Taking a Pet to the United Kingdom

For Travel to the UK:

Below are some guidelines for taking a cat to the UK. They are more stringent than the requirements to travel to the EU, United States, and Canada. We suggest that you check with current sources to ensure they remain valid before you make any arrangements.

https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain

We strongly recommend you take the cat/kitten to the vet as soon as possible to treat it for parasites and begin the infectious disease vaccines (panleukopenia and “cat flu”.)

To be taken abroad the cat will need to have a microchip and a rabies vaccine (given at 3 months or older.)

  • The microchip number must be shown on the “official third country veterinary certificate” and the UK health certificate.
  • The microchip must meet ISO standards so that it can be read;
  • It is advised to take your own reader if the chip is not an ISO standard.

The cat will then need a rabies titre (blood) test done 30 days after the initial rabies vaccination

  • The animal cannot travel until 3 months after this blood draw, assuming it passes the test
  • The blood must be sent to an approved lab; there is no lab approved in Montenegro.
  • The vet must give you (or a foster carer) a copy of the test results. These must show that the vaccination was successful in developing a minimum level of antibodies.  
  • This is the reason 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.

In terms of pet travel, Montenegro is an “unlisted” country, so a “Great Britain pet health certificate” is required to enter the UK. The local Montenegrin vet can help arrange this certificate for you, along with a Montenegrin pet health certificate and the last-minute tape worm treatment required. The certificates must be signed by a Montenegrin vet inspector. The charge is currently €30 per animal.

The cat must enter the UK via an approved route (either air, sea or rail travel).

  • The list of airlines is shown here:

Pet travel: airlines and airports you can use - GOV.UK

Unfortunately, there are no airlines listed that fly directly from Montenegro to the UK.

A viable option is to fly the cat to Paris or Brussels then drive to the UK from there, using an approved sea route.  

Pet travel: sea and rail routes and companies you can use - GOV.UK 

A maximum of 5 cats can be taken by a private person into the UK at any one time. 

The above information is as of August 2026. Please review the information before you travel using the links above in case of changes.  

Kotor Kitties values the privacy of our donors. We do not collect or save any credit card or bank information on our donors or email contacts. Information is stored for tax purposes and to provide important updates if needed. We never sell or share our donors’ information.

Pursuant to EU requirements (GDPR), any donor may request to receive all of the data we have maintained about them. If you wish to see what is in our donor files, or wish to have it removed, please email us: contact@kotorkitties.org and provide a copy of your government identity card, passport, or driver’s license. You will receive a response within 2 – 14 days.

Questions? Email us: contact@kotorkitties.org