Can my pet fly in the cabin from Gatwick?

Almost never from the UK. Most UK airlines — including British Airways and easyJet — do not allow pets in the cabin or hold at all, except recognised assistance dogs. Pets generally travel as cargo or excess baggage, arranged through a pet shipping agent. Always check your specific airline's policy before booking.

Where do I collect my pet at Gatwick?

Pets arriving as cargo are cleared at the Gatwick Animal Reception Centre, operated by Animal Aircare in the World Cargo Centre — a short drive from the passenger terminals, open 24/7. Your pet is usually ready a few hours after landing once welfare and UK entry checks are complete. Bring photo ID, flight details and the documents, and ideally a spare collar and lead.

Are emotional support animals recognised at Gatwick?

No. The UK does not recognise emotional support animals as assistance animals, so they are treated as pets and are subject to airline rules and UK entry checks. Only assistance or service animals with DEFRA-recognised training are treated as assistance dogs.

Gatwick Travelling with Pets 2026: Assistance Dogs, Pet Cargo & the Animal Reception Centre

Q: Are pets allowed in the Gatwick terminal?

No. Only recognised assistance and guide dogs, or pets actually travelling on a flight, are allowed in the terminal buildings. Other pets are not permitted inside and travel separately as cargo, cleared at the Animal Reception Centre rather than the passenger terminals.

Q: What does my pet need to enter the UK?

Broadly a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, an Animal Health Certificate or valid pet passport, and tapeworm treatment for dogs from certain countries, carried in an IATA-approved crate. Requirements are set by APHA and vary by country, so always check the current rules on gov.uk and consider using a specialist pet travel agent.

Quick answer

Assistance & guide dogs are allowed in the terminal and cabin — notify your airline at least 48 hours ahead, and you're met by Animal Air Care for UK entry checks on arrival. Pets are not allowed in the terminal and most UK airlines don't carry them in the cabin at all — they travel as cargo and are cleared at Gatwick's Animal Reception Centre (open 24/7, in the World Cargo Centre), ready to collect a few hours after landing. Emotional support animals are treated as pets in the UK. Always check your airline and gov.uk.

Pet travel is one of the most rule-bound parts of flying, and Gatwick draws a sharp line between an assistance dog that travels with you and a pet that's shipped separately. Getting the right path clear early saves a lot of stress — and a lot of paperwork.

What's allowed in the terminal

Only recognised assistance and guide dogs, or pets that are actually booked on a flight, are permitted inside the terminal buildings. You can't bring a pet dog or cat into the terminal to see someone off or meet them. Pets travelling as cargo are handled entirely separately, away from the passenger terminals, at the Animal Reception Centre.

Assistance & guide dogs

If you travel with a trained assistance dog, it comes into the terminal and cabin with you. The essentials:

Tell your airline at least 48 hours ahead so the right arrangements are made for the cabin and the dog's documentation is confirmed against UK and destination rules.
Gatwick's Assisted Travel team can help you through the airport and provide access to a service-animal spend (relief) area after security if your dog needs it — just ask at the Assisted Travel reception.
On arrival into the UK you're met by Animal Air Care for Pet Travel Scheme checks; for recognised, trained assistance dogs these checks are covered by the airport, at no charge to you.
Carry training accreditation in case it's requested.

Emotional support animals: the UK does not recognise ESAs as assistance animals. They're treated as pets, subject to airline rules and full UK entry checks — and entry-clearance charges may apply for animals without DEFRA-recognised training. Only assistance/service dogs with recognised training get the assistance-dog route.

Pets travel as cargo

For an ordinary pet, the hard truth is that most UK airlines — including British Airways and easyJet — don't allow pets in the cabin or hold at all as a normal booking. Pets generally travel as cargo or excess baggage, arranged through a specialist pet shipping agent (or the airline's cargo arm), in an IATA-approved crate. The agent handles the booking, the crate and the documentation, which is well worth it given how easily a missing certificate can stop a pet flying.

