The standard
Pointer page — updated 11 May 2026
The ESTCA standard defines the cabin-readiness criteria for dogs travelling in passenger cabins. It covers the five behavioural assessment areas, eligibility rules (including brachycephalic exclusions), trainer accreditation, evidence requirements, and the governance of the public register.
The normative text — the version that counts in formal correspondence — is published and maintained by ESTCA on estca.eu. This platform implements the standard operationally: accreditation, certification workflows, evidence handling, and the digital travel pass for owners. The English version is binding for legal interpretation; translations are provided for convenience.
Read the standard
The normative ESTCA cabin-readiness standard, including the five assessment areas, brachycephalic exclusions, and the quality-assurance framework, is published and maintained by ESTCA on estca.eu. Always cite that version in formal correspondence.
Open estca.eu →The standard on estca.eu sets out, in full:
ESTCA Certified is the operational layer for the standard. Trainers complete accreditation through the platform — including the train-the-trainer module that earns the gold accredited mark on the public directory.
During the programme itself, the platform handles the assessment workflow: registering dogs, logging progress across the five areas, capturing and storing video evidence, and applying quality assurance before a certification number is issued.
When certification is issued, the owner receives a link to claim the digital travel pass. The QR code on the pass resolves to the public register, so any airline can verify in seconds whether a pass is current, the microchip matches, and the trainer is accredited.
For questions about the normative text, write to ESTCA at contact@estca.eu.
