Somewhat pet-friendly
Good to know
Good to Know
- Start the import process well in advance (several months, not days) — the two-dose rabies vaccination protocol alone has a built-in 6–12 month gap between shots if your pet hasn't already been vaccinated.
- Dogs are banned from Bermuda's public beaches from April through October, so plan alternative exercise spots like the Railway Trail if you're moving with a dog for the summer season.
- Check the official prohibited and restricted dog breed lists before committing to a move — some common breeds (e.g. Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Doberman) fall under the restricted category requiring extra approval, and a few (e.g. American Pit Bull Terrier, Cane Corso) are outright prohibited.
- Because there's no quarantine facility on the island, incomplete paperwork isn't just an inconvenience — it can mean your pet is turned around and sent home on the next flight.
- Once your dog is a Bermuda resident, it must be individually licensed with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shortly after arrival — this is a legal requirement, not optional.
- Bermuda has no official government-designated dog parks or off-leash areas as of the latest reporting, despite years of advocacy from local dog owners.
- Dogs must be leashed in all public parks year-round, and are banned from public beaches, nature reserves and many parks between April 1 and October 31.
- Published price lists for vet services are not generally available online in Bermuda, so treat the cost figures here as a general planning guide, not a quote — always confirm pricing directly with the clinic.
- If importing a pet, plan ahead: a vet visit within 10 days of arrival, a valid import permit, and microchipping are all required by the Bermuda Government before your dog or cat can enter.
- Because Bermuda is so small, most 'off-island' or south-shore dog-walking spots (like the South Shore dunes) are only a short taxi or bus ride from Hamilton even though they're outside the immediate downtown core.
Trusted Vets
Bermuda Veterinary Services
- Contact
- Reachable via Facebook page; mailing address PO Box HM 2111, City of Hamilton
- Location
- City of Hamilton
- Notes
- Full-service veterinary hospital serving companion animals, based in Hamilton itself.
Endsmeet Animal Hospital
- Contact
- Phone 441-236-3292; after-hours pager 441-694-0703; Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-12:30pm
- Location
- Bermuda (island-wide/mobile service)
- Notes
- Offers vaccinations, surgeries, preventive care, dentistry, alternative therapies, and travel-certificate paperwork for pets leaving Bermuda. Also runs a mobile vet service that comes to you, plus an on-call emergency vet by pager outside regular hours.
Ettrick Animal Hospital
- Contact
- Available for routine appointments and emergencies any time of day
- Location
- Middle Road, Warwick Parish (short drive from Hamilton)
- Notes
- One of Bermuda's longest-running practices, founded in 1971, with a team of five vets and a 24-hour, 365-day emergency service. Treats dogs, cats, small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and also offers boarding.
169 South Road, Paget Parish (Short Drive From Hamilton)
- Name
- VetSmith / Government Veterinary Services (Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources)
- Contact
- Veterinary Services: 239-2315; Animal Control: 239-2327
- Notes
- Government veterinary and animal control office handling imports, licensing, and animal control matters rather than routine private-clinic care.
Parks
Albouy's Point
- Location
- Town of Hamilton, beside the Ferry Terminal
- Notes
- A small public park right in central Hamilton with a grassy lawn, trees and harbour views; dogs must stay on a leash in all Bermuda parks.
Watch Hill Park
- Location
- Pembroke Parish, just behind Hamilton City Hall and the main bus terminal
- Notes
- A small park right by the city centre with coastal views and a cliffside trail, easily walkable from downtown Hamilton.
Admiralty House Park
- Location
- Spanish Point, Pembroke Parish (a short bus or drive from Hamilton)
- Notes
- Grassy fields, shaded paths, a sheltered cove and a dock; a popular spot for a leashed walk and a swim off the dock rather than the beach itself.
Bermuda Botanical Gardens
- Location
- Paget Parish, about a mile from Hamilton
- Notes
- Wide-open lawns popular with locals and their dogs; leash rules apply as in all Bermuda parks.
Cafes Restaurants
Devil's Isle
- Notes
- One of the few dog-friendly eateries on the island, with a shaded wooden patio where dogs are welcome alongside a fresh-produce-focused menu.
Typical Pet Care Costs
- Context
- All dogs entering Bermuda must visit a veterinarian within 10 days of arrival to verify health and vaccinations, and dogs must be at least 10 months old and microchipped to be imported.
- Currency Note
- Bermuda uses the Bermudian Dollar (BMD), which is pegged 1:1 with the US Dollar, and USD cash is accepted everywhere on the island, so local and USD figures are numerically identical.
