Hi everyone! Has anyone experienced difficulties with immigration or border control when travelling internationally for a TrustedHousesitters sit? I’d be particularly interested in hearing from people who have travelled to the UK. What questions were you asked about the purpose of your trip, and how did you explain the house and pet sit? What supporting documents did you carry? I’m not looking to misrepresent the purpose of the trip—just to understand how to describe the arrangement accurately and clearly, and whether there are any expressions that could unintentionally cause confusion. I’d be grateful to hear about both smooth experiences and any problems people encountered.

You never tell anyone that you are house sitting wherever you travel it leads to all sorts of complications and in some countries they wouldn’t let you in as it is regarded as work. Just be a tourist and have a hotel booked for the first night. There has been lots on this already just have a look on the search.

[image] Nervous about immigration to UK from US Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat I am a US citizen and I have two sits scheduled in England totaling one month. The more I read the more nervous I am becoming about getting through immigration. Do I tell immigration I’m pet sitting through THS? I am on the verge of canceling at this point. (edited by Forum team to meet Community Guidelines) This has been asked a lot lately. You can search and read about it.

Another vote for : Never, ever mention pet-sitting when crossing any border. Period. This can potentially open a can of worms and, at worst, may end up in you being denied entry. You are a tourist and have at least one night booked at a hotel, etc. for which you can provide proof. Repeat visits ? You loved the area so much that you want to explore more.

@jalonso24 Here’s a link to where the UK Border Force view of house sitting has been discussed previously [image]On another topic Today we’ve had a TRAUMATIC experience :sob:. We where looking forward to do a pet sit in the UK with our dog. We are from BELGIUM. We were planning (as always) to take the boat from CALAIS to DOVER. We were at the boarder honest about why we were visiting the UK : PET SITTING. Previous times (also a few this year) it wasn’t a problem. TODAY : we were taken in COSTUDY, got fingerprinted, interviewed,… It took 6 hours and at the end we were taken by the French police back to France. End of pet sitting.

Hi @jalonso24 :slightly_smiling_face: I think being prepared and keeping things simple is the way to go. We always make sure we understand the entry requirements for the specific country, have our onward/return travel details, accommodation information and any required visas or documentation readily available. In our experience, there’s really no need to volunteer additional information that isn’t asked for. If the purpose of the trip is tourism, then simply saying you’re travelling for tourism seems the most straightforward approach. Of course, immigration requirements can vary from country to country, so it’s important to check the official requirements beforehand rather than relying solely on other travellers’ experiences. For us, being organised, having the necessary documentation readily available and keeping answers simple has always been the best approach. :paw_prints::heart:

You really need to use the spyglass above to search your question. It has been discussed many times with lots of comments plus tips on what to do and not do. In short, never say you are house sitting to immigration officials, you are always a tourist.

If you just want to describe the arrangement you may be sent home and you get to pay for the return trip. Book one night at a hotel. You say you are touring. If you seem nervous you will be questioned more. I would book one or two nights at a hotel or hostel. They most likely won’t ask any more questions unless you look nervous. If they ask where you go after the hotel you say you are staying with friends. The friends being the host you are staying with. Know their first and last name. They are old family friends. Nothing more will happen. Have a great sit!

@jalonso24 Have you thought to look in the Help section of the THS website as it contains policies and articles relevant to your question? Read this one carefully. Essential advice for international house sitting – TrustedHousesitters

Oh boy. This topic has been discussed a great deal. Even very recently on here and over and over everyone keeps staying NEVER EVER mention you are pet sitting when crossing a border. PERIOD. You are visiting. You are a tourist. You are staying with friends. THAT’S IT. It is NONE of their business if someone has invited you to take care of their home and pets for free. What is it to them. We are a community of people who love animals and travel (if asked, I would say that is how we met. On an online travel community) and we enjoy meeting and sharing our experiences. They have invited us to come stay with them (indeed they have). No other information is needed. We went from France to Edinburgh for a sit just this past July. No issues whatsoever.

@jalonso24, as others have duly noted then there are plenty - lots - of prior THS Forum threads with related insight. Recently there appears to be several posts by US housesitters that are concerned about legal/border risks of international housesits.

Immigration Experiences When Travelling Abroad for a House Sit

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat

Oceancat 10 September 2026 19:32 3

This has been asked a lot lately. You can search and read about it.

Topic		Replies	Views
Issues with Customs and Immigration Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat	16	379	26 August 2026
Border control issues when heading to the UK Meet-ups & Travel	27	797	1 September 2026
Has Anyone Had Issues Crossing Into Canada or other Countries for a TrustedHousesitters Sit? Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat	32	755	15 October 2026
Nervous about immigration to UK from US Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat	9	273	28 August 2026
How do international sitters handle border control/immigration? (USA specific) Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat	28	666	26 May 2026

Immigration Experiences When Travelling Abroad for a House Sit

Related topics