How much does it cost to adopt a dog from abroad?

The published fees we checked from 15 rescue fee listings range from £425 to £1,250, usually including transport to the UK. On top of that, budget for a first vet check, any tests your vet asks for, kit, and ongoing costs. PDSA puts the minimum monthly cost of a medium dog at £83.

How much does it cost to adopt a dog from Romania?

The Romanian rescues we checked publish fees from £425 to £525. Pawprints to Freedom charges £520 for mainland UK, Paws2Rescue £525 (£425 for dogs over 8), and All Dogs Great and Small about £505 including separately quoted transport.

Is transport included in the adoption fee?

Often, but not always. Pawprints to Freedom, Paws2Rescue, Hope for Podencos and AA Dog Rescue include transport in one fee. Others quote it separately: Project Galgo charges £500 for transport to England or Wales on top of its £750 fee, and Healing Paws in Greece has the transport paid directly to the transporter. This calculator uses the all-in figure.

Why do overseas rescue fees cost £500 or more?

Because getting a dog here is expensive. Pawprints to Freedom publishes its per-dog costs, covering transport, tests and vaccinations, a Brucellosis test, neutering, an import fee and paperwork, at £525–£610. That's more than its £520 fee, before any of the shelter's own running costs.

Is adopting a dog from abroad cheaper than buying a puppy?

Usually, yes. The average advertised puppy on Pets4Homes was £989 in December 2025, and licensed breeders average over £1,500. Most overseas rescue fees we checked sit between £425 and £760, and the rescues that list what's included typically cover vaccinations, a microchip, a pet passport and transport, and often neutering. Running costs after that are much the same for any dog of the same size.

What costs come after the dog arrives?

A first UK vet health check (a median of £59 for a dog consultation at Medivet practices, September 2026), possibly a Brucella canis test if your vet asks (published prices of £87.42–£177 at the practices we checked), kit such as an escape-resistant harness and ID tag, and running costs: food, insurance and parasite treatment.

Free tool

What does adopting a dog from abroad really cost?

Rescue fees are only the start. Pick your dog’s country and rescue, then build up the rest: the first vet visit, tests, kit and month-to-month costs. You’ll see your first year at a glance.

Every default below comes from a published source: rescues’ own fee pages, vet practices’ price lists and PDSA’s cost-of-ownership figures. Where no honest typical figure exists, like kit, it starts at £0 for you to fill in rather than an invented number. Your choices are saved in this browser, and the share link lets you send your budget to someone else.

Step 1

Where is your dog coming from?

Pick a rescue’s published fee, or enter your own

Pawprints to Freedom£520Any dogPaws2Rescue£525Dog or puppyPaws2Rescue£425Dog over 8All Dogs Great and Small Rescue~£505Any dogAnother rescue£incl. transport

Covers transport, vaccinations, microchip, pet passport and neutering. The rescue says it can vary by dog and location.

Source: Pawprints to Freedom · Our profile of this rescue

Where this sits among 15 published fees

£300£500£700£900£1,100£1,300

Romania Other countries Your figure

Why is it £500+? See where one rescue’s fee goes

Pawprints to Freedom publishes what it spends getting one dog to the UK: £525–£610, against a £520 fee, before customs agent fees or any of the shelter’s own running costs.

Transport to the UK£225–£260
Tests & vaccinations£130–£170
Brucellosis test£92
Spay / neuter£35–£45
Import fee£20
Passport, microchip & health book£10
Tick & flea treatment£8
Microchip contact change£5

Source: Pawprints to Freedom

Step 2

The first few weeks home

First vet health checkYour UK baseline, which matters for insurance

£59

Default £59: median published dog consultation at Medivet, range £49–£83 (Compare Vet Pricing (Medivet, 11 Sept 2026)). Your vet will differ.

Brucella canis testMany UK vets ask for this before treating an imported dog

£115

Published prices at three practices: Mulberry House Vets, Greenbay Vets, Taylor Vets. Your rescue may already have tested your dog. Ask for the results.

Other screening tests e.g. Leishmania, Ehrlichia, heartworm. Ask your vet for a quote £

GPS tracker subscriptionA safety net for the bolt-risk early weeks

Example prices from the Tractive plans page, plus the cost of the device. Not an endorsement. See the Harness Finder for where a tracker fits in.

Step 3

Kit and home setup

£0

Prices vary too much to guess, so add your own: what you’ve bought or plan to buy. Leave anything you already have at £0.

