Is your pet like a member of the family? If so, it’s important to make sure you heed important travel advice when preparing to move abroad with your pet. While it is not difficult to take pets to many parts of the world, not adhering to set rules and guidelines can turn the experience into a nightmare.

To help ease the stress of moving abroad with a pet, we’ve compiled a list of our top five tips for safe and efficient pet travel:

1. Call up the nearest consulate - While regional consulates (and Embassies based in Washington, D.C.) mainly exist to help foreign citizens living in the United States, these consulates also provide a wealth of information about the laws, regulations and procedures of their country. Utilize their knowledge by calling the consulate that services your region and asking what restrictions and guidelines exist for bringing your pet into their country.
2. Make your travel arrangements early - Since you will most likely be traveling by air, it’s important to make your travel arrangements as early as possible. Some airlines don’t take pets as cargo or checked baggage at all, and others reserve only a certain number of spaces. The earlier you book the better. Note, most airlines do not allow pets as carry-on luggage on transatlantic flights. Furthermore, travel embargoes exist on many airlines during the summer months.
3. Do a lot of research on the web – Luckily, you aren’t the first person to do this! Utilize the wealth of information available online in message boards, forums and other websites to get your burning questions about pet travel answered.
4. Confirm everything with the airline - Peace of mind is so valuable, which is why we suggest confirming your pet’s flight 7 days before and again 48 hours before the flight.
5. Find a new vet before you go - Play it safe and find a vet in your new country before you leave. That way, if your pet is injured in any way during travel you already know where to take him or her.

The best advice of all is to be educated on the pet travel process. When in doubt, make contact with a pet travel consultant. These consultants are often pricey, but they can provide you with information that can be difficult to find otherwise.