Traveling with a pet

Just in case you are not aware: If you don't have EU passports or long-stay visas, you are limited to 90 days in France (or any combination of countries within the Schengen Zone) within any rolling 180-day period. Both your arrival day and your departure day count, and the counter does not re-set to zero if you spend time in a non-Schengen country.

Here is a previous post that may be helpful: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/flying-with-my-large-dog

A very detailed post about half way down has a lot of good info.

You need to check directly with the French embassy. Most pets require the equivalent to a pet passport listing all current vaccinations, medical, etc., and sometimes a vet report as recent as two weeks prior to travel. And depending on the country quarantine could be required.

Get your visa process started now as that will take time with a lot of hoops.

There is no quarantine if you are coming from the US or Canada:

*> In order to bring their dogs, cats and ferrets from the United States

into France, travelers must abide by the following conditions:

• The animal must be at least 12 weeks old.

• Every animal must be identified by a microchip (standard ISO 11784 or annex A ISO standard 11785) or a tatoo. In case of identification
  with a tattoo, the tattoo must be clearly readable and applied before
  July 2011.

If the microchip standard is different from standard ISO 11784 or
annex A ISO standard 11785, you must bring your own scanner in order
to read the microchip. In the United States, you may acquire the
microchip standard ISO 11784 on the web at :
http://pettravelstore.com. It should be implanted by a veterinarian
only.

• Every animal must have a valid rabies vaccination. If it is the first rabies vaccination for the pet, you must wait 21 days between the last shot of the vaccination protocol and departure.

A revaccination (booster) must be considered a primary vaccination if
it was not carried out within the period of validity of a previous
vaccination.

• Any rabies vaccination prior to the micro chipping is considered as non-valid. If your dog, cat or ferret has been vaccinated before being
  fitted with a microchip, the animal will have to be vaccinated again
  after the microchip is inserted. You must wait at least 21 days
  between the completion of the vaccination protocol (the same as for a
  primary vaccination) and the departure date, even if the dog had been
  vaccinated before the micro chipping.

• A blood test is not required for animals coming from Canada and the United States (including Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam,
  American Samoa, Gibraltar, Greenland, Northern Mariana Islands).*

Upon arrival make an appt with a vet to get an EU Pet Passport.

I do not know what size your dog is nor your airline but all are not equal.

We travel to Europe with my husband's guide dog from the US. The following link gives the requirements for taking a dog from the US to France: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/by-country/eu/pettravel-france

There is also info for taking cats and ferrets. For a dog, the basic requirements are 1) the animal must be microchipped with a 15 digit ISO compliant microchip; 2) rabies vaccination after being microchipped; 3) 21 days have elapsed from the rabies vaccination; 4) an EU health certificate must be filled out by a USDA accredited veterinarian; 5) the health certificate must be endorsed by the USDA vet. The website is very clear in outlining the steps you need to take. You will be able to download the appropriate form for France. It is the same form for the EU countries except the one for France will be in English and French. You need to have the health certificate issued no more than 10 days of entry into France. It is valid for four months from entry and you will be able to take your pet to other EU countries. There are additional requirements if you were to travel to Ireland, the U.K. and I think Norway.

A pet passport for the EU is for persons residing in the EU. Since you will be there for an extended time, you may look into getting a pet passport once you are there.

In regard to flying with your pet you will have to check the individual airlines. Depending on the airline and size of the pet, it may need to be transported as cargo. With a guide dog, they are able to travel in the cabin.

My husband's dog is on her 6th European adventure so I am familiar with what to do for a dog. I assumed you have a dog but if not, the USDA APHIS website will have info on other pets.

You should ask your veterinarian for information about international dog travel, and the examinations, vaccinations etc that go along with it. A quarantine may or may not be necessary, depending on where you are coming from.

If you're planning to spend time in big cities like Paris, be aware that dogs of any size are not allowed in stores that sell food, including outdoor markets.

They must be put in carriers to go on the Metro, bus, or trains.

Train travel will require a separate ticket for your dog - normally around 10 EU.
Dogs are usually tolerated in cafes, but not always in restaurants.
Dogs are not allowed in parks, unless you see signs permitting them - and there aren't many of them.
Dogs must be kept on leashes at all times.
There are fines for not picking up dog poop.

Of course, if you're staying in the country, it's a different story.

A short anecdote, not to dissuade you from anything, but I had an interesting experience with a pet and French regulations. And no -- for common pets there's no quarantine period.

When my wife and I moved to France several years ago, we left our cat in the U.S. with our oldest son, knowing we would be returning to the U.S. that summer to clear out our house and get it ready to sell. My wife religiously reviewed French regulations, contacted a local vet aligned with the USDA who was familiar with the vaccination and microchip requirements, and took all required steps to ensure a smooth entry for that cat.

We ditched our hard shell pet carrier for a black soft carrier because it appeared we would be able to take our cat in the passenger compartment for the long flight from the west coast of the USA to Paris. And we were: she was a champ for the trip, so freaked out she didn't even utter a meow.

When we arrived in Paris, my wife fed and watered the cat while we waited for our luggage, and gathered the necessary paperwork to present to the authorities. We went through the passport check, and were waved through without the agent even acknowledging that we had a live animal in my wife's bag, slung over her shoulder. Granted, the bag looked a bit like a duffel bag, though with black mesh at key points to allow air flow.

It was an important lesson in French bureaucracy: you are well-advised to follow requirements to the letter, but don't be surprised if the authority you encounter doesn't bother to check your paperwork, especially (and it pains me to write this) if you're Caucasian and "European looking." If he or she does check, you'd best have everything (including things their posted guidelines don't even say they'll want -- use your imagination). But chances are they won't ask. That's been proven to us over and over again; not just with pets but with things as fundamental as the renewal of our residence permits.

That said, once in France with a pet you'll need to get a dossier to keep track of various shots. This is critical. Vets in France take this stuff very seriously. Don't be late with a vaccination or other shot. It's got to be in the dossier or you'll get a pretty firm lecture the next time you visit a vet.

Just like K said, of the 6 entries with my husband's guide dog, only Ireland and Portugal checked our paperwork. Another country asked if we had it. I said yes do you want to see it and the response was no. I would still travel with it and I do carry additional information not asked for but to verify certain information.

Thanks to all. As usual, great help!

Has anyone had a layover in France between a third country and the US? I have to claim my dogs, go through customs, and recheck them into the next flight during my layover in Paris. I'm wondering if anyone else has gone through this and what the experience was like.

I'm traveling from China to the US with a 2.5hr layover in Paris; traveling on Air France, which requires we claim the dogs and recheck them in Paris.

Any advice?

Amanda

I had to go through this to bring a large dog from the US to Toulouse.
I also had a hard time getting a taxi who was willing to bring a dog back, even in a cage.
The "fret" (cargo station) is a couple of miles away from CDG, so give yourself time.
You'll have to pay duty on the dog, have official papers stamped and so forth.
This will take a lot of time, if the staff can't find your dog - mine was somehow missing, but finally found.
You'll have to walk your dog outside the cargo station and give it water and some food.
The dog takes time to board, clear customs and so forth...

I don't think you will have time to make your next flight, and would try to re-schedule one at a later time.