworm treatment for dogs, given by a vet between 24 hours and 5 days (120 hours) before you land, and recorded in the pet's document. Not needed when flying directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway.
- The right document. From an EU country: a pet passport issued in the EU, a Great Britain animal health certificate issued in the last 6 months, or a Great Britain pet health certificate. From most other countries: a Great Britain pet health certificate, and from some countries a rabies blood test as well.
- No more than 5 pets (unless they are going to a competition, show or sporting event), each arriving within 5 days of you. Otherwise different rules apply.
- Banned dog breeds can't be brought in without a valid Certificate of Exemption.
Flying from Great Britain to Europe
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, a pet passport no longer gets your pet into the EU, even one issued in the EU. You need an animal health certificate for each trip.
- The certificate is signed by an official veterinarian. If your vet can't issue it, they should help you find one who can.
- It is valid for 10 days to enter the EU, then for 6 months of onward travel within the EU and for coming back to Great Britain.
- Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated against rabies, and the 21-day wait applies before the certificate is issued.
- Dogs flying to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland need tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival.
- Arriving from outside the EU, pets must enter through a travellers' point of entry, where their documents are checked. Each country designates its own, so we confirm your arrival airport is one before you book.
Further afield
Every country sets its own rules. Dogs flying to the United States that have only been in the UK or other low-risk countries for the past 6 months must be at least 6 months old, microchipped and healthy on arrival, with a receipt for the free CDC Dog Import Form, which is valid for 6 months. Coming back to Great Britain from outside the EU, your pet will usually need a Great Britain pet health certificate.
For anywhere else, tell us the destination and we'll find out what its authorities require before you commit to dates.
What you do
- Book the vet early. If your pet needs a first rabies vaccination, allow at least a month before the flight.
- Get the animal health certificate or pet health certificate, and for dogs, time the tapeworm treatment to the flight.
- Tell us the species, breed, approximate weight and number of pets when you ask for a quote.
- Carry the original documents with you on the day.
What we handle
- Quote only operators that accept pets and, for flights into Great Britain, are approved to carry them to your arrival airport.
- Choose an arrival airport that can check your pet, at home and abroad.
- Make sure the airport's pet team has your paperwork before you land.
- Brief the crew on who is travelling, on four legs as well as two.
UK airports for flying in with a pet
Defra's approved list names, for each charter operator, the airports it may fly pets into. These 25 airports appear on it (updated 9 October 2026). Each operator is approved for its own selection, so we match the operator to your airport.
London and the South East
- London Biggin Hill
- Farnborough
- London Luton
- London Stansted
- London Oxford
- London Gatwick
- London Heathrow
- Blackbushe
- Lydd
- Cambridge
South, South West and Wales
- Southampton
- Bournemouth
- Bristol
- Gloucestershire
- Cardiff
Midlands
- Birmingham
- East Midlands
North of England
- Manchester
- Liverpool
- Leeds Bradford
- Blackpool
- Humberside
- Newcastle
Scotland
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
Hawarden is not on the list, so pets flying into the North West land at Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds Bradford or Blackpool. London Biggin Hill's SkyPets team needs all paperwork at least 24 hours before arrival, and the operator must already hold Defra approval. Farnborough runs its own pet travel service.
Questions
Can my dog sit with me on a private jet?
Yes, if the operator accepts pets. Flying into Great Britain, the operator must also be on the government's approved list for your arrival airport. On scheduled airlines, pets entering Great Britain must travel as cargo.
Which UK airports accept pets on private jets?
Defra's approved charter list covers 25 UK airports, including London Biggin Hill, Farnborough, London Luton, London Stansted, London Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Approval belongs to the operator for each airport, so we check the operator and the airport together.
Will my pet have to go into quarantine?
Not if it has a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, the right document and, for dogs, tapeworm treatment, and arrives on an approved route. If the rules aren't met, a pet can be quarantined for up to 4 months.
How far ahead should I start the paperwork?
If your pet needs a first rabies vaccination, at least 21 full days must pass before it can travel, so start a month or more ahead. For the EU, the animal health certificate must be issued within 10 days of arriving there.
Can I still use my pet passport?
A pet passport issued in an EU country still works for bringing a pet into Great Britain. If you live in England, Scotland or Wales you can't use a pet passport to enter the EU; you need an animal health certificate for each trip.
Can I fly with more than five pets?
Different rules apply to more than 5 pets, unless they are going to a competition, show or sporting event, and to a pet arriving more than 5 days before or after you. Tell us early and we'll work through it with the operator.
Related guides
Flying between the UK and Europe since Brexit
Passports, the EU's new border checks, ETIAS, the UK's ETA and customs allowances for private flights between the UK and Europe, from official sources.
FirearmsFlying with shotguns and rifles on a private jet
Guns can fly with you on a private jet if the operator agrees and they travel unloaded, out of reach. Certificates, export rules and ammunition limits.
Sources
- Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (gov.uk)
- Approved routes and transport companies (gov.uk)
- Approved air routes for pet travel, charter operators, updated 9 October 2026 (gov.uk)
- Tapeworm treatment for dogs (gov.uk)
- Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad (gov.uk)
- Getting an animal health certificate (gov.uk)
- Travellers' points of entry (European Commission)
- Dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries (US CDC)
- SkyPets (London Biggin Hill Airport)
- Passenger services (Farnborough Airport)
Checked against these sources on 20 October 2026. Rules change, and this is a guide, not legal or veterinary advice; we confirm the current rules for your flight.
