Pet Travel Tips for Belfast

💡 Quick Tips

• 1.Post-Brexit AHC quirk: under the Windsor Framework, EU pet passports REMAIN VALID for travel between NI and the EU, but EU pets entering NI from elsewhere still need a UK Animal Health Certificate (AHC). This makes Belfast simpler than mainland UK for EU travellers but the rule is widely misunderstood, carry both documents.
• 2.All UK arrivals (including NI) need: microchip, rabies vaccine ≥21 days before travel, tapeworm treatment 24h-5 days before arrival (dogs only), and an EU pet passport OR a UK AHC.
• 3.UK banned breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act apply in Northern Ireland: Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, and XL Bully (since 2024). Importing one is illegal, even in transit.
• 4.Belfast weather is genuinely mild but wet, 950 mm/year of rain spread across 200+ rainy days. Pack a dog coat and microfibre towel year-round, even July averages 16 rainy days.
• 5.Pets in cabin on Stena Line ferries Belfast→Cairnryan or Liverpool: book a pet-friendly cabin in advance (limited number), otherwise the dog stays in your car on Cairnryan crossings (2h15) or in onboard kennels on Liverpool (8h).

Frequently Asked Questions