Moving to France with Your Pet

Want to move with your pet to France? Learn what’s required, how to transport your pet and the rules for pet ownership in France.

Jale

6 minute read

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15 Dec 2022

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Moving

Moving to France with your pet can be challenging as there’re many requirements, prerequisites, documentation, and travel arrangements to be planned. Without proper preparation, you may get fined, and your pet may be quarantined or sent home.

So to ease the whole process for you and your beloved pet, we’ve created this guide.

When it comes to renting, not every apartment owner will allow you to have pets. And even if they do allow pets, you want to pick a good neighborhood that has (dog) parks or that your apartment has enough space for your cat to roam around freely.

Searching for such an apartment will also take a couple of months, and this is why it’s important to book your rental accommodation before you move to France. To make your search easier and less stressful, consider using an online rental platform like HousingAnywhere, which allows you to filter down to apartments that allow pets.

Look for a pet-friendly apartment in Paris.

The most common pets brought into France are dogs, cats, fish, ferrets, and birds (except poultry). Unlike in Spain, you can also bring your frog, reptile, rodent, and domestic rabbit to France.

You can’t bring exotic or poisonous animals, wild animals weighing over 2kg, and adult mammals to France as pets.

Brining potentially dangerous dogs to France

There’re 2 categories of dangerous dogs in France: 1. Category 1: Attack dogs 2. Category 2: Guard and defense dogs

Bringing category 1 dogs to France is strictly prohibited and bringing them risks imprisonment and fines. Category 1 includes American Staffordshire Terrier, Mastiff, and Tosa-type dogs.

You can bring category 2 dogs to France if they have an official registered pedigree that is recognized by the French Ministry of Agriculture. The pedigree certificate must be issued by the central canine society of the dog’s origin country to prove its purebred status.

Category 2 dogs include purebred (American) Staffordshire Terrier and Tosa breeds. Rottweilers or Rottweiler-type dogs also belong to Category 2, but you won’t need to present a pedigree certificate for them.

You’re only allowed to bring a maximum of 5 pets with you to France. As a general rule, your pet must be at least 4 months old.

To bring your pet to France from another EU country, you simply need to show your European pet passport. The EU pet passport — issued by a licensed vet — should show information about your pet, including proof of vaccination and microchip ID number. It lasts a lifetime and costs anywhere from €40 to €500.

To move to France with your pet from a non-European country, keep the following prerequisites in mind:

1. Get your pet microchipped. A certified vet needs to insert an internationally recognized (15 digits) microchip compliant with ISO 11784 or 11785. Getting a microchip costs around €20 to €40. Alternatively, tattoo identification is only allowed if it was issued before 2011.
2. Get rabies vaccination: Vaccination against rabies is mandatory to enter France and must be done after your pet is microchipped. Your pet must be at least 3 months or 12 weeks old to get their primary vaccination. Dogs, cats, and ferrets can travel after 21 days of their primary vaccination. Birds need to wait 60 days. Overall, vaccination can cost from€25 to €100.
3. Get a rabies titer blood test if coming from a country with high rabies cases. This needs to be done by an EU-authorized lab at least 30 days after the vaccination and 3 months before the pet’s arrival in France. The result must be at least 0.5 UI/liter or higher.
4. Get a health certificate issued by a licensed vet in your country within 10 days of travel. This is valid for 4 months and can be used for onward travel within the EU. If this is not in English, you need an official French translation as well. Overall, this will cost you cost you €30 to €100.
5. Fill up a declaration form to confirm you’re bringing your pet for non-commercial purposes. You also need to fill it up if your pet is traveling with you or joining you within 5 days of your arrival in France. If someone else is taking the responsibility of bringing your pet to France, they need to fill out this form. The form is valid for 4 months and can be used within the EU.

