Planning a pet journey between European countries

Updated: 2026-10-30

Choose the document branch first

The new European routes cover adult privately owned dogs and cats travelling non-commercially with a recognised valid pet passport. An EU departure airport alone does not make a vaccination booklet into an EU passport. A pet that first entered Europe with a third-country health certificate may have a different onward-travel document branch. Select both origin and destination, then read the scope attached to each rule.

Work back from vaccination validity

Check identification before vaccination. Primary rabies vaccination normally starts at 12 weeks and requires at least 21 days after completion of the protocol; some products take longer. A booster within the previous validity does not restart that wait, but a lapse does. Valid older chips and passports may remain accepted under transition rules. Norway has a specific exception for travel only between Norway and Sweden; do not extend it to a wider travel history.

Dogs: treatment depends on the actual route

Finland, Ireland and Norway require dog tapeworm treatment on the applicable routes, normally by a veterinarian 24–120 hours before entry, recorded in the passport. Cats are not subject to this dog-only measure. Direct travel between designated tapeworm-free territories can be exempt; stops can change the case. Finland and Norway also describe continuous 28-day alternatives. Finland’s programme cannot be started in Switzerland. Confirm the whole treatment schedule rather than adding both alternatives as mandatory tasks.

Check destination procedures and longer stays

Sweden requires Customs declaration for EU-origin pets. Portugal does not require advance arrival notice for EU movements; Ireland does not require advance compliance-check booking for this EU route. Carry original documents. Poland lists a separate written non-commercial declaration. Longer stays can trigger registration in Belgium, Denmark or Portugal. These animal-health rules do not establish airline acceptance, and independent cargo or ownership transfer needs its own assessment.