Travelling to Ireland with Your Dog or Cat by Ferry
Did you know that you can now take your pet on holiday with you? We know that cats and dogs are treasured members of the family for many people, and we want to make it as simple as possible for them to travel with you.
Travelling by ferry is a great choice for those who wish to take their canine or feline companions on holiday, and our pet-friendly crossings are designed to make this an easy, stress-free process for you. All pet travel is subject to European Union animal health regulations, as well as the requirements to enter the country you are travelling to.
If you’re travelling from France to Ireland, there’s no need to leave your pets at home. You can take them along for the ride, and our complete guide will help you to do this. There are some essential steps to prepare for taking a pet abroad, and we’ll take a look at these so that you can ensure that your pet is fully prepared to travel.
Ferry Crossings With Your Pet Made Easy
At Hibernia Line, we are delighted to welcome your cat or dog on board, and we ask that you have the correct documentation and treatments before your crossing so that they can travel stress-free. We offer pet-friendly cabins, where you can relax with your dog or cat on your overnight ferry crossing, and these can be requested at the time of booking.
When you book a crossing with your pet, you will be asked to confirm that your pet meets all applicable travel regulations, and you can find these below. If these regulations are not met, we may not be able to allow your pet to board, so it is important to check all of these details carefully. You can use our checklist to ensure that your pet is ready to travel, and we will look forward to welcoming you!
Travel with your Dog or Cat: Essential Checklist
Travelling with your pet is a straightforward process once you have ticked all of the essentials off your checklist, so let’s get started with the requirements for travelling by ferry with your dog or cat.
Pets travelling with Hibernia Line must be declared at the time of booking, and a pet-friendly cabin must be booked. All pets travelling by ferry must have:
- A valid EU Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate. A pet passport issued by an EU country will be needed to bring your pet into Ireland, and this must bear a stamp verifying that the rabies vaccination has been administered. This also applies to pets travelling from the following countries: Andorra, Gibraltar, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Northern Ireland, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City State. If you do not have an EU-issued pet passport, you’ll need to get an Animal Health Certificate from your vet each time you travel.
- A functioning, registered microchip. Your pet must be microchipped in order to travel, and before it is vaccinated against rabies. The microchip must be readable by a device that is compatible with the relevant ISO standards, and you should check with your vet to ensure this. You can also contact the manufacturer of the microchip to check its specifications, or carry your own microchip reader with you to use instead. Your pet documentation must match the microchip number.
- A current rabies vaccination recorded in the passport/certificate. To travel to Ireland, and most other countries, your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. To receive this vaccination, your pet must be more than 12 weeks old, and you must wait at least 21 days for immunity to develop before you travel. Booster vaccinations can be given before the previous vaccine expires, and the wait period will not apply in this circumstance.
- Tapeworm treatment, if required for your route. To bring your dog into Ireland, it must be treated for tapeworm. This treatment must be administered by a vet, 1-5 days before you arrive in Ireland, and should be recorded in the pet passport. This requirement applies to dogs only, and you may be refused entry into Ireland if it is not met.
Without these, which must be arranged before you arrive at the port, your pet will not be able to travel abroad. A maximum of two pets may be included per booking, unless Hibernia Line has pre-approved your travel arrangements before booking.
Travelling by Ferry with a Guide or Assistance Dog
Recognised guide and assistance dogs travel free with Hibernia Line, and are permitted in passenger areas, subject to the correct documentation. We ask that you supply the accredited documentation to us by email at the time of booking so that we can make this process as easy as possible for you.
There is no need to pay a pet fare for your recognised assistance dog or guide dog, and a pet-friendly cabin is not required. However, assistance dogs and guide dogs must still be microchipped and have valid travel documentation, and must be vaccinated against rabies and treated for tapeworm.
Caring for Your Pet on Board
While you are on board our Hibernia Line ferry, your pets must remain in your booked accommodation, which includes our pet-friendly cabins or designated kennel accommodation where available. Pet-friendly cabins give you the opportunity to relax in comfort with your pet, and this is usually the best option for pet owners and pets alike.
