Moving to Europe with a dog can be quite a lot of work. We never considered not bringing Sora along. She’s part of our life at home, and we were determined to make her part of our life on the road.
Knowing that we would need to get started on veterinary requirements for bringing Sora into the European Union, I reached out to our local vet and asked about requirements for her entry.
My preliminary research left me overwhelmed and confused by all of the information. Fortunately, our vet happened to have a travel specialist on staff who could outline all of the details, examinations, and vaccinations required before departing on our trip.
We broke these requirements out into bullet points and divided them into sections of what we did before departing the United States and after arriving into the European Union.
Our first trip was specific to Norway, though a European Country, and not in the EU, it has more stringent requirements than other Schengen Zone countries. When we traveled to Spain, they didn’t even bat an eye at her. The majority of these requirements will apply to all EU countries for pet transport (minus the UK which is still figuring out Brexit).
Want to know how to fly internationally with a dog? Read our detailed post all about it.
What Paperwork Do I Need to Import my Pet to Europe?
- Implantation and certification of an ISO Microchip. Europe operates on a different frequency from the United States. Only the veterinarian who implants the microchip can sign the required microchip implementation form.
- Three-year rabies vaccination, which must be done AFTER the ISO Microchip. Both the rabies and the microchip can be done in the same day, but the vaccination must come second. Both must be administered at least 21 days prior to departure.
- Ten days before departing for the EU, visit your veterinarian for an international health certificate and an EU veterinary certificate. You have 10 days to enter the destination country before the paperwork expires.
- Make an appointment with the USDA (coming form the US). The international health certificate, the EU veterinary certificate, and the microchip implementation form must be endorsed by a USDA APHIS. You can choose to schedule an appointment with the nearest location or overnighting the paperwork. Visiting is always the safest option. The $37 fee for endorsement may only be paid by check or money order.
- Norway required an echinococcosis (tapeworm) treatment given a minimum of 24 and maximum of 120 hours before arrival. Along with the other paperwork, the treatment required approval from the USDA veterinarian. Be sure to ask your local vet write the date and time in both your current timezone, and the one to which you’re traveling. This was confusing in our case as neither Pacific Standard Time, nor Central European Time was listed on our forms. With a nine hour time difference, this can affect meeting the requirements for inoculation.
- Call customs at the final destination airport 24 hours prior to arrival. Not every EU country requires meeting with customs upon arrival. Determine in advance whether you need to make this call.
Steps for Getting Your Pet Import Paperwork
- Research the requirements for your destination country. Generally speaking, it’s always the same: rabies, microchip, and health medical certificate. If you’re traveling from a country of high risk rabies to one that is not, then you may need a titer test. You will then have to wait three months after the test date to enter. PetTravel.com helps with initial research. Then go to the USDA APHIS site for export requirements by country. Always double check with the official government websites for animal importing. The earlier you do this the better.
- Make an appointment with the USDA, if in the U.S. In other countries, schedule an appointment with your respective animal exporting government office. Appointments can fill up so do this at least 30 days in advance. Schedule your appointment no more than five days of departure or prior your arrival date. This is because your EU health certificate (step #3) is only valid for 10 days. The official government paperwork is good for four months from the issue date, permitted the rabies vaccine doesn’t expire.
- Make an appointment with your local accredited veterinarian. Arrange this appointment no more than 10 days before arrival. We aim for five to seven days in case of a flight delay or an issue with the USDA. Tell your vet that you’re traveling to your destination country and you need your paperwork approved.
- Get your EU Health certificate certified at the USDA APHIS.
- Enjoy your travel.
Flying with your dog in cargo hold? We created a list to help you pick out the right kennel/pet carrier and understand the process.
Entering the Destination Country
When we went through customs in Norway, we had to enter the “goods to declare” section. There, we met the customs veterinarian who overlooked Sora’s paperwork, scanned for her microchip, stamped a few items, and sent us on our way.
In Spain, we entered as we would whether we had a dog or not.
During our stay in Oslo, we visited a local veterinarian to request a pet passport. This contains the information for all of Sora’s paperwork and vaccinations and speeds entry into the EU. Once you enter Europe, you have four months to obtain a pet passport if you plan on staying there. Our blog post here outlines how to get one once you arrive.
The process is very simple and straight forward if you do your homework in advance. Traveling to Europe doesn’t have to be stressful. Getting the paperwork and the import papers in your country of origin is the biggest hurdle.
Additional Links:
Steps to Obtain International Health Certificate – USDA APHIS
Pet Travel Rule Changes – 2015
Hopefully this helps outline some of the confusing regulations around bringing a pet from the United States into Europe or if you’re planning to move there. Our veterinarian was our most helpful resource. She understood and was familiar with the required documents and vaccinations. Also be aware that rules change constantly, so it’s a good idea to check back with individual country regulations regularly and before traveling.
Hi,
Thank you so much for your blog ! It is very helpful!! I would like to ask you a question.. I am planning on going to Brazil from US for two weeks vacation, and I would love to take my dog Branca with me . I hope I can take her next to me on the plan. She is a Western Terrier mix about 33 pounds. She is a rescued dog and has some major issues .. She is very afraid of people and get overwhelming when she is in places with alots people . Usually she start to shake and something eve has diarrhea. Even take her for walks is difficult. I never been one night without her , since I adopted her two years ago., And would be great if I can take her with me..but at same time I feel like she will sofer a lot on plane , knowing how anxious she gets around strangers. Do you think that I should take her with me ? or should I leave her at my boyfriend’s house where she enjoys and feel save. Would be great if I could get you opinion on this .
Thank you so much!
Erica Vargens.
Hi Erica! Depending on where you go to in Brazil, my concern for your dog is not the plane, but the travel in Brazil itself. The cities in South America are incredibly loud with lots of people, crowds, and car noise. I don’t know where in the country you are planning to travel, but I know that Sora developed some serious anxiety while we were in South America due to all the constant noise. For her sake, I would honestly recommend leaving her at home while you take your vacation. I worry that you might feel so stressed worrying about her that you won’t be able to really enjoy your trip. She will feel much safer staying with your boyfriend in a familiar and calmer environment! I know it’s so hard to leave them behind, but I do believe that would be the best option for her.
I have to travel to different places and I have a lab she is 1 year old now I carry her to every place after doing the certification it is easier to carry to many different countries thanks for writing such amazing article. Thank you for sharing this article as I didn’t know about. It proved a great help to me.
So glad you found it helpful!
Wow, thanks for the info man! I was very much insecure leaving my dog at home or to some veterinary but after getting a legit information I will surely take my dog with me.
Glad you found the information useful. Traveling to Europe with a dog isn’t too difficult depending on the country you’re coming from.
Thanks for the information you have provided in the article. And what are the legal procedure to we perform while moving with urs dog to Europe.
Are there any specific requirements for bringing your pet back to the states?
Joe
Hi Joe. It’s pretty easy to bring your dog back to the States. You only need a rabies certificate depending on where you’ve visited. Keep in mind there may be export requirements for the country you’re leaving. More info here: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-united-states/dogs.html
Did your dog travel with cargo? Did it seem fine when you saw her when you got off the plane?
Hi Manuel,
Our previous dog was a bit nervous and excited when we saw her, but overall she was fine. It can be a scary process, but if you plan and prepare, your dog will be fine.
-dave