Pet relocation to or from Greece
Planning a move with a pet can involve veterinary preparation, travel rules, airline requirements and coordination with independent transport providers.
Tell Apolo what you know so far. Your enquiry will be reviewed personally, and Apolo will explain whether a realistic next step or possible provider introduction can currently be identified.
Apolo's specialist provider network is still developing. An introduction, quotation or booking cannot be guaranteed.
Apolo Wellness is a pet concierge and referral service. International transportation, boarding, veterinary work, regulatory advice and documentation services are performed by independent providers.
How Apolo can help
Apolo does not transport pets. What Apolo can do is take a half-formed plan and turn it into something a specialist can actually respond to:
- Organise the information needed to begin
- Point out which questions still need answering
- Prepare a structured relocation brief
- Research possible specialist provider options
- Explain a proposed introduction before any information is shared
- Help move questions between you and an introduced provider
- Help you plan local pet care after arrival in Athens
Any international transport, customs, veterinary, airline, export, import or specialist handling service would be provided by the relevant independent provider, not by Apolo.
What Apolo does
- Reviews the enquiry
- Organises the initial information
- Researches possible options
- Explains any proposed introduction
- Requests permission before sharing details
- Makes an introduction where possible
- Follows up where appropriate
What the independent provider does
- Confirms whether it can assist
- Confirms current requirements
- Provides its own quotation
- Handles specialist logistics
- Confirms documentation and crate requirements
- Sets its own terms and prices
Moves people ask about
- Moving a pet to Greece
- Moving a pet from Greece
- Moving between Greece and another EU country
- Moving between Greece and a non-EU country
- Returning to Greece with a pet
- Leaving Greece permanently
- Temporary travel with a pet
- Relocating more than one pet
- Moving a dog
- Moving a cat
- Enquiries involving other companion animals
The exact options depend on the countries involved, the animal, timing, transport method and current provider availability. Asking about a route is always fine, even when the answer turns out to be that nothing suitable is available yet.
What is enough to get started
Approximate information is genuinely enough at this stage. Nothing below needs to be confirmed or final.
- Origin country and city
- Destination country and city
- Pet type
- Number of pets
- Approximate weight
- Approximate travel date or date range
- Whether you expect to travel with your pet
- Any known airline or route
- Any medical, behavioural or mobility considerations
- Preferred contact method
Perfectly fine not to know yet
- Exact flight
- Airline
- Airport
- Final travel date
- Crate size
- Complete paperwork
- Final provider
- Exact cost
If most of that list is still open, that is normal, and it is exactly the point at which a conversation is most useful. You can start a relocation enquiry with only rough details, or work through the printable planning checklist first.
What happens after you enquire
- 1. Send the essentials. Tell Apolo the route, approximate timing and basic information about your pet.
- 2. Apolo reviews the request. The enquiry is checked personally so the likely support required can be understood.
- 3. Possible options are researched. Where suitable businesses may be available, Apolo identifies a possible next step.
- 4. You approve any introduction. Your personal information is not shared with a provider without the appropriate permission.
- 5. The provider confirms availability. The independent provider confirms whether it can help, explains its service and provides its own quotation.
- 6. Apolo follows up. Where an introduction is made, Apolo may follow up to help keep communication clear.
Not every enquiry reaches every step above — if no suitable option is currently available, Apolo will tell you clearly.
What affects how complex a move is
Two moves that sound similar can be very different in practice. These are the factors that usually decide that. Requirements vary by country, route, airline and current regulations.
Route
- Origin and destination countries
- Whether the move is within the EU or to/from a non-EU country
- Direct or connecting travel
- Airport routing
The animal
- Species
- Breed
- Size and weight
- Number of animals
- Medical needs
- Behavioural needs
Timing
- Travel date
- Seasonal conditions
- Veterinary preparation lead times
Travel arrangements
- Airline rules
- Crate requirements
- Owner-accompanied or unaccompanied travel
- Collection and delivery requirements
Paperwork
- Vaccination and identification records
- Export or import documentation where applicable
Availability
- Whether a suitable independent provider is currently available for the route and dates
Documents and preparation
A general planning list of what tends to matter for an international pet move. Not every item applies to every journey.
