Yes. Pets travel on most car ferries. Your dog needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel, and either an animal health certificate or a pet passport. On most routes pets stay in the vehicle for the crossing.
What Does a Pet Need to Travel Abroad?
A microchip fitted before the rabies vaccination, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel, and an animal health certificate or pet passport. Dogs entering some countries also need tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival.
Order matters. The microchip has to be implanted before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination does not count and the clock restarts.
- Microchip fitted first.
- Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before you travel.
- Animal health certificate issued within 10 days of travel, or a valid pet passport.
- Tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival, where the destination requires it.
Animal health certificates are single use. A delayed return can outlast the certificate, so check the validity window against your actual return date.
Where Do Pets Travel on a Ferry?
On most car ferries pets stay in the vehicle for the crossing. Longer routes offer pet-friendly cabins, on-board kennels and dedicated deck areas, and these sell out well before the sailing itself is full.
Vehicle decks are sealed once the ship sails, so a pet left in the car is genuinely alone for the crossing. Leave water, park out of direct sun where you can, and crack ventilation within what the operator allows.
On overnight sailings a pet-friendly cabin is worth booking rather than leaving an animal below for 10 hours. Those routes are covered in the guide to overnight ferries and cabin options.
How Much Does It Cost to Take a Pet?
Short crossings charge a modest per-pet fee. Overnight routes cost more because the price reflects a pet-friendly cabin rather than the animal itself. Registered assistance dogs travel free on every operator.
The fee is per animal per crossing, so a return trip is charged twice. Add the pet at booking rather than at the port, where availability is not guaranteed and the rate is higher.
Assistance dogs are exempt from pet charges and from most restrictions, but still need the same health documentation for international travel.
Which Ferries Will Not Carry Pets?
Foot passengers face the tightest restrictions. Many short routes and fast passenger craft carry pets only in vehicles, and some refuse them entirely, so check the specific route before booking.
The general pattern is that if there is a car deck, pets can usually travel. If it is a fast passenger-only craft, often they cannot.
If you are travelling without a car, confirm the route carries animals on foot before you book anything else. The guide to crossing as a foot passenger covers which services take walk-on travellers and what they include.
How Do You Keep a Dog Calm on a Crossing?
Exercise the dog before you reach the port, keep feeding light in the hours before sailing, and bring a familiar blanket. Sea sickness affects dogs, and a short crossing is easier than a long one for an anxious animal.
Familiar smell does most of the work. A blanket or bed from home in the footwell settles most dogs better than anything you can buy at the terminal.
For a nervous animal, pick the shortest crossing you reasonably can even if a longer route is cheaper. Ninety minutes at sea is a very different experience from eight hours for a dog that does not travel well.
Common questions
Can my dog stay with me on the ferry?
On short crossings, usually not. Pets stay in the vehicle while the deck is sealed. Longer routes offer pet-friendly cabins and deck areas where your dog can stay with you.
How long before travel does the rabies jab need to be done?
At least 21 days before you travel, and the microchip must have been fitted before the vaccination. If the order is wrong the vaccination does not count and the 21 days start again.
Do I need an animal health certificate every trip?
Yes, if you do not hold a valid pet passport. Certificates are single use and must be issued within 10 days of travel, so a new one is needed for each journey.
Can I take a cat on a ferry?
Yes. Cats travel under the same rules as dogs, though the tapeworm requirement applies to dogs only. Cats usually travel in a carrier in the vehicle.
Do assistance dogs pay to travel?
No. Registered assistance dogs travel free on all operators and are permitted in passenger areas. International health documentation is still required.
