Arranging Safe Pet Air Travel to Spain

Name: Evelyn
From: Chicago, Illinois, United States
To: Madrid, Spain
Pet: Coco, Toy Poodle, male, 5 yrs old, 7 lbs.

Dear PetRelocation,

 

Hello, I would like to have my dog flown from Chicago, IL US to Madrid, Spain. I would like to know what steps I need to follow to have him safely flown (and with the least amount of fear). Which documents, shots, etc. do I need to get so that he can travel to Spain? I am in Spain right now and my dog is in the US with my friend.

 

He gets easily scared and I want to know whether it is best for me to wait and fly with him or is it reasonably safe and can it be a minimally anxious process for my little one to go through?

 

Thank you for your help.

 

Hi Evelyn,

 

Thank you for your question, we'd be happy to offer some guidance about Coco's move. Moving pets to Spain entails following a few import requirements that you'll find outlined here. Your dog will need a microchip, rabies vaccine and certificate, EU health certificate and USDA endorsements of the required documents. An APHIS Form 7001 is also needed.

 

As for your general questions about pet travel, we've answered many of them on our blog in this pet travel overview. As you'll see, we certainly recommend choosing a pet friendly airline (we often use United, Lufthansa and KLM) and acclimating your dog to the travel crate is very important, as well. If Coco sees his kennel as a normal and safe place to be, he will be much less stressed during the flight.

 

Cargo travel sounds a little scary to many pet owners at first, but once you learn about the climate and pressure controlled aspects and hear accounts from other pet travelers (our clients' pet travel stories are a good place to start!), you'll hopefully start to see that pet travel, when handled correctly, is actually very safe.

 

It won't be necessary to travel on the same plane as your dog, but the rules for pets arriving into the EU state that you must travel within five days of him.

 

If you have further questions about this pet travel process and think you'd like to hire some assistance, you're welcome to fill out our online consultation form or give our office a call (1-877-PET-MOVE). One of our Specialists will be able to discuss your move options with you and work towards forming a solid pet relocation plan.

 

Thanks again for reaching out, and we hope to hear from you soon!