Delta Airlines International Pet Travel: 2026 Rules, Fees and Documents

Delta airlines international pet travel is allowed only for small dogs and cats that ride in the cabin, in a kennel under the seat, for a $200 one-way fee (Delta Air Lines, 2026). Pets cannot fly in Delta One, Delta Premium or international business class, cannot enter the cabin on routes such as the United Kingdom, Australia or Hong Kong, and Delta Cargo currently ships pets only for U.S. military and diplomatic movers. You also need the destination country's health paperwork.

In plain terms, Delta international pet travel is the set of Delta Air Lines rules, fees and kennel limits that apply when a passenger flies with a pet across a border, layered on top of the government entry rules of the destination country. As of October 2026, this guide summarizes Delta's official pet pages, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the European Commission. Airline and border rules change often, so confirm every item with Delta and the relevant authority before you book.

By Animal Passport editorial team. Last updated October 10, 2026.

What Delta allows on international flights

Delta's Pet Travel Overview (Delta Air Lines, 2026) says dog or cat travel outside the contiguous U.S. is permitted only if the customer holds all documents needed for the pet to enter the destination and, if applicable, to return to its country of origin. The pet must also meet Delta's age, health, size and kennel requirements.

There are three ways an animal can move on Delta, and only one is open to most travelers:

• In-cabin pet: open to the public for small dogs and cats that fit under the seat.
• Delta Cargo: restricted "until further notice" to active U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel with permanent change-of-station orders (Delta Cargo shipping page, 2026).
• Trained service animals: handled under separate service-animal rules, with route-specific exceptions such as the UK.

Delta's regional partners add another limit. Delta's International and Connection Pet Travel page (Delta Air Lines, 2026) states that live animals are prohibited on all SkyWest and Endeavor Air flights operating outside the U.S. except Canada. If your itinerary includes a regional connection abroad, check it before you buy a ticket.

Delta international pet fees in 2026

Delta collects the in-cabin pet fee at check-in, each way. The table below reproduces the fees listed on Delta's Pet Travel Overview as of October 2026.

Delta says the CAD amount applies when departing Canada and the EUR amount applies when departing Europe, and that fees follow the contract of carriage in force when the ticket was issued. Government costs are extra. Delta warns that veterinary bills, customs clearance and quarantine costs may apply, and USDA APHIS charges fees to endorse export health certificates.

Where Delta will not carry pets in the cabin

According to Delta's Pet Travel Overview (2026), pets are not permitted in the cabin to or from:

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

Route-specific notes from Delta

• United Kingdom: Delta will not accept any live animals as checked or carry-on baggage to or from the UK. Service dogs to London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester need a pre-approval letter from the destination Animal Reception Centre.
• Australia and New Zealand: national law does not allow pets as carry-on or checked baggage, so all pets must enter or leave as cargo.
• Hong Kong: an import or quarantine permit is required, and pets must ship as cargo on an air waybill.
• South Africa: all animals except recognized service dogs must travel as manifested cargo, and military exceptions do not apply.
• Egypt: Delta has a temporary embargo on pet travel to and from Egypt, following a CDC temporary ban on dogs from Egypt.
• Mexico: from August 3, 2026, all dogs entering Mexico need a New World screwworm inspection certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian, issued no more than 5 days before arrival and checked at Delta check-in (Delta, 2026).
• Republic of Ireland: for cabin travel, Delta tells customers to notify Ireland's Department of Agriculture in advance at [email protected].

Cabin, kennel and age rules for international flights

Which cabins accept pets

Delta's booking table (Delta Air Lines, 2026) allows up to 4 pets in Delta Comfort or Delta Main on domestic and international flights, and 0 pets in international business class, Delta One or Delta Premium, excluding service animals. Pets are first-come, first-served, so call Delta Reservations with your kennel's length, width and height as soon as you have a reservation.

Kennel requirements

• One pet kennel per passenger, fitting fully under the seat in front of you.
• Soft-sided kennels must be leak-proof, with ventilation on 4 sides for international travel (3 sides for domestic).
• Delta recommends a soft kennel of at most 18 x 11 x 11 inches, because that size fits most aircraft. Under-seat space varies, so check your aircraft.
• The pet must be able to move without touching or sticking out of the sides, and must stay in the kennel in the airport, the Delta Sky Club and on board, except at security screening and in pet relief areas.

Seats you cannot choose

Passengers with a cabin pet cannot sit in bulkhead rows, exit rows, "no stowage" seats, flat-bed or Delta One seats, rows 46-51 on the A330-200, rows 54-59 on the A330-300, or center seats on the B757-200 (Delta, 2026).

Minimum age

Delta's current overview (2026) sets these minimums: 8 weeks for domestic travel, 15 weeks for travel to the European Union, and for travel into the U.S. from another country, 6 months for dogs and 16 weeks for cats. The 6-month dog minimum mirrors the CDC's U.S. entry rule.

