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W e ' r e   D i f f e r e n t

Pets, not packages - expect more

We’re proud to be a U.S.-based international pet shipping company trusted by pet owners around the world.
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Decades of experience

Trust our expert team of coordinators, with the most collective industry experience (and all the 5-star reviews to prove it!).
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Technology

Industry-leading Pet Travel Portal to make things simple & clear. 
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Pet Protection Plan

Coverage for every dog or cat ensuring your peace of mind throughout their journey.
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Stay in touch

The only US-based company to partner with CareTags Travel Sense to provide automated updates throughout your pet’s move via email & text. 
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S t a r w o o d   F a c t o r

What sets us apart

Read stories traveling to and from the uk-flag United Kingdom

Testimonials

5 days ago

Great experience all around. Help get our two cats over to the UK from the US. Process was painless and stress free. Highly recommend if you are PCSing for the military.

Wyatt Brown
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Meadow
Meadow's pet

7 days ago

Without Starwood Pet Travel, I really believe our attempt to transport our dog Lucas from Los Angeles to London Heathrow would have been a disaster. There were so many ways to get something wrong, and...

Livesey J
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Lucas
Lucas's pet

11 days ago

Starwood, especially Rosemary, was very reliable, knowledgable and helpful. Always positive and brimming with confidence in the whole event (which was scary for me as such an ordeal for the pups). All...

Joanna Chaplin
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Eddie and Tapas
Eddie and Tapas's pet

25 days ago

Starwood maintained good communication, I was able to book phone calls and email with my travel coordinator Sarah whenever needed; she was very responsive. My 9 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ...

Jihane Abouzeid
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Molly
Molly's pet

28 days ago

I am extremely glad that I decided to go with an experienced company for my move from Philly to outside London for my two cats. It truly helped with my stress and it was so worth it to have the cats p...

Bonnie Masarik
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Gus & Belleau
Gus & Belleau's pet

44 days ago

So for 5 years I had been planning to move from Texas back home to the UK. And my main worry that entire time was about moving my dog Gunnar. I searched a lot of pet shippers, but Starwood was the onl...

Ginny
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Gunnar's Trip to the UK
Gunnar's Trip to the UK's pet

53 days ago

Safely and comfortably getting our 2 cats from Los Angeles to London was by far the most stressful part of our move. Sarah and the team at Starwood put us at ease, managed the incredibly complex logis...

Rico Fabello
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Luna and Maya's Trip to London
Luna and Maya's Trip to London's pet

57 days ago

We had an amazing experience with Starwood. Their knowledge of the very complex proceedings helped us the whole way. In the last minute we found out that we had to send not only 1, but all of our 3 pe...

Murilo Albino
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Max's Trip to London
Max's Trip to London's pet

67 days ago

We recently used Starwood to transport our corgi, Myf, from the US to London as part of a move. Sarah and the whole Starwood team were amazing at making sure everything happened when it needed to, par...

David Morton
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Myf's Trip to the UK
Myf's Trip to the UK's pet

69 days ago

Sarah, Ryan and all on the Starwood team were terrific support to us when we flew our spaniel back from America to the UK. Appreciated their clear advice, instructions and the professional handling of...

Nathan Payne
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Mable's Trip to the UK
Mable's Trip to the UK's pet

75 days ago

We used Starwood Pet Travel to relocate our pets from Las Vegas to London. The team was super knowledgable and helpful with the process, from vet visits, pet carries and all the paperwork! Even last m...

Valeria Valcarcel
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Ash & Teddy's Trip to the UK
Ash & Teddy's Trip to the UK's pet

82 days ago

I recently shipped my daughters cat from US to UK and they helped make the process smoother and less worrisome.she is now settled and I would definitely work with them again when her years study is do...

Jacqueline McManus
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Willow's Trip to the UK
Willow's Trip to the UK's pet

155 days ago

A positive experience, we were worried about the move from USA to Uk and whilst it was stressful that was only because of what we were thinking could go wrong rather than anything bad happening! Sarah...

Stephen P.
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Izzy's Trip to the UK
Izzy's Trip to the UK's pet

160 days ago

Starwood pet travel provided an excellent and comprehensive service to transport my 2 cats from Orlando to London Gatwick. I’m not sure I could have pulled it off without them! The cats settled in soo...

Emma Nichols
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Ash & Boomer's Trip to the UK
Ash & Boomer's Trip to the UK's pet

162 days ago

Starwood Pet Travel was an absolute life saver when helping us move from the US to the UK! Communication was simple and easy! I cant imagine trying to handle everything that had to be done without the...

Zhenya H
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Advil's Trip to the UK
Advil's Trip to the UK's pet

185 days ago

We couldn't have had a better experience moving our two cats from the USA to England. The initial thought of everything you have to do is extremely overwhelming and anxiety inducing, especially if you...

