How to Travel Internationally with a French Bulldog | USA to Germany to Turkey | Health Certificate

[@CarlyRowena]

We're trying to move our 8 year old French bulldog from UK to Costa Rica and never felt so stressed in my life! xx

[@ohsopom]

I understand completely! If it's possible for your Frenchie to fit in a carrier and you have the option of taking Delta, I'd recommend that. They seem to be the cheapest and best bet if you want your Frenchie in your possession for the journey. Wishing you the best of luck!

[@jonathanrendon5363]

AMAZING! Thank you thank you thank you! I moved to England some years ago (and moved back to the US after three years) and found a way to take my frenchie (since he is my ESA), but now with the new rule changes I've been worried about my move from the US to Germany next year since he is an ESA and not a psychiatric service animal. Your video was very thorough and insightful. You've saved me HOURS of research!

[@ohsopom]

Thank you for the nice words. I'm glad it was helpful. I wish you the best of luck with you and your Frenchie's move :)

[@KetabMetabBaRudi]

I have to travel with my 2 year old Frenchie from Tehran to Frankfurt and there is no European Airlines that would allow him to fly with me bc of his weight (12 Kilos) and special breed. The only airline I found was in Dubai so I have to travel to Dubai by car (?) and then buy 2 airplane tickets each 1.500 bucks one for me and the other one for my dog which means he would have a special seat in the cabin with me. The other option would be traveling by train as you guys did: From Iran to Turkey by car, from Turkey to Budapest and then from Budapest to Germany by train. This was completely new to me. I would never have thought it to be so difficult to travel with a Frenchie literally got a panic attack.

[@ohsopom]

I'm so sorry to hear that. I don't know why airlines make it so difficult to travel with Frenchies in-cabin even when they can fit in a carrier just the same as many other breeds. The artificial weight limit is so unnecessary. I hope one day there is a safe and reliable way to transport them by air that isn't a private jet that you spend 10 grand on or putting them in cargo and having them out of your hands and not being sure how they're cared for. I understand your panic attack, it was a very stressful situation to be, the biggest of the move. I wish you and your Frenchie luck on your journey!

[@Shadikasnavi]

سلام من هم مشکل شما رو دارم و باید حتما فرنچ بولداگ ام رو با خودم به کانادا ببرم. ممنون میشم اگه به نتیجه ای رسیدید من رو هم راهنمایی کنید.

[@silviamitchell6413]

Thank you for this meticulously researched info! I have a 30 pound Frenchie and am grateful!

[@ohsopom]

I hope his helps or at the very least points you in the right direction. It was an overwhelming process, especially since there's so much online just simply stating that it cannot be done... but it can! From a fellow chunky Frenchie owner, I wish you all the luck 😊 Thank you for watching!

[@Retiredexpatmom]

What a great guide! Very well explained and all needed details.

[@ohsopom]

Thanks, hopefully someone finds it helpful. I did lots of researching in the beginning on KZbin and couldn’t find what I was looking for.

[@jessicaabram4166]

What a journey! What a great amount of sweat and patience it took. So fun to see the Frankfurt footage and knowing Fig and her Papa were here 😊

[@ohsopom]

Yes, it was a real adventure. Fig would have loved to stay in Frankfurt longer, too, with enough time to enjoy some currywurst :)

[@arjunsehgal4392]

THank you for being so clear with what you did. This helps. Will post questions if needed when I have to travel in some time.

[@ohsopom]

Sure, I hope it helps to navigate the process a little bit. Frenchies are finicky but worth the hassle in the end ☺️

[@joecaldwell6122]

Thank you I’m moving to Panama from the states and got a lot of valuable info

[@ohsopom]

I'm glad to hear that! I had a hard time figuring out how to travel internationally with my hefty Frenchie so any help I can provide to someone else means a lot. Best of luck with your move! Thanks for watching :)

[@rhondamueller9982]

Sounds like a lot of work but well worth getting your puppy to his new home safe and sound with his parents!❤️ I love your videos! And figs new stroller! 17:44

[@ohsopom]

Yes, simply put, the move wouldn't have happened without her coming with us :)

[@Frenchie360Adventures]

I would be so scared to travel with my Frenchie. Thanks for the tips

[@ohsopom]

No problem! Thanks for watching!

