Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to the UK

7. Guide and assistance dogs

People with assistance dogs can travel:

on more routes than people with pets
using other forms of transport where other animals aren’t allowed, for example the aircraft cabin

Guide and assistance dogs must also meet the normal rules for travelling with dogs.

UK travel companies usually recognise guide or assistance dogs trained by organisations that are members of either:

You should check with your travel company if the organisation that trained your dog isn’t a member of either association.

The Guide Dogs Association website has advice about taking assistance dogs abroad.

Your airline must allow you to travel with your assistance dog if your flight departs from inside the EU.

You must bring a car harness with you when you travel by air, so that your dog can be secured when the plane takes off and lands.

You can enter any UK airport with your assistance dog.

There may be additional rules to follow if your flight departs from outside the EU. Check with your airline before you travel.

You must be allowed to travel with your assistance dog on:

ferry services entering and leaving the EU
cruise services which leave from any EU country and arrive in England, Scotland or Wales

Check with the ferry or cruise company if your journey is different to this.

Rail operators travelling within the EU must accept assistance dogs, but operators may have extra conditions.

Check with the rail operator before you travel inside or outside the EU.