Tom Caswell
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Ziggy & Friday's trip to the UK
Ziggy & Friday's trip to the UK's pet

214 days ago

I had a wonderful experience with Starwood Pet Travel! I loved their different price options for pet transport and never once felt as though my pup wasn't cared for, despite getting the cheapest optio...

Marly Trahan
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Lenna's Trip to Scotland
Lenna's Trip to Scotland's pet

216 days ago

I worked with Cassidy Ryan to transport my cat and couldn't be more pleased. Cassidy was amazing and was always just a phone call or email away. We did run into a few issues with the process and Cassi...

Michael Quinn
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Bruin's Trip to the UK
Bruin's Trip to the UK's pet

225 days ago

Our coordinator, Rosemary, has been so sweet and helpful throughout the entire journey! Peggy and Steve traveled from the US to the UK. Starwood worked with my vet on the health certificates (made it ...

Madelyn Taylor
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Steve's Trip to Scotland
Steve's Trip to Scotland's pet

228 days ago

My husband Sean & I made a last minute decision to move to the UK from the US to be near his family, we had only two weeks to move ourselves & we barely managed that. We couldn’t imagine add o...

Mary Bickerton
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Cassie & Kiki's Trip to England
Cassie & Kiki's Trip to England's pet

229 days ago

Starwood did a fantastic job relocating our pet. They were incredibly responsive and provided every detail needed to support the move.

Bonnie Shook-Sa
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Sky's Trip to England
Sky's Trip to England's pet

233 days ago

Excellent service.. of course it is a worry when your pets are away from you. I paid for pickup from my house and delivered to my new home in the UK. The lady who delivered them to me was great along ...

Patricia Mclaughlin
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Frankie and Kittie's Trip the UK
Frankie and Kittie's Trip the UK's pet

237 days ago

From the initial quote to the pets arrival, everyone of the team communicated and answered all my questions no matter how trivial. The pets were picked up by Jeary who was amazing with them and update...

Chris Perkins
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Ziggy & Tilly's Trip to England
Ziggy & Tilly's Trip to England's pet

242 days ago

I have nothing but great things to say about our experience with Starwood. Yes, it's on the pricier side—but honestly, you can’t put a price on the level of care, attention, and professionalism they p...

Andi Reed
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Rumi's Trip to England
Rumi's Trip to England's pet

251 days ago

We experienced bumps along the way but it was always handled professionally and gracefully by our team! I never felt nervous for our sweet pet family in the care of Starwood!

Satara Bassett
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Three cats to London
Three cats to London's pet

253 days ago

Moving a pet can be very stressful but Starwood responded to all my concerns and kept me very well informed about our cat’s travel plans and paperwork needs.

Pip Gilmour
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Cheeney's Trip to the UK
Cheeney's Trip to the UK's pet

277 days ago

Great to work with and detailed. The communication and time getting back to each other was great!

Paul Carter
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Sadie and Britney's Trip to the UK
Sadie and Britney's Trip to the UK's pet

279 days ago

This company was recommended by friends and they did not disappoint. Our agent was Sarah and she was just amazing. Friendly, polite, really on top of things. Even my vet liked her! The driver for pick...

H. Shrigley
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Fizzgig's Trip to the UK
Fizzgig's Trip to the UK's pet

280 days ago

I would highly recommend Starwood pet travel after researching several companies. Cassidy was our pet travel coordinator and she couldn't have been more helpful or understanding and patient with all o...

Melanie Rockrohr
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Kala's Trip to the UK
Kala's Trip to the UK's pet

281 days ago

We have just used Starwood to move our German Shepherd from the US to the UK. Starwood was excellent from start to finish, helping to get us through a complicated process with relative ease. The updat...

Tony Kirby
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Pilot's Trip to the UK
Pilot's Trip to the UK's pet

284 days ago

Gemma and her team were really great! Always responsive to many emails and able to overcome all the paperwork issues that arose. It is not an easy process, but Gemma made it work. Thank you!!!!

Jenny Levion
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Luna's Trip to the UK
Luna's Trip to the UK's pet

289 days ago

Starwood's service was worth every penny for peace of mind. They took care of everything in sending my 2 cats from the US to UK. They knew what paperwork was required, what issues to consider; they we...

Jen Breen
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Whiskey and Charlie's Trip to the UK
Whiskey and Charlie's Trip to the UK's pet

291 days ago

Cassidy was brilliant in organising my dogs travel home. The fight was cancelled at no fault of Starwood and they managed to get them on a flight a day later at no extra cost to us! The route worked o...

Megan Clelland
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Remy and Molly's Trip to Manchester
Remy and Molly's Trip to Manchester's pet

291 days ago

Starwood pet travel provided an excellent and comprehensive service to transport my 2 cats from Orlando to London Gatwick. I’m not sure I could have pulled it off without them! The cats settled in soo...

