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Food, Farming, Fisheries
Food Safety

Non-commercial movement from non-EU countries

Conditions

In order to be moved into an EU country from a territory or a third country, the following conditions should be met:

Marking - The pet animal (dog, cat or ferret) must be marked by the implantation of a transponder (see technical specifications in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013)

Vaccination against rabies - The pet animal (dog, cat or ferret) must be vaccinated against rabies by an authorised veterinarian in accordance with Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, as follows:

  • the animal was at least 12 weeks old at the date the vaccine was administered
  • the date of administration of the vaccine does not precede the date of marking or reading of the transponder
  • the period of validity of the vaccination starts not less than 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol for the primary vaccination, and any subsequent vaccination was carried out within the period of validity of the preceding vaccination

Rabies antibody test - The pet animal (dog, cat or ferret) must undergo a rabies antibody titration test in accordance with Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, as follows:

  • the test must be carried out on a sample collected by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after the date of vaccination and not less than three months before the date of movement
  • the test must measure a level of neutralising antibody to rabies virus in serum equal to or greater than 0,5 IU/ml
  • the test must be performed in an approved laboratory

Treatment against Echinococcus multilocularis - The pet animal (dog only) must, prior to entering a Member State listed in the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/878, or Norway, be treated against the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/772, as follows:

  • the treatment must be administered by a veterinarian within a period of not more than 120 hours and not less than 24 hours before the time of scheduled entry
  • the treatment must be certified by the administering veterinarian in the relevant section of the passport.

Health Certificate and Declaration - the pet animal (dog, cat or ferret) must be accompanied by:

  • an animal health certificate (courtesy translations) - see model in Part 1 of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 as last amended by Regulation (EU) 2019/1293
    • completed and issued by an official veterinarian, or by an authorised veterinarian and subsequently endorsed by the competent authority
    • documenting the alpha-numeric code displayed by the transponder or the tattoo, the details of vaccination against rabies, the details of the blood sampling, and where applicable, the details of the treatment against Echinococcus multilocularis
    • valid for 10 days from the date of issue by the official veterinarian until the date of the documentary and identity checks at the travellers' points of entry designated by Member States. In the case of a transport by sea, that period of 10 days is extended by an additional period corresponding to the duration of the journey by sea. For the purpose of further movements into other Member States the certificate is valid from the date of the documentary and identity checks for a total of four months or until the date of expiry of the anti-rabies vaccination or until the conditions relating to animals less than 16 weeks old cease to apply, whichever date is earlier.
  • a written declaration completed by the owner or an authorised person (see model in Part 3 of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013) regarding the non-commercial nature of the movement and attesting, where appropriate, the carriage of the animal under the responsibility of an authorised person within up to five days of the movement of the owner.

Travellers' point of entry - the pet animal (dog, cat or ferret) must pass through a travellers' point of entry designated by Member States (see below). The owner must, at the time of entry, contact the competent authority present at the point of entry for the purposes of the documentary and identity checks.

Exceptions

Regarding the number of pet animals moved - Where pet animals (dogs, cats or ferrets) are moved in a number of more than five and the conditions to derogate are not met, the animals are to comply with the animal health conditions applicable to imports into the Union.

Regarding the marking - EU countries shall authorise the movement into their territory of dogs, cats and ferrets marked by a clearly readable tattoo if applied before 3 July 2011.

Regarding the vaccination against rabies - EU countries may authorise the movement into their territory from territories or third countries listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 of young dogs, cats and ferrets which are less than 12 weeks old and have not received an anti-rabies vaccination or are between 12 and 16 weeks old and have received an anti-rabies vaccination, but 21 days have not elapsed since the completion of the vaccination protocol for the primary vaccination against rabies.

In that case, the animals must be accompanied by either:

  • a declaration of the owner (see model set out in Part 1 of Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013) attached to the animal health certificate stating that from birth until the time of dispatch, the animals have had no contact with wild animals of species susceptible to rabies, or
  • their mother on whom they still depend and from the animal health certificate of their mother it can be established that the mother received before their birth a valid anti-rabies vaccination

Regarding the rabies antibody titration test:

  • The test is not required for pet animals (dogs, cats or ferrets) moved into an EU country from a territory or a third country listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013, as last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1130
  • The test does not have to be renewed following a satisfactory result, provided that the pet animal is revaccinated within the period of validity of the previous vaccination
  • The three-month period shall not apply to the re-entry of a pet animal whose passport certifies that the test was carried out and documented, with a favourable result, before the animal left the Union

Regarding the animal health certificate - The movement into an EU country from a territory or a third country of a pet animal (dog, cat or ferret) accompanied by a passport shall be authorised.

Regarding the passage through a travellers’ point of entry: