Pet Transport from Mongolia to the United Kingdom

Getting a pet from Mongolia to United Kingdom is a step by step process, and each stage has its own timing. Set aside roughly 16-22 weeks for this route and keep a close eye on the …

16-22 wks

Preparation needed

None

Quarantine on arrival

High

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

16-22 weeks

Quarantine

None

Route complexity

High

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from Mongolia to United Kingdom typically takes around 16-22 weeks. There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets. A rabies titre test may be required depending on your pet's origin, so check the requirements below.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

First step, before any rabies vaccination

Implant ISO 11784/11785 microchip

Responsible: Licensed vet in Mongolia

After the microchip. Titre test blood cannot be drawn until 30 days after this dose.

Rabies vaccination

Responsible: Licensed vet in Mongolia

At least 30 days after vaccination, at an EU or UK-approved laboratory. Results usually take 2-4 weeks.

Rabies titre test blood draw

Responsible: Vet plus approved laboratory

Fixed period, cannot be shortened, counted from the draw date not the result date

Observe the 3-month wait from the blood draw date

Responsible: Owner planning

4-6 weeks before travel

Book airline cargo or cabin space via MIAT, Turkish Airlines or a Beijing routing, checking breed and temperature restrictions

Responsible: Owner or pet transport agent

Certificate issued within 10 days of travel; tapeworm treatment 24-120 hours before GB arrival

Second vet visit for the GB Pet Health Certificate and, for dogs, tapeworm treatment

Responsible: GAVS-registered vet

Alongside the second vet visit, shortly before departure

Health certificate processed through the GAVS digital certificate system

Responsible: GAVS

3-4 hours before departure for hold pets, 2 hours for cabin

Travel day: check in with full documentation at the cargo or bag drop desk in Ulaanbaatar

Responsible: Owner and airline ground staff

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

Microchip

Required (ISO 11784/11785). Must be implanted before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination does not count towards UK entry.

Rabies vaccination

Required. Minimum age 12 weeks at first dose. The titre test blood draw cannot happen until at least 30 days after this vaccination.

Rabies titre test

Required for: pets from Mongolia, an unlisted country under UK APHA rules. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, sent to an EU or UK-approved laboratory, result must reach 0.5 IU/ml or above. A 3-calendar-month wait from the blood draw date applies before entry.

Quarantine

No routine quarantine if the microchip, vaccination, titre test and 3-month wait are all correctly sequenced. Pets arriving with incomplete or incorrect documentation can face penalty quarantine of up to 4 months at the owner's expense.

Import permit

No formal import permit. The GB Pet Health Certificate serves as the travel document.

Health certificate

GB Pet Health Certificate required, issued by a GAVS-registered official vet in Mongolia, valid 10 days from issue for entry into Great Britain. Dogs also need praziquantel tapeworm treatment 24-120 hours before arrival, recorded in the certificate.

Export permit

No standalone export permit for personal pets. The General Authority for Veterinary Services (GAVS), based in Ulaanbaatar, oversees veterinary export documentation.

Veterinary inspection

Clinical examination by a licensed Mongolian vet before travel, confirming fitness to fly and recording microchip and vaccination status.

Government endorsement

Health certificate processed through GAVS's digital veterinary certificate system, in nationwide use since May 2019, fully rolled out from early 2020.

Health certificate

GB Pet Health Certificate, completed by a GAVS-registered vet within 10 days of travel.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your Mongolia to United Kingdom move gets missed.

Pet Transport Global

Airlines

Carriers on this route

Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.

MIAT Mongolian Airlines

Ulaanbaatar's own national carrier operates Boeing 787 Dreamliners on its long-haul network to Frankfurt and Istanbul, with onward connections to London. Cabin pets under 5kg (with carrier). Checked hold pets up to 42kg combined weight. An unusually long brachycephalic exclusion list applies to the hold, covering 18 breeds including Boxer, Bulldog, Pug, Shih Tzu, Cane Corso, Dogue de Bordeaux and Mastiff. Hold and cargo suspended when forecast temperature exceeds 29.4C or falls below 7.2C at any airport on the route.