Emma Nichols
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Ash and Boomer's Trip to London
Ash and Boomer's Trip to London's pet

302 days ago

Sarah was phenomenal in guiding my family through the process of getting our two dogs to our destination. I was always informed of each stage from pickup, vet appointments, transport, and delivery. I ...

Matt
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 2 Dogs CA to UK
2 Dogs CA to UK's pet

306 days ago

We recommend Starwood 100%. Moving our pups was the most stressful and complicated part of our move to Europe, so we wanted to make sure to use a service who could take care of everything. Rosie was r...

Elle Scott
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 NC to Cornwall
NC to Cornwall's pet

315 days ago

We had an excellent experience with Starwood Pet Travel! Rosie and the Starwood team were absolutely fantastic — Rosie explained the entire process thoroughly and helped ease our worries about what to...

Jena Arenth
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 2 Cats to the UK
2 Cats to the UK's pet

316 days ago

Very good experience with Sarah from Starwood moving our cats from the US to the UK. Everything went very smoothly.

Paul Mandeville
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 2 Cats to the UK
2 Cats to the UK's pet

322 days ago

MIND-BLOWING SERVICE! Rosie and the team were amazing. She tirelessly went over all the documentation several times with me as I was very nervous. We had to change vets due to a prior short-term move ...

Michael O'rourke
✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Lily and Oscar to England
Lily and Oscar to England's pet

374 days ago

My two dogs travelled from LA to the UK and Starwood made it all so very easy for us. We were kept well informed and given lots of advice and assurance. They arrived safe and well and so much happier ...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 UK Dogs
UK Dogs's pet

378 days ago

Moving cats to another country is incredibly stressful and Starwood talked me through every step of the process, co-ordinated with our vet, and gave us updates during our cats' journey. There is a lot...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Moving cats
Moving cats's pet

385 days ago

Starwood, especially Rosemary, was very reliable, knowledgable and helpful. Always positive and brimming with confidence in the whole event (which was scary for me as such an ordeal for the pups). All...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Eddi, Sunny, & Tapas to the UK
Eddi, Sunny, & Tapas to the UK's pet

404 days ago

We can't be more appreciative for the support Starwood provided to us for our beagle's successful relocation from the US west coast to the UK - and we are especially grateful to Sarah W as our pet tra...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Tassie
Tassie's pet

408 days ago

Fabulous experience with Starwood! I relocated to the UK for work, and when I started researching how to get my two cats sent over with me, I immediately became overwhelmed. There’s tons of nuances to...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Stuart and Theodore to the UK
Stuart and Theodore to the UK's pet

409 days ago

Very good service from this company who organised the safe transport of our 12 year old dog from Los Angeles to London. It's a complicated process but they guide you through it with a useful client po...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Benji
Benji's pet

442 days ago

Starwood were absolutely amazing from start to finish. Moving countries is always a stressful period and they took all of the stress out of handling the pet side of things. I couldn't recommend them h...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Oscar
Oscar's pet

466 days ago

Starwood Pet Travel guided through all the paperwork and during the travel, they took excellent care of my cat and dog. I was expecting them to be traumatized, but after resting 24 hrs, they were back...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Margot and Pishy
Margot and Pishy's pet

512 days ago

Starwood took wonderful care of us and our dog. They made this move so much easier - and she arrived safetly in the UK. I highly recommend them!

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Hazel
Hazel's pet

519 days ago

We had a very small window to get William scheduled to fly back from Florida to the UK .Starwood kept us in the picture all the way through the process by Phone -- text and email .One tiny hiccough on...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 William
William's pet

536 days ago

My partner and I hired Starwood to help with transporting our dog from Texas to the UK. We found it as affordable as transporting a pet can be (as it was thousands of dollars more to do ourselves and ...

✈️ United StatesUnited Kingdom
🐱 Minnie
Minnie's pet

Stories

Gus and Belleau's Trip to the UK

✈️ PHL-LHR

Gus and Belleau made the journey from Philadelphia to the UK together—two cats with big personalities packed into one big move. Gus, happy and easygoing, took things as they came. Belleau, a little mo...

Read full story →
Gus and Belleau's pet

Moving to the United Kingdom

How to Ship a Pet to the UK: Essential Guide for Dog and Cat Travel to England in 2026

From our Pet Travel Insider podcast: A quick overview of the pet transport process.

 


Need to bring your pet to the UK?

Learn about costs, airline rules, cargo vs cabin travel, and how to safely transport your dog or cat from the US with Starwood Pet Travel.