Items
Routine Wellness Exam / Consultation
- Cost
- BMD 100
Core Vaccination (E.g. Rabies or DHPP), per Dose
- Cost
- BMD 60
Dog Spay/neuter (Average, Routine)
- Cost
- BMD 400
Emergency/after-hours Visit Fee
- Cost
- BMD 150
Microchipping
- Cost
- BMD 65
Acceptance And Travel Requirements
- EU Pet Passport Note
- Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory and is NOT in the EU or Schengen area, so the EU Pet Passport scheme does not apply here. Bermuda runs its own, separate import-permit system administered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and pet owners (including those arriving from EU countries) must follow Bermuda's own documentation process rather than relying on an EU pet passport.
Social Acceptance
- Overview
- Dog ownership is common and normalized in Bermuda, including in Hamilton, but the culture is more reserved than in some "dog-crazy" nomad hubs — leash laws and licensing are strictly enforced rather than treated as optional.
- General Tone
- Cats are typically kept indoors or as house pets rather than seen roaming publicly to the degree seen in some Mediterranean or Southeast Asian nomad hubs; the overall culture treats pets as family members but expects owners to follow rules closely (waste cleanup, restraint, no unattended animals in vehicles or without shelter/water).
- Licensing Culture
- Every dog kept in Bermuda, including those newly imported, must be individually licensed with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and licensing must happen promptly after arrival (residents must license any dog remaining in Bermuda past a short initial window). This reflects a well-regulated rather than informal approach to pet-keeping.
- Public Space Rules
- Dogs must be leashed at all times in public (leash no longer than three metres per national parks regulations), and dogs are not permitted on playgrounds within National Parks. Beach access for dogs is seasonal: dogs are only allowed on public beaches from 1 November to 31 March, and are barred during the peak tourist/summer season (April–October).
- Pet Friendly Venues
- A number of hotels and vacation rentals near Hamilton accept pets; for example, the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club allows one dog per room under 25 lbs for a set per-stay fee, with the dog required to stay leashed in public areas and not be left unattended. Outdoor recreation spots popular with dog owners include the Railway Trail and Bermuda's parks and nature reserves.
Import Requirements
- Summary
- Only dogs and cats are covered by the standard pet process; other animals (birds, rabbits, reptiles, etc.) need separate permits, and ferrets are banned outright. There is no quarantine facility in Bermuda, so any animal that fails to meet the documentation requirements is refused entry and returned to its origin country at the owner's expense.
- Microchip
- A required, readable microchip is mandatory — ISO, FECAVA, European/International, or AVID-USA standard chips are accepted, and all paperwork must reflect the microchip number.
- Quarantine
- Bermuda has no quarantine facility; pets that meet all requirements enter with no quarantine, but non-compliant animals face deportation (at owner expense) or, in rare cases, humane destruction.
- Entry Point
- All pets must enter Bermuda by air through L.F. Wade International Airport; there is no other legal port of pet entry.
- Import Permit
- An Import Permit must be obtained in advance from DENR (apply via fax or email, generally at least 10 days before arrival, though some sources recommend starting the whole process 2–3 months ahead to allow for vaccination timing). The permit and original vet certificates must physically accompany the animal on arrival for Customs inspection.
- Breed Restrictions
- Bermuda maintains lists of prohibited dog breeds (which cannot be imported for residency or breeding at all) and restricted breeds (which may be imported only after meeting extra conditions such as secure fencing inspected by an Animal Warden). Rare or unusual breeds not on either list can still be refused at the Department's discretion.
- Health Certificate
- An original veterinary health certificate issued by a licensed vet within 10 days of arrival is required, confirming the animal is free of communicable disease and external parasites, and including identity, ownership, and microchip details. A tick-treatment (acaricide) statement from the vet is also required.
- Other Vaccinations
- Dogs should also be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and parainfluenza; cats against feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia and feline leukemia.
- Rabies Vaccination
- Dogs and cats must show a history of two rabies vaccinations — the first given after 3 months of age, the second 6–12 months later — with the most recent dose given between 30 and 365 days before arrival. Animals under 10 months old, or with only a single rabies vaccination, do not qualify for entry. Pets arriving directly from the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Jamaica are exempt from the rabies vaccination requirement.
- Customs And Licensing After Arrival
- Imported pets are generally subject to a Bermuda customs duty of 25% of the animal's assessed value (returning resident animals present under five years may be exempt). After arrival, resident dogs must be licensed with DENR at the Botanical Gardens office in Paget, and anyone keeping a dog must hold an annual, renewable licence (applicant must be 18+, and the fee is lower for spayed/neutered dogs with proof).
Beaches
- Note
- Dogs are legally barred from Bermuda's public beaches, nature reserves and many parks from April 1 to October 31 each year; they're only allowed on beaches from November through March, and must be leashed at all times even then. Some owners use rocky shorelines, docks, or the 'Queen's Bottom' foreshore (the strip below the high-tide line, which is public land) for an off-season or shoulder-season swim instead of a designated sandy beach.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.