Moving to Portugal with 2 Dogs

Hi Rduff, Welcome

Why don't you sail to Portugal? If you have all your dogs' vaccinations up to date, wouldn't it be easier?

Best Regards

We are also planning on leaving the SA with our dogs.

We are also looking to sail to the UK and Drive with our dogs to Portugal.

Please let me know if you manage a contact as I have tried with no response so far.

We are on a British and EU passports.

Thanks
Linda

The only dog friendly "sailing" that we could find was from the UK is to Spain via a Ferry that takes 24 hours, and then we would have a 5 to 6 hour drive  Mixed reviews on the ferry. 
~ 20 hour road trip via the Chunnel from Southampton to out destination in Portugal.  Looking for insight on crossing into France, Spain and then Portugal with the dogs

Rduff,

I understand your reluctance to put them in the belly of the plane.  Last time I did it, the airline put a label on my dog's airline crate stating "Live Animal" and I thought, gosh  I hope stays that way.

It's possible you're making more it stressful and complicated than necessary for the dogs.  They are more resilient than we think.   Some dogs were bred for harsh lives.  Usually point A to point B is less stressful.  They get it over quickly.  When you reclaim them in baggage claim they will go crazy  to see you again.

We moved our Labrador Retriever from Rio de Janeiro-Brazil-to-Buenos Aires-to-Mendoza Argentina, no problem

Then Mendoza-to-Santiago Chile-toRio de Janeiro- no problem.

Then Rio de Janeiro-to-Miami, no problem.

Give them a warm blanket to snuggle with in the crate.  Make sure the crate door is secured with something like zip ties or a lock.  Attach a ziplock bag to the crate with extra zip ties in case you need them.  Carry on dog food and water.

It's not that hard.  You need to fill-out the vet forms so the receiving country is comfortable with your dog.  I have had no problems entering with a "documented" dog.

I've done this before.  I will do it again when we move from Florida to Portugal in 2022.

I am flying from Montreal to Lisbon next week with my 11 year old Rottweiler. She is like a 2nd child, as I have had her since she was 7 weeks old. Initially I, too, looked at sailing and driving, but a pilot friend of mine reassured me about animals traveling in cargo. He has two golden retrievers, which he flies in cargo twice a year.

Lufthansa is amazing with their animal centre in Frankfurt. They update you before flight, during (with pictures) and upon arrival in Lisbon.

I will let you know how it goes next week!

Thank you to everyone who has replied.

We believe that because dogs have "unconditional love" for humans, no matter what their circumstances are, they are superior to humans in that way.

Therefore we won't be flying.  We are almost more worried about getting them through all the logistical steps to our destination than we are ourselves.

Thank you again though, for taking the time to reply, and Bon voyage!

So true… I am still stressed about sending my dog without me, but I don't have the luxury of time to find a different solution. I'll let you know how she does ❤️

Yes please let us know. Godspeed!

Banned breeds in Portugal

Not all dog breeds are allowed into this country. You may not be able to bring your pet if they are one of the following breeds (or a mix of one):

Pit Bull Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Dogo Argentino
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Rottweiler
Tosa Inu

You are allowed to bring so-called “dangerous breeds”

The keeper of the dog must have a special license, issued by the Junta de Freguesia in the local district. To apply for the license the owner must:

- be 18 years of age
- confirm the housing of the animal, the security implemented and the historical aggressiveness
- have no criminal record
- have civil liability insurance

Having pets in Portugal

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=917045

Please see post #6: Dogs of breeds considered to be potentially dangerous

C1. Entry to Portugal from outside the European Union
It is important to know that:
Young dogs and cats from non-EU countries (under 12 weeks of age or between 12 and 16 weeks and with anti-rabies vaccination for less than 21 days) are not allowed to enter.

Pets are also not allowed in marinas / harbours which are not entry points for travellers and therefore the animals may not leave the ship. Alternatively, they may be taken by sea to a travellers' entry point and checked there.

Hi, I'm checking in to see how your trip went with your dog...

We drove from Devon in the UK with 2 kids and 2 dogs and drove through France and Spain.
We lived 30 miles from Plymouth and couldn't find a dog friendly cabin available.
The road trip wasn't too bad as we spaced it over 6 days having a day off in the middle.
Think the dogs enjoyed the trip. 😀

It went really well, just a small hitch at cargo in Lisbon.  Mila, flew overnight via Lufthansa and spent the night at their “Pet Lounge”. I was emailed every step of the way. She is happy and healthy sitting beside me and registered with the veterinarian in Portimão.

Lorie

Hi there,

So we are thinking of moving to Portugal end of next year.

I am so worried about my 1 dog flying.

The boy dog is fine he is so friendly and resilient and fabulous.

My girl dog is fearful and quite highly strung.

Anyway if anyone has flown their dogs from South Africa to Portugal I would love to hear from you.

best and more

Linda

I am going to bring my dog from California to the algarve. I'm trying to find the best  way to do this also. If anyone has any tips, ai would appreciate help. I would like to bring her in the plane with me but so far I don't see any airlines that allow transatlantic flights with a pet with me. I am also considering a cruise to I bring her with me if possible. Anyone have experience with this or any other way to get their pet over? Thank you!.

Hi,

I just brought my dog from Montreal to Algarve October 3rd. She is a Rottweiler, so I had to have a special crate constructed. Originally, we were to fly on the same plane, but TAP changed their parameters. I flew from Montreal to Lisbon on October 3rd via TAP. I dropped my dog off for a flight with Lufthansa on the same day, but she spent the night in Frankfurt at the pet lounge. They were amazing, emailed me every step of the way.  Costly, but worth it.