EU citizens aren’t the only ones who benefit from freedom of movement within the European Union. Thanks to the adoption of harmonised EU rules on travelling with pets, your cats, dogs and even ferrets also benefit from this right. If you’re travelling to the EU with your four-legged friend this summer, all you need to do is make sure their EU pet passport is up to date.
An EU Pet Passport contains a description and details of your pet, including its microchip or tattoo code, as well as its rabies vaccination record and contact details of the vet who issued the passport. You can get an EU Pet Passport for your dog, cat or ferret from any approved vet. The most important requirement, which also applies to pets travelling to the EU from a third country, is that your pet’s rabies vaccination is up to date. And if you are travelling to a country free of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis (i.e. Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland), it is important that your pet has received treatment for this tapeworm.
There are a few exceptions to note. As of 2021, EU pet passports issued to residents of Great Britain are no longer valid for travel with pets from Great Britain to an EU country or Northern Ireland. It is also worth remembering that an EU pet passport is only valid for cats, dogs and ferrets. If your pet is a bird, reptile, rodent or rabbit, you should check the national rules of the country you are planning to visit for more information on entry requirements.
If you are travelling with your pet from a third country to the EU, the document you need to present is an ‘EU Animal Health Certificate’. Similar to a European pet passport, the EU Animal Health Certificate contains details about your pet’s health, identity and rabies vaccination. It must be obtained from an official veterinarian in your country’s state no more than 10 days before your pet arrives in the EU. You must also attach a written statement to your pet’s European Animal Health Certificate stating that the move is for non-commercial reasons.
You can travel with up to five pets, but if there are more than five animals (dogs, cats or ferrets) you must prove that they are participating in a competition, exhibition or sporting event and that they are over 6 months old. And if you do not plan to accompany your pet on its travels, you must give written permission to another person to accompany your pet in your place. However, you must be reunited with your pet within 5 days of its move.
Originally published in The European Times.
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