Travelling with your pet
Going on holiday with your dog or cat? The paperwork matters more than the suitcase. Here is what to arrange at the vet beforehand, what it costs, and what to check per destination — from EU passport to titre test.
EU pet passport
Required for any cross-border trip within the EU, for dogs, cats and ferrets. Only a vet may issue it. Without a valid passport your pet cannot cross the border — arrange it weeks before departure, not the day before.
Rabies shot: at least 21 days old
The rabies vaccination must be given at least 21 days before departure and stay valid for the whole trip. Your pet must be microchipped before the shot, and at least 12 weeks old — so travel is realistic from ± 15 weeks at the earliest.
Chip before the shot
An ISO microchip is mandatory and must be placed before (or at the latest together with) the rabies shot, otherwise the vaccination does not officially count. Ask the vet to check the registration — a chip registered to a previous owner causes trouble at the border.
The passport itself typically costs an extra €10–25 and is issued during a consultation. A titre test (see below) usually runs €80–150, including the blood draw and the lab.
Passport + chip + valid rabies shot is the baseline everywhere. Some countries add requirements: Finland, Ireland, Malta and Norway, for instance, require a tapeworm treatment for dogs 1 to 5 days before arrival, signed off in the passport.
Every country has its own rules: often a health certificate from an official vet, sometimes extra vaccinations or even quarantine. Start researching 2–3 months ahead. Returning to the EU from a rabies “high-risk country” requires a titre test — and that procedure takes months (see below).
Since Brexit the UK has its own rules: besides the chip and rabies shot you need an animal health certificate (AHC) or UK passport, and dogs need a tapeworm treatment 1–5 days before arrival. Expect extra costs and mandatory routes via approved carriers.
A titre test is a blood test proving the rabies vaccination produced enough antibodies. Blood is drawn at least 30 days after the shot and sent to an approved lab. If you re-enter the EU from a high-risk country, an additional 3 months must pass between the blood draw and the return trip. Plan this well before emigrating or travelling long — arranging it afterwards means months of waiting.
By car
Your pet must be secured or behind a guard/in a crate — a loose animal in the car can mean a fine and is lethal in an emergency stop. Plan a break every 2–3 hours, and never leave your pet in a parked car in warm weather: it turns fatal within minutes.
By plane
Small pets (usually up to ± 8 kg including the bag) can fly in the cabin with many airlines; larger ones go in the (climate-controlled) hold in an IATA-approved crate. Do not give sedatives without consulting your vet — sedation at altitude is itself a risk. For flat-nosed breeds (pugs, bulldogs, Persian cats) many airlines refuse hold transport due to breathing risks.
Timing & health
Plan a health check 1–2 weeks before departure: vaccinations current, deworming and tick protection arranged for the destination (think heartworm and leishmania around the Mediterranean), and have the passport checked at the same time. Bring enough (medication) supplies and the chip number.
Rules change regularly and differ per country. Before booking, always check the current requirements at LICG and the NVWA, and discuss with your vet exactly what your pet and destination require.