- Microchip details
- Vaccination records
- Rabies vaccination information
- Veterinary records
- Pet passport, where applicable
- Health certificate, where applicable
- Import or export permits, where applicable
- Owner identification
- Travel itinerary
- Airline booking information
- Crate measurements
- Medication information
- Emergency contact information
This is a general planning checklist, not a definitive legal or veterinary requirements list. Current requirements must be confirmed for the exact route with the relevant authorities, airline, veterinarian and specialist provider.
Official sources
Links checked 27 July 2026. Always confirm against the authority itself, since published requirements change.
- UK Government — Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad (Official UK legal requirement — for leaving Great Britain)
- UK Government — Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (Official UK legal requirement — for entering Great Britain)
- UK Government — Bringing pets to Great Britain: overview (Official UK legal requirement — for entering Great Britain)
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country (Official EU legal requirement)
- European Commission — Travelling with a pet within the EU (Official EU legal requirement)
- Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food — Pet Animals (Relevant Greek authority)
- IATA — Live Animal Handling & Transport (Industry guidance, not a legal requirement)
- IATA — Traveler's Pet Corner (Industry guidance, not a legal requirement)
How long it takes
Some moves can be arranged relatively quickly, while others require several weeks or months of preparation. Starting earlier gives more room when something turns out to need a lead time.
Apolo does not publish a fixed timeline, because a realistic one depends entirely on the route and the animal.
What tends to drive the timeline
- Vaccination timing
- Blood testing, where a route requires it
- Government documentation
- Import permits, where applicable
- Airline availability
- Crate preparation
- Seasonal travel restrictions
- Provider availability
- Arrangements for more than one pet
What affects cost
Apolo does not provide an instant relocation quote. Where a possible provider is identified, that provider is responsible for explaining its own services, terms and pricing.
No sample prices are published here. Quoting a figure without a confirmed provider behind it would be guesswork.
Common cost factors
- Countries involved
- Pet size and weight
- Crate size
- Air or ground transport
- Number of pets
- Veterinary preparation
- Documentation
- Customs or handling services, where applicable
- Airport collection
- Home collection or delivery
- Boarding before or after travel
- Time sensitivity
- Route complexity
Ways a pet can travel
A pet may travel with its owner in the cabin where permitted, with the owner as checked or manifested transport where permitted, separately through a specialist transport arrangement, or by suitable ground transport on some routes. Rules vary, not every option is available for every pet, and the airline or transport provider makes the final operational decision. Apolo does not control airline acceptance.
| Method | May suit | Main questions | What affects availability | What the provider must confirm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-cabin travel | Small pets that meet the airline's in-cabin size and weight limits | Does the airline allow in-cabin pets on this route, and does the carrier fit under the seat | Airline policy, aircraft type, and how many in-cabin pet spaces the flight allows | Exact carrier dimensions, breed restrictions and the booking deadline |
| Accompanied baggage (where available) | Pets travelling with their owner on the same flight, checked as baggage | Does this airline and route offer accompanied baggage for pets, and what are the crate rules | Airline, route, season and temperature restrictions (many airlines suspend this in extreme heat) | Crate specification, check-in procedure and any seasonal embargo dates |
| Manifest cargo | Larger pets, or journeys where the owner isn't travelling on the same flight | Which cargo agent handles the booking, and what documentation they require | Cargo space on the route, seasonal embargoes and live-animal handling capacity | Handling agent, transit arrangements and the delivery/collection process |
| Road transport | Routes where flying isn't necessary or preferred, within a practical driving distance | How many stops, overnight stays and border crossings are involved | Distance, the specific countries crossed and vehicle/driver availability | Vehicle setup, rest-stop plan and any transit-country pet rules |
| Owner travelling with the pet | Owners who want to be present for check-in and arrival | Whether the owner's flight and the pet's transport method can realistically align | Whether the airline allows pets on the owner's specific flight and cabin class | Whether the owner needs to be present at check-in, security or arrival |
| Pet travelling separately | Owners travelling before or after their pet, or when no combined option fits | Who collects the pet at departure and delivers it on arrival | Cargo or courier capacity and the provider's own scheduling | The full custody chain from collection to delivery, and how updates are provided |
Questions worth asking any provider
Whether an introduction comes through Apolo or you find a provider yourself, these are the questions that tend to reveal what a quotation actually covers.
