The short answer
Start as early as you can. The destination sets the rules, and some need weeks of preparation: an import permit for the UAE, a CDC form for the USA, a GB-issued certificate for each EU trip. A private flight keeps your pets in the cabin with you rather than in a cargo hold.
When you move country, your pets move too, and nothing makes owners more anxious than the thought of a hold. On a private flight your dog or cat travels in the cabin with you. The work is the paperwork, which depends entirely on where you are going.
Three examples
- The EU: a GB-issued Animal Health Certificate for each trip, signed within 10 days of entry, after the microchip, a rabies vaccination and a wait of at least 21 days. See the EU rules and the EU general page
- The USA: for a dog from the UK, the main requirement is the free online CDC Dog Import Form, with a microchip, and the dog at least 6 months old. Cats need no federal rabies paperwork. Read the USA page
- The UAE: an import permit applied for online before travel, a UK export health certificate signed by an official vet, and microchip and vaccinations. Several breeds are banned. See the UAE page
A timeline that works
- Three to four months before: confirm the rules, check the microchip and book the rabies vaccination if needed
- Four to six weeks before: book the vet visits for certificates and any treatments, and apply for any import permit
- The week before: collect and check every document
- Moving day: a walk, a light meal and a calm start
Our checklist and timeline PDF sets it out step by step.
Do not forget the way back
If you may return to the UK, ask about the return rules at the start. The USA and the UAE both need a GB pet health certificate for the dog to come back, and arrival must be on an approved route.
Tell us where you are moving and when. Get a quote and we plan the pets, the aircraft and the arrival together.
Rules change. Everything here was checked against official sources on 20 October 2026. Always confirm the current rules for your route; we do it for you when you enquire.