If you are relocating a pet from Honduras to United Kingdom, the process is manageable once you know the sequence. Set aside roughly 16-24 weeks for this route and keep a close eye on the sequencing. Compliant pets are not held in …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Honduras to United Kingdom
typically takes around 16-24 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Honduras to United Kingdom pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Microchip implanted (ISO 11784/11785), if not already done.
Responsible: Honduras-based vet
Before the rabies vaccination used for the titre test.
2
Rabies vaccination given, or a current booster confirmed, after the microchip is in place.
Responsible: Honduras-based vet
As early as possible; both waiting periods below run from later dates, so vaccinating early shortens the whole process.
3
Blood drawn for the rabies antibody titre test and sent to an approved laboratory.
Responsible: Honduras-based vet / approved laboratory
No sooner than 30 full days after vaccination.
4
Titre result confirmed at 0.5 IU/ml or above. The 3-calendar-month wait is counted from the date the blood was drawn, not the date the result arrives.
Responsible: Owner tracks the dates
Results typically take 2-4 weeks; the 3-month clock is already running.
5
SENASA Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación obtained via the SECEH online platform.
Responsible: SENASA-registered Honduran vet / exporter
Close to departure, once the flight is booked.
6
Cargo routing and IPATA agent booked for the Honduras-to-UK move, typically via Miami or Houston.
Responsible: You / IPATA pet relocation agent
As soon as the end date of the 3-month wait is known.
7
GB Pet Health Certificate issued once the 3-month wait has passed.
Responsible: Accredited vet in Honduras or at the transit point
Within 10 days of arrival in Great Britain.
8
Dog given praziquantel tapeworm treatment (not required for cats).
Responsible: Vet at the point of treatment
24 to 120 hours before landing in Great Britain.
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
ISO 11784/11785 microchip required, implanted before or on the same date as the rabies vaccination used for the titre test. A vaccination given before the microchip is not valid for this route. Source: GOV.UK, 'Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain,' 2026.
Rabies vaccination
Current rabies vaccination required. Honduras does not appear on either of GB's listed-country tables (Part 1 or Part 2), so the vaccination alone is not enough to travel; it starts the clock for the titre test below. Source: GOV.UK, 'Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Where you're travelling from,' 2026.
Rabies titre test
Rabies antibody blood test (titre test) required, taken no sooner than 30 full days after the rabies vaccination, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml. Source: GOV.UK, 2026.
Quarantine
No routine quarantine for a pet that meets the unlisted-country pet travel rules in full. An APHA import licence, and the quarantine that goes with it, only applies to animals that do not meet these rules. Source: GOV.UK, 2026.
Import permit
No APHA import licence needed for a compliant pet travelling under the standard pet travel rules from an unlisted country. An import licence is only required if the animal is going into APHA-approved quarantine because it hasn't met the titre test and waiting period rules. Source: GOV.UK, 2026.
Health certificate
Great Britain Pet Health Certificate, issued by an official or accredited vet and endorsed as required, valid for 10 days from the date of issue to arrival in Great Britain. Source: GOV.UK, 2026.
Export permit (Honduras)
No general export permit beyond the SENASA certificate below. A separate Permiso Zoosanitario de Importación only comes into play on the Honduran import side if bringing 3 or more pets into Honduras, not on export.
Costs
What this route typically costs
SENASA export certificate: Lps 450 fixed fee, plus 2 vet college stamps at Lps 10 each (roughly USD 18-20 total)
Honduran vet visits, vaccination and blood draw: USD 80-200
Rabies titre test / laboratory fee: USD 150-250
GB Pet Health Certificate: USD 150-300
Travel crate, IATA-compliant: USD 80-300
IPATA pet relocation agent handling the Miami or Houston interline transfer: USD 800-2,000
Air cargo Honduras to Heathrow via a US hub: USD 1,200-3,500 depending on crate size and season
Total typical range: USD 2,500-6,500
Critical points to read before you book
Honduras is not on either of GB's listed-country tables, so the rabies titre test and the 3-month wait from the blood draw date, not the result date, are mandatory. Vaccinating and testing out of order resets the whole timeline.
No airline flies Honduras to London directly, and Avianca specifically excludes UK flights from its pet transport service. Routing goes via Miami or Houston with a change of carrier, which normally needs an IPATA-registered agent to manage the interline transfer.
The SENASA export certificate itself is quick and cheap, issued electronically for Lps 450. It has no bearing on the GB side of the process. The date that actually controls travel is the end of the UK's 3-month post-titre wait.
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.
AMERICAN
American Airlines
Operates Palmerola International (XPL, serving Tegucigalpa) to Miami (MIA) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) year-round through American Airlines Cargo. The usual first leg out of Honduras; the transatlantic leg to Heathrow is a separate booking, generally arranged by an agent.
Cargo Only
UNITED
United Airlines
Operates XPL to Houston (IAH) year-round. An alternative first leg, again with the transatlantic connection booked separately through Houston.
Cargo Only
BRITISH
British Airways
No direct Honduras route; receives interline cargo at Heathrow through IAG Cargo from US gateway cities. Live animal bookings originating outside North America and the Caribbean must go through an IPATA- or ATA-registered agent, which applies to a Honduras-origin shipment.
Cargo Only
AVIANCA
Avianca
Flies XPL to San Salvador (SAL) and other Central American points, but Avianca's own help centre states pet transport is not available on flights to the United Kingdom. Not usable for the transatlantic leg of this route; only relevant, if at all, for a Central American connection an agent manages separately.
Cargo Only
United Kingdom import rules, explained
United Kingdom asks for several pieces of paperwork, and they all need to line up. A checklist and a clear timeline are your best tools here.
Practical tips for this move
Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.
Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.
Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.
Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.
FAQ
Common questions about Honduras to United Kingdom pet transport
No. Honduras does not appear on either GB’s Part 1 or Part 2 listed-country tables, so it is treated as an unlisted country. That means a rabies antibody titre test, a 3-calendar-month wait counted from the blood draw date, and a GB Pet Health Certificate are required, not just a vaccination record. Source: GOV.UK, ‘Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain,’ 2026.
Not if it meets the standard pet travel rules: microchip, rabies vaccination, titre test, 3-month wait, and GB Pet Health Certificate. An import licence from APHA is only needed when a pet is going into approved quarantine because it hasn’t met those rules. Source: GOV.UK, 2026.
The Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación carries a fixed government fee of Lps 450, roughly USD 18-20, plus two Lps 10 veterinary college stamps. Several pets of the same species can be listed on one certificate. Source: SENASA, ‘Instructivo para Trámites para la Exportación de Mascotas,’ senasa.gob.hn.
No single-carrier routing exists; there’s no nonstop service. Pets typically fly Honduras to Miami or Houston on American Airlines or United, then transfer to a transatlantic carrier serving Heathrow. Avianca, which also serves Honduras, does not carry pets on flights to the UK, so it can’t form part of that final leg.
Airline guides
American Airlines
United Airlines
British Airways
Avianca
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.
Get a free, fully itemised quote for your Honduras to United Kingdom pet move. Our specialists will map out the entire timeline and costs. No surprises.