If you want to travel with your pet, it is a good idea to consult all the useful information on conditions and procedures in good time to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Please note that all deadlines must be strictly adhered to.
These rules were drawn up to protect the health of people and animals in Belgium and other countries. Therefore, your pet (dog, cat or ferret) must also meet the following conditions.
| - I am in Belgium and I want to travel with my dog or cat to a country within the European Union |
| - I am in Belgium and I want to travel with my dog or cat to a country outside the European Union |
I am in Belgium and I want to travel with my dog or cat to a country within the European Union.
Conditions :
- Identification and registration (passport + microchip)
- A valid rabies vaccination
To travel to Northern Ireland, Ireland, Finland or Malta, your pet must also:
- Have been dewormed with an agent against the fox tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis)
Identification and registration
Your pet must have a European passport to travel in the EU. This passport must contain the identification details of animal and owner. In addition, your pet must be identified by a microchip. A tattoo is only valid if it was made before 3 July 2011 and is clearly legible. Be aware that some countries only accept microchips (Ireland & Malta)!
Vaccination against rabies
Your animal can be vaccinated against rabies from the age of 12 weeks. This is known as the ‘primary vaccination’ (first vaccination against rabies).
Please note!
This vaccination is only valid after at least 21 days, which means that your puppy or kitten can travel from the age of 15 weeks at the earliest.
Certain Member States allow animals younger than 12 weeks to enter the country, but under specific conditions. More information about the conditions for the different Member States can be found on the European Commission's website.
The validity period of the vaccine depends on the type of vaccine. This can be checked in your animal's passport. If the revaccination is carried out within the validity period, the vaccination is immediately valid. A vaccination that is given too late, only after the expiry of this period, should be considered a ‘primary vaccination’. This vaccination is only valid after at least 21 days.
Extra condition: deworming against the fox tapeworm
For journeys to Northern Ireland, Ireland, Finland and Malta, a treatment against the worm Echinococcus multilocularis (the fox tapeworm) is also required. This must take place at the earliest 120 hours and at the latest 24 hours before the intended entry into one of these Member States and must be recorded in the passport.
Are you travelling with more than 5 pets or are you unable to travel with your pets at the same time?
> The transportation of your pets must comply with the conditions applicable to the commercial movement of pets. This requires, among other things, a certificate. For more information, please contact your Local Control Unit (LCU).
I am in Belgium and I want to travel with my dog or cat to a country outside the European Union
To travel to a country outside the EU (a third country), the conditions of the destination country will apply. For some countries, this information can be found on the FASFC website; for others, you will need to contact the embassy or the regional export promotion organisations.
It is recommended that your pet has a passport, a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination. For a limited number of countries, it is not mandatory to have a valid rabies vaccination. We recommend that you have your pet vaccinated anyway, because this vaccination is required if you want to return to the EU.
Be sure to check the validity date of the vaccine before you leave! Many countries outside the EU maintain a validity period of 1 year.
The destination country may impose additional conditions that the pets must meet in order to be admitted. In most cases, a health certificate is required by the destination country to bring your pet with you. The procedure to be followed and the different types of certificates are mentioned on the FASFC website. In any case, you remain responsible for ensuring that the import of your pet will be accepted by the destination country.
Important! If the destination country imposes its own or additional conditions (which are not published on the FASFC website), you must provide official proof that these conditions have been imposed by the authorities of the destination country, along with a sworn translation if necessary. The conditions imposed by the destination country must be submitted to the local control units (LCUs) in advance and not at the time of certification. The local control units (LCUs) must be able to verify that this is certifiable. So start preparing your trip in good time to avoid any unpleasant surprises!
If you are unclear about the right conditions, you should contact the embassy or consulate of the country concerned or the regional export promotion organisations.
More detailed information about travelling with pets can also be found on the FPS Public Health website, the European Commission website and the FASFC website.