Taking a pet to the United Kingdom or the European Union
For Travel to the UK:
Below are some guidelines for taking a cat to the UK. We suggest that you check with current sources to ensure they remain valid before you make any arrangements. The United States and Canada are much less stringent.
Both the UK and EU have similar requirements to prevent the spread of rabies.
We recommend you take the cat/kitten to the vet as soon as possible. To be taken abroad the cat will need to have a rabies vaccine, microchip, and a blood test in order to get the correct certification. Blood tests must be sent out of the country, as there is no lab in Montenegro certified to do them. The rabies vaccine may need to have a booster 3 weeks later to be complete. Please check the current regulations for the EU or UK. The cat will need a blood test 30 days after the initial rabies vaccination and then cannot travel until 3 months after this. This is the reason why the cat needs a foster home for about four months after the first rabies vaccine and microchip, as you are unlikely to remain in the country until that time. Once the documentation is complete, you are ready to go back to collect your cat. We recommend a trip to the vet once they have arrived at your home in the UK for a check-up.
In terms of pet travel, Montenegro is an “unlisted” country, so a “Third Country Official Veterinary Certificate” is required to enter the UK. Montenegro is outside of the EU, and so authorized vets have to issue “official veterinary certificates” instead of “pet passports.” This certificate allows the animal to enter the UK (or a country in the EU.) You’ll need other supporting documents, too. Check your certificate for full details.
Travel to the UK (or an EU country) must take place within 10 days of the date the certificate was issued. (And it can then be used for up to 4 months for travel within the EU.)
The cat will need the following before it is allowed to travel:
- A microchip (the number must be shown on the “official third country veterinary certificate”). The microchip must meet ISO standards; if it does not it will not be able to be read. It is advised to take your own reader if the chip is not an ISO standard.
- A rabies vaccination (the cat will need to be microchipped first or the vaccination won’t count).
- A blood test. The vet must take the blood sample at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination (the date of the vaccination counts as day 0, not day 1).*
- An official “third country veterinary certificate” (link for document below – the document can be opened on one of 3 different formats).
*This blood test and waiting period are required because rabies is not considered “under control” in Montenegro. They are not required if the animal was born and raised in a rabies-controlled country.
Please note that DOGS have been required to have treatment for tapeworm before entry to UK or EU. Following the completion of Brexit, however, there is no up-to-date page for information at this time.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-and-from-great-britain
The cat will not be allowed to travel until 3 months after the date the blood sample was taken. The vet must give you (or foster carer) a copy of the test results. These must show that the vaccination was successful in developing a minimum level of antibodies.
If the above entry requirements are not met, then the cat will need to be put into quarantine, which you will have to book and pay for.
We also recommend, if it is at all possible, that the cat/kitten receive basic vaccinations to cover Parvo (Panleukopenia) and Cat Flu (other upper-respiratory diseases). Please speak to the vet about this. For a recommended schedule of feline and canine vaccines, please see our Resources section, but note that many veterinarians in Montenegro do not subscribe to this schedule.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad
The cat must enter the UK via an approved route (either air, sea or rail travel).
The list of airlines is shown here:
But, unfortunately, there are no airlines listed that fly directly from Montenegro to the UK. There are some direct flights from Dubrovnik, if that is an option for you.
A viable option is to fly the cat to Paris or Brussels from Montenegro and then drive to the UK from there, using an approved sea route.
This includes ferry companies and the Channel Tunnel.
Special note for UK travelers:
Unfortunately, you cannot fly the animal directly from Montenegro into the UK. The only routes of entry to the UK are by ferry or the Channel Tunnel or alternatively from another airport outside of Montenegro, such as Dubrovnik, where the cat will travel in the hold.
The following airports will make the final mile into the UK easier and quicker.
| From | To | Airline | Cost per Cat (euro) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tivat | Paris | Air France | 55 cabin / 100 hold |
| Tivat | Paris | Transavia | 45 cabin / 70 hold |
| Tivat | Brussels | Brussels Airlines | 50 cabin / 100 hold |
Final Mile into the UK by car (from Paris and Brussels)
- Channel Tunnel Calais to Folkstone – £19 per cat
- Ferry Calais Dover – £22 per cat
Final Mile within the UK
Depending on your port of entry, you might have to travel north from the south of England.
Trains might be a fast option. London to Edinburgh is a mere 4.5 hours.
VirginTrains allow pets on the trains:
https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/rail-travel/your-journey/pets/
A maximum of 10 cats can be taken by a private person into the UK at any one time.
The above information is as of October 2020. Please review the information before you travel using the links above in case of changes.
