Pet Transport UK to Croatia: AHC and Tapeworm Requirements in 2026

Croatia has multiple international airports, and your choice of arrival point affects which carriers you can use to transport your pet. Zagreb International (ZAG) is the main hub, operating year-round with consistent scheduled services. Croatia Airlines from Heathrow and British Airways from Heathrow both serve Zagreb and accept pets in the hold.

Split (SPU) and Dubrovnik (DBV) are significantly busier in summer, when they receive high volumes of package holiday and charter traffic. The problem for pet owners is that most of those summer flights are on charter carriers (Jet2, TUI) that typically do not accept pets. If your destination is the Dalmatian coast and you are travelling in peak season, you may need to fly your pet to Zagreb and drive south, or look specifically for scheduled carriers serving Split directly.

easyJet operates from Gatwick to Split and accepts pets in the hold on this route, which is a useful option for summer coastal travel. Confirm the pet space at booking.

Your APHA-authorised vet appointment is where everything comes together: the physical examination, the tapeworm treatment, and the completion of the AHC. To make the appointment as smooth as possible, bring your pet’s vaccination record, microchip documentation, and the travel date confirmed.

The vet will scan the microchip, check it matches the existing records, confirm the rabies vaccination is current, administer the tapeworm treatment (praziquantel), and issue the AHC covering all three. The certificate has a 10-day validity from the date of issue, so the appointment should fall within 10 days of your travel date.

Not every veterinary practice is APHA-authorised. The GOV.UK site maintains a list of authorised vets. If your regular vet is not on it, you can attend a different practice just for the AHC appointment.