Moving to France With Dogs From the USA the Easy Way

How we helped Mark and Patricia move to France with their dogs.

When Mark and Patricia began planning their move to Strasbourg, one thing was non-negotiable: their dogs, Dash and Nick, were coming with them on the plane, in the cabin and not in the hold. If you want to move to France with dogs, I’m happy to say that having them in the cabin with you is entirely possible, and this case shows one of the safest ways to do it: relocating with specialist pet travel support so your dogs can fly comfortably alongside you. I’m Richard Hammond, founder of French Connections HCB. We organised their move to France, our friends at K9 Jets handled the specialist pet travel, and together that allowed them to relocate with their dogs safely and comfortably.

If you are moving to France from the USA and want to sit with your dogs on the flight, the video above is perfect for you, as it shows how easy it is to travel to France with your pets.

Why Dogs Flying in the Hold to France Wasn’t an Option

Many people relocating internationally with animals face the reality of their pets travelling in the cargo hold of a commercial flight. Mark and Patricia looked at several airlines. Delta no longer offered what they needed, and Lufthansa would have meant putting their dogs in the hold, which they had heard a lot of bad things about.

“I just don’t really believe in putting live things in baggage. I mean, you wouldn’t put your kids in baggage, would you?” they explain.

Why the Queen Mary 2 Didn’t Work Either

The Queen Mary 2 was their other option. It has a whole part of a deck set aside for dogs, but the waiting list was around two years, and that didn’t fit their timeline.

“They actually have like a whole part of a deck for the dogs, but the timeline is not right,” they say.

Why They Chose K9 Jets to Move Their Dogs to France

K9 Jets lets pets travel in the cabin alongside their owners rather than in the hold, so it was the right fit for Mark and Patricia. It was Dash and Nick’s first ever flight, though both were well used to car journeys.

“We were very happy and we started looking into that and we’re thinking this might be really the right thing for us to do,” they say.

When I interviewed Nathalie, who runs our French Admin Support service, about how to move to France with your dogs, she explained why our relationship with K9 Jets matters for clients like Mark and Patricia. We can not only help organise their move to France from the USA, but also help them time it so they can fly with their dogs too.

“We also have a very good relationship with K9 Jets. So they’re very familiar with our clients and what they expect and what they want,” says Nathalie.

How They Chose Strasbourg With the Region Matcher

Mark and Patricia didn’t start with a fixed location. Using our Region Matcher service to find the best place for them to live in France, they told us what mattered most: medical care, the type of climate they wanted, and access to high-speed trains and international airports. We gave them summaries of specific regions, they researched each one, and that is how they chose the Strasbourg area.

It also suited their story. Mark had just retired and turned 65, he lived in Germany for two years while serving in the Air Force, and Patricia was born in Germany. They will start just south of Strasbourg, about an hour from where Mark used to live.

“I thought the Region Matcher service was a very good match. It really opened our eyes, and it exposed us to some areas that we had not considered before. So I think that was very well worth the money,” says Mark.

How They Handled Their Dogs’ Paperwork and Rabies Vaccination

For dogs travelling from the USA, the essential “passport” is the EU non-commercial health certificate, issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by the USDA within 10 days of the dog arriving in the EU. We can handle these documents for clients, but Mark and Patricia chose to use their own vet, a large practice with a USDA-accredited vet in the group. Their contact at the airline also arranged for the endorsed paperwork to be sent directly to the terminal.

“French Connections will handle that for you,” they explain.

Here are the other rules your dog needs to meet to move to France from the USA:

• Microchip. Your dog must have an ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip, fitted before its rabies vaccination. The same appointment is fine, as long as the chip goes in first and is scanned before the vaccine is given.
• Rabies vaccination. Your dog must be vaccinated against rabies, and that cover must remain continuously valid. After a primary vaccination, there is a mandatory 21-day wait before entry. A primary vaccination given in the US is only valid for one year, even if it is a three-year vaccine.
• Minimum age. In practice, dogs must be at least 15 weeks old, because rabies vaccination can’t be given before 12 weeks and must be followed by the 21-day wait.
• No antibody test or tapeworm treatment. Dogs from the United States typically do not need a rabies antibody test to enter France, and France does not require tapeworm treatment for entry.
• On arrival. The endorsed health certificate must travel with your dog, and you present your dog and its documents to customs when you arrive.
• Five pets or fewer. Non-commercial rules normally apply to no more than five pets, unless they are travelling for a competition, exhibition or sporting event.

New non-commercial health certificates are required from 1 October 2026, so make sure your vet uses the current form. The timing is where most people need help. In my interview with Nathalie, she explained how we plan it for clients.

“We’ll set out a plan of when you need to get vaccinations and all your paperwork up and together, because there’s quite a strict timeline before you fly,” says Nathalie.

The Rest of Their Move to France

Alongside the pet travel, we helped Mark and Patricia with the paperwork for their one-year visas for France from America. EU citizens can live in France without a visa, while non-EU citizens usually need a long-stay visa such as a VLS-TS, which can lead to a carte de séjour, the residence card for France. For a long-stay visitor visa, private health insurance covering your full stay is required. We also helped with early discussions about finances and tax obligations, and with finding an initial place to live.

Because they are moving permanently, their dogs also need to be registered on I-CAD, France’s national pet database. A French vet must make the registration request within 8 days of arrival for pets staying more than three months. Next, we will help them find a long-term rental, and they plan to use our property rental and purchase consultation for expats moving to France when they look to buy a home.

“The services that they offered were great, especially in regard to purchasing a home and helping you with the visa paperwork and letting you know what you needed to do to get where you wanted to go,” they say.

We’re so glad we could help them move to France!

What Our French Admin Support Package Meant for Them

For Mark and Patricia, the French Admin Support package gave them a direct line for every question, and the peace of mind of reliable answers instead of trawling the internet for information that is often out of date or wrong.

“Whenever we have a question, we just drop an email and somebody always gets back to us within a day,” they say. “It’s good to have firsthand knowledge from someone that does this every day, so you know they’re giving you the correct information.”

Would They Recommend French Connections HCB and K9 Jets?

Yes. Mark and Patricia would recommend our service to anyone looking to relocate into the EU.

“I would recommend this service to anyone else that’s looking to relocate to France. They’re very knowledgeable. They’ll let you know what you do need to do and what you don’t need to do, and they sort of hold your hand and walk you through the whole process,” they say.

Pet Travel: Move to France With Your Dogs

If you are planning to relocate to France and want to bring your pets with you safely, Mark and Patricia’s move shows what is possible with the right support. We help people move to France, from visas and region selection to pet travel planning and finding somewhere to live, and we work with K9 Jets so your dogs can fly in the cabin with you.

For the full detail on airlines, paperwork, I-CAD registration and pet passports, read my guide with Nathalie on moving to France with your dogs, including all the rules you need to know.

When you are ready, book a consultation with a relocation specialist or get a free quote for your move.

If you want to move to France with your dogs, speak to us today.