Generally, most international trains, airplanes, buses, and ferries will ask you to put your pet in a kennel or have them wear a leash and a muzzle. So before you travel, check the exact requirements with the carrier. Here’s some information:

• Eurostar doesn’t allow pets on its trains.
• Thalys trains allow pets weighing less than 6kg on its trains free of charge, as long as they fit into a standard-sized kennel. You need to purchase dog fare for €30 if your pet is bigger and keep your pet on your lap or the floor, held on a leash, and sufficiently muzzled.
• AVE (including Renfe-SNCF) allows 1 pet per person for €15 as long as they aren’t heavier than 10 kg and can be carried in a kennel not exceeding 60cm x 35cm x 35 cm.
• If you’re using a personal car, ensure your pet is restrained enough not to block the driver’s view. Passing with your car through the Eurotunnel will cost you €23 per pet.

Entering France with your pet by airplane

If you’re traveling by airplane, there’re 4 things you need to do.

1. Read the airline’s guidelines for traveling with your pet.
2. Only a limited number of pets are allowed in a cabin per flight. So contact the airline a few weeks before boarding to inform them about your pet.
3. Check kennel requirements for your pet to travel in.
4. Fly into one of the international airports in Paris, Marseille, Nice, [Lyon]https://housinganywhere.com/s/Lyon--France, Reunion, and Toulouse, as they have the approved Border Inspection Posts (BIP). Inform the airport about your arrival 24 hours prior.

The top 5 pet-friendly airline companies in Europe are Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Iberia, and Finnair. It’ll cost you approximately €60 - €120 per pet to travel by airplane, depending on the airline.

The Ordre des Vétérinaires (The National Order of Veterinarians) is a valuable source when you own a pet in France. There, you can find nearby vets, helpful information about pet ownership, what to do when you have a dispute with your vet, etc.

Get pet insurance in France

When you live in a rented house in France, you’re legally obligated to take liability insurance. Because of this, you don’t need to obtain extra liability insurance for your pet. Civil liability insurance (responsabilité civile propriétaire) insurance that covers any accidental damage your pet may cause to others is most often included in a home insurance policy. Still, it’s always a good idea to confirm this with your insurer.

Health insurance is optional, but it’s a good idea to have one to protect yourself from unexpected expensive medical treatments. We suggest the following health insurance companies for affordable but good care.

1. April: They offer flat-rate packages regardless of your pet's age. Their basic insurance package starts monthly at €15.
2. ECA: What sets this company apart is that they offer insurance against almost all types of domestic animals, including ferrets and rabbits. You can get a quote from their website depending on your pet's characteristics.
3. My French House: This insurance company is especially suitable for expats because they communicate in English, which is rare considering the high language barrier in France.

Apply for an EU pet passport (optional)

If your pet doesn’t yet have an EU pet passport, now’s the time to get one! You can do this after 3 months of living in France. Your French vet can register your pet with I-CAD, the national pet registry in France, and then apply for a passport. This will make your life easier when it comes to returning back to the EU or traveling within the EU with your pet.

Owning a guard dog in France

Not everyone can own a guard dog in France. To keep a guard dog, you must obtain a permit (permis de détention)__ from your local municipality in France. You can get this permit only if:

1. You follow a 7-hour course on canine education and behavior by an approved trainer and obtain a certificate of aptitude (une attestation d'aptitude). Keep in mind this will likely be in French.
2. Get a behavioral evaluation by a registered vet when the dog is between 8 months and 1 year. Or show proof that this has been done.
3. Have the right documentation identifying the breed, vaccination proof, and civil liability insurance.

If you don’t have a license to own a guard dog, you face a fine of €3,750. In the event of a dog attack on a person, you may face a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to €150,000.

Rules to remember when owning a pet in France

1. You must hang an “ATTENTION AU CHIEN” (Beware of the dog) sign on your door or gate. If anybody enters without permission and gets bitten, your insurance should protect you; if there’s no sign, you'll be personally responsible.
2. You must clean up after your dog in public spaces. There’s a chance of receiving a fine if you don’t.
3. You must walk your dog on a leash in public spaces.
4. Dogs need to be on a leash and wear a muzzle on public transport.
5. Small pets can travel free of charge if they’re in a carrier. Large dogs can be on the metro and RER train for free but are not allowed on a bus or tram.
6. If you own a guard dog, the muzzle must always be on in public spaces.
7. You must carry your license to own a guard dog at all times.
8. You can’t take your dog to most public beaches during July and August.

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