Travelling With Pets From Cyprus: Passports, Flights and Ferries

Living in Cyprus does not mean leaving your dog or cat behind every time you travel. With the right paperwork and an airline that carries animals, pets can fly to Europe, the UK and beyond, and come home again without quarantine. This guide covers trips that start and end in Cyprus. If you are moving here with a pet for the first time, read our guide to bringing a dog or cat to Cyprus first.

What paperwork does my pet need to leave Cyprus?

For any trip, your dog or cat needs three things:

• A microchip: implanted before, or on the same day as, the rabies vaccination.
• A valid rabies vaccination: given from 12 weeks of age, with at least 21 days passed after the first dose before travel. Keep boosters on time; if one lapses, the 21-day wait starts again.
• An EU pet passport: issued by an authorised vet in Cyprus. It records the microchip, vaccinations, any blood test and, for the UK, tapeworm treatment.

Since 22 April 2026, EU pet passports can only be issued to owners whose main home is in the EU. If you live in Cyprus, nothing changes for you, but your vet may ask for proof of address. Friends or family visiting from the UK with their own pets now need a UK animal health certificate for each trip.

If someone else will travel with your pet, give them signed written permission to carry with the passport.

When is a rabies titre test needed?

It depends on where you are going.

• Other EU countries: no blood test. The passport and a valid vaccination are enough.
• The UK and other listed countries: no blood test to come back. The EU keeps a list of countries with a low rabies risk, and the United Kingdom (not including Northern Ireland, which follows EU rules) is on it, as are the USA, Canada, Australia, the UAE and Japan.
• Countries not on the list: your pet needs a rabies antibody (titre) test before it can return. Popular trips from Cyprus to Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey all fall into this group.

The test must be done at least 30 days after vaccination, at an EU-approved laboratory, and show a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml. The key point for residents is timing: if the test is done and recorded in the passport before your pet leaves the EU, the 90-day waiting period does not apply when you come home. Keep vaccinations up to date and the result stays valid.

Pets returning from a country that is not on the list must come back through an approved point of entry, such as Larnaca or Paphos airport, and Veterinary Services should be told at least 48 hours before you land. Check the destination's own entry rules too. Some countries have breed bans, and Cyprus Airways warns that Israel's list is longer than Cyprus's.

Which airlines from Cyprus take pets?

Policies change often, so always check the airline page and book the pet place before you pay for your ticket. As a general picture in 2026:

• Cyprus Airways: Dogs and cats in the cabin up to 8kg (10kg with the carrier), larger pets in the hold. Snub-nosed breeds are accepted in the cabin only. Pets to the UK must go as cargo, and Dubai flights are cargo only. Book at least 24 hours ahead.
• Aegean Airlines: One cat or dog in the cabin up to 8kg including the carrier; heavier pets in the hold on most aircraft. Useful for Athens and onward connections. Into the UK, pets fly only to Heathrow as cargo.
• Austrian Airlines: Cats and dogs up to 8kg including a soft carrier in the cabin, larger pets in the hold. Snub-nosed breeds are not accepted in the hold, and UK flights are freight only.
• Lufthansa, LOT, airBaltic, Eurowings and SKY express: All carry small cats and dogs in the cabin, usually with an 8kg limit, according to a Politis round-up published in August 2026. Eurowings and SKY express do not carry pets to or from the UK.
• Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and Jet2: No pets, apart from recognised assistance dogs.
• British Airways: No pets in the cabin; pets fly in the hold through its approved cargo partner.

Every airline limits the number of pets per flight, so book early, especially around Christmas, Easter and the summer holidays.

Is there a ferry from Cyprus?

Yes, in summer. A government-supported passenger ferry links Limassol and Piraeus, the port for Athens. In 2026 the route used the ship AF Marina, with 22 round trips between 29 May and 1 September and a crossing of about 31 hours. For the first time, pets could stay with their owners in eight pet-friendly cabins instead of kennels on deck, according to Sigmalive and the Shipping Deputy Ministry. Those cabins are limited, so book as soon as sales open in spring.

The ferry is a good option for large dogs that cannot fly in the cabin, and you can take your car. From Greece you can drive on through Europe. Crossing into the north of Cyprus with a pet to use other routes is not permitted.

How do I take my pet from Cyprus to the UK?

The UK is the trip most expats ask about, and it has two big catches.

1. Pets cannot fly into Great Britain in the cabin. Under GOV.UK rules, pets arriving by air must travel as cargo on an approved route. The only exceptions are assistance dogs and private charter flights.

2. Dogs need tapeworm treatment. A vet must treat your dog between 24 hours and 5 days before you arrive in Great Britain and record it in the passport. Cats do not need it.

Your Cyprus-issued EU pet passport is accepted for entry, as long as it is filled in correctly. No rabies blood test is needed.

That leaves two main routes:

• Fly as cargo: Cyprus Airways and Aegean carry pets to London only as cargo. Most owners use a pet transport company to handle the booking and paperwork. It costs more but keeps the journey short.
• Fly to Europe, then drive: Many owners fly with a small pet in the cabin to a city such as Paris, Vienna or Frankfurt, or take the ferry to Greece with a larger dog, then drive to the Channel. LeShuttle and several ferry companies carry pets in vehicles on approved routes. Plan the tapeworm treatment for the final days of the drive.

For the trip home, the same passport works. Some airlines, including Aegean, allow pets in the cabin when flying out of the UK, except from Gatwick.

Practical tips

• Start early: a first passport, vaccine and any titre test can take more than a month.
• Carry originals: take the passport, not copies, and keep it in your hand luggage.
• Check the carrier: measure it against the airline's limits; most need it to fit under the seat.
• Avoid summer heat: hold travel in July and August is hard on animals, and snub-nosed breeds are often refused in the hold altogether. See our guide to pet care in the heat.
• Get a health check: some airlines ask for a fit-to-fly note from your vet. Our vets by city guide can help you find one.
• Weigh honestly: check-in staff may weigh the pet and carrier together.

What to do next

If your pet is staying behind, read our guide to pet sitters, boarding and dog walkers in Cyprus. For the rules on arriving here, see bringing a dog or cat to Cyprus, and for days out at home, try our list of pet-friendly beaches, cafés and restaurants.