Delta Airlines International Pet Policy: Fees, Banned Routes and Paperwork (October 2026)

Delta Air Lines' international pet policy lets one small dog or cat per passenger fly in the Main Cabin or Comfort cabin on most international routes for $200 USD, CAD or EUR each way, as of October 2026. The pet must stay in a leak-proof soft-sided kennel, ventilated on four sides, that fits under the seat in front. Cabin pets are banned to or from places including the United Kingdom, Australia and Hong Kong. Delta Cargo pet shipping is suspended for everyone except U.S. military and diplomatic personnel on transfer orders.

In plain terms, the Delta Airlines international pet policy is the set of rules Delta Air Lines publishes for carrying animals across borders. It covers which pets can fly, in which cabin, on which routes, for what fee, and with which government documents. This guide uses Delta's official pet pages, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the European Commission. It was last checked on October 6, 2026.

Delta international pet policy at a glance

The table below sets out the main rules for international travel from Delta's Pet Travel Overview and its travel-agent policy page (Delta Air Lines, 2026).

How much does Delta charge to fly a pet internationally?

Delta charges $200 USD, CAD or EUR each way for an in-cabin pet on international routes, according to its 2026 Pet Travel Overview. The fee is collected at the airport, not when you book. Delta says the fee that applies is the one in the contract of carriage in force when your ticket was issued.

For comparison, Delta's domestic in-cabin fee is $150 USD/CAD each way for tickets issued on or after April 8, 2025. Brazil also costs $200 for tickets issued on or after that date. However, Delta does not accept cabin pets on flights that originate in Brazil, so the Brazil fee in practice covers outbound flights to Brazil only.

Government charges are separate from the airline fee. Delta's international page warns that veterinary bills, customs clearance fees and quarantine costs may also apply.

Where Delta does not allow pets in the cabin

Delta's Pet Travel Overview (2026) lists destinations where pets are not permitted in the cabin:

• Australia
• Barbados
• Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic (for pets originating there)
• Hawaii (no pets on flights to Hawaii)
• Hong Kong
• Iceland
• Jamaica
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• United Kingdom
• United Arab Emirates

Where Delta's own pages disagree

Delta's travel-agent page (Delta Professional) also lists Ireland as a no-cabin-pet destination, but the consumer overview does not. Delta's international page says that customers flying to the Republic of Ireland with a cabin pet must notify Ireland's Department of Agriculture in advance at [email protected]. Because Delta's pages conflict, confirm Ireland with Delta Reservations before you book.

The agent page also gives embargo dates. Cabin pets on flights originating in Brazil and Colombia have been embargoed since June 7, 2021. Flights originating in the Dominican Republic have been embargoed since January 24, 2025. Pets are still accepted on one-way or return flights into the Dominican Republic (Delta Professional, 2026).

Country-specific notes from Delta

• Australia and New Zealand: Delta says both countries' laws allow pets to enter or leave only as cargo, apart from documented service animals.
• United Kingdom: Delta will not accept any live animals as checked or carry-on baggage to or from the UK. Documented service dogs flying to Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester need a pre-approval letter from an Animal Reception Centre.
• Hong Kong: Pets must travel as cargo on an air bill, with an import or quarantine permit arranged before arrival.
• Egypt: Delta has put a temporary embargo on pet travel to and from Egypt, following a CDC suspension of dogs arriving from Egypt.
• Cuba: You need a household pet certificate from a Cuban embassy or consulate before travel, and Cuba treats service animals as pets.

Can my pet fly in cargo on Delta internationally?

For most travellers, the answer is no. Delta's Shipping Your Pet page says that, until further notice, Delta Cargo only ships pets for active U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officers travelling with permanent change of station orders. Delta's travel-agent page describes this as an embargo on all pet-in-hold bookings that applies globally and has no end date.

Even qualifying shipments face strict rules from Delta Cargo (2026):

• International customers must use a pet shipper approved by the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA).
• Crates must meet Container Requirement #1 of the International Air Transport Association Live Animals Regulations (IATA LAR).
• An international health certificate must be signed or endorsed within 10 days of travel.
• Pets cannot be booked more than 14 days before departure, and they must reach the cargo facility 6 hours before an international departure.
• Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs, cats and their mixes are not permitted on Delta or Delta Connection flights, and Delta does not allow pets to be sedated.
• Pets do not travel if the ground temperature anywhere on the route is above 80°F (27°C) or below 20°F (-7°C).

Delta Connection regional partners add another limit. Delta's international page says live animals are prohibited on all SkyWest Airlines and Endeavor Air flights operating outside the U.S., except to Canada. For a comparison of airline cargo options, see our pet shipping guide to cabin, cargo and 2026 rules.

