Travelling with your dog

Travelling with your dogs is changing and becoming more complex: to avoid being turned back at the border, you should know what to do !

1/ Specific information on dog transportation within the European Union

Note: the same laws apply to all the countries of the European Union since July 3 ,2004.

Animals must be vaccinated against rabies.

They must be microchipped or a tattooed. The microchip must be approved both by the ISO 11784 norm as well as by the supplement 1 of the norm ISO 11785.

Own the new European Union passport. This passport displays the way the animal is identified, the name and address of the owner, and the proof of the vaccination against rabies. This new document replaces all the passports and other documents used in Europe for international transportation.

The above-mentioned requirements also apply to the importation of dogs from countries where the status of rabies is similar to the European Union countries. Currently, the following countries are concerned: Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican.

The member countries of the European Union can determine additional requirements concerning the echinococcen and ticks until January 3, 2009. For further information, you can consult http://www.minlnv.nl.

 

2/ Additional requirements for international transportation :

Your dog must necessarily own a European Union passport when the animal leaves the country. The vaccination against rabies and identification of your animal are compulsory. When an animal from the EU wants to enter a country where rabies is still rife, the animal must have been subject to a blood test before its departure. Your veterinarian can include into your new passport all the currently valid vaccinations, which are noted down on your former passport.

3/ If you don’t abide by these rules.

If your animal’s papers are not in order, the customs can stop your animal at the border.

The animal will be :

either set under official control until the time it will meet the health requirements.

either sent back to the country where it came from.

And if sending back the animal or quarantining it are not admissible options, the animal can be put to death. The owner of the animal will be responsible of all the additional costs resulting from this.