# Moving cats to Portugal



## allannshirley (Dec 24, 2010)

Has anybody taken their cats to Portugal by car or plane what is best and any difficulties incurred?


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## Jenopolis (Jan 3, 2011)

*Cat Moving*

I took my cat by plane when I moved to Portugal almost two years ago. The paperwork required for me was pretty extensive. I had to travel all over the US to get different sign-offs on my cat's health, papers notarized by the state and federal offices, all these papers translated and stamped by the official Portuguese consulate office for my region, and then there was the extra vaccinations and a digital chip I had to have my little kitty take.

After all that, papers in hand I had my cat ride next to me on the plane in her carrier. We arrived in Lisbon and... not one word. Nobody checked my bag, nobody looked at the papers, nothing. *sigh*

That said, if you are travelling from inside the EU it is easier. There is a pet passport you can get, which allows for easy travel. The site won't let me post the url because I am too new (???), but if you google "EU pet passport" you will see the rules. 

Good luck!


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## HenleyDon (Nov 9, 2009)

allannshirley said:


> Has anybody taken their cats to Portugal by car or plane what is best and any difficulties incurred?


We transported our two cats by car from the UK. Both were fine and slept most of the way. However, as we were transporting cats on the Plymouth - Santander ferry, we were parked at the rear door and above the engine room. The noise was horrendous and we only found out when we were returning to our car when the ferry was docking and the engines were still operational. We'd been advised by various people to keep the car windows open a tad to ensure sufficient ventilation. We wished we hadn't as the car deck was cool as it was a relatively modern ferry, but can't say if the same is true for older ferries.

I don't think I'd take the chance via air as someone told us that they had to remove their cat from its box in a busy Lisbon airport to allow the box to be 
searched for drugs. Probably doesn't happen in the UK but I wasn't going to take a chance on ours making a run for it?

Henley


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

If you use brittany ferries they are pet friendly. 
You just need a pet passprot which you can organise through your vet in the UK.
Where are you moving to in Portugal?

http://www.purina.co.uk/Home/All+About+Cats/Living+Together+Cat/On+The+Move+Cat/Pet+Passports.htm


also look at the UK gov website

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/index.htm


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## allannshirley (Dec 24, 2010)

*cats to Portugal*

Thanks Siobhan for the information it was very helpful.

We are looking around the Miranda Do Corva region (Cumbra)

But I have also been looking around Tomar.

It is a lot dryer around Tomar and a lot flatter, I prefer the hills and forests of the north my self but we are moving over in March and the wife might have a different look on things.

Kind regards

Allan


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## notlongnow (May 21, 2009)

The in-laws brought their cats via the Santander ferry and with pet passports - it was all reasonably straightforward, although one of the cats was a bit cranky by the time they got to the Algarve!


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## allannshirley (Dec 24, 2010)

*Transporting cats to Portugal*

Thank you for the information.

We have decided to go by air albeit a lot more expensive it is much quicker.

To stress out the cats for such a long time is no good. 

allannshirley


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