Denmark to UK is a short hop across the North Sea, but the paperwork requirements are the same as any European-to-UK pet move. Denmark is an EU member state, so there is no rabies titre test and no routine quarantine. The essentials are the …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Denmark to United Kingdom
typically takes around 4-6 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is not required.
Regulations checked
Reviewed by Marcus Webb, Senior Pet Relocation Consultant on 2 September 2026
Step by step
The Denmark to United Kingdom pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Confirm microchip is ISO standard and pre-dates the rabies vaccination
Responsible: Your vet
Verify now.
2
Confirm the rabies vaccination. A primary course must be at least 21 days old at entry. A booster given before the previous dose expired has no waiting period. The pet must have been at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated
Responsible: Your vet
Allow 21 days plus a few days of buffer only if this is a primary course, or the last dose has lapsed.
3
Book manifest cargo space on an APHA-approved route
Responsible: Owner or agent
4-6 weeks ahead.
4
Official Danish vet issues Animal Health Certificate
Responsible: Foedevarestyrelsen-authorised official vet
Within 10 days of travel.
5
Dogs: tapeworm treatment 24-120 hours before arrival in Great Britain
Responsible: Vet
Timed from UK arrival, not Danish departure.
6
Travel to Great Britain as manifest cargo. APHA checks the documents at the airport animal reception centre before your pet is released.
Responsible: Airline/owner
On travel date.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter United Kingdom
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
Required. ISO 11784/11785. Must be implanted before the rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccination
Required. The pet cannot be vaccinated against rabies before 12 weeks of age, so the earliest possible arrival in Great Britain is around 15 weeks old. At least 21 days must pass after a primary vaccination before entry. A booster given while the previous dose was still valid carries no waiting period.
Rabies titre test
Not required. Denmark is an EU member state, so there is no rabies blood test and no waiting period attached to one. Source: GOV.UK, bring-pet-to-great-britain, read 2026-09-02.
Quarantine
Not required for a compliant arrival. Denmark is an EU member state, so no rabies blood test and no routine quarantine apply. A pet that arrives with wrong or mistimed paperwork can be detained at the owner's cost until it is put right, and GOV.UK gives up to four months as the outside case. Source: GOV.UK, bring-pet-to-great-britain, read 2026-09-02.
Import permit
Not required.
Health certificate
AHC issued by a Danish official vet within 10 days of travel. A pet passport issued in an EU country may be accepted instead, so confirm with your official vet which document applies to your pet before you book the appointment. Dogs also need praziquantel tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival in Great Britain, recorded in the certificate by the vet who gives it.
Export permit (Denmark)
No formal export permit for cats and dogs leaving Denmark.
Costs
What this route typically costs
AHC from Danish official vet: approximately DKK 1,000-2,500 (GBP 110-280)
Tapeworm treatment (dogs): approximately DKK 150-300
Airline cargo Copenhagen to London: approximately DKK 1,500-5,000 (GBP 160-530)
Travel crate: DKK 500-1,800
Animal reception centre handling and customs clearance in Great Britain: charged per consignment and payable before your pet is released. No authority publishes a single figure, so ask your agent or the reception centre for the current charge.
Typical range for the Danish-side costs above: GBP 350 to GBP 1,100. The British-side handling and clearance are on top.
Critical points to read before you book
No airline will carry your pet in the cabin into Great Britain. GOV.UK is explicit: pets have to travel as cargo on a plane, and the only exceptions are a chartered private plane or a recognised guide or assistance dog. Airlines that offer cabin travel elsewhere cannot offer it on a flight into the UK, so book manifest cargo on an approved route. Source: GOV.UK, bring-pet-to-great-britain, read 2026-09-02.
Tapeworm treatment for dogs must be given 24-120 hours before UK arrival. The window is measured from arrival time in Great Britain.
The AHC cannot be issued more than 10 days before your travel date. Book your vet appointment in the final week before the trip.
Great Britain only accepts pets at approved arrival points. On the current approved commercial airline routes those are Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle. A cheaper fare into an airport that is not on the approved list cannot be used for your pet, so check the route before you book, not after.
Denmark has rabies present in bats but is effectively rabies-free in the dog and cat population. This does not affect the vaccination requirement for UK entry.
