Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality

• Dogs, cats and ferrets from EU Member States
• Dogs, cats and ferrets from non-EUcountries
• Requirements for entry into the Netherlands
• Dogs, cats and ferrets kept commercially
• Transitional measure

Since 3 July 2004, new legislation will make it easier for you to take your pet dog, cat or ferret with you on journeys in the European Union. The Member States of the European Union have harmonised their legislation on the non-commercial transport of pet dogs, cats and ferrets. This means that from 3 July, countries in the European Union will apply nearly identical veterinary requirements for pets travelling with their owners.

Dogs, cats and ferrets from EU Member States

From 3 July 2004, the non-commercial movement of pet dogs, cats and ferrets within the European Union must comply with the following veterinary requirements:

• Pet animals must be identified. In the Netherlands, the most popular method used to identify animals is the electric transponder (microchip), which is inserted just under the skin. A clearly readable tattoo is also accepted as identification. Both means of identification are applied by a veterinarian.
• Dogs, cats and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies by an authorised veterinarian, who must certify that the animal has a valid rabies vaccination in the EUpassport. The first vaccination is valid 21 days after the vaccination protocol has been finished.
• A compulsory blood test must be taken for pet dogs, cats or ferrets travelling to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Sweden.
• The blood sample must be taken by an authorised veterinarian (for United Kingdom and Ireland 6 months, for Sweden 4-12 months after the last vaccination) before the date of entry and must have a satisfactory result.
• Dogs, cats and ferrets must be accompanied by an EUpassport on journeys between Member States.
• The passport should provide the animal's identification, the owner's name and address, and proof that the animal has a valid vaccination against rabies.

In the Netherlands, EUpassports for pet animals are publised by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij voor Diergeneeskunde (Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association), Full Service Bureau Dierenasielen Nederland, Vereniging van Beroepsmatige Kennelhouders and Stichting Chip. The EU passports published by these four organisations are approved by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Pet owners can apply to their veterinarian to obtain an EUpassport for their pet. They will receive a Dutch version of the passport.

Dogs, cats and ferrets from non-EUcountries

As of 3 July 2004, the following rules apply to pet dogs, cats and ferrets entering the European Union (except the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Sweden) from non-EU countries.

• Dogs, cats and ferrets must have an electronic transponder or clearly readable tattoo to identify them (a tattoo will be accepted until 01-01-2012);
• Dogs, cats and ferrets must have undergone an anti-rabies vaccination;
• Pet animals must be accompanied by a certificate (in accordance with Decision 2004/824/EC) issued by an official veterinarian or endorsed by the competent authority, or in the case of re-entry by a passport. The certificate or passport identifies the animal and presents information about the owner (or responsible person accompanying the animal), the vaccination status and if required the neutralising antibody titration test. Commercial animals must be accompanied by a certificate (in accordance with Decision 2004/595/EC) issued by an approved or official veterinarian;
• The first vaccination is valid 21 days after the vaccination protocol has been finished;
• Animals entering the EU from a country that is not on the list below, must have undergone a neutralising antibody titration test at least equal to 0.5 IU/ml, carried out on a sample taken by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after vaccination and three months before being moved;
• The blood sample must be sent to an approved laboratory;
• The antibody titration test need not be renewed on a pet animal, which has been revaccinated at the intervals recommended by the manufacturing laboratory of the vaccine;
• The three-month waiting period shall not apply to the re-entry of a pet animal whose passport certifies that the titration was carried out, with a positive result, before the animal left the territory of the Community.

• List of rabies testing authorised laboratories

The veterinary requirements for movements within the EU equally apply to the entry of pet animals from the following list of countries: Andorra, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Vatican City State and recently also Croatia. The requirements also apply to the territories of EU Member States: Greenland and Faeroe Islands (Denmark), Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla (Spain), French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion (France), the Azores Islands and Madeira Islands (Portugal) and Gibraltar.

