Shipping a dog or cat from United Kingdom to Andorra rewards owners who start planning early. Expect about 3-6 weeks. Nothing here is unusually complex, but the deadlines matter. There is no routine …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from United Kingdom to Andorra
typically takes around 3-6 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is not required.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The United Kingdom to Andorra import process
01
Before the rabies vaccination used for the AHC.
Microchip checked or implanted, if not already done.
Responsible: UK vet
02
At least 21 days before travel.
Rabies vaccination given, or a current booster confirmed.
Responsible: UK vet
03
Within 10 days of the departure date, not before.
AHC appointment booked with an Official Veterinarian.
Responsible: Owner
04
At the appointment, within 10 days of travel.
AHC issued.
Responsible: Official Veterinarian
05
Alongside the AHC appointment, since both windows are tight.
Flight or cargo booking made from Heathrow or Gatwick to Barcelona or Toulouse.
Responsible: Owner / relocation agent
06
2.5 to 3 hours after landing.
Road transfer arranged from BCN or TLS into Andorra.
Responsible: Owner / relocation agent
Requirements
Andorra entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 microchip required, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccination
Current rabies vaccination administered after the microchip, at least 21 days before crossing into Andorra.
Rabies titre test
Not required for a pet arriving via France or Spain on a valid GB-issued AHC. Andorra follows the same EU-aligned framework applied at its open land borders with both countries.
Quarantine
None for a compliant pet.
Import permit
None published for a single owned pet. Andorra has no separate import permit scheme for this route.
Health certificate
The GB-issued AHC serves as the entry document. French and Spanish border authorities may check it at the crossing points into Andorra, though checks at Andorra's own open land borders are inconsistent. Carry the original AHC and vaccination record at all times.
Leaving United Kingdom
Export requirements
Export permit
No export permit needed for a single pet travelling with its owner. Commercial consignments and rescue transfers follow separate rules.
Veterinary inspection
An Official Veterinarian (OV) examines the pet and completes the Animal Health Certificate within 10 days of the travel date. A visual health check is part of that appointment, not a separate step.
Government endorsement
The OV's signature and stamp on the AHC is the endorsement required. There's no separate APHA counter-endorsement for a routine, owner-accompanied pet.
Health certificate
Animal Health Certificate (AHC), the ten-page bilingual document that has replaced the EU pet passport for GB residents since 22 April 2026. One AHC covers entry into the EU or Schengen area and remains valid for onward travel within it, including the road leg into Andorra, for up to 4 months from issue or until the rabies vaccination lapses, whichever comes first. Source: GOV.UK, 'Pet travel to Europe and Northern Ireland,' 2026.
Costs
What this route typically costs
AHC appointment with an Official Veterinarian: GBP 90-350
UK vet visits, microchip and vaccination, if not already current: GBP 60-150
Flight or cargo booking Heathrow or Gatwick to Barcelona or Toulouse: GBP 300-900
Road transfer from BCN or TLS into Andorra: EUR 150-300
IATA-compliant travel crate: GBP 70-220
Total typical range: GBP 700-1,900
Critical points
The AHC is only valid for 10 days from issue to the date of travel, and must be issued before departure, not after. Booking the OV appointment too early or too late is the single most common cause of a delayed move on this route.
No airline flies into Andorra itself. The AHC needs to cover legal entry into the EU country used for the final road leg, France or Spain, not Andorra as a stated destination.
Andorra has no dedicated pet import checkpoint referenced in UK guidance. In practice, owners rely on the AHC that clears them into France or Spain, then drive on into Andorra without a further formal check.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
British Airways / IAG Cargo
Flies Heathrow to Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) multiple times daily. Live animals travel as manifested cargo through IAG Cargo, collected on arrival for the onward road transfer into Andorra.
Cargo Only
Vueling
Runs the highest-frequency Gatwick and Heathrow to Barcelona schedule of any carrier. Small pets can sometimes travel in the cabin on Vueling's own domestic and short-haul routes, but a UK-departing pet is usually booked as cargo to keep the paperwork consistent with the AHC.
Cabin and Cargo
Air France
For the Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS) gateway, Air France connects Heathrow to Paris-Charles de Gaulle and on to TLS. Live animals move as cargo, generally arranged as a single agent-booked itinerary rather than two separate tickets.
Cargo Only
What Andorra requires
The path into Andorra is straightforward to follow once you know the steps. Give the time-sensitive items priority and check the details below.
Avoiding the common mistakes
If this is your first international move, consider an IPATA-registered pet transport agent. They handle the documents, airline booking and crate sizing, and can troubleshoot problems.
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.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
Yes. Since 22 April 2026, each trip from Great Britain needs its own AHC, issued by an Official Veterinarian within 10 days of departure. It isn’t a reusable document like the old pet passport. Source: GOV.UK, ‘Pet travel to Europe and Northern Ireland,’ 2026.
No. Andorra has no scheduled commercial airport. Pets fly from Heathrow or Gatwick to Barcelona-El Prat or Toulouse-Blagnac, then complete the journey by road, roughly 2.5 to 3 hours from either airport.
No. A current rabies vaccination given after the microchip, plus a valid AHC, is sufficient. Andorra doesn’t require a rabies antibody titre test for pets arriving via France or Spain.
Not in the way GB or EU border posts operate. Andorra’s land borders with France and Spain are largely open, so the AHC and vaccination record function as the practical proof of compliance, even without a dedicated checkpoint stamping documents on arrival.
Airline guides
British Airways / IAG Cargo
Vueling
Air France
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.