Relocating to the United Kingdom with your beloved pet requires careful planning and adherence to specific regulations. Whether you're moving permanently or just visiting England, bringing your dog or cat along involves understanding the UK's strict pet import requirements to ensure a smooth transition for your furry family member. The UK requires all pets to be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days before travel, and dogs must receive tapeworm treatment 24-120 hours before entry.

Many pet owners find the process of shipping their animals to England overwhelming at first, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes it much more approachable. The requirements exist to protect both the local animal population and your pet, ensuring everyone stays healthy and safe during international travel.

How much does it cost to ship a pet to the UK?

Pet shipping costs to the UK typically range from $2,000 to over $4,000 depending on your departure location, pet size, and whether you use a professional pet relocation service. While this may seem substantial, proper preparation prevents potential quarantine periods and additional expenses that could arise from incomplete documentation or missed requirements.

For more detailed information on life in the United Kingdom with your pet, please refer to our comprehensive United Kingdom Country guide.

Moving from the United Kingdom

Moving from the United Kingdom

Relocating your pet from the United Kingdom requires careful coordination with DEFRA regulations, airline requirements, and destination country import rules. Our expert team ensures every detail is handled properly—so your pet’s journey is smooth, safe, and fully compliant.

Our services from the United Kingdom include:

  • Door-to-door pet transport, both international and domestic
  • Guidance on UK export requirements, including DEFRA-compliant health certificates and documentation
  • Coordination with Official Veterinarians (OVs) for Animal Health Certificates (AHCs) and required treatments
  • Assistance with USDA endorsement (for U.S. entry) and any required consular legalization
  • Airline-approved flight kennels, customized with identification labels and emergency contact details
  • Customs clearance and delivery directly to your home
  • Local pet taxi service to and from the airport, your home, veterinarian, or boarding facility—available across the UK
  • Full travel consultation, including flight booking and routing optimization

We’ll provide your pet’s full itinerary ahead of travel and keep you updated every step of the way.

P r i c i n g

Starting cost for moving your pet to the United Kingdom

Pet Transport Cost Estimator

Number of pets Starting cost*
1 $3,395
2 $3,995
3 $4,895
4 $5,695
5 $7,995
6+ Contact Us

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F A Q

Questions,
answered

Is pet travel safe?

Yes, pet travel is safe with the proper preparation and precautions. Thousands of pets fly every year without issue. You can read more about pet travel safety here.

Should I sedate my pet?

NO. It is not recommended to sedate or tranquilize any pet that is flying on an airplane. This can negatively affect their breathing and respiration when they are up in the air at high altitudes. This can be even more dangerous for pets with pre-existing conditions or snub-nosed (brachycephalic) pets. Starwood will NOT transport any pet that has been sedated or tranquilized. Additionally, if the airline believes that your pet has been sedated, then they can refuse your pet for travel. You can learn more about sedation and air travel in our blog post.

Where do pets travel on the plane?

Starwood only transports pets who are traveling as manifest cargo. This means that they travel on commercial flights underneath the passenger cabin in a space that is temperature controlled, pressurized, and oxygenated. Live animals travel beneath the pilot and the pilot must sign off on a manifest so they are aware of any pets onboard. Your pet’s travel kennel will be held into place by a thin netting that acts like a seatbelt to keep them safe and secure during takeoff and landing. Learn more about where pets travel on a plane.

Will my pet eat or drink?

You should definitely ensure your pet is provided plenty of water prior to and on the day of their big adventure. Our team will also make sure that their water bowls are topped off once we check them in for the flight. Once pets are in the care of the airline after check-in, the airline staff will be sure to top off water as well. However, it is NOT recommended for pets to eat right before takeoff or during the flight. This can cause an upset stomach, which we of course want to avoid. Our team will not provide food for the flight and we do not recommend feeding them less than 4 hours prior to flight departure. If your pet has a layover, they will be provided more water and some food (depending on the length of the layover). Water will also be provided once they have landed as they are clearing through customs. If your pet will be boarding or spending time in quarantine throughout their trip, they will be provided food and water regularly. You can read more about whether you should feed pets who are flying in our blog.

How will my pet go to the bathroom?

If you have a dog that is traveling, our team will provide them with a nice walk and potty break prior to check-in at the airport. Once your pet is checked in, they must remain inside their travel kennel until they arrive at the destination. We do not let cats out of the travel kennel after we pick them up since you know they can be sneaky escape artists. Upon arrival to the destination, dogs will be provided with a walk and potty break before they head home to you. Again, cats will need to remain inside their travel kennels unless there is a safe and secure room to let them out. Litter boxes are not permitted to be inside the travel kennel so please be aware that sometimes your pet may go to the bathroom inside the kennel. As they say, if you gotta go, you gotta go. If your pet has soiled their travel kennel and there is a safe place to let them out of the kennel then we do try our best to clean the kennel when possible prior to delivery. Learn more here.

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