It’s not just EU citizens who enjoy freedom of movement within the European Union. Thanks to the adoption of harmonised EU rules on travelling with pets, your cats, dogs, and indeed, ferrets, also enjoy this right too. If you’re travelling this summer around the EU with your four-legged friend, simply make sure their EU pet passport is up to date. 

An EU pet passport contains a description and details of your pet, including its microchip or tattoo code, as well as its rabies vaccination record and contact details of the vet who issued the passport. You can get an EU pet passport for your dog, cat or ferret from any authorised vet. The most important requirement, which also applies to pets travelling to the EU from a non-EU country, is that your pet’s vaccination against rabies is up to date. And, in case you are travelling to a country that is free from the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis (i.e. Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland), it’s important that your pet has had a treatment against this tapeworm. 

There are a few exceptions to note. Since 2021, EU pet passports issued to residents of Great Britain are no longer valid for travel with pets from Great Britain to an EU country or Northern Ireland. Also worth remembering is that an EU pet passport is only valid for cats, dogs and ferrets. If your pet is a bird, reptile, rodent or rabbit, you should check the national rules of the country you are planning to visit for information on the entry conditions. 

If you are travelling with your pet from a non-EU country into the EU, the document you must show is an ‘EU animal health certificate’. Similar to an EU pet passport, the EU animal health certificate contains details of your pet’s health, identity and vaccination against rabies. It should be obtained from an official State vet in your country not more than 10 days before your pet arrives in the EU. You should also attach a written declaration to your pet’s EU animal health certificate stating that its relocation is for non-commercial reasons. 

You can travel with up to five pets, but if there are more than five pets (dogs, cats or ferrets) you must provide proof that they are taking part in a competition, exhibition or sporting event and they are more than 6 months old. And if you are not planning on accompanying your pet on its travels, you must give written permission to another person to accompany your pet for you. You must, however, be reunited with your pet within 5 days of its relocation. 

For more information 

Travelling with pets and other animals in the EU 

Movement of pets 

National rules on travelling with other pets