The Animal Reception Centre (collecting your pet)

Pets arriving as cargo are received and cleared at the Gatwick Animal Reception Centre, operated by Animal Air Care in the World Cargo Centre — a short drive from the passenger terminals, open 24 hours a day with welfare staff always on site. Here's roughly how arrival works:

About an hour after landing, the airline's handlers bring your pet round to the centre.
Your pet is taken out of its crate, checked over and offered water, then settled in a kennel.
Staff read the microchip and check the UK entry documents; customs clearance is completed.
Your pet is released to you once everything is satisfied.

Realistic timings: the centre aims to reunite pets with owners within a few hours — often quickest around 2.5 hours for European arrivals and ~3 hours from further afield, longer if a flight lands with many animals. Bring photo ID, your flight details and the paperwork, plus a spare collar and lead. The centre is a secure site with no public access beyond the reception process, and there are no toilet facilities on site, so plan around that. Parking is available at the Cargo Centre.

The Cargo Centre is a drive from the terminals

Getting your pet (and crate) home from the Reception Centre

Collecting a pet from the Animal Reception Centre means a vehicle with room for a crate and an unhurried driver — not always easy to arrange on the spot after a long-haul arrival. A pre-booked transfer can wait while clearance completes and take you, your pet and the crate straight home. If you're travelling with an assistance dog, by law it travels with you door-to-door. Please tell us when you book so we can confirm a suitable vehicle and the right arrangements for your animal.

Ask about a pet-aware transfer →

UK entry requirements (the basics)

Requirements are set by APHA (the Animal and Plant Health Agency) and checked on arrival. Broadly, a pet entering the UK needs:

A microchip.
A valid rabies vaccination.
An Animal Health Certificate or a valid pet passport.
Tapeworm treatment for dogs arriving from certain countries.
An IATA-approved travel crate of the correct size.

Rules vary by the country you're travelling from and clearance can only be issued once your pet and its original documents are physically inspected on arrival — there's no pre-clearance. Because the detail matters and changes, always check the current requirements on gov.uk and consider a specialist pet travel agent to prepare everything.

Pets in the cabin (the rare exception)

Gatwick will let you take a pet through security only if you have documentation from your airline confirming the pet is accepted in the cabin — but as above, very few UK airlines allow this, and pets returning into the UK generally can't travel in the cabin. Treat in-cabin pet travel as the exception, confirm it in writing with your airline first, and don't assume it's possible. For onward travel, note that on the Gatwick Express a dog must be kept on a short lead or in a carrier and on the floor rather than a seat.

Frequently asked questions

Are pets allowed in the Gatwick terminal?

No — only recognised assistance and guide dogs, or pets actually travelling on a flight. Other pets aren't allowed inside and are handled at the Animal Reception Centre, away from the passenger terminals.

Can my pet fly in the cabin?

Almost never from the UK. Most UK airlines, including BA and easyJet, don't allow pets in the cabin or hold except recognised assistance dogs. Pets travel as cargo via a pet agent. Always check your airline.

Where do I collect my pet?

At the Gatwick Animal Reception Centre (Animal Air Care) in the World Cargo Centre, a short drive from the terminals, open 24/7. Your pet is usually ready a few hours after landing once checks are done. Bring photo ID, flight details, the documents and a spare collar and lead.

Are emotional support animals recognised?

No — the UK doesn't recognise ESAs as assistance animals, so they're treated as pets, subject to airline rules and UK entry checks. Only DEFRA-recognised trained assistance/service dogs get the assistance-dog route.

What does my pet need to enter the UK?

Broadly a microchip, valid rabies vaccination, an Animal Health Certificate or pet passport, tapeworm treatment for dogs from certain countries, and an IATA-approved crate. Rules vary by country and change — check gov.uk and consider a pet travel agent.

This is general guidance, current at the time of writing (2026); pet-travel and UK entry rules are strict and change, and airline policies differ. Always confirm current requirements on gov.uk / with APHA, check your specific airline's pet policy, and contact the Animal Reception Centre or a pet travel agent before you travel. RushXO is a licensed private-hire transfer operator and is not affiliated with London Gatwick Airport, the Animal Reception Centre or any airline; carriage of pets is at the operator's discretion, while assistance dogs are carried in line with the law.

Travelling with Pets at Gatwick