Moving abroad, a long stay somewhere, or bringing home a street cat you fell for on holiday: all of them mean taking a cat across a border. Most countries let pet cats in, as long as they can prove one thing: that the cat doesn’t carry rabies.
The rules change, and they changed in the EU in April 2026. We checked this guide against the EU and UK government pages on 29 October 2026. Before you travel, always check the official page for the country you’re going to, and ask your vet.
The short version
- Microchip first, then the rabies vaccine. Never the other way round.
- Wait at least 21 days after the first rabies vaccine.
- Get the right papers from your vet: a pet passport or a health certificate.
- Coming from some countries, add a blood test and three more months.
- Check the airline, ferry or train takes cats on your route.
Three steps, almost everywhere
- Microchip. It has to go in before the rabies vaccine, or on the same day. A vaccine given before the chip doesn’t count, and the cat has to be vaccinated again. More on microchipping.
- Rabies vaccine. The cat must be at least 12 weeks old. After the first vaccine, wait at least 21 full days before it travels. After that, keep the boosters on time: a late booster counts as a first vaccine, and the 21 days start again.
- Papers. A pet passport or an animal health certificate from your vet. Which one depends on where you live and where you’re going.
That means a kitten usually can’t cross a border before it’s about 15 weeks old.
Within the EU
This is the easy one. A cat that lives in the EU travels on an EU pet passport, issued by an authorised vet, with its microchip number and rabies vaccine in it. The same passport works in every EU country, and also in places like Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
- Since 22 April 2026, new EU pet passports are only issued to people whose home is in the EU.
- You can travel with up to five pets. The cat has to travel with you, or within five days of you with someone you’ve authorised in writing.
- The tapeworm treatment some countries ask for is for dogs, not cats.
Coming into the EU from outside
A cat coming from outside the EU needs an animal health certificate, signed by an official vet in the country you’re leaving.
- The certificate is valid for 10 days from the day it’s issued until your arrival. After that, it lets the cat travel on within the EU for up to six months, or until the rabies vaccine runs out.
- You arrive through a travellers’ point of entry, an airport or port where the papers and the cat are checked.
- From many countries, the cat also needs a rabies blood test. The sample is taken at least 30 days after the vaccine, tested at an EU-approved lab, and has to show at least 0.5 IU/ml. Then you wait three months from the day of the sample before the cat can enter.
- Countries on the EU’s list, including the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, don’t need the blood test.
Coming from a country that needs the blood test? Start at least four months before you travel.
Between the UK and the EU
From Great Britain to the EU: if you live in England, Scotland or Wales, your cat needs a new animal health certificate from your vet for every trip. You can’t use a pet passport, not even one issued in the EU. The certificate is valid for 10 days to enter the EU, then for six months of travel within the EU and back to Great Britain. People who live in Northern Ireland can still use an EU pet passport.
From the EU to Great Britain: an EU pet passport works. But not every airline, ferry or train is allowed to carry pets into Great Britain, so check the UK government’s list of approved routes before you book. Most airlines won’t take a cat in the cabin into Great Britain. Arrive without the right papers and the cat can be put in quarantine for up to four months, at your cost.
The UK and the EU are working on a deal that would bring back pet passports for UK cats. It isn’t in force yet.
Anywhere else
Every country sets its own rules, and some are much stricter. Countries and islands without rabies, like Australia, New Zealand and Japan, ask for blood tests, permits and sometimes quarantine on arrival. Getting a cat there can take six months or more.
- Find the official page of the country you’re going to, usually its ministry of agriculture. Its embassy can point you to it.
- Leaving the US? The US Department of Agriculture keeps a page for every country.
- Plan the way back too. If an EU cat goes to a country that isn’t on the EU’s list, have the blood test done before you leave. Otherwise you’ll wait three months to come home.
The journey
- Book the cat early. Airlines only take a few pets per flight. Many let a small cat fly in the cabin, in a soft carrier under the seat, but the weight limit is low, often around 8 kg with the carrier. Some routes only carry pets in the hold, or as cargo.
- Get it used to the carrier weeks before. Leave it out at home with a blanket and treats inside. More in carrier and vet trips without the drama.
- Don’t sedate the cat unless your vet tells you to. Sedation can make breathing and balance harder during a flight.
- Pack the original papers, a copy, the microchip number, a little food, water, an absorbent pad and something that smells of home.
- When you arrive, keep the cat indoors for a few weeks while it learns the new place is home. Update the microchip with your new address and phone number.
Bringing home a street cat
Plenty of people meet a street cat on holiday and can’t leave it behind. You can bring it home, under the same rules: chip, vaccine, 21 days, papers. That’s often longer than the holiday, so ask a local cat group or vet. Many have helped with this before and can keep the cat until it’s ready to fly.
If a charity is sending a cat to a new owner abroad, it counts as rehoming, not a pet travelling with its owner, and stricter rules apply. Ask the charity how it handles them.
Questions people ask
How early should I start?
Within the EU, or between the EU and the UK, at least a month before: chip, vaccine, then 21 days. From a country that needs a rabies blood test, at least four months.
Can a kitten travel abroad?
Usually not before about 15 weeks old. The rabies vaccine can only be given from 12 weeks, and then there’s a 21-day wait.
Does a cat need a pet passport to fly within its own country?
No. Inside one country, only the airline’s own rules apply.
Do cats need a tapeworm treatment to travel?
No. The tapeworm treatment some countries ask for is for dogs only.
Can a UK cat use an EU pet passport?
Not if you live in England, Scotland or Wales. Since 22 April 2026 you need an animal health certificate for every trip to the EU.
This guide is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. Pet travel rules change, so check the official rules of the country you’re going to, and talk to your vet before you book.
Leaving a street cat behind when you move? Put it on the map, so the people nearby know it and look out for it.
