Travel · 6 min read · 8 May 2026
Travelling With Pets: Carriers, Car Safety and Cross-Border Rules
Whether it is a weekend away or a move across the country, pet travel comes down to three things: a carrier that fits, a restraint that is legal where you are, and enough desensitisation that your pet is not panicking before you leave the driveway.
Sizing a carrier
Your pet should be able to stand, turn around and lie flat. Measure height at the shoulder plus a few centimetres, and length nose-to-tail base.
Soft-sided carriers are lighter and fit most airline under-seat dimensions; hard-sided carriers are required for cargo travel and are easier to clean.
Teach the carrier before you need it
Leave it open at home with a familiar blanket and feed meals inside for a fortnight. A carrier that only appears before vet visits becomes a predictor of something unpleasant.
Practise short car trips that end somewhere good — a park, not only the clinic.
Car safety and the law
In Australia, an unrestrained animal in a vehicle can attract a fine in every state, and a crash-tested harness or secured crate is the standard. Several European countries, including Germany and Spain, treat unrestrained pets as unsecured loads. Some US states have similar distracted-driving provisions.
Never restrain a dog by clipping a seatbelt to a neck collar — use a crash-tested car harness or a secured crate in the boot.
Crossing borders
Australia has strict biosecurity import requirements, including microchipping, rabies titre testing and quarantine on entry. EU movement uses a pet passport with microchip and rabies vaccination. US requirements vary by state and by airline.
Start paperwork months ahead — titre testing timelines, not flights, are usually the bottleneck. Always confirm current requirements with the relevant government authority.