[@keananwilliams6012]

Hello and thank you for the video! Turkish airline does not take frenchies anymore sadly. Any more recommendations? I was trying to move to Thailand from the U.S. but it looks like I may have to relocate to Central America.

[@ohsopom]

Thank you for watching. Lufthansa Cargo also transports Frenchies, although I’m unsure of all their routes. Also, I believe Turkish Airlines Cargo still transports them. I was just speaking with a pet relocation agency a few weeks ago and they still use Turkish Cargo for French Bulldogs. Many airlines that I’m aware of nowadays will only transport pets as cargo through their cargo division (if you look just on their regular passenger website, you may not find the info you’re looking for) and they require that you use a third party pet relocation agency and won’t deal directly with you, the customer, but rather the agency. Have you tried using IPATA to find a pet relocation agency who can help to facilitate the move? I’m not sure of other airlines besides Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines but when I was searching I was specifically looking for routes between the US and Europe. Also, I know many airlines won’t ship Frenchies in the summer months when the weather is too hot. I wish you luck with you and your Frenchie’s move!

[@erikaoliveira5172]

How big was that carrier? How did you fit your frenchie inside it? Bella is 26lb and she does not fit at all in the carriers designed by Delta or United. That said, I’m stuck with options on how to travel with my 9y old Frenchie from USA to Brazil :(

[@ohsopom]

I have the Sherpa Original Deluxe in Large and its measurements are 18.0" x 11.0" x 10.5". The shell of it is slightly flexible, though, so it can squish down a bit if the dimensions under the seat are a bit smaller (and the Delta agent confirmed it was good). Fig is also a chunky Frenchie 😆... and at first I thought she would be way too big to fit in the carrier and was really concerned it wouldn't work. I started by putting a treat in the carrier and saying the command "in". I did this over and over again giving her praise and slowly moved the treat further into the carrier until she was eventually all the way in. At this point she would need to turn around to get out. After a few days of practice, I had her lay down after turning around and eventually I'd close the zipper on her and give her praise and a treat when she complied. It was just a few weeks of practice like this over and over again with lots of treats and praise. Eventually, she even went into the carrier on her own to nap. She became so comfortable turning around in it and less clumsy at it than when she started, too. During the trans-Atlantic flight she slept the whole time and we never opened up the zippers since they ask you to keep the carrier closed. I hope you have luck with your Bella :)

[@aliasvfx]

Thank you for the great video, learned a lot. You mentioned that Delta Airlines requires a pet carrier with 4 sides of mesh. You added mesh to the top of the Sherpa. Can I ask how you added it? Did you buy mesh and sew it yourself or? I got a 25 pound Frenchie and I'm trying to travel to Japan. Not knowing if the airline will accept the carrier / his size is stressful !

[@ohsopom]

I just unzipped the top portion and crudely taped some mesh (can be purchased at the craft store) to the underside where the opening was and the flap that was unzipped just sort of hung loosely inside the carrier. If you’re handy with sewing I’m sure you could easily enough sew in a few stitches to make it more secure but with the tape I was able to just remove it easily without permanently altering the carrier. Delta never checked the carrier over or asked about it meeting their requirements, but still I wanted to ensure that we followed their rules and weren’t turned away because such a small thing. I wish you luck with your Frenchie!

[@arianaaguirre2642]

I loved watching this video! It's so well-made, informative, and easy to understand. I have a couple of questions though. In the cost breakdown, I noticed there are multiple vet visits with health exams. Could you please explain the reason behind that? Additionally, I was wondering if both countries require the rabies titer for export or if it's only necessary for one of them. Thank you so much, I really appreciate your help!

