Want to move with your pet to France? Learn what’s required, how to transport your pet and the rules for pet ownership in France.
Moving to France with your pet can be challenging as there’re many requirements, prerequisites, documentation, and travel arrangements to be planned. Without proper preparation, you may get fined, and your pet may be quarantined or sent home.
So to ease the whole process for you and your beloved pet, we’ve created this guide.
When it comes to renting, not every apartment owner will allow you to have pets. And even if they do allow pets, you want to pick a good neighborhood that has (dog) parks or that your apartment has enough space for your cat to roam around freely.
Searching for such an apartment will also take a couple of months, and this is why it’s important to book your rental accommodation before you move to France. To make your search easier and less stressful, consider using an online rental platform like HousingAnywhere, which allows you to filter down to apartments that allow pets.
Look for a pet-friendly apartment in Paris.
The most common pets brought into France are dogs, cats, fish, ferrets, and birds (except poultry). Unlike in Spain, you can also bring your frog, reptile, rodent, and domestic rabbit to France.
You can’t bring exotic or poisonous animals, wild animals weighing over 2kg, and adult mammals to France as pets.
There’re 2 categories of dangerous dogs in France: 1. Category 1: Attack dogs 2. Category 2: Guard and defense dogs
Bringing category 1 dogs to France is strictly prohibited and bringing them risks imprisonment and fines. Category 1 includes American Staffordshire Terrier, Mastiff, and Tosa-type dogs.
You can bring category 2 dogs to France if they have an official registered pedigree that is recognized by the French Ministry of Agriculture. The pedigree certificate must be issued by the central canine society of the dog’s origin country to prove its purebred status.
Category 2 dogs include purebred (American) Staffordshire Terrier and Tosa breeds. Rottweilers or Rottweiler-type dogs also belong to Category 2, but you won’t need to present a pedigree certificate for them.
You’re only allowed to bring a maximum of 5 pets with you to France. As a general rule, your pet must be at least 4 months old.
To bring your pet to France from another EU country, you simply need to show your European pet passport. The EU pet passport — issued by a licensed vet — should show information about your pet, including proof of vaccination and microchip ID number. It lasts a lifetime and costs anywhere from €40 to €500.
To move to France with your pet from a non-European country, keep the following prerequisites in mind:
Generally, most international trains, airplanes, buses, and ferries will ask you to put your pet in a kennel or have them wear a leash and a muzzle. So before you travel, check the exact requirements with the carrier. Here’s some information:
If you’re traveling by airplane, there’re 4 things you need to do.
The top 5 pet-friendly airline companies in Europe are Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Iberia, and Finnair. It’ll cost you approximately €60 - €120 per pet to travel by airplane, depending on the airline.
The Ordre des Vétérinaires (The National Order of Veterinarians) is a valuable source when you own a pet in France. There, you can find nearby vets, helpful information about pet ownership, what to do when you have a dispute with your vet, etc.
When you live in a rented house in France, you’re legally obligated to take liability insurance. Because of this, you don’t need to obtain extra liability insurance for your pet. Civil liability insurance (responsabilité civile propriétaire) insurance that covers any accidental damage your pet may cause to others is most often included in a home insurance policy. Still, it’s always a good idea to confirm this with your insurer.
Health insurance is optional, but it’s a good idea to have one to protect yourself from unexpected expensive medical treatments. We suggest the following health insurance companies for affordable but good care.
If your pet doesn’t yet have an EU pet passport, now’s the time to get one! You can do this after 3 months of living in France. Your French vet can register your pet with I-CAD, the national pet registry in France, and then apply for a passport. This will make your life easier when it comes to returning back to the EU or traveling within the EU with your pet.
Not everyone can own a guard dog in France. To keep a guard dog, you must obtain a permit (permis de détention)__ from your local municipality in France. You can get this permit only if:
If you don’t have a license to own a guard dog, you face a fine of €3,750. In the event of a dog attack on a person, you may face a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to €150,000.
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