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Advice for moving pet dog from HK to UK London Heathrow

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    34

    Advice for moving pet dog from HK to UK London Heathrow

    Hi, I've done a fair amount of research on this, but can't seem to get clarity on how to get through customs in the UK. Please can someone who has done this recently, or knows someone who has done this recently, provide some advice?

    I am aware of the Pet Travel Scheme and its requirements: ISO microchip, rabies vaccination, third country official vet certificate, tapeworm treatment and a declaration from myself stating its a pet dog and not for resale.

    I have an IATA crate and plan to fly with Cathay Pacific (will fly the same time as the dog), but haven't booked tickets yet.

    Now according to Cathay Pacific, I need to call them when making reservations to make sure my dog is allowed to be checked in as baggage on the same flight. On the day, I check in him as excess baggage, and on arrival it's as easy as just picking him up from the baggage carousel.

    Now the "picking dog up from baggage carousel" bit is where advice from the UK gov website and the IATA Travel website differ.

    According to the UK gov on bringing pets into the UK:
    "You can only collect your pet after it’s been taken through customs. You can usually pay an agent, travel company or airline to do this for you.If you can’t get someone to do this for you, you should either:

    • contact customs where you’re arriving before you travel
    • ask the National Clearance Hub at [email protected] for more information"


    I thought Cathay might be able to do this for me, but when I called to ask, I was just told that I can pick the dog up from the baggage area. She paused to check and didn't seem that sure. This doesn't seem to tie in with what the UK websites say about all pet dogs needing to go to the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre for processing.

    Can anyone provide clarity on what I have to do upon arrival in London Heathrow?

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jan 2017
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    Mui Wo
    Posts
    28

    Try these guys:

    Home | PetExportVet

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  3. #3

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    Hi, thanks, but was hoping to get advice on whether we would be able to just do it ourselves and fly Cathay Pacific - does anyone know what you have to do and what happens when you arrive?


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    Hong Kong
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    Remember reading somewhere that Heathrow is a busy airport and processing takes a while. Members have gone to Manchester or flown Air France to Paris to avoid this. Also fly on a weekday and not weekend.

    Also a pilot friend recommends that you send a message to the captain, reminding him to to adjust the temp in the cargo.

    rsndl, Natfixit and Fiona in HKG like this.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    South of Sweden
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    4,028
    Quote Originally Posted by Choots:
    Try these guys:

    Home | PetExportVet
    We used this company when we recently moved our cat and dog to Singapore. they are extremely good and highly reliable. Our friends are using them to move their cats, and another has consulted them to help do the paperwork. So, you can ask Dr Gerry about the paperwork and details. However, Rani is correct in that Heathrow is a busy airport ( unbelievably) and the processing of paperwork as well as finding your way to the cargo area is a minefield. This is why in two years time, we will avoid LHR ( Gothenburg is not so bad as Copenhagen) when we move ours back to Sweden.
    rsndl likes this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    May 2008
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    DB
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    3,699

    I did the opposite run with my dog and cat (actually ex-Tenerife) via Gatwick, transfer to Heathrow and then onto a CX flight to HK. I wasn't travelling.

    I used George Yung from International Pet Travel International Pet Travel - About IPT for the HK side and a German pet travel company for Tenerife-Gatwick-Heathrow. I will forever be grateful to George for averting what could have been a disastrous situation. The boys arrived at Gatwick and were transferred to Heathrow where it was discovered the kennel the dog was in, wasn't appropriate for international travel (seems different rules for inter-Europe compared to international). The German company dropped me like a hot stone and only with George's help (and super nice staff at Heathrow) was my dog on the scheduled CX flight and in a new kennel of acceptable size.

    George understands all the ins and outs of Heathrow and would be a great help (if you want to use a pet transporter). What really touched me is that this happened overnight and he was there for me every step of the way dealing with things on the Heathrow end where they were on a 20-hour layover and even personally went to the airport here to bring my boys home when they arrived (again after midnight arrival time) to make sure everything went smoothly (I live in DB).

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  7. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    Hong Kong
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    Also contact Aeropet Company for a quote.

    rsndl likes this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    34

    Thanks to all for helpful advice. Keep them coming please!

    Fiona in HKG, do you know how they managed to get into DB after midnight please? I'm fretting over how to get to the airport (if I were doing this myself without a pet transporter), as I thought vans weren't allowed through the tunnel after 6pm. Only option I can think of is to leave for the airport really early (planning on a midnight flight).


  9. #9

    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Tung Chung
    Posts
    22

    My Furpets have flown back to London Heathrow only from SG, but out from Heathrow twice, both times to HK.
    Heathrow is a minefield as the others have said, in HK it probably be alright for you to handle everything by yourself. But over on the
    london side I strongly recommend you to use an agent. The last thing you want is for your pet to be stucked at Heathrow and you can't get it. There is no way you can 'pick' your pet from the belt. It has to be processed through customs and that is where it is really difficult. Spare your pet the hassle especially it has gone through a hell of a trip.

    rsndl likes this.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    34

    Thank you. Will use an agent for customs clearance in London. I called Chathay in UK and they were a bit more informative - said we must use an agent for customs clearance.

    Will consider using an agent here in HK for booking flights and taking him to check in. Do you know where exactly we have to check in the dog on the day of the flight? Either for Cathay Pacific or British Airways? Have been getting mixed messages - someone said check in as excess baggage at the human check in desk. Some said cargo area (which I think is a different building)?

    Getting quotes from various agents was definitely a good idea as they do provide some useful info.

    Rooster likes this.

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