When we left Australia behind and flew overseas to move onto a boat our dog came with us. Since then she's been to 10 countries and counting!
Since we're cruising with a dog something we always get asked is, how hard is it to sail with a pet to different countries? To answer that, here's a basic overview of what you need to do to travel internationally with your furry companion, breaking down topics like pet importation, passports, vaccinations and managing health records based on our experience.
CONTENTS:
Basics of entering a country with a pet
Starting at the very beginning, each country has their own rules for the importation of live animals. As part of this there's usually a definition for which animal they consider pets. That definition can vary country to country.
As an example, Australia accepts that certain cats, dogs, horses, birds and rabbits are pets, while the European Union rules only refer to cats, dogs and ferrets. Some Caribbean islands only recognise cats and dogs. Here's three main things to check to find out whether your pet is eligible for importation.
Is their species considered a pet in that country?
Is their breed eligible for importation?
Can pets be imported from the country you're planning to depart from?
Pet importation requirements
The pet importation requirements vary country to country so you'll need to research each of your destinations individually to find out what they require. Usually you need to get some form of import permit, which is issued once you can prove your pet meets the requirements.
Two of the most common things we've been asked for are proof of a current rabies vaccination and microchip number.
Here's some of the other things countries have requested:
Rabies titer test
A vet or government vet issued health certificate
Vaccinations (e.g. distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus)
Disease tests (e.g. leishmaniasis)
Internal and external parasite treatments administered by a vet
Where to find pet importation requirements
The best source of information about pet importation requirements is a government website for the place you're visiting. These sites can sometimes be obscure to find which is where blogs from past visitors come in handy. We've shared write ups of the places we've been, detailing our experiences and sharing direct links and contact details for the relevant authorities.
The process to import pets while sailing internationally
Based on our experience sailing the world with a dog, here's a basic overview of what you need to do to to take your pet to a new country.
Find out what the pet import requirements are (Tip: Do this early!)
Apply for the permit
Review the import conditions and organise what needs to be done to meet them
Send proof that the conditions have been met
Receive approval from the government to proceed to their country, often in the form of a permit approval
On arrival present the documentation and pet to the relevant authorities to finalise the importation
What role do pet passports play in international travel
Pets do not have passports in the same sense that people do. There's no universal document or standard format, instead it's country by country. The United Kingdom and European Union have a "pet passport" document that looks similar to a human passport. It's a central place where the pet's key information, tests and vaccinations can be recorded. Countries like Australia and Trinidad have no equivalent, owners just get a stack of different paperwork to organise for themselves.
One "pet passport" that's often mentioned among travellers is the European Pet Passport. It's handy to have if you're planning on spending time travelling Europe. You can learn more about the EU pet passport and benefits of having one in our guide on how to get it.
How to manage pet travel records
Having well organised travel and health records for your pet will make life easier when applying for permits and crossing borders. Here's how we do it:
Original results and records are kept in paper form in an accordion file
A scanned copy of all documents is saved on the Cloud so that it can easily be printed or emailed when completing pet import procedures
If we didn't have Starlink I'd also have an electronic copy of the documents on my computer or a hard drive.
FAQ for sailing with pets internationally
If you've got questions about sailing with a pet, these might be the answers you're lookin for.
Can you sail the world with a cat or dog?
Yes, it's absolutely possible and there are liveaboard cruisers all over the world doing it. We've sailed the Caribbean, Atlantic and Mediterranean with our Australian Shepherd, and plan to do the Pacific and Asia in future.
Is sailing pet friendly?
Depending on your pet's nature and what you do to make them comfortable and happy on the boat, sailing can be very pet friendly. Our sailing dog loves living aboard the boat; she can swim, is always exploring and running around outdoors, and has her humans around almost full time. These are some of the things we have aboard for her benefit.
Can you sail anywhere in the world with a cat or dog?
Unfortunately no, you can't sail everywhere in the world with a pet. Some places like the Galapagos Islands have bans on pets while others including Australia and Japan are so strict on pet importation that it can be prohibitively expensive and complex to do it.
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