EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO MOVE TO SPAIN WITH PETS
Relocating to Spain with Your Pet?
Moving to Spain with pets can feel overwhelming. Cabin Companions personally escorts cats and dogs from the U.S. to Spain, helping families avoid paperwork mistakes, airline surprises, and stressful cargo handoffs.
- Stress-Free Paperwork: Custom EU-standard health certifications and USDA document management.
- In-Cabin Travel Experts: Flight selection and routing focused entirely on minimizing travel anxiety.
- Animal Welfare Professionals: Your pet is accompanied by dedicated and experienced animal welfare pros.
Serving Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Málaga, Seville, and destinations throughout Spain.
USDA Certified • Fully Insured • 5-Star Rated • Personally Escorted
Cleo and Eros relocated from Los Angeles to Madrid with Cabin Companions.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
Feeling Overwhelmed? Start Here.
If you’re like most of the families we help, you’ve probably spent hours researching Spain’s pet import requirements—and you’re still worried you’ve missed something.
The good news is that moving a pet to Spain is absolutely manageable with the right plan. Below is the same step-by-step planning process we use to help families relocate pets safely and confidently.
The Step-by-Step Relocation Timeline
Spain’s Entry Requirements
Spain’s pet import process is manageable, but timing matters. The biggest mistakes usually happen around microchip order, rabies timing, and USDA endorsement.
Step 1: The ISO Microchip (Day 0)
The Reality: Your cat or dog must be implanted with an ISO-compliant, 15-digit microchip before or on the exact same day as their rabies vaccine.
Our Blueprint:
- Data Audit: We review your pet’s existing medical records to verify precise microchip sequencing.
- Custom Timeline: We lock in your entry strategy only after confirming the chip is fully compliant with EU border control rules.
- Zero Restarts: We eliminate the risk of a technical paperwork error forcing you to restart the entire process.
Step 2: The Rabies Vaccination (The 3-Year Trap)
The Reality: Spain routinely rejects 3-year rabies vaccinations even though they’re valid in the U.S.
Our Blueprint:
- History Review: We audit your pet’s complete vaccine timeline against strict Spanish customs expectations.
- Clear Directives: We tell you exactly if and when an annual booster is needed to ensure smooth entry.
- Customs Protection: Your pet’s record is strategically prepared to satisfy strict EU border agents on arrival.
Step 3: Travel Conditioning & Medication Strategy (30 to 45 Days Before Flight)
The Reality: Knowing how to talk to your vet about medications that can make your pet comfortable during travel isn’t the easiest conversation.
Our Blueprint:
- Clinical Insight: Our resident Vet Tech, Natascha, stays continuously up-to-date on modern, altitude-safe veterinary travel protocols and clinical anxiety management.
- Custom Plan: We provide custom medication talking points to take to your local vet.
- Tailored Care: Your pet gets a safe, customized anxiety-management strategy.
Step 4: The 10-Day Vet Health Check & USDA Window
The Reality: Your pet’s final health check must be completed by an accredited vet and endorsed by the USDA within 10 days of landing in Spain. This razor-thin timeline leaves absolutely zero margin for error.
Our Blueprint:
- No Guesswork: We build a custom, date-specific timeline mapped precisely to your move.
- Vet Playbook: We give you a step-by-step timeline formatted specifically for your local clinic.
- Precision Management: We will work directly with your vet on a custom plan so they’re equipped to submit flawlessly, allowing you to secure federal USDA approval well before wheels up.
Step 1: ISO Microchip
Your pet must have an ISO-compliant microchip before or the same day as the rabies vaccine.
Step 2: Rabies Timing
Rabies documentation must match Spain/EU expectations. We review records before you travel.
Step 3: Travel Comfort Plan
We help you prepare your pet for the flight, including vet talking points when medication may be appropriate.
Step 4: USDA Health Certificate
Your final vet visit and USDA endorsement must happen inside a narrow pre-travel window.
Choose Your Companion’s Travel Blueprint
Tailored Routing for Every Cat and Dog
Transatlantic flight rules change completely depending on your pet’s species and weight. We coordinate the precise airline-approved logistics for both options, ensuring we are on the exact same flight as your companion from takeoff to landing.
How We Help Move Cats and Small Dogs (In-Cabin Escort)
The Reality: Most airlines restrict the size and weight of in-cabin pets. Furthermore, standard TSA checkpoints require removing your cat from the carrier–exposing them to potential escape risks.
Our Blueprint:
- Reservation Routing: We secure and manage the airline’s highly limited in-cabin pet allocations on your exact flight.
