A dog or cat moving from the United States to Poland typically runs $1,500 to $4,200. No import permit, no government entry fee, and no quarantine for a compliant pet. Poland follows the standard EU entry pattern: microchip first, rabies vaccination, a 21 day wait, then the EU animal health certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS. What is specific to Poland is how many airports can actually clear the animal, and it is more of them than almost anywhere else in the EU. Figures verified September 2026.
Airlines price live animals on chargeable weight: whichever is greater, the actual weight or a volume figure worked out from the crate. For pets the volume figure almost always wins, which is why crate size drives the flight cost more than the animal does. The volumetric divisor is the industry standard 166 cubic inches per pound. The rates come from the American Airlines Cargo published live animal tariff, the tariff these estimates are calculated against. Checked September 2026.
| Crate size | Approx. dimensions | Chargeable weight | Freight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (cat or toy dog) (size 100) | 21 x 16 x 15 in | 14 kg | $690 |
| Medium (size 200) | 28 x 20.5 x 21.5 in | 34 kg | $1,066 |
| Large (size 400) | 36 x 25 x 27 in | 66 kg | $1,960 |
| Giant (size 700) | 48 x 32 x 35 in | 147 kg | $2,977 |
These are our own calculation from the published rate and divisor, for a direct booking. A connecting routing, or a carrier that quotes rather than publishes, will differ. Most US cities reach Warsaw or Krakow on a European hub connection rather than a nonstop, so expect a transfer in the routing and price the extra handling in.
Whichever carrier takes the booking sets its own hold conditions, crate rules and pet charges, and those vary more between airlines than the fares do. Our list of the airlines that carry pets internationally covers which carriers accept live animals out of the US, and our comparison of US airline pet policies puts the big carriers side by side. The freight mechanics on this page come from American Airlines Cargo, whose conditions are set out in full in our guide to the American Airlines pet policy.
| Cost | Amount | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| USDA export endorsement | $101 per certificate | USDA APHIS |
| IATA crate | $65 to $378 depending on size | Retailer |
| Microchip and rabies vaccination | Set by your clinic | Your vet |
| EU animal health certificate | Set by your clinic | Your vet |
| Airline live animal processing | $150 per air waybill | Airline |
| Import permit | None | Not applicable |
| Rabies titer test | Not required from the USA | Not applicable |
| Quarantine | None for a compliant pet | Not applicable |
The endorsement sits in the $101 band because the United States is a listed country for EU entry and no rabies titer test is required. APHIS does not count rabies vaccinations toward the number of tests on a certificate, so the vaccination on its own does not push the fee into a higher band. Where a test is required the same schedule charges $160 for the first animal and $10 for each additional animal. The fee is per certificate rather than per pet, so two animals on one certificate costs far less than two separate certificates.
Every pet arriving in the EU from a third country has to pass through a designated point of entry, which the EU calls a travellers point of entry, where the competent authority checks the paperwork and reads the microchip. In most member states that means one or two airports for the whole country. Poland designates twelve: Warsaw Chopin, Warsaw Modlin, Krakow Balice, Gdansk Rebiechowo, Katowice Pyrzowice, Wroclaw Strachowice, Poznan Lawica, Rzeszow Jasionka, Szczecin Goleniow, Lodz Lublinek, Lublin Swidnik and Bydgoszcz, alongside road and rail crossings on the eastern border.
That is a cost fact more than a paperwork one. A move to Krakow or Gdansk does not have to land in Warsaw and then travel onward by road, which takes a ground leg and several hours out of the animal’s day. Sweden, by comparison, designates two airports for the entire country.
The EU replaced its non-commercial pet movement rules in 2026. The framework in force is Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, with the country lists in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 and the document models in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705, both applying from 22 April 2026. The animal health certificate model is now Part 1 of Annex III to 2026/705.
The changeover runs on two dates, and it is worth getting both right. A certificate on the old Annex IV model counts as compliant only if it was issued before 1 October 2026, and even then only for a transitional period ending 31 March 2027. After that the new model is the only one accepted. One change in the other direction: once your pet has been checked at the point of entry, the same certificate now covers onward movement inside the EU for six months rather than four.
None of this changes what the move costs. What it changes is which form your accredited veterinarian completes and which form the APHIS endorsement office will accept, and the certificate is valid for only 10 days from signature to the check at the point of entry. On a Polish move we confirm the current model with the endorsing office before the vet appointment is set, because a rejected form means a new appointment, a second endorsement fee and a missed flight.
Your vet sets their own fees. The examination and the certificate paperwork are priced by your clinic and vary between practices, so ask your vet directly. Ground transport at either end is quoted per route. Our coordination fee is included in the total we quote you and itemized on your invoice.
One thing the table cannot show. These figures assume the pet travels with its owner, or that the owner travels within five days either side of the animal. Where that is not the case the EU treats the move under its commercial entry rules instead, which bring a registered establishment of origin, a registered destination, a registered transporter and clearance at a border control post rather than a point of entry. That is a different job at a different price, so tell us your own travel dates early and we will tell you which one you are in.
Crate size is the single biggest lever, because it drives chargeable weight. Direct routings cost more per kilogram than they look but remove transfer handling, which on a Polish move usually comes down to choosing between a hub connection and a longer day for the animal. Season matters too: summer heat embargoes narrow the booking window and winter cold rules do the same. Two pets on one certificate share the USDA endorsement, while each extra pet adds its own crate and freight, up to the EU maximum of five animals in a non-commercial movement. Breed rules are set nationally and separately from the EU entry conditions, so tell us the breed when you ask for a quote.
Freight calculated from the American Airlines Cargo published live animal tariff. Endorsement fees from the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services user fee schedule. EU entry conditions from the European Commission page on bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, the listing that exempts the United States from the rabies titer test, and the Commission list of travellers points of entry. Polish points of entry from the list the Commission publishes for Poland, an appendix to the Ordinance of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 1 February 2016. Government fees change, so every figure here is tied to the authority that publishes it. Verified September 2026.
Send us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemized plan, a timeline and clear next steps. For entry rules and the full paperwork timeline, see our guide to pet shipping requirements for Poland, or compare other routes on the pet shipping cost calculator.
Last updated 7 September 2026
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