Delta Cargo for international pets

Larger pets that cannot fit under a seat would normally travel as cargo, but Delta's Shipping Your Pet page (Delta Cargo, 2026) currently limits pet shipments to active U.S. military and Foreign Service Officers with permanent change-of-station orders. For eligible shippers, Delta Cargo's rules include:

• A separate booking through the Delta Cargo Customer Service Center, no earlier than 14 days before departure.
• Use of a pet shipper approved by the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) for international shipments.
• A crate meeting Container Requirement #1 of the International Air Transport Association Live Animals Regulations (IATA LAR).
• An international health certificate signed or endorsed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian or veterinary authority within 10 days of travel.
• Drop-off 6 hours before an international departure, with a 4-hour acceptance cut-off.
• No shipping if ground temperatures exceed 80°F (27°C) or fall below 20°F (-7°C) anywhere on the trip.
• No brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs or cats, and no sedation.

Government paperwork: leaving, entering and returning

Delta checks documents, but governments set them. Expect three layers of rules.

Leaving the United States: USDA APHIS

USDA APHIS advises owners to contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as they decide to travel. If the destination requires a USDA-endorsed health certificate, the veterinarian issues it and submits it through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS). According to APHIS's Country Acceptance List for VEHCS (last modified September 21, 2026), some countries accept APHIS's electronic endorsement; for others, APHIS prints, ink-signs and embosses the certificate and returns it by mail or pickup.

Entering the European Union

The European Commission's page on bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country (2026) says non-commercial pet travel is now governed by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131. Dogs, cats and ferrets must:

1. Have a microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination.
2. Be vaccinated against rabies at 12 weeks or older, with at least 21 days after the primary vaccination before travel.
3. Have a rabies antibody titration test, unless they come from a country exempted in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636. The EU's Your Europe portal provides a tool to check your departure country.
4. Travel with an EU animal health certificate issued or endorsed no more than 10 days before entry, plus the owner's non-commercial declaration.
5. For dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland, receive a tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) treatment 24 to 120 hours before entry.

The Commission adds that certificates drawn up under the older Regulation (EU) 577/2013 model remain valid if issued before October 1, 2026, so travelers holding an older form should confirm which model their vet used.

Returning to the United States with a dog

The CDC's Bringing a Dog into the U.S. page states that requirements depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it visited in the 6 months before entry. Delta summarizes the CDC rules this way: dogs must appear healthy, be microchipped, be at least 6 months old and travel with a receipt for a completed CDC Dog Import Form. A dog that has been in a high-risk rabies country in the past 6 months and is not vaccinated will not be allowed to enter (CDC, 2024).

Step-by-step: booking a pet on a Delta international flight

1. Check Delta's no-cabin-pet list and partner restrictions for every segment of your route.
2. Confirm your fare is Delta Main or Delta Comfort, not Delta One, Delta Premium or business class.
3. Look up destination entry rules on the USDA APHIS pet travel site and book a USDA-accredited veterinarian. EU titer tests can add about 3 months.
4. Buy an international-compliant soft kennel ventilated on 4 sides and measure it.
5. Call Delta Reservations to add the pet; space is first-come, first-served.
6. Get the health certificate issued and APHIS-endorsed within the destination's time window, often 10 days.
7. Plan the return trip, including CDC dog import requirements.
8. Arrive early and check in at the Special Service Counter, where Delta checks documents and collects the $200 fee.

When Delta's own pages disagree

Delta still hosts an older Pet Travel Options page that conflicts with the current overview. The older page lists a $125 domestic fee, a 10-week domestic minimum age and a 16-week minimum for pets entering the U.S. It also adds Dakar, Dubai and the Republic of Ireland to the no-cabin list. The current overview lists $150, 8 weeks and a 6-month minimum for dogs entering the U.S., and allows Ireland with advance notice. Treat the current overview as authoritative and get the agent's confirmation in your booking record.

Pet passports vs. Animal Passport: not the same thing

Travelers often search for a "pet passport" for Delta flights. Official travel documents are issued under government schemes. The European pet passport is issued by authorized vets only to owners resident in the EU, and the EU animal health certificate is issued or endorsed by official veterinarians (European Commission, 2026). For U.S. departures, health certificates are issued by USDA-accredited veterinarians and endorsed by USDA APHIS.

Animal Passport is a different product. It is a digital animal and livestock identity record built on muzzle biometrics: the nose print is unique, like a fingerprint, and is captured on a phone. The record ties together owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photograph, with a confidence score), a 1-5 body condition score from a side-profile photo, and vaccination history. In August 2025 it was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan, so farmers could reclaim animals after paper tags washed away.

Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document, an EU pet passport or a veterinary health certificate, and Delta does not list it as accepted documentation. It does not replace your vet's certificate or a microchip for border checks. More identification and travel explainers are on the Animal Passport blog.

Bottom line: the airline approves the seat, governments approve the border, and your veterinarian connects the two. Missing any one of them can stop your pet at check-in.