Transporting your animals

When you first come to Spain with your pets the decision on how you bring them here is entirely up to you. If you have the correct documentation you can either travel by car through France and Spain – potentially a three day drive – but remember you will have to find pet-friendly accommodation on the journey or you can fly the animals to Spain. Also if you transport dogs or cats through France they must be vaccinated against rabies at least one month before transportation. Accompanied animals arriving with their owner by air may be imported into Spain without rabies vaccination.

From a personal viewpoint I consider that a long car journey could potentially be more distressing for the animal when compared to a relatively short flight. Airlines licensed to carry animals look after them very well indeed. They travel in a properly designed box in a heated part of the aircraft hold. They are not loaded onto the plane until the very last minute and they are first off the plane on arrival in Spain. Should you wish someone else to make the necessary arrangements for travel there are many companies in the UK who can do this. They will attend to all the paperwork and liaise with similar companies at the Spanish end of the chain who will collect your pets from the airport and even deliver them to your new address.

There are also companies who offer road transport of your valuable pets with stopovers at dog-friendly hotels.

One point worth considering at the time of your removal from the UK to the Costa del Sol is to ask the transporting company to collect your precious pets and keep them in their kennels or cattery during the period when your possessions are actually being packed. This avoids the animal experiencing the potential distress of the actual packing process. You can then set the exact date when your pet is delivered to your new address.