[@ohsopom]

Thanks so much for watching! We were traveling around before our departure and ended up having to use multiple vets for different steps of the process, and although we had our dog's up-to-date medical records available, they always required a new 'health exam' at each vet which is why there were multiple charges. If you end up using the same vet for the entire process it's possible that you may end up paying just once for a health exam, but I know some vets require a 'health exam' at each visit. It seems like a money grab to me, but it's what we had to do. As for the titer test requirement, it will vary depending on the country. This was definitely the most difficult part of the process to understand. Germany (the EU in general) did not require rabies titer test results for dogs entering from the US, however, our destination of Turkey did. On the USDA APHIS website, they state that they are able to issue multiple health certificates if you'll be transiting through other countries... the first certificate (in our case, Germany), they state, acts as a 'transit certificate' and you'd also need a certificate for the destination country (Turkey)... just note, you'd still need to meet the requirements for entry to both countries. We were all set to get these two health certificates, but for some reason the USDA APHIS was unwilling to issue both certificates on the grounds that the journey from Germany to Turkey was "too long" and they wouldn't consider it as transitory. We inquired how long the transit certificate (the German certificate) was good for but they refused to give us a time frame (12 hours? 24 hours??? we still have no idea...). So then we were left in the predicament of only being granted one health certificate from the USDA APHIS to enter Germany. This certificate alone would not have allowed us to travel with her to Turkey and enter at their border. In Turkey's eyes, they are no longer viewing her as a dog entering from the USA, but instead as a dog entering from the EU and would need to meet the requirements for and EU pet entering Turkey. Entering a country with your pet is not a one size fits all type of thing... there are different requirements/paperwork required depending on where the animal is coming from... something I didn't quite realize at first. This is why we had to get her EU pet passport (basically the same thing as the USDA APHIS health certificate, but the EU version - and in a cute little passport book!). And since she was seen as arriving from the EU (she entered from Bulgaria) Turkey required that rabies titer test results be included in her EU pet passport. Titer test results can take a long time for results, we knew that getting that done in Germany would be difficult, so we were able to get her titer test done in the US. To ensure that her German vet would accept the results, we used a vet that sent the bloodwork to the Kansas State University Rabies Lab since this lab is certified with the EU. We took those lab results with us to Germany and her German vet was able to enter in the results of her titer test from this certified lab into her EU Pet Passport. Her EU Pet Passport allowed her to travel through the rest of the EU (and some countries not part of the EU) to her destination of Turkey. ... Sorry if this reads like a chapter book, but it was a very complex process and took a lot of research, emails, and phone calls to get it all settled. Regarding the titer test, I would check the USDA APHIS website first and foremost to see if the countries you are going to even require the titer test at all. And if you have any questions, I'd suggest reaching out to APHIS directly instead of your vet, because (from experience) most aren't that well-versed in the legal requirements of entry to another country and are simply there to fill out a form you ask of them. I hope this helps!

[@MollysMum-A.K.]

Thanks so much for sharing! I would also do everything to get my pet with us safe and sound. We will bring our dog to the US, she is only 13 lbs but has long legs, I am really nervous already so I watch every video I can find. Yours is really one of the best!!! 😊 I just wondered that Germany didn’t allow the 3 year rabies. We live in Germany and are heading to the US and our dog has the 3 year rabies.

[@ohsopom]

Thank you for the kind words! I’m not sure the reason for the 1 year vaccine vs the 3 year vaccine rule for entering the EU from the US, but that’s what the APHIS website said and what our vet understood to be true as well. However, I am not sure on the rabies vaccine requirements for coming from the EU and entering the US… perhaps that’s different. So many rules and they are always changing 😩 Best of luck to you and your dog 🤞

[@gisellemoriel6461]

Hi. Thanks for the helpful video. I'm currently gathering all my info as I move to Spain with my little cat in 3 weeks. The process seems very complicated, but did someone at the airport/immigration actually ask to see the paperwork? I ask because my sister traveled from France to the US twice with her cat, and they never asked her for any paperwork. in fact, she said that no one even noticed she had a cat with her (he's a big cat). So, who even checks this paperwork ? or do we give it to immigration when we land in the EU?