Documents your pet needs for an international Delta flight

Delta's check-in agents confirm documents, but the rules come from governments. Delta allows international cabin travel only if you hold "all required documentation for the pet's entry into the final destination" and for the return trip where relevant (Delta Air Lines, 2026).

Flying a dog into the United States: CDC rules

The CDC is the primary authority for dog imports, including U.S. dogs coming home, according to USDA APHIS (2026). Delta summarises the CDC baseline as follows:

• The dog must appear healthy, be microchipped and be at least 6 months old.
• The dog must travel with a receipt for a completed CDC Dog Import Form.
• More documents are required depending on where the dog was vaccinated against rabies and whether it has been in a high-risk rabies country in the past 6 months.

The CDC states that a dog that is unvaccinated and has been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months will not be allowed to enter the U.S. USDA APHIS adds that U.S.-vaccinated dogs visiting high-risk countries need a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form. A USDA-accredited veterinarian must submit it before the dog leaves the United States, and it cannot be issued afterwards (USDA APHIS, August 2026).

New World Screwworm certificates for Mexico and the U.S.

From August 3, 2026, every dog entering Mexico needs a New World Screwworm inspection certificate completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian, according to Delta. It must be issued no more than 5 days before arrival, and Delta checks it at check-in. In the other direction, USDA APHIS requires dogs arriving from screwworm-affected countries to carry documentation, issued within 5 days of arrival, showing they were inspected and found free of screwworm or treated until free.

Flying a pet into the European Union

The European Commission's Your Europe portal says a dog, cat or ferret entering the EU from a non-EU country such as the United States generally needs the following:

1. An ISO-compliant microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
2. A rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or older, followed by at least 21 days' wait after a primary vaccination.
3. A rabies antibody titration test, required for most non-EU countries. Use the EU's country tool to check whether yours is exempt.
4. For dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland, tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) treatment 24 to 120 hours before travel.
5. An EU animal health certificate issued by an official state veterinarian no more than 10 days before arrival. For U.S. departures, this means a USDA APHIS-endorsed certificate. It stays valid for onward EU travel for 6 months or until the rabies vaccination expires.
6. A signed declaration that the trip is non-commercial, and entry through a designated travellers' point of entry.

Note that sources differ here. Delta's international page still cites Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 for EU pet entry. The European Commission now says non-commercial pet movements are governed by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131. Follow the Commission's current guidance and your USDA-accredited veterinarian's advice over the airline's summary.

A European pet passport is a separate document. The Commission says it is issued only to EU residents and is used for travel between EU countries. U.S. travellers normally enter the EU with a health certificate, not a pet passport.

How to book a pet on a Delta international flight: step by step

1. Check the route. Make sure neither your origin nor your destination is on Delta's no-cabin-pet list, and that every segment is operated by Delta mainline rather than a partner or Delta Connection carrier.
2. Contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel. USDA APHIS says destination countries set the entry rules and can change them at any time.
3. Book your seat, then call Delta Reservations to add the pet. Cabin pet spaces are first come, first served, so have your kennel's length, width and height ready.
4. Choose a valid seat. Delta does not allow cabin pets in bulkhead rows, exit rows, "no stowage" seats or flat-bed and Delta One seats.
5. Time the paperwork. EU health certificates have a 10-day window, Mexico screwworm certificates have a 5-day window, and the CDC rabies certification must be done before you leave the U.S.
6. Check in at the Special Service Counter. An agent checks the pet, the kennel and your documents and collects the $200 fee. Allow extra time.
7. At security, you must take the pet out of its kennel. After that, it must stay in the kennel throughout the airport, in Delta Sky Club lounges and on board.

Delta warns that failing to keep a pet in its kennel may cost you the ability to fly with pets on future flights.

Animal Passport is not a pet travel document

Animal Passport is a different kind of record, and the difference matters. Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock passport built on muzzle biometrics: a nose print that is unique to each animal, like a fingerprint. Using a phone, it captures a record that links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photo, with a confidence score), body condition score (1 to 5, from a side-profile photo) and vaccination history.

The system has been used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan in August 2025, where it helped farmers reclaim animals after paper tags washed away. It is an identity record for farm animals. It is not an EU pet passport, a CDC Dog Import Form, a USDA APHIS-endorsed health certificate, or an ISO microchip. Delta, the CDC and EU border vets will not accept it in place of those documents. For airline travel with a dog or cat, follow the official steps above. For livestock identification, see the Animal Passport blog.

Bottom line

As of October 2026, Delta remains one of the main U.S. airlines that carries small dogs and cats across borders in the cabin, for $200 each way. Your options shrink quickly if the route touches the UK, Australia, Hong Kong or another excluded country, or if your pet is too large for an under-seat kennel. Delta Cargo is closed to civilian pet owners until further notice. Check Delta's pages close to your departure date, because fees and embargoes have changed several times since 2021.