- Which parts of the move do you personally handle?
- Which parts are subcontracted?
- What is included in the quotation?
- What is excluded?
- Who confirms current travel requirements?
- Who checks the documentation?
- Who books the airline or transport?
- Who supplies or approves the crate?
- What happens if travel is delayed?
- What happens if the airline refuses the pet?
- Is boarding included?
- Is airport collection included?
- What insurance or liability terms apply?
- Who is the emergency contact during travel?
- What cancellation terms apply?
Apolo does not guarantee any provider's work, pricing or availability. These questions are here so you can make your own judgement. There is a longer version in the guide on questions to ask before choosing a relocation company.
After you arrive in Athens
Dog walking is provided directly by Apolo in Palaio Faliro, Alimos and Kalamaki.
Boarding, grooming, pet transport and other local services can be researched through independent providers, and those introductions remain subject to availability. A relocation enquiry does not automatically create access to every local service, so tell us separately what you need once you have arrived.
See pet services in Athens for what is currently direct and what is still developing, or send a local pet-service enquiry.
Common questions
Can Apolo relocate my pet directly?
No. Apolo provides planning support and, where possible, an introduction to an independent provider. The transport itself is carried out by that provider, not by Apolo.
Can you guarantee a provider?
No. The specialist provider network is still developing, so an introduction cannot be guaranteed. If no suitable option can currently be identified, Apolo will tell you plainly rather than leave you waiting.
Do I need confirmed flights before enquiring?
No. Approximate details are enough to begin. Many people enquire before anything is booked.
Can I enquire without knowing the exact travel date?
Yes. A rough month, a date range or “still flexible” is a perfectly workable starting point.
Can you help with moves into Greece?
Yes, that is one of the most common enquiries. What is realistically possible still depends on the origin country, the animal and current provider availability.
Can you help with moves out of Greece?
Yes. Departures involve the destination country's own requirements, which vary considerably, so the research stage matters more on these routes.
Can you help with EU and non-EU journeys?
Both can be discussed. Non-EU journeys are usually more involved, and the documentation and lead time can differ substantially from an EU move.
Can you help with cats as well as dogs?
Yes. Enquiries about other companion animals are also welcome, though the options available for less common species are often narrower.
Can you help with more than one pet?
Yes. Tell us how many animals are travelling, since this affects crating, cost and which providers can realistically assist.
Can you confirm the legal requirements for my route?
No, and Apolo will not pretend otherwise. Requirements change and are route-specific. They must be confirmed with the relevant authority, your veterinarian, the airline and the provider handling the move.
Who provides the final quotation?
The independent provider. Apolo does not set, approve or guarantee another business's pricing.
Will my information be shared immediately?
No. Your details are not passed to any provider without your separate, specific permission, and Apolo explains who is being proposed before that happens.
Can Apolo help after arrival in Athens?
Dog walking is provided directly by Apolo in selected areas. Boarding, grooming and other local services can be researched, but those introductions depend on the same developing provider network.
How early should I start planning?
Earlier is easier. Some moves come together quickly, others need several weeks or months, largely because of veterinary and documentation lead times.
What if no suitable provider is currently available?
Apolo will say so directly. You are welcome to come back closer to your travel date, and the planning information here remains useful in the meantime.
Start with the information you already have
You do not need confirmed flights or complete paperwork before contacting Apolo. Send the approximate route, timing and pet details, and your enquiry will be reviewed personally. Pet-relocation provider network currently in development.