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 Dublin Cherbourg routes, pets must stay in their pre-booked kennel (1 pet per kennel) for the crossing, and you will be able to visit them at allocated times accompanied by a crew member, and take them on a short walk.
Check in time with pets is 2 hours before departure to allow for pet passport processing. Foot passengers need to transport their pet in a rigid enclosed pet carrier that they are able to carry themselves, before transferring their pet to the reserved kennel. To make your pet comfortable, we suggest that you bring a comfort blanket or bedding as well as a water bowl.
Pets travelling from one country to the other need to have the following:
Route | Microchip | Document | Rabies Vaccination | Tapeworm (Dogs only) |
Ireland to France | Required | Required | Required | N/A |
France 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 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 pets are the same as all other pets.
Check the relevant authority’s websites for full details of the requirements:
and if travelling from Northern Ireland to France, refer to the UK Government Regulations.
Kennel facilities onboard
Epsilon: The kennels are situated on car deck 4, with small kennels situated along a corridor leading to the car deck and medium and large kennels in a secluded area on the car deck itself. The dimensions of the kennels are:
Small kennel: 55 cm high x 53 cm wide x 80 cm deep
Medium kennel: 72 cm high x 93 cm wide x 96 cm deep
Large kennel: 115 cm high x 144 cm wide x 90 cm deep
W.B. Yeats: The dog kennels are situated on car deck 5, whilst the cat-boxes are situated on car deck 4. The dimensions of the kennels are:
Small kennel: 51 cm high x 75 cm wide x 95 cm deep
Medium kennel: 70 cm high x 75 cm wide x 95 cm deep
Large kennel: 100 cm high x 75 cm wide x 95 cm deep
Cat Box: 50 cm high x 80 cm wide x 97 cm deep