Air France service animal policy: service dogs, ESAs and the DOT forms

Which rules apply to an Air France flight?

• US DOT rules cover a foreign airline "only with respect to flights you operate that begin or end at a U.S. airport" (14 CFR 382.7(b)). On those flights Air France asks for the DOT forms.
• Air France's own rules apply on its other flights, such as flights within Europe or to the UK, where it asks for training certification.
• The destination's animal entry rules apply on top: EU rules for France, the UK's rules for Britain, and the CDC's rules for any dog entering the US.

Our sources: Air France's sites would not load for automated reading, so we read its service dog page (captured 2026-04-15), its pet page (2026-06-12) and its conditions of carriage (captured 2026-02-09) through the Internet Archive. Check the live pages before you fly.

Service dogs on Air France: what Air France requires

Air France says your service dog must:

• "Stay securely fastened to your seat or seat belt", not block the aisle or other passengers' space, and "Not occupy a seat or obstruct emergency exits".
• "Wear a harness at all times" and "Be ready to wear a muzzle if necessary". In lounges, it stays on a leash.
• "Have irreproachable behavior in all circumstances." You may be held "financially liable for any damage".

Air France names no breed restrictions for service dogs, and snub-nosed service dogs "are permitted in the cabin, but are not allowed in the hold". Its conditions of carriage (updated December 28, 2024) still speak only of "guide dogs", carried free. It does not state how many service dogs one passenger may bring.

Air France is the only airline in our research that openly recommends a vest: "We strongly suggest that your service dog be dressed to indicate its service dog status (with either a vest, identification tag, or a visible sign on the harness)." A vest is a suggestion, not a requirement, and it proves nothing on its own. If you want one, a clearly marked service dog vest does that job.

Submitting the DOT forms to Air France

For flights to or from the US, Air France asks for "The 2 official U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) forms that have been completed and signed" (the Service Animal Air Transportation Form and the Relief Attestation Form), plus the dog's "passport, health documents, and vaccination records", and the CDC form on flights into the US. It also says: "Your service dog must be at least 6 months old and microchipped."

1. Complete both forms after you buy your ticket (see how to fill out the DOT form).
2. Email them to Air France's Saphir medical desk. Its service dog page gives separate addresses for flights from the US, to the US and within France.
3. Timing: "We recommend submitting all requests at least 48 hours* before your flight's departure. If you submit your request after this time, all documentation checks and request processing will be handled at the airport on your departure day." The asterisk means 96 hours for the United Arab Emirates.

As with Lufthansa, Air France asks for the relief form without the 8-hour condition in the DOT rule, which allows it only on segments scheduled for 8 hours or more.

Psychiatric service dogs on Air France

Air France's pages do not name psychiatric dogs. On a flight to or from the US, the DOT rule treats a psychiatric service dog like any other service dog, and no mental health letter may be required. On Air France's other routes, the dog needs "service training certification, specifying their service", which is difficult for an owner-trained dog. See psychiatric service dogs.

Emotional support animals on Air France: flying as a pet

Air France's pages do not mention ESAs. Because it accepts "only ... guide or service dogs trained by a certified and recognized organization", the safe assumption is that an ESA flies under the pet rules. Ask Air France to confirm. The pet rules (page captured 2026-06-12):

• Cabin: dogs and cats up to 8 kg (17.64 lb) including the carrier, in a soft bag of at most 46 x 28 x 24 cm (18 x 11 x 9.5 in), one per passenger, added at least 48 hours before, and at least 15 weeks old. No pets in intercontinental Business.
• One-way fee per carrier: US or Canada to Europe "EUR/USD/CAD 200" in the cabin (600 in the hold); US or Canada to the rest of the world 250 (750 in the hold); within Europe 125 euros (200 in the hold).
• Hold: 8 to 75 kg in an IATA kennel. "Pet travel by cargo is the only mode of transport authorized to the United Kingdom, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi."
• Banned as pets: French Category 1 "attack dogs", which includes pit bull type dogs without a pedigree.

More in can emotional support animals fly?

Service dogs in training on Air France

Air France says: "Guide or service dogs in training without their trainers are not accepted in the cabin, except in a bag, crate, or in the hold." The page does not say what happens when the trainer travels with the dog, so ask first. On US flights, the DOT rule does not count dogs in training as service animals.

Flying to France, the UK and the US with a service dog

France and the EU. Within the EU, Air France asks for a microchip and an EU pet passport. Coming from the US, the EU's rules since 22 April 2026 apply: an animal health certificate issued "not more than 10 days before your pet arrives in the EU", a rabies vaccine given after the microchip at 12 weeks or older, valid 21 days after the first dose. There is no assistance dog exemption from these health rules.

The UK. Air France says "only service dogs trained by a recognized organization affiliated with the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) are accepted" and that assistance dogs to the UK "must be trained by an organization that meets all the criteria defined by Assistance Dogs International (ADI)." Its service dog page says to ask at least 48 hours ahead so a "Pet checker" meets the flight, but its newer pet page says "96 hours for service dogs traveling from or to the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates". Use 96 hours to be safe. GOV.UK registers Air France for "All airports with a government approved assistance dog checker".

The US. Every dog entering the US needs a CDC Dog Import Form and must be at least 6 months old and microchipped. See international flights with a service dog.

Seating, size and large dogs on Air France

The dog must stay fastened to your seat or seat belt and may not occupy a seat or block the aisle or exits. Air France's pages we read do not say what happens if a large dog does not fit, or whether you can buy an extra seat. Ask the Saphir desk when you send your forms, before the 48-hour mark.

Contacting Air France, and when we last checked

Use the Saphir contact details on Air France's service dog page, linked below. On a US flight, the DOT says unresolved problems go to the airline's Complaints Resolution Official. Our facts come from Internet Archive captures dated 2026-02-09, 2026-04-15 and 2026-06-12. Compare Lufthansa. No registry, ours included, counts as Air France's training certification; a voluntary record is only a place to keep your dog's details.

Common questions

Sources

1. Air France, traveling with my service dog (read via Internet Archive)
2. Air France, travel with your pet (read via Internet Archive)
3. 14 CFR 382.7, which carriers the DOT rule covers
4. 14 CFR 382.75, documentation airlines may require
5. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form (PDF)
6. Your Europe, travelling with pets
7. GOV.UK, airlines and airports registered to transport and check assistance dogs
8. CDC, dog importation FAQ

General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked September 29, 2026.