Cabin and Cargo

Turkish Airlines

Ulaanbaatar to Istanbul, then onward to London on a single ticket. Cabin pets under 8kg accepted; brachycephalic breeds excluded from both cabin and hold since October 2021. Cargo hold via Turkish Cargo, flat USD 150 fee up to 50kg. Ground temperature embargo when any airport on the route exceeds 29C, common from May to September.

Cabin and Cargo

Air China

Connects via Beijing to European gateways with onward London service. Snub-nosed and aggressive breeds are not accepted for carriage under Air China's general pet rules. Checked baggage limit 32kg on international sectors; heavier pets move via Air China Cargo. This routing is workable for the UK leg; it is not usable for dogs travelling onward to the US, where Air China suspended dog transport in February 2025.

Cargo Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

Microchip and rabies vaccination in Mongolia: approx. MNT 150,000-300,000

Rabies titre test, blood draw and laboratory fee: approx. EUR 90-160 (blood typically shipped to an EU-approved lab)

GB Pet Health Certificate and GAVS processing: approx. EUR 50-100

IATA-compliant travel crate: GBP 80-300 depending on size

Airline cabin or cargo fees, Ulaanbaatar to London via Istanbul or Frankfurt: GBP 500-1,300

Pet transport agent fee, strongly recommended given the limited routing options: GBP 400-900

Critical points

Mongolia is an unlisted country under UK APHA rules. The titre test and 3-month wait apply in full, with no exemption for shorter trips or urgent moves.

There is no direct flight between Ulaanbaatar and London. MIAT's own long-haul network reaches Frankfurt and Istanbul; from either hub you need an onward connection, which means the pet changes handlers mid-journey unless you route on a single Turkish Airlines or MIAT-interline ticket.

MIAT's brachycephalic exclusion list for the cargo hold is longer than most airlines', 18 breeds, and includes some dogs owners don't always think of as flat-faced, such as Cane Corso and Dogue de Bordeaux. Check your specific breed against the current list before booking, not after.

Verify current requirements directly with UK APHA (apha.service.gov.uk) before booking flights. Country classifications can change.

United Kingdom import rules, explained

United Kingdom has a detailed set of import rules, and each one needs to be satisfied before travel. None of it is unusual, but the order and timing are what catch people out.

Practical tips for this move

Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.

Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.

Book the titre test laboratory well ahead. Approved labs have limited slots and the sample takes time to process, so this is not something to leave to the final weeks.

Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.

FAQ

Common questions

No. Ulaanbaatar has no direct UK service. MIAT Mongolian Airlines flies its own long-haul network to Frankfurt and Istanbul, and Turkish Airlines connects via Istanbul, both requiring an onward leg to London.

Unlisted. Mongolia does not appear on the UK’s Part 1 or Part 2 lists, so a rabies titre test and a 3-month wait after a passing result are required, alongside the standard microchip, vaccination and health certificate steps.

Neither of the two main carriers is straightforward. MIAT excludes 18 breeds from its cargo hold, including some not commonly considered flat-faced, and only allows brachycephalic dogs in the cabin under 5kg. Turkish Airlines excludes brachycephalic breeds from both cabin and hold. A pet transport agent can advise on the most current workable option for your specific breed.

The General Authority for Veterinary Services in Ulaanbaatar oversees veterinary export documentation, including health certificates, through a digital certificate system rolled out nationwide from 2019. There is no separate export permit for personal pets beyond this vet-and-GAVS process.

Plan for four to five months minimum from a standing start. The rabies titre test alone requires a 30-day wait after vaccination before the blood draw, plus lab turnaround, plus a fixed 3-month wait after a passing result. Add time to confirm airline routing and breed eligibility given the limited carrier options.

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