[@ohsopom]

Thanks for watching. My understanding for most countries is that they may ask for your paperwork when going through customs, but it is common that they may not even notice you have a pet. However, I know that some countries view this as your responsibility to bring to custom’s attention even if they don’t ask and some countries may require you to even register your pet or face penalty. To be safe, I would check with Spain’s relative authorities to confirm if they have a registration process. Best of luck with your cat travels 😽

[@darrenwilliams2931]

was your flight only delta or was it delta partnered with another airline? a lot of flights i see from europe to the us are multiple airlines.

[@ohsopom]

It was a Delta flight operated by Delta and not another partnered airline since those had weight limits that our dog exceeded. It will likely limit your options when it comes to availability, but it's what we had to do to ensure we could get her there.

[@kitkat9235]

This is great I formation. Thank you for sharing your experience! Do you think it is possible to travel back and forth with a Frenchie if you live part time in Europe?

[@ohsopom]

Thank you for watching! While I do think it's possible to travel back and forth with a Frenchie, I would just be aware that airlines can change their in-cabin dog policies at anytime. Even countries can change the requirements for bringing pets into them (something we experienced during this process). With that in mind, as long as your dog is comfortable, well-behaved, and fit to travel, I don't see why not. Best of luck with your Frenchie!!!

[@denisvolkov8064]

hello dear! how old was your dog when you traveled? what was the dimension of it? weight? our Frenchie is 55 L x 15 W x 45 H cm weight 12 KG can we fly with this dimension via UNITED or Delta? What do you think?

[@ohsopom]

Fig was 5 years old when she traveled. I didn't take her measurements, though, since Delta didn't require those. They just ask that the dog fit comfortably in the carrier, which she did. We used the Sherpa Deluxe-Large pet carrier which has dimensions of 19"L x 11.75"W x 11.5" H. She was 26lbs (about 12 kg)... so certainly not a tiny thing 😆. We had no issue traveling with Delta since we used an approved size carrier (the carrier is slightly flexible if needed, which is nice). The United website states that your dog has to be able to stand up and turn around in the carrier without touching the sides and that they may require you to demonstrate this upon check-in. Our dog could not do this, which is why chose Delta. She practiced using the carrier many weeks before departure and became very comfortable in it. She also had exercise and a potty break prior to take off, so she was able to lay down and sleep comfortably the whole time. I think Delta is your best option as long as your Frenchie can be comfortable laying down in the carrier. We purchased a refundable ticket just in case and had some back up options in case we were given any flack, though. But in the end, they posed no questions regarding her size or comfort and seemed to enjoy having her onboard. They only asked at the time of ticket purchase what the size of her carrier was. Thanks for watching and I wish you the best of luck with your Frenchie!

[@denisvolkov8064]

❤🤝

[@annkenny8]

Hi can you tell me how much Fig weighs. My frenchie is around 28 pounds

[@ohsopom]

She is roughly 26-27lbs, so pretty hefty which is why we went with Delta since they didn't have an in-cabin weight limit. Thanks for watching!

[@emmashen6573]

Thank you so much for sharing. How many lbs is your baby?

[@ohsopom]

Thank you for watching! She’s about 26 lbs…perfectly plump 😆

[@hollyb2219]

How long was your longest flight?

[@ohsopom]

Thanks for watching! Her flight from the US to Germany was roughly 8 1/2 hours long.

[@keananwilliams6012]

Delta does not take snubbed nose animals

[@ohsopom]

We were able to travel with our Frenchie in-cabin with Delta in December 2022 without problem and they verified her breed upon purchasing the ticket. Snub-nosed breeds still aren’t accepted as cargo/excess baggage and it states that on their website, but I don’t see anywhere on their website that they’ve been banned in-cabin. Where did you see this from Delta?

[@sharshabiel]

when the options are ridiculous, might as well say, don't travel with your pet, 17 min to tell me its ridiculous?

[@ohsopom]

Thanks for watching. I do mention in the beginning that traveling with a French Bulldog is not an easy task, but I tried to layout the options I was able to find that at least make it possible. I'm glad I was least able to transport my dog in the easiest and most budget friendly option (in-cabin transport). Thanks!