Traveling with pets in the European Union: Pet passports, microchips, and vaccinations.

2. I live in the EU. Where can I obtain a passport for a pet?

The passport must be issued by any veterinarian who is authorized to do so. The national authorities in each EU country are responsible for distributing passports to veterinarians who are authorized to issue them.

3. Which animals need a passport?

The new EU system applies to dogs, cats, and ferrets. For other pets, national legislation applies. Therefore, if you need to travel with any other pet, you should contact the authorities in your country and/or the country of destination. If the animal is a hybrid (e.g., a Bengal cat or a wolfdog), you should also contact your ministry.

4. How much will a pet passport cost me?

There are no set fees for issuing pet passports. The price will depend on the country, the veterinarian issuing the passport, and other factors that may come into play.

5. How far in advance of travel should I contact the veterinarian?

It is advisable to do so well in advance of the planned travel date. Depending on the country you wish to travel to, whether or not your pet's rabies vaccination is valid, and whether or not a blood test is required, it may take weeks or months before everything is ready for the trip. If you are traveling within the EU, we recommend that you visit your veterinarian at least two months before your trip; if you are traveling outside the EU, do so even earlier.

6. What happens if I am traveling with more than five pets?

If you are traveling with more than five pets, you must meet the requirements of the "commercial" regime (both within and outside the EU). You should contact your ministry to obtain the appropriate certificate. An exception to this requirement is made if you are traveling with animals over six months old to participate in an exhibition, competition, or sporting event. In this case, you must provide proof of this.

7. What are the main requirements that must be met in order to travel with a pet within the EU?

The main requirements that dogs, cats, and ferrets must meet in order to travel are as follows:

-Have a microchip

-Have been treated for Echinococcus multilocularis: this requirement is optional for dogs in some countries.

8. What are the main requirements that must be met to travel with a pet outside the EU?

You must inform yourself about the requirements of the country you are traveling to and the requirements of the EU upon returning from that country. In addition to having a microchip and receiving a valid rabies vaccination, before leaving the EU, your pet may need to undergo a blood test based on a sample taken at least thirty days after vaccination and analyzed in an authorized laboratory.

It is advisable to start these preparations well before the trip, as in some countries the entire procedure takes several months.

9. Is it necessary for the owner to accompany the animal during the trip?

Yes, in principle all pets must be accompanied by their owners. Recognizing that in some situations this may be difficult, if the animal's travel and the owner's travel are not separated by more than five days, the animal can be considered 'accompanied'. The owner may need to use the services of an authorized person if they travel before or after their pet.

The minimum age if traveling from a country without rabies risk (within the EU or countries listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 577/2013) is 15 weeks. Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old before being vaccinated against rabies, as the vaccine would not be effective before that, and then wait at least 21 days (the period for immunity to establish) to travel.

Some EU countries accept animals under 12 weeks without rabies vaccination, although most EU countries do not accept them. This can be checked at the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/young_animals_en.htm

If coming from a country outside the EU with rabies presence/risk (not listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 577/2013), the minimum age would be 7 months. The puppy would also need, in addition to the rabies vaccination, a serological test in an authorized laboratory to determine its rabies antibodies. The test must be performed at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, and the animal's entry will only be authorized 3 months after the date of the blood sample collection.

11. What happens if I travel with a pet that does not meet the requirements?

Make sure your animal fully meets the requirements before traveling. It is forbidden to travel abroad with a pet that does not comply with the regulations on the movement of these animals.

Pets that are not in order may be quarantined or rejected. Severe penalties apply to those who violate these rules. Member States check ALL animals entering their territory from non-EU countries and carry out non-discriminatory checks on animals entering their territory from other EU Member States.

12. I am on vacation in the Middle East or North Africa and want to return home with a stray animal. What requirements must I meet?

Attention, rabies is still present in these areas! You cannot immediately take a stray animal home because its rabies status is unknown. If an animal is infected with rabies, the time between contracting the disease and the onset of symptoms is usually one to three months, but can range from less than a week to a year.

