Transporting a bulgarian dog from bulgaria to uk

@Holly1 Hi Holly, I've never taken a dog from Bulgaria, but I have taken a few from Romania. I also used to bring my dogs on holiday to France every year.

When  you say you're taking her to the UK for a while, do you know how long for? I do have a valid reason for asking that question. I'll explain later.

Are you taking her yourself, or are you wanting her transported?

If you're taking her, in your vehicle, with you, the owner, it's quite straightforward.

She will need to be microchipped and passported.

She will need the usual vaccinations and a rabies shot, no later than 21 days before travel.

Within the 5 days before travel, she will need to visit a vet for a tapeworm treatment. The vet will need to update the passport to that effect.

When you enter the UK, you will need to go straight to the Pet Check In. They will check her passport and her chip.

Obviously you'll need to declare that you will be bringing a dog when you buy your ticket. They used to charge £35 for checking the dog. Not sure how much they charge now.

Hope that helps. If you're not taking her yourself and you need transport, it's a little more complicated, just let me know and I'll try and get you some more information.

@grumpyoldbird hi there, I thought I had replied to your post ages ago but obviously I didn't press send! But thank you so much for your reply, it's very helpful indeed. Do you have any information  about transporting dogs if we can't take her? Are there any English companies or people who transport animals for a living?

@Holly1

so the post above is very informative except there isn’t anything to do on arrival in the U.K. all checks are made before you leave EU. There is no charge for this.

Also they only need rabies to travel, none of the other vaccinations, and actually be very careful about the timing of other vaccines as they can affect the validity of rabies if given at the same time - not good practice to multi-vaccinate anyway but just in case.

It’s not that expensive to get a PP in Bulgaria, but check with your vet as it probably varies a little by region.

I take dogs back to U.K. from BG for rescues and know other people that do also, so if you want to drop me an email/message thingy please do.

@HelenDinBG Thanks Helen! Yes I've sent you a message

@HelenDinBG

Hi Helen, I'd like to know more about you transporting dogs. At some point I'm going to need my dogs transporting from France to Bulgaria. I was going to use a Romanian transporter, because I used them when I brought my dogs from Romania, but it might he easier to use someone already travelling to Bulgaria.

Cheers

@grumpyoldbird

hi, please feel free to drop me a message, if I can help I will!

Hi, My son is studying in Varna. He has to bring his cat to UK. And the he has to take her back to Varna BG, next year. Non of the direct flight (Wizz air/BA/ Bularian air) take pet. Are there option from Varna or Sofia please?

    Hi, My son is studying in Varna. He has to bring his cat to UK. And the he has to take her back to Varna BG, next year. Non of the direct flight (Wizz air/BA/ Bularian air) take pet. Are there option from Varna or Sofia please?
   

    -@Varna student

I thought most would but only in the hold. No airline takes pets in the cabin. This is my understanding.

No airline is taking in the hold as well.

Some airlines do allow pets in the cabin, mainly Air France, Lufthansa, KLM and Turkish Airlines.

The only way to take your cat to/from UK in a cabin environment, is with these airlines, but your son would have to changie at either, Paris CDG, Frankfurt Main, Amsterdam Schipol, or Istanbul.

British Airways only carry pets in a special, pressurised hold, as do most other airlines.

Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air do not carry pets at all.

Bulgaria Air also allows pets in the cabin, bookable on their website, however, they do not fly pets to / from the UK, so would only be useful for the Varna to Sofia sector.

I speak from experience, having transported five cats and a parrot from London Heathrow to Aberdeen in Scotland, in 2005, on two seperate flights (one for the cats, one for the parrot).   Also, be aware that airlines are not allowed to transport mixed types of pets - e.g. Birds and cats.  Nor are they allowed to carry pets, if the flight is transporting human remains, so this can reduce the amount of flights available for your son's cat. 

You will also need the correct vaccinations for your cat, in both directions, with proof of such, with documentation.

Alternatively, you could find someone who transports by road.  Your son would fly to the UK and his cat would arrive seperately by road.

Hope this is helpful,

Ian

@cyberescue1 Ian, do those airlines you mentioned allow pets to fly in and out of the UK as cabin baggage? Great if so! My understanding is that the only way to fly pets in or out of UK is as cargo, and BA is the only airline permitted to transport pets.

If that's right, one way for @Varnastudent's son to keep his cat with him for the journey might be to fly with an airline that will allow pets to stay with the traveller and hand luggage as far as Paris or Brussels, then travel on to London using the Eurostar train. But there aren't any direct flights from Varna on airlines that carry pets. BA used to do London to Varna direct, but stopped during the COVID travel bans and didn't restart it. Driving all the way with the cat could be another option if he has a car.

The other issue he needs to consider is the EU pet passport/ UK animal health certificate to get the cat into the UK and later back into Europe. His cat's vet should be able to help with that, and the process needs to be started at least 21 days before travelling so the rabies vaccination is valid.

We've been thinking about this issue, as at some stage we'll be moving four cats from the UK to Dobrich.

@janemulberry Only Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines allow pets in the cabin, as cabin baggage. So using those airlines is fine, if you don't mind changing in their hubs - Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, or Istanbul.

Like you say, he could travel to Paris CDG, and change onto Eurostar, but CDG is a massive airport and I wouldn't want to be transporting a cat though it, I've travelled through it myself and it isn't easy.  But it might be his only option. 

Can those airlines also transport pets in and out of the UK? When I last looked into moving our pets, BA was the only airline permitted to do so, and only as hold cargo. I'll be very glad if it's changed as it may give travellers with pets more options!

