Home > Blog > What to Tell Customs When House Sitting Abroad
Disclaimer: Konrad and Caro are not lawyers, immigration advisors, or customs officers. This article is based on personal experience and research from the house sitting community. It is not legal advice. Border regulations change frequently and vary by nationality and destination. Always verify requirements for your specific situation through official government sources before travelling. Do not provide false information on any visa application, customs form, or to any border official.
Quick Facts
| Simplest border answer | "I am travelling as a tourist and staying with friends" |
| The real strategy | Travel first, house sit second — never the other way around |
| EU citizens within Schengen | No border checks, no visa concerns, no customs between member states |
| Non-EU visitors to Schengen | 90 days maximum — house sitting within that creates no complications |
| UK ETA (2026) | Required for most non-visa visitors — £10–16, apply online before travel |
| EU ETIAS (2026) | Required for visa-exempt nationalities entering Schengen — €7, apply before travel |
| What to carry | Return or onward travel booking, proof of funds, travel insurance, homeowner contact |
The key insight: You are not trying to get away with something. You are a tourist who is also staying with people you know through travel. Both of those things are true. Lead with the one that is unambiguous.
Why "House Sitting" Creates Problems at the Border
Most countries draw a legal line at receiving compensation for services while on a tourist visa. Free accommodation in exchange for pet care occupies a grey area in some jurisdictions because the accommodation is a form of in-kind compensation. An immigration officer who hears "house sitting" may hear "working without a visa" and the conversation deteriorates from there.
This is not because house sitting is illegal. It is because the phrase triggers a category that border agents are trained to investigate. The same arrangement, described accurately but differently, raises no concerns at all.
The countries where this matters most are the UK, the USA, and Australia, where visa conditions are specific and enforced carefully. The Schengen zone is significantly more simple, and within it European citizens face no border checks at all.
The Mindset That Makes Border Crossings Simple
When Caro and I travelled to Australia, Caro applied for a tourist visa and wrote that she was travelling as a tourist. At the border, there were no complications. That is because she was telling the truth. We had not gone to Australia because of house sits. We went because we wanted to explore it. The sits happened organically while we were already there.
That sequence is the key. We were not in Australia because of a sit. The sits happened because we were in Australia.
If you travel specifically because of a sit you found online, you are carrying risk that has nothing to do with customs. What happens if the sit cancels a week before you fly? What happens if the homeowner has a family emergency? What happens if you miss the handover? You have organised your entire trip around a single arrangement that could collapse at any point.
The practical and honest approach: decide where you want to go, travel there as a tourist, and treat any house sit that appears as a bonus on top of an already-planned trip. When you cross the border you are not constructing a story. You are a tourist who is also going to stay with some people you know for part of the trip. That is the complete truth.
For European Citizens: The Schengen Advantage
Caro is German. Konrad holds Polish and Australian citizenship. Within the Schengen zone, there are no passport checks at internal borders, no customs declarations between member states, and no visa requirements.
Travelling from Germany to Switzerland to Italy to Greece to France (all sits we have done) involved no border formalities whatsoever. We simply drove or took a ferry and arrived. The customs question that concerns many house sitters does not exist within this area.
For non-European visitors, the Schengen zone allows most nationalities a 90-day tourist stay. Across those 90 days you can house sit freely across dozens of countries without any border complications, as long as you stay within the time limit. Three months sitting across Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Greece is entirely possible without a single customs conversation. Our Europe guide covers the Schengen 90/180 rule, ETIAS, and long-stay visa requirements for sits beyond 90 days.
When Borders Do Come Up
We had one crossing that involved documents and questions: driving from Italy into Albania on the way to take a ferry. Albanian customs asked for our documents, asked us to declare alcohol, cigarettes, and cash, and asked where we were going. We said we were travelling. That was the end of it.
The reason it was that simple is because we were travelling. There was no complicated story to maintain. We said what was true.
What to Say If You Are Heading Directly to a Sit
If a customs officer asks where you are staying and you are heading directly to a sit, the accurate answer is that you are staying with friends. This is not a workaround. It is a genuine description of the relationship.
When you do a video call with homeowners before a sit, you spend 30 minutes learning their names, hearing about their animals, seeing their home, and talking about your lives. By the time you arrive, these are people you know. Describing them as friends is accurate.
If pressed further, the honest answer is: "I'm travelling, and I'm staying with some people I met through a travel platform while I'm here." That is true. You are not working. You are not receiving a salary. You are a tourist staying with people you know.
What you avoid saying: "I'm house sitting." The phrase triggers questions that do not serve you regardless of how simple your actual situation is.
What to Have on Your Phone
Customs officers can ask for evidence of onward travel, proof of funds, and confirmation of where you are staying. Having these accessible before you arrive at any border is sensible preparation:
A screenshot or PDF of your return or onward travel booking shows you have a plan to leave. This is one of the most common requests at UK and US borders.
A screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation or email with the homeowner, showing a name and an address, demonstrates you have a confirmed place to stay. You do not need to explain the arrangement beyond "I'm staying with friends."
Evidence of sufficient funds. A bank balance or credit card with a reasonable limit covers most borders, but in 2026 some UK border officers are asking to see liquid funds in a banking app rather than just a credit card limit. The reasoning is that a credit card could indicate someone planning to work to cover daily expenses. Having your banking app open with a visible balance showing you can cover food and accommodation without needing to earn anything is a stronger answer than showing a card.
Your travel insurance details. All major platforms require sitters to have travel insurance in place before a sit begins. Having the document on your phone is good practice for any border crossing.
Offline Google Maps for the destination country, downloaded before you travel. Also offline Google Translate with the relevant language pack. Not for customs specifically, but for everything that follows once you are through.
UK and US Sits: Extra Care Required
These are the two countries where sitters report the most complications when house sitting comes up at the border. Both have strict tourist visa conditions and border agents who apply them carefully.
UK: Most non-visa visitors including Australians, Americans, and Canadians now require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before arrival. The current fee is £16, rising to £20 from 8 April 2026. Apply through the official GOV.UK page or the UK ETA app. Avoid third-party sites that charge inflated fees. Most applications are approved within minutes. At the border, describe your trip as visiting and travelling. The word "house sitting" is unnecessary.
US: Describe your trip as travelling and visiting friends. Do not use the phrase "house sitting" or any equivalent framing. US Customs and Border Protection takes an expansive view of what constitutes work, and even an unpaid exchange can be treated as a work arrangement if described in certain terms. Our US guide covers this specifically. Carry proof of onward travel and proof of funds for both countries.
2026 Entry Requirements: What Has Changed
UK ETA: Required for most non-visa visitors before arrival. Australians, Americans, Canadians, and many others now need this. Online application, costs £10 to £16, typically approved within minutes. Came into force late 2025.
EU ETIAS: Required for visa-exempt nationalities entering the Schengen Area from 2026. Online application, costs €7, valid for three years or until passport expiry. Most approvals are fast but some take longer. Apply before you book flights.
Both are entry authorisations, not visas. They do not change what you are permitted to do during your stay. They are administrative requirements before arrival, and the consequence of not having them is being denied boarding.
The Handover Timing Mistake
One practical mistake sitters make is arriving in the country on the exact day the sit starts. If you fly in two hours before a handover and arrive at the border with multiple bags and a specific address ready, it can look like you are arriving for a work arrangement rather than a holiday.
The simple fix: arrive one to two days before the sit begins. Spend a night in a hostel or budget hotel, visit something in the city, and settle in as a tourist before heading to the homeowner's property. When you are at the border, you are not heading directly to a sit. You are starting a trip. The sit is something happening in a couple of days, once you have oriented yourself. That distinction in timing changes how the arrival reads entirely, both to a customs officer and to yourself.
Conclusion
You are a tourist. You are travelling somewhere you want to explore. While you are there, you are staying with people you know for part of the trip. That is the complete, accurate description of house sitting as a travel model.
The framing is not a trick. It is an accurate description of what house sitting is when done well: travel first, sit second. When you approach it that way, the customs conversation is simple because you are telling the truth.
For the full legal context of what house sitting is and is not under platform terms and immigration law, and for Europe-specific rules including Schengen and ETIAS, our Europe guide has everything you need.
Use our 25% discount on TrustedHouseSitters to get started and find sits in the regions you want to explore.
DM us @housesittersguide on Instagram if you have questions about border crossings and house sitting. We answer everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I say at customs when house sitting abroad?
"I am travelling as a tourist and staying with friends." This is accurate. Do not use the phrase "house sitting" at any border. It triggers a category of questioning that does not serve you regardless of how clear your situation actually is.
Is house sitting legal on a tourist visa?
In most countries, yes. The arrangement is a private domestic exchange, not employment. No money changes hands. However, some countries define "work" broadly enough to include in-kind compensation and border officials have discretion. The practical guidance is to present yourself as a tourist, which you are, and not to volunteer details about the exchange arrangement unless directly asked.
Do I need special documentation to house sit internationally?
No special documentation beyond what any tourist requires. However, having your return or onward travel booking, evidence of funds, travel insurance details, and a contact address accessible on your phone is sensible preparation for any border crossing.
What is ETIAS and do I need it for house sitting in Europe?
ETIAS is the EU's Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System, expected to launch in Q4 2026. As of April 2026 it is not yet active and no action is required. The official ETIAS page will confirm the launch date when known. When it launches, it will cost €7 and cover multiple Schengen entries for three years. Our Europe guide covers ETIAS and the Schengen 90/180 rule.
What is the UK ETA and who needs it?
The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation is required for most non-visa visitors before arrival, including Australians, Americans, and Canadians. It costs £10 to £16, is applied for online, and typically approved within minutes. It came into force in late 2025. Apply before you travel.