Both ends have breed law. Denmark bans 13 dog breeds under national law, listed by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Foedevarestyrelsen) as Pitbull terrier, Tosa inu, American Staffordshire terrier, Fila brasileiro, Dogo argentino, American bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, Central Asian ovtcharka, Caucasian ovtcharka, South Russian ovtcharka, Tornjak and Sarplaninac, and the ban reaches crossbreeds containing any of them. Great Britain separately prohibits the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and, since 2024, the XL Bully type. Assessment at the British border is on type and appearance, not on pedigree papers.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
SAS
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines)
Copenhagen (CPH) to London (LHR). Cabin travel is not an option into Great Britain, whatever the airline offers elsewhere: GOV.UK requires pets to fly as cargo. Book through SAS Cargo whatever your pet weighs.
Cargo
BRITISH
British Airways
Copenhagen (CPH) to London Heathrow. Cargo pet service via IAG Cargo. Book through the cargo desk, not the passenger booking line.
Cargo Only
EASYJET
easyJet
Does not carry pets as cargo, and cabin travel is not an option into Great Britain, so this carrier cannot take your pet on this route. Recognised assistance dogs are the only exception. A cheap easyJet fare is not a route for your pet.
No Pets
Copenhagen to London: a short flight, the same rules
The short hop does not shorten the paperwork. Your pet needs a valid travel document at the border, and for most owners leaving Denmark that is an Animal Health Certificate issued by a Danish official vet (Foedevarestyrelsen-authorised) within 10 days of travel. A pet passport issued in an EU country can also be accepted for entry into Great Britain, so ask your official vet which document applies to your pet before you book the appointment.
One rule catches owners who send the pet ahead or follow on later. If the animal arrives more than five days apart from you, or ownership is changing hands, the movement stops being a pet move and becomes a commercial import, with different paperwork and pre-notification. Line the dates up when you book the cargo.
For dogs, the tapeworm treatment is the step that requires the most precise timing. The treatment window of 24-120 hours is measured from your dog’s arrival time in Great Britain, which on a direct Copenhagen-Heathrow flight is about two to three hours after departure. Factor this in when booking the vet appointment for the tapeworm treatment.
Danish breeds and the UK Dangerous Dogs Act
Denmark does have national breed-specific legislation. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration bans 13 breeds, including the Pitbull terrier, Tosa inu, American Staffordshire terrier, American bulldog, Fila brasileiro and Dogo argentino, and the ban covers crossbreeds containing any of them. Great Britain has its own separate list under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which prohibits the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. The XL Bully type was added in 2024 and cannot be brought into Great Britain either.
If you own a dog of one of these breeds or a type resembling them, you need specialist legal advice before attempting to bring them into Great Britain. This is not a paperwork issue that can be resolved with the correct AHC. Prohibited types at UK borders are seized and their future is uncertain.
FAQ
Common questions about Denmark to United Kingdom pet transport
No. Denmark is an EU member state, so no rabies titre test is required for pets entering Great Britain and there is no waiting period attached to one. You need the travel document (an AHC from a Danish official vet, or an EU pet passport if your official vet confirms it applies), a current ISO microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, and a valid rabies vaccination, at least 21 days old if it is the primary course. Dogs also need tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival. Source: GOV.UK, bring-pet-to-great-britain, read 2026-09-02.
Dogs entering Great Britain from abroad must receive a praziquantel-based tapeworm treatment from a vet between 24 and 120 hours before arrival in Great Britain. The window is 1 to 5 days, counted back from the moment your dog lands in Great Britain, not from when it leaves Denmark. The treatment must be recorded in the AHC by the vet who administers it.
No. Cabin travel is not available into Great Britain: GOV.UK requires pets to fly as cargo, whatever the airline offers on its other routes. That applies to a 4kg cat as much as to a large dog, and to SAS and every other carrier. The only exceptions are a chartered private plane and a recognised guide or assistance dog. Book manifest cargo, and book it through the carrier’s cargo desk rather than the passenger booking line. Source: GOV.UK, bring-pet-to-great-britain, read 2026-09-02.
It depends which one you need. A primary rabies vaccination, or one given after the previous dose has expired, starts a 21 day wait, so allow around 25 days from the injection to be safe. A booster given while the previous dose was still valid has no waiting period and your pet can travel that week. The overall preparation is usually 4-6 weeks if vaccinations are the main thing to sort. If the microchip still needs to be implanted, that goes in first, before any vaccination. A puppy cannot be vaccinated before 12 weeks of age, so the earliest it can arrive in Great Britain is around 15 weeks old.
Airline guides
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines)
British Airways
easyJet
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.
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