Country guide · UK to France
Plan your pet trip to France.
France is the shortest hop out of the UK with a pet, and the paperwork is the same six-week runway as any EU trip. The catch particular to France is its two categories of restricted dogs, which can stop some breeds at the border entirely.
Worth knowing first
The tapeworm tablet for dogs is a UK return requirement only, given by a vet 24 to 120 hours before arriving back. France doesn't ask for it on the way in. Read the tapeworm rule→
France bans the import of Category 1 dogs (pitbull, mastiff and Tosa types without pedigree papers), even for a holiday. Category 2 breeds such as the Rottweiler travel only with pedigree proof, and go muzzled and leashed in public. Check your breed→
Six weeks is the realistic minimum if the rabies vaccination is current. If rabies is overdue or has never been given, allow another month for the 21-day wait and the AHC window. How the AHC works→
Why this corridor matters
France is the busiest pet corridor out of the UK, and the gateway for almost everyone driving further. A pet cleared into Calais is cleared for the whole Schengen area, so the same crossing starts trips to Spain, Italy, Germany and beyond.
For UK residents, the rules changed twice. First in 2021, when leaving the EU meant the Animal Health Certificate replaced the old pet passport for new trips. Then on 22 April 2026, even unexpired UK-issued EU pet passports stopped being accepted as travel documents. The AHC, issued within 10 days of each trip, is now the only route.
Most trips on this corridor are short: a week in Normandy, a fortnight in the Dordogne, a drive-through on the way south. The advice on this page is written for trips of up to six months, which is what the single Animal Health Certificate covers. One France-specific rule sits on top of the EU basics: the restricted breed categories covered above, which apply to visitors as much as residents.
Routes in and out
Le Shuttle runs Folkestone to Calais in 35 minutes and pets stay in the car for the crossing. Check-in happens at the Folkestone Pet Reception, which is open around the clock and takes a few minutes; arrive an hour before departure. The pet fee is about £24 each way. Once the Folkestone check is done, the French side adds nothing.
P&O, DFDS and Irish Ferries all sail the 90-minute Dover to Calais route. Pets stay in the car for the crossing on all three; P&O sells a pet lounge upgrade and Irish Ferries a pet den for owners who'd rather not leave the dog on the car deck. None of the three carries foot passengers with pets, so this is a driving route.
Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth to Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo and Roscoff. The crossings are longer, from four hours to overnight, but pet-friendly cabins and kennels are available and arriving in Normandy or Brittany can cut a day's driving off a trip to western or southern France. Book the pet space early; cabins are limited per sailing.
Common mistakes
- Booking a tapeworm treatment for entry into France when it's only required on the UK return.
- Planning to cross as a foot passenger with a dog. The Dover to Calais ferries don't carry them, and Eurostar takes assistance dogs only, so a vehicle is part of the plan.
- Microchipping a pet after the rabies vaccination, which means the vaccination doesn't count for travel and has to be redone after a new chip.
- Travelling with a Category 2 breed without its pedigree certificate, which is the one document that separates a legal entry from a refused one.
- Booking a trip with a puppy under 16 weeks old. France refuses entry below that age even with a rabies vaccination, and there's no exception for visitors.
Corridor FAQ
No. Eurostar carries assistance dogs only, on all routes. For everyone else the tunnel option is Le Shuttle, which requires a vehicle, or a Dover to Calais ferry, also vehicle-only for pets.
No. The tapeworm treatment is a UK entry requirement, given by a vet 24 to 120 hours before the dog arrives back in Britain. For a short trip that means booking a French vet before the return crossing rather than your own.
With paperwork, yes. The Rottweiler is a Category 2 breed in France, so customs can ask for a pedigree certificate recognised by the international canine federation, and the dog goes muzzled and on a leash in public places. Pitbull, mastiff and Tosa types without pedigree papers are Category 1 and can't enter at all.
Only once it's at least 16 weeks old. France sets a firm minimum entry age of 16 weeks, even for a puppy that's already vaccinated against rabies, and there's no exception on this one. A younger puppy can't meet the timings anyway, since rabies can't be given before 12 weeks and needs 21 days to take effect.
On Le Shuttle and the Dover to Calais ferries the pet document check happens at Folkestone or Dover before you board, so there's nothing to do on the French side. If you sail straight to Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo or Roscoff, you arrive at a French point of entry where customs can check the dog, so keep the paperwork to hand as you come off the ferry.
Possibly. France recognises Bengal and Savannah cats as breeds, but only with proof, a birth certificate or a pedigree. Without that proof France treats the cat as a hybrid, which needs an import permit arranged before you travel. If you have the breed papers, the cat travels as any other cat does.
Not for trips of six months or less. The certificate issued before you leave covers travel inside the EU and the return to Britain within that window. For longer stays, a French vet issues a GB Pet Health Certificate for the return.