An animal, even if it appears perfectly healthy, can be infected. You can take the animal home once it has been microchipped and undergone a valid rabies vaccination procedure. Some countries also require a blood test based on a sample taken at least thirty days after vaccination and analyzed in an authorized laboratory. You can only take it home after three months have passed since the date of the sample collection.

MICROCHIP IMPLANTATION

1. Why is it important to implant a microchip in a pet before traveling?

Implanting a microchip before traveling is a legal obligation! Implanting a microchip in your pet and registering it in your country's database can also be the best way to increase the chances of recovering it if it gets lost or stolen. Unlike identification tags or collars, which can be lost or removed, the microchip is a more permanent form of dog identification.

2. Where can I have my pet identified?

To have a microchip implanted in an animal, you must go to the vet. When implanting the microchip, the veterinarian can also check the animal's health and administer the necessary vaccinations (including the rabies vaccine). In some countries, other professionals who are specifically trained for this purpose may also be responsible for implanting the microchip.

3. Is identification by tattoo permitted?

Yes, but for travel abroad, tattoos are only valid if they were done before July 3, 2011, and must be clearly legible.

4. Is it necessary to identify the animal before vaccinating it against rabies?

Yes, the animal must receive the appropriate treatments in the correct order. To avoid any doubt about its identity at the time of vaccination, it will be necessary to implant a microchip beforehand.

RABIES VACCINATION

1. What is rabies?

Rabies is a disease found worldwide, caused by a virus that can affect warm-blooded animals, including humans. Transmission to humans usually occurs through a bite or direct contact with the saliva of an infected animal on broken skin or mucous membranes. It is a rapidly progressing disease that affects the central nervous system, causing death if not treated with the utmost urgency.

2. Why is rabies vaccination essential?

This vaccine protects dogs against rabies. Rabies remains one of the most serious viral zoonoses in the world. Although it is entirely preventable, an estimated 55,000 people die from rabies each year: almost all of them live in developing countries and half are children under the age of fifteen.

In the European Union, the incidence of rabies has declined dramatically since the 1980s, mainly due to the combined vaccination of domestic dogs and wildlife. Thanks to these efforts, many European countries have been declared "rabies-free" and the disease has almost been forgotten. However, rabies remains endemic in several countries surrounding the European Union. This means that it is essential that our dogs are vaccinated and that we take great care when bringing dogs from countries where this animal is still a carrier of rabies.

3. How often does a pet have to be vaccinated against rabies to be in compliance?

It depends on the technical specifications of the vaccine's marketing authorization in the country where it is administered. Your veterinarian will know. New regulations require European countries to establish a list of authorized rabies vaccines.

4. When is a rabies blood test mandatory?

A blood test must be carried out for travel to and from some non-EU countries.

5. Should animals under three months of age be vaccinated against rabies?

No, animals under three months of age may be too young for effective rabies vaccination, which is why the new rules impose a minimum age of twelve weeks for the first rabies vaccination.

6. Are other vaccinations necessary?

No other vaccinations are necessary for travel within the EU. They are necessary for travel outside the EU. Find out in advance. In any case, for the health of the animal, it is highly recommended to also vaccinate it against other common diseases, especially canine parvovirus, canine distemper, canine adenovirus, and feline panleukopenia.

7. What should I do if my pet becomes ill after vaccination?

Vaccines, including rabies vaccines, rarely have side effects, but they can occur. Always inform your veterinarian if your animal has a reaction to a vaccine, even if it is only a mild, self-limiting reaction.

PET PASSPORT

1. Will new pet passports be required as of December 29, 2014? What does this mean for my dog, cat, or ferret?

If your pet's passport was issued before December 29, 2014, you do not need to apply for a new one. The old one remains valid. If the passport is issued after December 29, 2014, you will receive a new one.

2. Why is this new pet passport being introduced?

The new passport is being introduced to improve its security.

