Flying pet dog to and back from Lisbon (From London Heathrow)

Posted by paxosstu on 10/07/24 07:11 PM

Hi everyone
We have a camper van trip booked April 2025 and planned to take our beloved little cavapoo on the adventure.

But i’m being told by TAP customer services that they can easily fly the dog to Lisbon (she’s 9kg so would have to go in the hold-cabin max weight is 8kg) but they cannot fly her back due to UK border restrictions

Its weird as I was told that but my wife was told that its no problem. So we’re getting conflicting info

Anyone had any experience of this issue? Obviously we will get all her papers and pet passport etc but if TAP wont fly her back she cant come as we obv cannot just leave her there at the end of the holiday!!!

Posted by Helen

Bristol, UK

10/07/24 08:17 PM

1355 posts

I don't have a dog so I don’t know all the details, but basically since Brexit it’s become much more difficult to travel to the U.K. from Europe with a dog. I have a friend who does it and I know it now involves vet trips and various pieces of documentation rather than the simple pet passport that was needed previously.

Posted by Mardee

Duluth 🛶

10/07/24 08:19 PM

7832 posts

According to TAP website, what you were told is true. See below; taken from this site: https://www.flytap.com/en-us/travelling-with-animals/pets?accordionid=bb94781a-0d88-44fb-b7e0-ae9bb9439139

Flights to the United Kingdom: Pets are not allowed. TAP is not authorized to transport pets to the United Kingdom – with the exception of assistance animals (SVAN – Service Animals) transported in the cabin.

Posted by Claudette

Huntington Beach CA

10/08/24 08:27 PM

1162 posts

I have a friend from the US who visits her daughter in London. What she has to do to get around this is she flies to Paris and hires a private driver to drive her to London! I’m sure that’s expensive but that’s the only way she found to get around the UK pet restrictions.

Posted by Laura

Virginia, USA

10/08/24 09:38 PM

5829 posts

The UK lists approved carriers and routes for bringing a pet into the UK here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pet-travel-approved-air-sea-rail-and-charter-routes-for-the-movement-of-pets

Posted by Frank II

Freedonia

10/08/24 10:03 PM

16168 posts

Make sure you have all the paperwork done for getting the dog into the UK.

Posted by NinaMargoJune

Setubal, PT

10/26/24 08:33 PM

43 posts

Not sure if you're in need of additional information, but if you are, there's a fb group Americans&FriendsPT that has exhaustive files regarding pets and transporting pets to and from Portugal to many, many places. You might join that group if you haven't already. It is a tremendous resource. ( I'll warn you ahead of time to read the files before posting a question, because the Admins won't hesitate to direct you to the files to find the answer to your question. If that happens to you, don't take it personally, it's just how the Admins avoid duplication of Q&A and make everyone do some preparation and homework... We've all been sent to the woodshed.)
As someone mentioned... your only solution may be to drive your cavapoo back to the UK thru the chunnel? Or if they don't check dogs at the borders, fly your cavapoo to Belfast where a friend can pick you up?