Escape-resistant harnessThe one bit of kit not to skimp on£Martingale collarBackup point of contact£Double-ended leadClips to harness and collar£ID tagLegally required in public£Bed£Crate or penSomewhere safe to retreat£Bowls£First food shopAsk the rescue what your dog’s been eating£Anything elseToys, chews, stair gate, car guard…£

Step 4

Month-to-month running costs

£83/mo

Default: PDSA’s minimum monthly cost for a medium dog (worked out in 2024): food, insurance, flea and worm treatment, boosters, health checks and small consumables. It doesn’t include vet bills for illness, grooming, training or boarding.

Step 5 · optional

Training and extras

Nervous imported dogs often benefit from a qualified behaviourist or trainer early on. Add any quotes you have.

One-off (behaviourist, classes)£Monthly (walker, daycare, secure fields)£

For comparison

Your rescue fee next to buying a puppy

Food, insurance and vet care cost much the same for any dog of the same size, so the real difference is the upfront price.

Your rescue fee£520
Average puppy · Average price across Pets4Homes adverts, December 2025£989
Cockapoo · Average sale price (2025 data)£893
Miniature Dachshund · Typical price range£800–£1,500
Licensed breeder · Average for licensed breeders, 2026£1,500+
Chow Chow · Typical price range£800–£1,900
Samoyed · Typical price range£1,100–£2,000
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel · Typical price range£1,100–£2,000
Golden Retriever · Typical price range£1,100–£2,300
English Bulldog · Typical price range (2025)£1,000–£3,000+

That’s £469 less than the average advertised puppy, and it gives a home to a dog who’s been waiting for one.

Pawprints to Freedom: Covers transport, vaccinations, microchip, pet passport and neutering. The rescue says it can vary by dog and location.

Puppy prices are advertised prices on Pets4Homes and vary widely, and so does what’s included. Whichever route you take, ask what the price covers.

How to use the numbers

Treat this as a budget, not a quote. Fees vary by dog and change over time, so confirm the figure with your rescue before you commit. Vet prices vary a lot between practices. The Competition and Markets Authority has now ordered practices to publish their prices, so check your own vet’s list.

The biggest unknown isn’t on this page: vet bills if your dog is ill. That’s what insurance is for, and why the timing matters so much for an imported dog. See pet insurance for an imported rescue dog. For the kit, the Harness Finder works out how much escape protection your dog needs, and transport day covers what to have ready for arrival.

FAQ

Adoption costs: common questions

How much does it cost to adopt a dog from abroad?: The published fees we checked from 15 rescue fee listings range from £425 to £1,250, usually including transport to the UK. On top of that, budget for a first vet check, any tests your vet asks for, kit, and ongoing costs. PDSA puts the minimum monthly cost of a medium dog at £83.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog from Romania?: The Romanian rescues we checked publish fees from £425 to £525. Pawprints to Freedom charges £520 for mainland UK, Paws2Rescue £525 (£425 for dogs over 8), and All Dogs Great and Small about £505 including separately quoted transport.
Is transport included in the adoption fee?: Often, but not always. Pawprints to Freedom, Paws2Rescue, Hope for Podencos and AA Dog Rescue include transport in one fee. Others quote it separately: Project Galgo charges £500 for transport to England or Wales on top of its £750 fee, and Healing Paws in Greece has the transport paid directly to the transporter. This calculator uses the all-in figure.
Why do overseas rescue fees cost £500 or more?: Because getting a dog here is expensive. Pawprints to Freedom publishes its per-dog costs, covering transport, tests and vaccinations, a Brucellosis test, neutering, an import fee and paperwork, at £525–£610. That's more than its £520 fee, before any of the shelter's own running costs.
Is adopting a dog from abroad cheaper than buying a puppy?: Usually, yes. The average advertised puppy on Pets4Homes was £989 in December 2025, and licensed breeders average over £1,500. Most overseas rescue fees we checked sit between £425 and £760, and the rescues that list what's included typically cover vaccinations, a microchip, a pet passport and transport, and often neutering. Running costs after that are much the same for any dog of the same size.
What costs come after the dog arrives?: A first UK vet health check (a median of £59 for a dog consultation at Medivet practices, September 2026), possibly a Brucella canis test if your vet asks (published prices of £87.42–£177 at the practices we checked), kit such as an escape-resistant harness and ID tag, and running costs: food, insurance and parasite treatment.

Sources

All checked on 25 September 2026. Fees and prices change, so always confirm with the rescue or practice directly.

Listing a rescue here isn’t an endorsement, and we don’t earn anything from any link on this page. If you run a rescue and your published fee has changed, let us know.