There is also a dedicated pet deck area on the external deck, which you can access for pet toilet breaks and short, supervised exercise periods when it is safe to do so. Facilities may be restricted in some circumstances, including operational and safety reasons. Pets must remain under your control at all times in this area, and dogs must stay on their leads. If you have a restricted dog breed, your dog may be required to wear a muzzle.
If you have a cat, you should ensure that it is safely contained or harnessed during the journey in order to keep it safe. As a pet owner, you are fully responsible for caring for your pet and cleaning up after them, both on board the ferry and within the port terminals.
Pets are not allowed in the passenger areas of the ferry, including restaurants, cafes and bars, passenger lounges, play areas and other general passenger spaces. However, recognised assistance dogs are permitted in these areas with their owners.
What to Pack for Your Pet
You remain fully responsible for your pet at all times when you are travelling with them by ferry, and packing everything you need to take care of them will give you peace of mind and make the process easier. We recommend packing:
- Bedding for your pet. Just like humans, pets appreciate their home comforts and having bedding that is familiar will help them to relax on the journey. It is a good idea to pack the bed your pet uses at home, or if this is not possible, a selection of blankets. It is helpful if these have already been used by your pet so that they smell familiar. You will need a bed space in your car as well as a bed that you can set up in your pet-friendly cabin to ensure that your pet feels comfortable during the crossing.
- Food supplies. Ensuring that your pet sticks to their regular feeding schedule will help them to remain happy and comfortable while you are travelling, and you should bring enough food for the journey to ensure that you do not need to transition them to a new food while you are away. The familiarity of a feeding routine can be reassuring for pets, so try to adhere to this wherever possible, factoring in any changes in time zones.
- Water bowls. It’s vital to keep your pet hydrated while you are travelling, and they should have access to clean, fresh water at all times. You should pack water bowls for the car and for your time on board the ferry, and you might wish to explore options such as dog water bottles, which can store water and convert into a bowl for your pet to drink from. You can refill your water bottles and bowls on board the ferry.
- Waste bags. It will be helpful to have a good supply of waste bags to clean up after your pet, whether you are in the ferry port terminal, on the pet-deck area or in your pet-friendly cabin. Cleaning supplies and waste bags will enable you to clean up after your dog or cat, and you can dispose of animal waste in designated bins on our pet deck area.
- Leads, muzzles and carriers. You will need to keep your dog on a lead at all times when you are outside your pet-friendly cabin, so you will need to pack a lead and a carrier if you have a small dog or a cat that will be happier when it is contained. A cosy cat carrier provides a safe space for your cat and is the safest way to transport your pet in your car and on the ferry. If you have a particular breed of dog that is required to wear a muzzle in public spaces, you should keep your dog muzzled at all times while you are outside your cabin. Please check our guidelines carefully if you are booking a ferry crossing with an animal that legally requires additional safety measures.
Our team will be happy to help ensure that your pet can travel in comfort with us, so do not hesitate to get in touch if you have questions. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare for travelling with your pet, taking them to your vet in plenty of time for their vaccinations and tapeworm treatment and ensuring that all documentation is valid. You should always check the local requirements before you travel with your pet to ensure that these have not changed, and you can do this at the Irish Department of Agriculture Pet Travel Information. We also recommend that you check our terms and conditions as these can be updated from time to time.
The Hibernia Line: Pet-Friendly Ferry from Boulogne to Cork
The Hibernia Line offers flexible, family-friendly ferry routes that can take you directly from France to Ireland and from Ireland to France. You can bring your own vehicle, making it easier to explore once you reach your destination, or you can travel as a foot passenger and make the most of public transport during your trip. We offer pet-friendly cabins so that you can bring your dog or cat on holiday with you.
The Hibernia Line offers convenient evening departures from Boulogne-sur-Mer to Cork, Ireland, and you can book a comfortable, well-appointed cabin with an en-suite bathroom to get you straight into the holiday mood. Our dining facilities on board give you plenty of options for everyone, and we pride ourselves on our good quality, delicious food.
You can book your ferry crossing online today, and don’t forget to let us know if you wish to travel with your pet so that we can make them especially welcome. Happy holidays!