- Private Screening: We arrange private TSA screening rooms so your cat or dog never has to be exposed to the open airport floor and provide safety gear to keep them secure.
- Constant Care: Your cat or dog stays under continuous, eyes-on supervision from doorstep to destination.
How We Help Move Bigger Dogs ( Accompanied Baggage)
The Reality: Dogs exceeding the weight/size limit must travel in the climate-controlled cargo hold. Traditional freight forwarders ship pets, leaving them unaccompanied for much of the journey.
Our Blueprint:
- Accompanied Travel: We attach your dog’s booking directly to our passenger ticket as accompanied excess baggage.
- Shared Journey: We check in at the same desk, fly on the same aircraft, and clear Spanish customs together.
- Ground Logistics: We manage IATA crate compliance, pre-flight hydration, and terminal relief breaks right up until boarding and receive your pet immediately upon landing.
REAL FAMILIES. REAL JOURNEYS.
Proven Transatlantic Success Stories
Here are real cats and dogs we have personally escorted from the US straight to their new homes in Spain.
Phoenix → Madrid, Spain
Cleo & Eros - Two Cats to Madrid, Spain
The Profile: Two cats relocating cross-country and across the Atlantic.
The Logistics: Flying multiple cats means navigating strict airline cabin quotas. We managed the dual reservations, designed an intentional flight schedule, and used private TSA screening rooms and safety gear so they were never exposed to a chaotic terminal floor.
The Outcome: Cleared customs seamlessly at Madrid-Barajas with zero administrative friction, bypassing heavy terminal delays and reuniting them with their family.
Detroit → Valencia, Spain (via Germany)
Rose & Winger - Two Dogs to Valencia, Spain
The Profile: Two large dogs who couldn’t fit in-cabin.
The Logistics: Because of their size, they traveled via our premium accompanied excess baggage protocol on Lufthansa. We managed the complex IATA crate dimensions, verified the strict transit rules through Germany, and stayed attached to their journey from terminal to their new front door.
The Outcome: Touched down safely in Spain, clearing the border smoothly and reuniting with their family at their new apartment in Valencia.
Phoenix → Madrid, Spain
Cleo & Eros - Two Cats to Madrid, Spain
Flying two cats internationally meant coordinating airline pet limits, dual reservations, and every travel detail. We escorted Cleo and Eros from Los Angeles to Madrid using private TSA screening and in-cabin travel protocols, and they arrived safely to a smooth customs clearance and a happy reunion with their family.
Detroit → Valencia, Spain (via Germany)
Rose & Winger - Two Dogs to Valencia, Spain
Rose and Winger were too large for the cabin, so we created a custom accompanied itinerary through Germany using Lufthansa’s excess baggage program. We managed every detail from crate requirements to customs, ensuring they arrived safely at their new home in Valencia.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Let’s Build Your Spain Pet Relocation Plan
Don’t leave your companion’s transatlantic journey to guesswork. Let our family protect yours.
Handled by Our Team • USDA Certified • Fully Insured
If you’re moving within the next 90 days, now is the time to start planning. Airline pet space can fill quickly, and Spain’s paperwork timeline leaves little room for delays.
The Cabin Companions Difference
Why Families Choose Us Over Traditional Pet Shippers
Many of the pets we escort are anxious, sensitive to change, or flying for the first time. That’s why every journey is built around comfort, routine, and individualized care — not just transportation.
Co-founder Monica Tarant is nationally recognized for her work in animal welfare and has overseen the relocation and care of thousands of animals. Together, Monica, Gabe, and our resident Vet Tech, Natascha, combine deep backgrounds in animal welfare, veterinary medicine, and hands-on international travel.
Most international pet relocation agencies are standard freight forwarders—they ship your pet solo as manifest cargo in separate terminals and on completely separate planes. We believe your pet deserves a higher standard.
Traditional Pet Shipping
The Logistics: Your pet travels unaccompanied as manifest cargo via commercial warehouses.
The Team: Handlers are often unknown independent contractors assigned after booking. Providers can change trip-to-trip.
The Risks: Experience, licensing, and insurance vary wildly by contractor. It is a strictly transportation-focused transaction.
The Cabin Companions Way
Your pet is accompanied by a real person from pickup to delivery—not passed between unknown handlers.
The Handlers: Monica, Gabe, or Natascha personally handle every journey. You will know exactly who is with your pet before travel begins, with direct communication the entire time.
The Expertise: Decades of combined experience in animal welfare, sheltering, veterinary medicine, and professional pet travel.
