Bringing your pet to Ireland

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 Cliff House Hotel in County Waterford even offers a luxury package specially designed for your pooch. B&B Ireland has lots of 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

If you are bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret into the Republic of Ireland from another EU country or from Andorra; Gibraltar; Greenland and the Faroe Islands; Iceland; Liechtenstein; Monaco, Norway; San Marino; Switzerland or the Vatican City State, your pet must:

• Be microchipped (this must be done before anything else)

• Have a valid rabies vaccination

• Have an EU Pet Passport or Health Certificate

• Be treated for tapeworm (dogs only) before each visit, unless you’re travelling from Northern Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway)

Travelling from Great Britain

If you are bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret into the Republic of Ireland from Great Britain, your pet must:

• Be microchipped (this must be done before anything else)

• Have a valid rabies vaccination

• Have an Animal Health Certificate

• Be treated for tapeworm (dogs only)

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 and tapeworm treatment 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
• Be treated for tapeworm (dogs only) before each visit
• 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

Northern Ireland is part of the EU Pet Travel Scheme so you can use a pet passport issued in an EU country, including the Republic of Ireland, to bring your pet into Northern Ireland. Your pet will need to:

• Be microchipped (this must be done before anything else)
• Have an EU Pet Passport or Health Certificate
• Have a valid rabies vaccination
• Be treated for tapeworm (dogs only) before every visit

Travelling from Great Britain

Great Britain is outside the EU Pet Travel Scheme so there are different rules around bringing your pet to Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Before you travel, you should check the Northern Ireland Government website or Gov.uk: Taking your pet abroad to make sure you adhere to the latest requirements.

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
• Be treated for tapeworm (dogs only) before each visit
• 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 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.