Taking Your Dog to the UK From the Netherlands: Papers, Tapeworm Rule, Ferry and Train
The UK is the one trip where your usual "dog + bag + plane" plan falls apart. The papers are easy — your EU pet passport still works — but there's an extra tapeworm rule, no airline will fly your dog into the UK with you, and Eurostar doesn't take dogs either. So you take the ferry, the tunnel, or the train to the ferry. Here's the whole thing, checked September 2026. Confirm on gov.uk before you go.
The papers: what the UK checks
- EU pet passport — issued by a vet in an EU country. That's all the ID you need; no Animal Health Certificate if you live in the EU. New to the passport? Read how to get an EU pet passport for your dog.
- Microchip, put in before the rabies shot.
- Rabies shot at least 21 days before you arrive. Your dog must be at least 12 weeks old at the shot, so the youngest dog that can travel is 15 weeks.
- Tapeworm treatment — this is the extra one. A vet must give your dog a praziquantel treatment between 24 hours and 5 days before you arrive in the UK, and write it in the passport with date and time. Too early or too late and your dog is refused at the border. Plan the vet visit around your crossing.
- A short declaration form that you're not selling the dog (the carrier hands it out; it's on gov.uk too).
- Max 5 pets per person.
Why you can't fly with your dog to the UK
The UK doesn't let pets arrive by air in the cabin or as checked baggage — only as manifested cargo on approved routes, handled by a cargo agent and collected at an animal reception centre like Heathrow's. That means a separate booking, a lot more money (often €500 and up) and your dog on a different flight than you. Assistance dogs are the only exception. That's why our Dog Flight Checker shows every airline as "no" or "cargo only" for the UK. For a normal holiday: don't fly. Drive, or take the train to the ferry.
Really have to fly your dog to the UK? Cargo, through an agent
Moving to the UK, or no way to drive? Then your dog flies as cargo on British Airways or Iberia through IAG Cargo, the cargo arm of the BA group, and lands at the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre. You can't book that yourself as a passenger: it goes through an approved pet travel agent. BA's official one is PetAir UK — they sort the crate, the paperwork and the flight, and send you a quote after a one-minute form. Count on several hundred to well over a thousand euros, depending on your dog's size and the route. For a holiday it's not worth it. For a move, it's the only legal way to fly.
By ferry or tunnel from the Netherlands
All four options below are approved routes, your dog stays close to you, and the pet fee is a fraction of a cargo flight. Pet cabins and kennels are limited on every ship, so add your dog as soon as you book.
Stena Line — Hook of Holland → Harwich
The direct one from Rotterdam, by day or overnight. Your dog can stay in your car, go in a heated kennel on board, or — best option — share a pet-friendly cabin with you. A pet cabin takes up to three small dogs (up to 15 kg), two medium dogs (up to 30 kg) or one large dog. There's a dog-walking area on board; dogs aren't allowed in the restaurants, bars or shops. This is also the route to take without a car — see the train section below.
Stena Line: travelling with pets, Hook of Holland – Harwich →
P&O Ferries — Rotterdam (Europoort) → Hull
Overnight, handy if you're heading to the north of England. On this route your dog can't stay in the car: book a kennel (small, large or extra-large, up to 45 kg) or one of the six dog-friendly cabins on each ship, which take two small dogs or one medium to large dog and sit close to the dog exercise area. Foot passengers with a dog are welcome too.
P&O Ferries: dog-friendly cabins, Rotterdam – Hull →
DFDS — Amsterdam (IJmuiden) → Newcastle
Overnight, ideal if you're heading to northern England or Scotland. Pet-friendly cabins for up to two medium dogs (vinyl floor, room for four people) or kennels on board — bring your own bedding for a kennel. With a car, pets from about £25 each way. Dog-friendly deck areas are open most of the crossing. Pet cabins are reached by stairs only.
DFDS: pet-friendly cabins, Amsterdam – Newcastle →
Eurotunnel LeShuttle — Calais → Folkestone
Drive to Calais (about 3 hours from Rotterdam), then 35 minutes under the Channel with your dog in the car with you the whole time. From £24 per pet each way. The least stressful option for anxious dogs. The passport and tapeworm check happens at the Calais Pet Reception before boarding — follow the paw prints, and allow an hour. Car passengers only.
LeShuttle: travelling with pets →
By train: not Eurostar, but train + ferry works
Eurostar doesn't take dogs to or from London — only registered assistance dogs, booked at least 24 hours ahead. Dogs are allowed on Eurostar between the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany, but that doesn't get you across the Channel. Eurostar pet rules →
Without a car, the way to do it is train → ferry → train via Hook of Holland and Harwich:
- To Hook of Holland. Take the train to Schiedam Centrum or Rotterdam, then metro line B to Hoek van Holland Haven, right by the ferry terminal. In Dutch trains a larger dog needs a Day Ticket Dog; a small dog in a bag or on your lap travels free. On the metro, keep your dog on a short lead.
- Stena Line as a foot passenger. You must book a kennel or a pet-friendly cabin for your dog, otherwise it can't travel. Book it together with your crossing.
- Harwich → London and beyond. Greater Anglia trains leave from Harwich International, right by the ferry. On British trains dogs travel free, up to two per passenger, on a lead and off the seats. National Rail pet rules →
Stena Line and Greater Anglia sell this as one Dutchflyer Rail & Sail ticket: the ferry plus any Greater Anglia train on the same day. Add the kennel or pet cabin when you book.
Coming back to the Netherlands
Easy: your EU passport gets you back in, and the Netherlands doesn't require a tapeworm treatment on return (only Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway do). Nothing to arrange.
Your timeline
- Weeks before: check the passport — chip, rabies shot at least 21 days before the crossing.
- When you book the ferry or tunnel: add your dog straight away; kennels and pet cabins are limited.
- 1–5 days before you arrive in the UK: vet visit for the tapeworm treatment, written in the passport with date and time.
- Travel day: passport, declaration form, and arrive early — the pet check is before boarding.
Going by car all the way? Read Road Trips With Your Dog for the packing list and car safety. Flying somewhere else in Europe instead? The Dog Flight Checker shows which airlines take your dog.
Sources: gov.uk pet travel rules; Stena Line, P&O Ferries, DFDS and LeShuttle pet pages; Eurostar, NS and National Rail pet rules; IAG Cargo and PetAir UK — checked September 2026. Rules and prices change: always confirm with the carrier before you book.