3. What are the main changes between the old and new passport?

The new pet passport:

-Will have laminates to cover the pages where microchip information and any certified treatment are entered via a sticker

-Will have a dedicated page for recording the details of the veterinarian who issued the passport

-Must indicate the date from which the rabies vaccine is valid (except for booster vaccines)

-This allows pet owners to easily see if the passport is valid for travel and simplifies the compliance check process.

4. What should I do if I have lost my pet's old passport?

You should contact your veterinarian to obtain another passport and have the animal revaccinated.

5. I am not an EU citizen, but I am going to live in the EU with my pet for several years. Can I get a passport for it and use it in the EU during that period?

Yes. You should contact a veterinarian in any EU Member State to carry out the necessary vaccinations and issue a passport.

6. I am traveling to an EU Member State from a non-EU country. Can I use my pet's passport?

No, in principle, the pet passport is used only for travel between European Union Member States. However, you can use it to travel to neighboring countries that apply EU rules and return from those countries.

These are, in particular, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and the Vatican City State.

The pet passport is also accepted if you return from a non-EU country, provided it meets the requirements applicable to that country before leaving the EU. In all other cases, the animal must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by an official veterinarian.

7. I am traveling to a non-EU country from an EU Member State. Can I use my pet's passport?

Some non-EU countries also accept the pet passport as long as the appropriate page of the passport is legalized by an official veterinarian. Find out in advance.

8. I live in one of the EU's non-continental territories, such as Martinique or the Canary Islands. Can I use my pet's passport?

Yes, you can use it if you are traveling to or from one of the following territories:

Greenland and the Faroe Islands (Danish pet passport). French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion (French pet passport). Canary Islands (Spanish pet passport). Azores and Madeira (Portuguese pet passport). Gibraltar (specific Gibraltarian pet passport).

[VET] 9. Can I use the old pet passport models I have in stock after December 29, 2014?

No, after December 29, 2014, veterinarians are not authorized to issue passports based on old models. Pet owners whose passport was issued before December 29, 2014, may continue to use it. There is no need to issue a new one!

[VET] 10. If clients come to me with an animal whose passport is an old model, should I also use the laminate?

No, but for security reasons, you may seal the page where information is entered via a sticker with a transparent adhesive laminate.

[VET] 11. What is the best website to see which countries apply additional requirements?

Much information is available on the European Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/index_en.htm, and on the websites of all Member States: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/nat_rules_dogscatferret_en.htm

[VET] 12. What record-keeping requirements are you expected to meet as a veterinarian?

The new Regulation requires veterinarians to keep records, for a minimum of three years, of the passport numbers of pets in relation to the information in Sections I, II, and III of the passport:

Microchip numbers, place and date of reading/application. Name, species, breed, sex, color, date of birth, and any notable or discernible features or characteristics of the animal. Owner's name and contact information.

TAPEWORM AND OTHER DISEASE TREATMENT

1. When does an animal need tapeworm treatment?

Pets must be treated for tapeworm before traveling to Ireland, Malta, Finland, or the United Kingdom.

2. What happens if my animal becomes ill after the trip or I fear it has been exposed to a disease?

If you travel abroad with your pet, you may expose it to diseases that do not exist in its home country, for example, those transmitted by certain ticks, and parasites such as heartworm and tapeworm. It may lack natural immunity to these diseases and become infected. Some of these diseases can affect humans. If your animal shows signs of illness after returning from abroad, inform the veterinarian so they can consider the possibility that it contracted a disease or infection during its stay abroad.

We recommend that, before traveling abroad, you consult your veterinarian to see if your animal is in a suitable state of health and fitness for travel. Depending on where you are going, the veterinarian should be able to advise you on preventive treatments and any other precautions you should take, and how to observe signs of illness in the animal.

MORE INFORMATION

http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/index_en.htm

http://www.fve.org/uploads/publications/docs/spanish_pet_travel.pdf

Traveling with a pet to England.

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