Third countries for which a blood test is not required are the countries mentioned in Annex II to Commission Regulation EC 998/2003. These are Ascension, Australia, Aruba, Barbados, Bahrain, Bermuda, Canada, Fiji, Falkland Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, Japan, Singapore, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Helena, Cayman Islands, United States of America (incl. Guam), Montserrat, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Mauritius, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Wallis and Tutuna, New Zealand, Mayotte, French Polynesia, United Arab Emirates, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Chile, Argentina, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russian Federation, Netherlands Antilles, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Mexico, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago and the British Virgin Islands. For an update of this list please consult Regulation EC 998/2003 on the website 'European Commission - Movement of Pets'.

Requirements for entry into the Netherlands

There is an important difference between pet animals (dogs, cats and ferrets, with a maximum of five animals /owner) and commercial animals (dogs, cats and ferrets).

An animal is considered a pet animal when the owner or a representative of the owner accompanies the animal during travel from the country of origin and is therefore familiar with the history and environment of the animal in the country of origin.

Pet animals aged under three months originating in a country mentioned in Annex II to Commission Regulation EC 998/2003 (see list above) may enter the EU without a valid anti-rabies vaccination if the owner, travelling with the animal, can certify that the animal resided in the country of origin in the same place as its place of birth, and had no contact with animals which could have been infected with rabies. Pet animals originating in another third country than those mentioned in Annex II to Commission Regulation EC 998/2003 cannot enter the EU without a valid anti-rabies vaccination and a neutralising antibody titration test performed at least one month after vaccination and at least three months prior to travelling to the EU. Therefore import is not possible before the age of seven months.

When the animal is travelling alone it is considered a commercial animal, even if it is not intended for sale and is kept as a pet by its owner. These animals cannot be imported without a valid anti-rabies vaccination. The anti-rabies vaccination cannot be administered before the age of three months and is only valid 21 days after vaccination.

For commercial animals from countries mentioned in Annex II to Regulation EC 998/2003 transport to the EU is therefore not permitted before the age of three months and three weeks. For countries where the risk of rabies is high (those countries not mentioned in Annex II to Commission Regulation EC 998/2003) an additional neutralising antibody titration test is required which means at least an additional three months before travelling to the EU is allowed.

For instance, a two-month-old dog from the USA can enter the EU without an anti-rabies vaccination when the owner/breeder travels with the dog. But when the same dog is sent unaccompanied to another owner in The Netherlands, the animal requires an anti-rabies vaccination and therefore cannot enter the EU before it has reached the age of three months and three weeks.

The same dog from South Africa, whether it is a pet animal or a commercial animal, cannot enter the EU before the age of seven months because in both cases an anti-rabies vaccination as well as a neutralising antibody titration test is required.

These measures are necessary to minimize the risk for animal and public health and welfare.

Dogs, cats and ferrets kept commercially

Harmonised veterinary requirements already apply to intra-community movements of commercially kept dogs, cats and ferrets (Directive 92/65/EC). With the new regulation, the veterinary requirements for commercially kept animals and pet animals are almost identical. The most important difference is that commercially kept animals must be clinically examined by a competent veterinarian 24 hours before the start of a journey. The veterinarian must record any findings at that time in the animal's EU passport.

Transitional measure

To facilitate the change of veterinary requirements the EUhas a transitional measure in place. The transitional measure valid between 3 July 2004 and 1 October 2004 has been replaced by the following transitional measure: Member States shall authorise the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets between Member States and from third countries if the animals are accompanied by a certificate in a format different to the models established by those Decisions provided so that it meets the following requirements:

1. It has been issued before 1 October 2004;
2. Its period of validity has not expired; 
3. It attests compliance with conditions established by Regulation (EC) No 998/2003. Nevertheless, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Sweden may maintain the national conditions applicable before 3 July 2004 for the acceptance of rabies certification.

Vaccination and further required treatments carried out after 1 October 2004 should be entered in the standardised European passport or veterinary certificate.