Pets are welcome on our ships, but must be declared at the time of booking and meet the required entry guidelines for pets. A maximum of 5 pets is accepted on a single booking.
On our Irish Sea routes, pets can stay in your vehicle for the duration of the crossing (or in a pre-reserved kennel subject to availability). We recommend that they have space along with food, water, some toys, and ideally a window of your vehicle left slightly open. Foot passengers can also travel with pets, but must transport the pet in a rigid pet carrier they can carry themselves to the ship, and then place in the kennel area for the duration of the crossing.
Pets travelling from one country to another need to have the following:
Route | Microchip | Document | Rabies | Tapeworm (Dogs only) |
Ireland to Britain | Required | Required | Required | N/A |
Britain to Ireland | Required | Required | Required | Required |
1. Microchip: Pets must be microchipped before or at the same time as their rabies vaccination. The microchip number on the animal must correspond with the number on the passport presented, and should comply with ISO standards 11784 & 11785. Clearly legible tattoos are also accepted if applied before 3rd July 2011.
2. Documentation: A valid EU Pet Passport or GB Animal Health Certificate with vaccination history is required.
A current EU pet passport issued in Great Britain will not be valid for travel to the EU, and a GB Animal Health Certificate (AHC) will be required for each entry into the EU. Pet owners are however advised to retain any prior GB-issued EU pet passport, as it may contain important information about vaccinations, treatments, etc. EU pet passports issued by Northern Ireland remain valid for EU travel.
3. Rabies: All dogs, cats, and ferrets must have a current Rabies vaccination administered by a registered Veterinary Practitioner at least 21 days prior to arrival in the destination country and entered into the EU Pet Passport (Section IV. Vaccination Against Rabies).
4. Tapeworm (applies to dogs only): Tapeworm treatment must be administered by a registered Veterinary Practitioner between 24 - 120 hours (1 - 5 days) prior to arrival in the destination country and entered into the EU Pet Passport (Section VII. Echinococcus Treatment) or Animal Health Certificate.
Officially recognised guide, hearing and assistance dogs with the requisite paperwork, are allowed to accompany you onboard. The pet passport / animal health certificate etc requirements for entry for assistance dogs are the same as all other dogs.
Check the relevant authority's website for full details of the requirements:
- Irish Government regulations for entry to Ireland with a pet
- UK Government regulations for entry to Britain with a pet
Kennel Facilities on Irish Sea
Each ship has FREE kennel facilities which are situated on the car deck. Please note that you may not be parked beside the kennels. The kennel sizes are:
- Dublin Swift: A mix of small, medium and large kennels up to 84cm high x 120cm wide x 88cm deep
- Ulysses: A mix of small, medium and large kennels up to 96cm high, 96cm wide and 85cm deep.