The Care: The same trusted team from planning through arrival, providing personalized travel planning based entirely on your pet’s specific needs.
The Standards: A USDA-certified, fully insured, and professionally operated service with consistent standards on every single trip.
TRUSTED BY PET FAMILIES NATIONWIDE
Real Reviews From Real Journeys
Families trust Cabin Companions to provide calm, personalized care every step of the way during their international moves to Spain – and beyond..
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions About Moving Your Pet to Spain?
Every pet and relocation timeline is unique. Here are answers to the most critical questions families ask when planning international pet travel and navigating Spanish customs.
What are the main Spain pet entry requirements?
To legally bring a dog or cat into Spain from the US or Canada, your pet must have a 15-digit ISO-compliant microchip, an active rabies vaccination administered after the microchip, an EU Health Certificate completed by an accredited vet, and official endorsement from the USDA or CFIA within 10 days of your flight landing.
Can my pet fly in-cabin to Spain?
Yes, most commercial airlines allow small dogs and cats to fly in the cabin to Spain if their combined weight—pet plus the carrier—does not exceed weight limits. Space is highly limited per flight, so in-cabin pet reservations must be locked in early.
How do large dogs fly to Spain if they exceed cabin weight limits?
Dogs that exceed weight or size limits for the cabin must travel as accompanied excess baggage or manifest cargo in a pressurized, climate-controlled cargo hold. We attach your dog’s reservation directly to our passenger tickets via premium, pet-friendly European airlines, ensuring they travel on the exact same aircraft as their escort.
Does Spain have a mandatory pet quarantine?
No. Spain does not require a quarantine for pets entering from low-risk rabies countries like the United States or Canada, provided all microchip, vaccination, and USDA-endorsed paperwork meet EU border control standards perfectly upon arrival.
Are any dog breeds banned from entering Spain?
Spain does not outright ban breeds from entry, but it heavily regulates Perros Potencialmente Peligrosos (PPP)—potentially dangerous dogs. Breeds like Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and Staffies require specific local licensing, health insurance, and muzzling in public spaces once you arrive.
Which Spanish airports can I fly my pet into?
Your pet must enter Spain through an authorized Border Control Post (known as a Puesto de Control Fronterizo or PCF). For transatlantic flights, we route specifically through Madrid-Barajas (MAD) or Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) to ensure safe, legal, and efficient customs processing.
Can you help with other parts of my move to Spain?
Absolutely. While we focus exclusively on safely relocating pets, we also maintain relationships with experienced Spain relocation professionals who assist with visas, housing, taxes, banking, and settling in. If you’d like an introduction, just let us know—we’re happy to connect you.
I am completely overwhelmed and afraid to DIY this move. Can you handle everything for me?
Absolutely. In fact, that is exactly why we are here. Most pet parents we work with feel paralyzed by the complex timelines, airline restrictions, and strict EU customs rules. We take the anxiety entirely off your shoulders by mapping out your timeline, providing a foolproof playbook for your local vet, coordinating the optimal airline routing, and personally escorting your pet every step of the way from your doorstep straight to Spain.
Can you help if I am traveling with more than one pet?
Yes. Moving multiple pets internationally adds a massive layer of logistical complexity, especially since airlines place strict limits on how many animals are allowed on a single aircraft or in a specific cabin. Whether your pets fit in the cabin or exceed weight or size limits and need to travel via our premium accompanied baggage protocol, we coordinate multi-pet routing, secure the necessary airline allocations, and ensure your entire animal family transitions safely together.
How much does it cost to relocate a pet to Spain with Cabin Companions?
Because international pet travel depends heavily on your departure city, your pet’s specific measurements, and real-time airline routing, we build custom quotes for every family.
Generally, fully accompanied, in-cabin transatlantic relocations start at $6,500 and scale depending on the complexity of your itinerary. This investment covers your dedicated flight escort’s travel, premium in-cabin priority allocations, comprehensive EU health certificate vetting, USDA compliance coordination, and doorstep-to-destination supervision.
To get an accurate, itemized quote tailored specifically to your companion and travel window, click Get My Spain Pet Travel Plan to share your details with our team!
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Moving to Spain in the Next 90 Days?
Airline pet space, USDA timing, and route planning all matter. Tell us where you’re headed and we’ll help you understand the safest plan for your pet.
USDA Certified • Fully Insured • International Pet Travel Specialists
START YOUR JOURNEY
Tell Us About Your Spain Travel Plans
No-obligation consultation • Comprehensive transatlantic pet travel support