For us, I think the road trip could work out best. Hubby wants to buy a campervan and drive, which seems a nightmare to me with the potential for three solid days of dealing with four distressed cats. But based on my experience with driving four cats on a 14 hour journey in Australia, they stopped yowling after the first hour and slept. In a big enough campervan they could be set up with much bigger housing than than airline sized ones, probably puppy crates about the size of the cages at the vet, with space for a small litter tray and food.

Poor cats came to us as rescues air-frieghted in from Cyprus, a trip that took almost 24 hours door to door.

@janemulberry i wasn't aware that any airlines had been prohibited from carrying pets to / from the UK, although I do know Bulgaria Air won't carry pets to / from the UK.

I would check the relevant airline's website, either that call them.  If BA is the only airline, that's a monopoly and isn't good.   I've had friends who used BA to transport pets in the past and they weren't happy for various reasons.   I refused to use them, when I transported pets to Scotland from London and instead used BMI (British Midland).

Agreed! That's how it used to be, BA only, but the rules appears to have changed. A good thing! I never understood why the government permitted them to have a monopoly.

As you said, some airlines, including Air France, KLM or Lufthansa, allow small pets in aircraft cabins on flights out of the UK. But not into the UK, they need to be cargo for that leg of the trip. There's a long list of approved airlines for bringing pets into the country on Gov UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati … pet-travel

So it's doable, but would require changing flights at least once to get a cat from Varna to the UK, and they'd have to enter the UK as cargo. For the flight back to Varna, they could go in the cabin all the way but again, at least one change of flight would be needed.

I'm sticking with driving as the best route for us, especially as we have four cats. With a single cat to move, air travel could possibly work for @Varnastudent

Hello, since we are on the topic of pets, I would like to bring my dog from the United States to Bulgaria, but I am having the most difficult time finding long-term accommodations that are affordable. When I am looking at real-estate websites and I put in pets allowed, I get one or two listings that are way over my $600 budget. 

I did not think it would be that difficult ?  I am hoping to rent in Varna and would like to get a dog once settled. Do they not have just a deposit to attach to the rent agreement  just in case of damage ? I also know from friends' from there its hard to do anything online or overseas . Its best to get a relator once your there .

@D H16 it entirely depends on where in Bulgaria you are looking to rent.  You don't say which area or city you're proposing to settle in?   If you're looking to settle in a city, whether it be Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna or Burgas, you will find rents have increased over the last 18 months, in part, due to the influx of Ukrainian migrants - who have money!   You will find rents in smaller towns and villages much cheaper, so perhaps you could consider living in a town or village near a city, as opposed to living in a city centre?

You can also find reduced rents by avoiding real estate agents, who often charge higher rents, to receive higher fees!    Try the olx website olx dot bg.

You could also initially rent an Airbnb whilst you search for a property within the area you require.

You also haven't said what size or type of property you're looking for.  I can only give rent indications for Varna, where I live, as follows...

Studio apartment (one room) with own bathroom and kitchen area) $325 (600 Leva) per month.

1 bedroom apartment (2 rooms) $550 (1020  Leva)

2 bedroom apartment (3 rooms) $750 (1400Leva)

3 or 4 bedroom apartment (4 or 5 rooms) $1000 (1860 Leva)

Houses from $1500 (2790 Leva)

I should add, that in Varna there is a shortage of property, despite significant construction, many apartment blocks sell out well before they're even built, as the apartments are sold "off plan".

Also, you don't say how long you plan to stay in Bulgaria. Are you staying for longer than 6 months?  Or less?  Rents tend to be longterm, so finding a short rent of 3 or 6 months could well be difficult.   Also, if you are intending to stay for more than 3 months, are you aware that you require a D Visa, that allows stays up to 180 days?

I highly recommend you come to Bulgaria first and explore what is available, as agents and adverts are not always accurate!

As far as bringing your dog, you will need to confirm with your veterinary surgeon, which vaccinations are required for your dog to enter Bulgaria from the USA and once vaccinated, ensure you have the correct documentation.

@sanerob. You are correct, it's best to visit Bulgaria and arrange accommodation once you are in the country.

As for renting with a dog, this can be difficult, although not impossible...

Varna is a dog city - there are thousands of pet dogs here, mostly small breeds, but as large as Huskies and German Shepherds. That said, most dog owners own there own properties.  Renting with a pet can be difficult, because landlords don't want the hassle of repairing pet damage - stains and destruction.  My wife and I rented an apartment for 16 months, direct from the landlord.  He initially said no dogs, but didn't mention cats, to which, we had one.  When he came to collect the rent, we started shutting the cat in another room, so she wouldn't be seen.  He didn't notice for six months or so.  Then, one day he came round for something else and saw the cat, but wasn't in the least bit worried by her. Mind you, he was drunk at the time!  So what I'm trying to say is, landlords can be negotiable when it comes to pets.  Sure, there will be many that don't allow any pets, but some might.  I think it's fair to say, if you find a landlord, without using an agent, you could negotiate.  Agents are lazy and don't want extra work!

@cyberescue1

oddly bulgarian air have quoted me to being my pets from the uk to bg 🤷‍♀️

@Suzi Masterson That's great news!

@D H16

Solution...

1..get rid of the dog

2..increase your bank balance.

@wtruckyboy

Get rid of the dog? Really? Pets are not disposable, they're a lifetime commitment.

Right, I agree completely. I wish some posts had a thumbs down as well as a heart.

How would people who treat pets as disposable like it if the people in their lives treated them the same way? I can only hope @truckyboy meant his comment as tongue-in-cheek.

I'm sure he did

@Suzi Masterson. Then they must have changed their policy recently.  That's good news then.  At least now, we don't have to rely on a monopoly of BA!