Traveling with pets in Britain

Pet entry rules are set by government and can change at short notice. This page summarizes GOV.UK as read on Oct 25, 2026 and is not a substitute for it: check gov.uk, and your vet, before you travel.

Bringing a pet to Britain

GOV.UK’s page on bringing a dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) says:¹

• Use an approved pet route. This is not required for travel within the UK or from Ireland.
• The pet must be microchipped before its rabies vaccination, and you must wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination (or the last in the first course) before traveling. Some departure countries also require a rabies blood test.
• Dogs must be treated for tapeworm 24 hours to 5 days before arrival.
• Get a travel document from your vet; the type depends on the country you travel from. Complete a pet travel declaration if you will not sell or transfer ownership of the pet.
• Banned dog breeds need a valid Certificate of Exemption to enter.
• Pets that do not meet the rules may be quarantined for up to 4 months or refused entry if they arrived by sea, and you may be charged fees. Separate guidance covers guide and assistance dogs.

Northern Ireland has its own arrangements that this page does not cover: check gov.uk.

Trains, coaches and taxis

• National Rail. You are welcome to bring up to 2 animals at no extra charge; beyond two a fee may apply, so check with the train company. Keep dogs on a lead or in a pet carrier on the train and at stations. Other animals such as cats or birds go in a rigid, closed carrier large enough for the pet to stand and lie down. Animals are not allowed on seats. On sleeper trains, dogs other than assistance dogs may incur a charge for a heavy-duty clean.²
• Assistance dogs travel free under the Assistance Dogs Travel Scheme and may join you in the restaurant car if a suitable table and seat are free.² National Express welcomes assistance dogs and recommends pre-booking with its Assisted Travel Team.³ GOV.UK sets the taxi rule for people with a mobility or dexterity impairment or epilepsy.⁴ See accessible travel.
• Buses, coaches, ferries and the Tube. Operators set their own rules for pets and we did not fetch them, so we state none. The National Express page we read covers assistance dogs and does not describe a policy for other pets: ask before you book. For London, check TfL.

Dog-friendly pubs

These pubs come from our pub guide: on their own websites, they say dogs are welcome (checked Oct 25, 2026). Some restrict dogs to certain rooms, so ask before you take a dog into a dining area. A listing is not a guarantee that a pub is open today.

We hold dog-friendly pub checks for 8 of 60 destinations. Elsewhere, check a pub’s own website or phone ahead.

Beaches and seasonal restrictions

There is no single national list: councils set their own dog restrictions for beaches, often in summer, and the rules differ by beach. Examples as the councils state them:

• Cornwall. Cornwall Council lists beaches where dogs are prohibited from 10am to 6pm between July 1 and August 31, others between May 15 and September 30, a lead rule at Summerleaze, Bude, from May 21 to September 30, and some sites with an all-year ban. Its page showed “Last Updated: 23/10/2026”.⁵
• Pembrokeshire. Pembrokeshire County Council says summer dog bans run between May 1 and September 30 each year; Tenby North Beach and Whitesands, St Davids have total bans and other listed beaches partial bans.⁶

For any other coast, search for “dogs on beaches” on the website of the local council. Private beaches and nature reserves may have their own rules. See our Cornwall and Wales guides.

Where to stay

Pet policies vary property by property, and some places charge a fee or limit rooms. We hold no pet-policy data, so ask the property before you book, and check the rules in your booking confirmation. Start with where to stay. See also traveling with children.