How do you bring a pet to the Falkland Islands in 2026?

Apply for an Import Licence from the Veterinary Department before you book pet transport. The Department tells you which vaccinations, blood tests, and treatments apply for your origin. UK exporters should also contact APHA Pet Exports for the correct export certification pack. Australia and New Zealand routes follow similar licensed entry conditions; other origins need a direct Veterinary Services answer before you assume a path exists.

FIG welcome materials describe UK pets commonly flying LATAM with transit via Santiago. That routing can cost more than the human ticket and adds delay risk: if the Island leg slips, you pay kennel or hotel costs until the animal can continue. Specialist pet-shippers experienced on the route help, but you still own the licence and housing permissions.

All live animals undergo quarantine after arrival. Confirm the exact house-quarantine length on your licence and current Veterinary guidance; welcome packs and export notes can describe different windows, so do not rely on a forum screenshot. Register the animal with the Veterinary Department, which serves government, farms, and the public. Specialist referrals are limited on-Island.

Dogs face ongoing hydatid-disease controls: regular antiparasitic dosing issued through the Veterinary Department and covered through the annual dog licence fee. Dogs found wandering can trigger fines. Check FIG Housing or your private landlord before the pet flies; some units ban animals or require fencing and end-of-tenancy cleaning: Apply for a residence permit and How expensive are the Falkland Islands.

Local cats are often easy to rehome free, but exporting or leaving a pet at contract end is your problem. There is little local pet insurance. Budget pet logistics beside the work-permit and bank setup pack: Open a bank account.