Find out how one traveller got official approval for Eurostar with dog travel from Amsterdam to London — and what you need to know before you try.

How I Got Approval to Travel on Eurostar with My Dog (Amsterdam → London)

My cockapoo Sammy has a Eurostar ticket in his future — traveling with me from Amsterdam to London through the Channel Tunnel. Not in a bag under a seat. Not smuggled through. On his own booked space arranged in advance.

For most people traveling with dogs, that sentence is jaw-dropping — because if you’ve ever looked into Eurostar with dog on a to/from London route, you’ve probably hit the same wall I did: pet dogs generally aren’t allowed.

But Eurostar does have a process for guide and assistance animals, and in my case, the Assistance Team confirmed what they needed in order to review a request for Sammy to travel with me.

Important: policies and eligibility can vary by route and can change. This is my personal experience, not a guarantee of approval — always confirm directly with Eurostar before you travel.

Finding the information (which isn’t easy)

There’s nothing obvious on the Eurostar homepage about any of this. You have to navigate to the Traveling with Eurostar dropdown in the main navigation, click through to see more options — none of which reference pets — and then find a dedicated assistance animals page buried several clicks in.

Once you’re there, a single line mentions emotional support animal travel:

“If you require an emotional support animal to travel, please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements.”

That link takes you to a contact form. Not a dedicated page. Not a clear process. Just a form.

What happened when I got in touch

I sent my message on a Sunday, ahead of a bank holiday Monday. No reply — which, in hindsight, was perfectly understandable.

Then on the Wednesday, a detailed email arrived from the Eurostar Assistance Team. They handled my request through their assistance-animal process and sent a pre-approval application form to complete, with a requirement to return it at least 24 hours before travel.

The form asked me to confirm Sammy’s training and behaviour — that he behaves in public, doesn’t act aggressively, is comfortable in noisy environments like trains and alarms, and won’t relieve himself on board. I filled it in, submitted it, and was approved the same day.

In my case, that approval is valid for 12 months. Each time I travel within that window, I don’t need to reapply — I just need to contact the team to arrange Sammy’s ticket for that journey.

They also told me there’s a cap on the number of assistance animals per train, so availability can matter, especially at peak times.

How Sammy became an ESA (and what that means)

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) isn’t the same thing as a trained assistance dog. In my case, Sammy became my ESA because I obtained documentation confirming I benefit from having him with me for emotional support. That documentation came in the form of an ESA letter issued through Support Pets’ process.

I’m deliberately keeping the details high-level here because requirements and recognition vary by country, carrier, and route — and an ESA letter doesn’t guarantee travel approval. But it did give me a clear piece of documentation to share when Eurostar asked for information to review my request.

What made this possible (in my experience)

In my case, I shared an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letter from Support Pets as supporting documentation when I contacted Eurostar.

To be completely clear: I can’t speak to how Eurostar evaluates every request, and I’m not affiliated with Support Pets. But having documentation ready to share helped me make a clear request and respond quickly to what Eurostar asked for.

Also worth saying plainly: Eurostar’s public-facing policy language focuses on guide and assistance animals. If you’re exploring this for your own trip, assume it will be case-by-case and that the Assistance Team will tell you what they can and can’t accept for your route.

Eurostar were clear on one thing: don’t arrive without pre-approval and without a booked ticket/space arranged for your animal.

A few things worth knowing if you’re considering Eurostar with dog

• Build in time. Eurostar’s Assistance Team is available 7 days a week, 7am–7pm UK time, but they can’t always handle last-minute or holiday-weekend requests.

• Peak periods need extra planning. Summer, school holidays, and weekends can limit availability on certain services.

• Have your docs ready at check-in. Eurostar told me there can be checks for any required paperwork at check-in, so having Sammy’s details and documents already organized in the PadsPass app made the whole experience far less stressful.

• Reading up is step one. The app does the rest.

• Eurostar approval isn’t the same as border clearance. Even if Eurostar approves travel, you still need to ensure your dog meets the UK/EU pet travel requirements for your itinerary (for example, the Pet Travel Scheme rules, and the right documentation such as an Animal Health Certificate where applicable). That’s a separate process entirely.

The bigger picture

What strikes me most about this whole experience is how much access for traveling with animals is essentially invisible. The information is there, but buried. The process exists, but only if you know to ask — and if you’re able to provide what the operator requires.

Sammy and I are booked and approved for our trip. The Channel Tunnel awaits. And I’m already thinking about what comes next — because with the right preparation and the right documentation, it turns out there may be more options than most pet owners realize.

Key Takeaways: Eurostar with Dog

• Eurostar doesn’t allow pet dogs on its London routes, but does have a process for guide and assistance animals, including Emotional Support Animals (ESAs).

• You need to contact the Eurostar Assistance Team directly — there’s no self-service booking for traveling with a dog on Eurostar.

• Approval can be granted for up to 12 months, but there’s a cap on assistance animals per train — so book ahead, especially during peak periods.

• Eurostar approval is separate from UK/EU pet travel entry requirements — you’ll also need an Animal Health Certificate and to comply with the Pet Travel Scheme.

• Always confirm current requirements directly with Eurostar before you travel, as policies and eligibility can change.

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