Bringing your pet on holiday with you is fun – they’re part of the family after all. Selected hotels, guest houses and B&Bs happily accommodate pets: the five-star Hayfield Manor in Cork even has matching dog kennels (marked Lord and Lady). B&B Ireland has over 150 members who accept pets into their homes and many self-catering properties are now pet-friendly.

For the enthusiastic dog owner, the possibilities for walks are endless on the island – although remember to keep your dog on a leash at all times as sheep can pop up out of the most unlikely places! During the summer months, country fairs and festivals hold all sorts of dog shows, cat shows and pet races; so if you’re particularly proud of your pooch why not see if they can bring home the gold?

Bringing pets into the Republic of Ireland

Entry requirements depend on where your pet is travelling from.

Travelling from the EU

You need an EU Pet Passport. This document proves your pet has been microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.

Since Brexit, you can no longer use a pet passport issued in Great Britain to travel to Ireland or Northern Ireland. But you can still use a pet passport issued in Northern Ireland as long as it has been marked with a sticker by the issuing vet.

Travelling from Great Britain

You need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). Allow plenty of time to arrange the relevant vaccinations and requirements with your vet before you travel – and don’t forget your pet will need a new AHC for each trip. Find out more at Gov.uk: Taking your pet abroad and Gov.ie: Pet Travel Portal.

Travelling from outside the EU and Great Britain

Entry requirements depend on your country of origin. You can find details of the requirements for each country on the Irish Government's Pet Travel Portal.

At a minimum, your pet must:

• Be microchipped (this must be done before anything else)
• Have a valid rabies vaccination
• Have an EU Health Certificate
• Dogs must be treated for tapeworm 
• Enter the Republic of Ireland only through Cork Airport, Dublin Airport, Dublin Port, Shannon Airport, the Port of Cork at Ringaskiddy or Rosslare Europort and must undergo compliance checks on arrival.

Pets coming from certain countries may also need to have a blood test after the rabies vaccination at least three months before entry.

Advance notice: If you're entering Ireland from a non-EU country you must arrange in advance to have a compliance check carried out on your arrival. You can find contact details to make these arrangements on the Pet Travel Portal.

Bringing pets into Northern Ireland

Dogs, cats and ferrets from certain countries or territories can enter Northern Ireland without quarantine provided they meet certain criteria.

Travelling from the EU

After Brexit, Northern Ireland remained a part of the EU Pet Travel Scheme so you can still use a pet passport issued in an EU country, including the Republic of Ireland, to bring your pet into Northern Ireland.

Travelling from Great Britain

Since Brexit, you can no longer use a pet passport issued in Great Britain to travel to Northern Ireland. You'll need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). Allow plenty of time to arrange the relevant vaccinations and requirements with your vet before you travel and don’t forget your pet will need a new AHC for each trip.

Pet checks: Since 15 September 2021, checks on all pet dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland have been suspended while negotiations between the UK government and EU continue. This means there will be no routine physical or documentary checks on the non-commercial movement of pet dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland until further notice. Check the Northern Ireland Government website for the latest information.

Travelling from outside the EU and Great Britain

Entry requirements depend on your country of origin. You can find details of the requirements for each country on the Northern Ireland Government's website.

At a minimum, your pet must:

• Be microchipped (this must be done before anything else)
• Have a valid rabies vaccination
• Have an EU Health Certificate confirming microchip and vaccinations
• Dogs must be treated for tapeworm
• Enter Northern Ireland only through Belfast Port, Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport, City of Derry Airport or Larne Port and may be required to undergo compliance checks on arrival.

Pets coming from certain countries may also need to have a blood test after the rabies vaccination at least three months before entry.

Travelling within the island of Ireland

Pets travelling from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland or vice versa should be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and meet any additional requirements. They must also be accompanied by a either a valid Animal Health Certificate (Great Britain residents) or an EU pet passport.

Getting here: transport and your pet

It's up to each individual airline to decide whether to carry your pet in the cabin or as excess baggage and each ferry operator has differing rules on travelling with animals. Always check with your transport company before you travel to confirm their requirements for transporting your pet.