Bureaucracy

Moving to the EU with Pets

Timing is of the essence when it comes to making preparations (vaccinations, rabies antibody tests, deworming, securing an appropriate transport carrier, booking a place for your pet on a flight etc.), so start research and planning at least six months ahead of time if coming from outside of the EU!

Natasha

Oct 15, 2021 — 7 min read

I looked in the side mirror to find my uncle’s dog’s lips just flopping all around. I quickly and dangerously held my camera out the window while trying not to laugh. I love the action that the tilt brings to the picture. — Photo by Emerson Peters / Unsplash

EU Animal Importation Regulations

Commerical vs. Non-Commercial Movement

When moving to Germany (or any other EU country) with animals, the importation will be classified as either non-commercial (i.e. for personal reasons) or commercial (i.e. for business) and the appropriate set of regulations must be followed. Non-commercial import is what concerns most of us (private trips) and is where ownership does not change upon entering the country. If ownership is to change upon entry, then commercial regulations would apply. As a rule, pets must travel with their owners; you may give written permission to another person to accompany your pet, but you must be reunited your pet within 5 days of its relocation.

Animal Limit per Person

The second factor which determines the set of regulations that need to be followed is the species of your pet. For non-commercial purposes, generally only five (5) dogs, cats or ferrets in total may be brought into an EU country by one person. When it comes to birds, likewise a total of five (5) individuals may be imported by the one person. For rabbits and rodents, there are less restrictions - three rabits are permitted per person (permission must be requested for additional individuals), for guinea pigs, hamsters etc. there are no special conditions that need to be observed.

There is one exception to the rule of travelling with more than the maximum allowable individual animals, which concerns temporary visits for the purpose of attending competitions or events (e.g. dog shows, sport competitions, training seminars etc.). For these conditions to be met, the pet must be at least six months old and you must carry written proof of registration for the events.

General Requirements

Dogs, cats and ferrets coming from another EU country need to have a pet passport and be uniquely identifiable by tattoo or microchip. If you don’t have a pet passport, you will need an animal health certificate signed by a licensed vet to enter France with your pet.
If you're moving from outside of the EU, all pets must be declared to Customs and require the following:
- Microchip ID aka “transponder” (or visible tattoo if before 3 July 2011) Your pet must have an ISO-compliant microchip. If your pet has a working microchip, but it is not ISO compliant, you will need to travel with your own scanner that can read the microchip OR have a second microchip implanted that is ISO compliant.* Make sure both microchips are listed on the health certificate!
- Evidence of recent rabies vaccine at least three weeks before travel. Pets from a country with a high incidence of rabies must have a Blood Titer Test one month after vaccination and three months prior to departure.
  - For all pets vaccinated in the United States, a “primary” rabies vaccination is only valid for 1 year. Your pet must receive a booster rabies vaccination within 12 months from its primary vaccination.
- Health certificate, either "non-commercial" or "commercial" signed by a vet (valid for 10 days)
  - You should use the "non-commercial" health certificate if you or a designated person** is traveling within 5 days before or after your pet(s), and 5 or fewer pets are traveling.
  - The "non-commercial" health certificate is valid for 30 days after the Accredited Veterinarian issues it, but the USDA must endorse the completed health certificate within ten days of arriving in the EU.
  - You must use the "commercial" health certificate if you or a designated person** cannot travel within 5 days of your pet, or you are traveling with 6 or more pets.
  - The "commercial" health certificate must be issued by an Accredited Veterinarian and endorsed by the USDA within 48 hours of departing the U.S. with your pet.
  - **Designated person is a family member, friend, or other person authorized by the owner to travel with the pet.
- If no lab tests are required, the cost for USDA endorsement of your pet's health certificate is €86 (or $101 USD) per certificate.
- In France, your dog or cat must be registered with ICAD (Identification des Carnivores Domestiques) within 7 days of its arrival.
  - Your veterinarian can complete this form online or in person and costs approximately €11 (or $13 USD).
- Make sure to check the requirements for your country of departure)
For certain countries (Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland), treatment against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis is also required.
Birds that are not vaccinated against bird flu need to undergo quarantine for 10 days - be sure to check the exact requirements. In addition, all birds must stay at their intended place of residence for a period of at least 30 days upon arrival before they can participate in shows or other events.
Birds traveling into France specifically must meet one of the following conditions to combat the spread of avian flu:
- Isolation for 30 days prior to travel
- Avian flu vaccination within the last six months, but not within the last 60 days
- Negative flu test result taken on the fourth day of isolation, followed by 10 days in isolation.
Small animals, (ie. amphibians, rodents, rabbits, reptiles, invertebrates, and tropical fish) kept as pets, can move freely between EU countries without vaccination or quarantine requirements but they will need a passport or an EU animal health certificate signed by a licensed vet. Small pets traveling from the US need to have a health certificate signed by a licensed vet (valid for 10 days). USDA endorsement (counter-sign and emboss/stamp) is NOT required for this certificate, however, they will require a 6 month quarantine.

In all cases, timing is of the essence when it comes to making preparations (vaccinations, rabies antibody tests, deworming, securing an appropriate transport carrier, booking a place for your pet on a flight etc.), so start research and planning at least six months ahead of time if coming from outside of the EU!

Dog Breed Restrictions

One thing that is very important for dog owners to be aware of, is that there are breed restrictions which differ from one country to another within the EU, and even within different regions of a country. Depending on the country (and breed), this may mean that you cannot import, breed, buy or export these breeds. On top of that, there may be additional norms in place when it comes to housing, transportation and muzzle regulations, for dogs over a certain size. Be sure to check your destination country for the exact regulations and if possible, bring proof of ancestry for your dog. For purebred dogs, this means a pedigree or other form of registration, for mixed dogs this could mean a certification from the vet or a DNA test.

For more information on restricted breeds in Germany you can check out this link. An overview of the different regulations in place by state is provided below.

Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasseliste#Stand

Key
1: The breed is listed as dangerous.
2: Dog is presumed as dangerous, but this can be refuted (via temperament test).
X: The breed is listed as dangerous, there is no distinction between category 1 and category 2. The aforementioned categories are defined differently in each state.

Restricted Breeds in France

Classified into 2 categories :

"attack dogs" : American Staffordshire terrier (commonly known as pit bulls), Mastiff (commonly known as boerbulls) and Tosa. Dogs of category 1 have no pedigree.
"guard & defense dogs" : American Staffordshire Terrier Dogs, Rottweiler dogs and Tosa breed dogs. Dogs of category 2 do have a pedigree.

The French Government requires owners of both breed categories must have a detention permit confirming they have attended a seven-hour training course and the dog has completed behavioral training. These dogs must be muzzled in public and have a liability insurance policy. Category one dogs should also be sterilized.

Transportation

Many public transportation options in continental Europe, with the exception of intercity buses, allow for pets to accompany you. In Germany, all but intercity and international buses allow pets to accompany their owners. However, unlike in Scandinavia and some other countries, dogs travelling outside of a carrier need to have the equivalent of an unaccompanied child's ticket. As a rule, if travelling outside of a carrier they also need to be leashed and wear a muzzle. In Berlin, dogs are included on time-based tickets (day pass, weekly pass, monthly pass, yearly pass) - if you are travelling on a single trip, however, you will need to buy an additional ticket for your dog. In cars, pets are required to be inside of a carrier or to be otherwise secured.

Sources