Travelling with your pet

Travelling with your pet with DFDS

As part of the DEFRA Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), we provide safe transportation for your pets onboard our ferries. You will have the opportunity to visit your pets on longer crossings, as arranged by the onboard staff. Our Newcastle-Amsterdam and Copenhagen-Oslo crossings even boast pet-friendly cabins.

Please note: from now on it is no longer allowed to bring birds on board on the route Newcastle to Amsterdam. This applies to all types of birds.

From 1 January 2021, the UK will become a Part 2 listed third country in the EU Pet Travel Scheme. This means if you travel with your pet from the UK to Europe you will need a Health Certificate issued 10 days before travel if your pet(s) have an EU Pet Passport, issued in Great Britain. For pets travelling from the EU to the UK, the EU Pet Passport will still be accepted.

Detailed guidance from the Government on pet travel after the transition period ends can be found here.

Click here for our advice on travelling safely with your dog. 

If the pet owner is not travelling with their animal, please provide a signed declaration from the owner. Movement of animals within the EU is limited to 5 per vehicle unless taking part in a competition or event. These animals will require a signed declaration and a specific health certificate issued by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency. Your pet must travel no more than 5 days before or after you. Click here for more information

Pets must:

Hold a valid European Pet passport or a Health Certificate which should be issued 10 days before travel. If you travel with your pet from the UK to Europe you will need a Health Certificate. For pets travelling from the EU to the UK, the EU Pet Passport will still be accepted.
Visit www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/pet-passport for more information.

Be microchipped. Chip number and implantation date must be recorded on travel documentation by a vet. Microchipping must happen before or on the same day as the first rabies vaccination. Please make sure to travel with your pets previous passport if your pet holds a new one and the microchipping date in the new passport is reported as being a reading date. The order of preparation might not be valid if no booster vaccination follows the reading date.

Be vaccinated against rabies with a signed and dated veterinary certificate. Your pet cannot enter the UK until 21 days after the first vaccination (vaccination date = day 0). Subsequent entries to the UK do not require a waiting period if all rabies vaccinations are up to date and recorded. If the booster vaccination has not been administered by the ‘valid until’ date, a new waiting period of 21 days will be necessary.

Blood tests are no longer required if you are entering the UK from EU and listed Non-EU countries. If travelling from an unlisted country, a blood test must be performed a month after the rabies vaccination. Visit www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/pet-passport for more information.

For dogs only: A tapeworm treatment must be administered by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before entering to the UK. The treatment date and time must be reported on the passport. Please note that the product’s name must be recorded on the travel document and must contain prazicantel to comply with the Pet travel scheme.

Dover

Burnham House Veterinary Surgery

33-35 Castle Street,

CT16 1PT Dover

Tel: 01304 206989; Fax 01304 225622

Email: Office@burnhamhousevets.com

Web: www.burnhamhousevets.com

Calais

Clinique Vétérinaire Dr Wuillot,

Dr Lavielle & Dr Mottoul,

139 Boulevard Curie,

62100 Calais

Tel: +33 (0) 321 82 15 11

Web: www.centre-veterinaire-curie.fr

Dunkirk

127 Rue du Canton du Caillouti

59279 Loon-Plage

France

Tel +33 (0) 328 21 31 51

Newhaven

Avenue Veterinary Practice

Saxonholme

Meeching Rd

Newhaven

East Sussex,

BN9 9QX

Tel: +44 (0) 1273 515509

Dieppe

Clinique Vétérinaire

Dieppe R vertus.

76550

SAINT AUBIN SUR SCIE

Tel : +33 (0) 2 35 84 27 35

Newcastle (North Shields)

Ayres Terrace

North Shields

Tyne & Wear

NE29 0HL

Tel : +44 (0)191 258 6886

Web: www.ayresveterinaryhospital.co.uk

Amsterdam (IJmuiden)

Veltmeijer en Kruithof

Kennemerlaan 57

1972 EH

Ijmuiden

Tel +31 (0) 25 55 16 211

Web:www.dedierenartskennemerlaan.nl

Please ensure your pet will have suitable space within the kennel dimensions described below on our Newcastle-Amsterdam ships, the correct size kennel will need to be selected at the time of booking.

Princess Seaways

Kennel	Dimensions
Large Kennel	60cm (H) x 86cm (W) x 94cm (D)
Extra Large Kennel	76cm (H) x 68cm (W) x 101cm (D)

King Seaways

Kennel	Dimensions
Small Kennel	54cm (H) x 56cm (W) x 60cm (D)
Medium Kennel	51cm (H) x 58cm (W) x 64cm (D)
Large Kennel	60cm (H) x 86cm (W) x 94cm (D)
Extra Large Kennel	76cm (H) x 68cm (W) x 101cm (D)

Should you or your pets wish to stretch your legs once you’ve finished your ferry crossings, or before you board, below is a list of dog-friendly parks or green areas near our ports.

IJmuiden

Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerlandm, Zeeweg 12, 2051 EC Overveen, Netherlands. Map Conditions for access

Calais

Parc St Pierre, Boulevard Jacquard, 62100, Calais, France. Map

Dunkirk

Plage de Petit-Fort-Philipe, Digue de Mer, 59820 Gravelines, France. Map

Dieppe

Forêt d’Arques-la-Bataille 76880 Arques-la-Bataille, France. Map

Please ensure any pets are booked in advance. Kennels are available for £30 each way. Pets in kennels must be secured inside your vehicle. Alternatively, there are our 4-bed, sea view pet friendly cabins available for £30 per dog. Each can accommodate up to 2 medium sized dogs. These cabins are bookable by calling 0871 522 9955. Foot passengers travelling with dogs must book by calling our customer contact centre.

On our Dover to Calais and Dover to Dunkirk ferry crossings, pet bookings must be made in advance of travel, and are subject to the same travel conditions as onboard our Newcastle to Amsterdam route. For pets travelling on our Dover to France routes there is a charge of £15 per pet each way. Pets must remain suitably secured inside your vehicle for the duration of the journey. However, you can visit your pet in your car during the crossing if accompanied by a crew member.

Motorists can take their pet on holiday with them by booking online in advance for £18 per pet, each way. You can visit your pet in your vehicle during the crossing if accompanied by a crew member, but not during the first or final hour of the crossing. Foot passengers may travel with pets but your pets must remain in kennels in the car deck throughout the journey. Passengers are asked to carry pets on board in a suitable travelling case.

It is possible to bring your dog and cat onboard the route between Copenhagen and Oslo when you book as both foot passenger or if you have a car. Foot passengers can only bring pets if they book a pet friendly cabin.

The pet must be booked at least 24 hours before departure. Unauthorized pets are not accepted. It will be possible to walk your dog in the ship's designated area. The closing times on board are fixed and should be respected for the sake of the personnel who will assist you during the pickup and delivery of your pet on the car deck and during any walks.

From 1 June to 30 August, kennels will be erected on the open deck of the Copenhagen-Oslo route, as the car deck cannot be cooled sufficiently during this period.

We would like to inform you that it is no longer possible to book pets in your vehicle on the Copenhagen-Oslo route. Please note:

Customers are still welcome to bring pets in cabins
Only standard cabins are available as pet cabins
Pricing is in place and is +400DKK per way per cabin
To accommodate additional requests for pet cabins the availability in 2020 is 8 cabins on Crown and 10 cabins on Pearl
It will still be a maximum of 2 pets per cabin on the Copenhagen-Oslo route. Rodents will not be welcome onboard
In case a pet is brought onboard without being pre-booked a cleaning fee will be applicable (DKK 1.500)