Cat Travel to the UK from an Unlisted Country

Name: Evren
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Cat
Pet Breed: Long-haired House Cat
From: Turkey / Istanbul
To: UK / London

Hi,

I have read many things but the pet travel process is still confusing. Hope you can help me.

I will be moving to London to live long term. My cat is 7 years old. I am not an EU citizen or resident of the UK yet. Am I allowed to bring my cat anyway, and will there be any quarantine for my cat as I am coming from Turkey?

How long will the transport take in total? My cat is about 7 kg; how much will this cost? Also, he is not so friendly to strangers. Is this a problem?

Thank you so much.

Regards,

Evren
 

Hi Evren,

Thanks for contacting us with your question. Moving pets to the UK certainly requires careful preparation, so it's a good idea to research carefully and start the process early.

You'll find all the official information about import requirements on the gov.uk site. Turkey is an "unlisted country" so the rules are a bit different -- your cat will need a microchip, rabies vaccination, blood test, official veterinary certificate and you must use an authorized carrier and an approved route. Three months must pass from the day the blood sample is taken to the day of departure.

Good news: if you meet all of these requirements, your cat will not need to undergo a quarantine.

The length of the trip will depend on a few factors (namely the route and airline you choose). Note that we highly recommend choosing a pet-friendly airline -- we often use Lufthasa, KLM and British Airways. These airlines have pet-oriented policies in place and will have trained staff members used to dealing with all kinds of pets with all kinds of temperaments. To promote as smooth a trip as possible, you can attach a note to your cat's travel crate stating he is wary of strangers in order to give the handlers some warning during a comfort stop.

If you have any questions about this process and think you'd like to hire some help, please fill out our consultation form online. Our costs for moving a small pet internationally generally start at up to $3500 USD, but your expenses will vary based on a few different variables.

Hopefully this helps, Evren. Let us know if we can be of further service, and good luck with your trip!

Author:

PetRelocation Team

Topic:


Pet:

Cats

Country:

UK
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