Traveling with Your Pet

The following rules apply to traveling abroad with dogs, cats, and ferrets
: The following rules apply:

• The animals must have a passport in accordance with the European model.
• The animals must be vaccinated against rabies.
• The animals must be identified.
• Sometimes it is necessary to have a blood test done before leaving the Netherlands in order to be allowed to bring the animal back to the Netherlands.

For all information and import requirements by country within Europe: click HERE
For all information and import requirements by country outside Europe: click HERE

The European pet passport is the only valid travel document for animals. Starting November 1, 2021, every dog that changes owners must have a microchip, be registered, and have an EU pet passport. This includes dogs that do not cross the border. As a future owner, you must verify when purchasing a dog that it has been microchipped, registered, and has an EU pet passport. If your new dog does not meet these requirements, you are in violation of the law.  If you’ve lost your dog’s passport, you can obtain a new one through your veterinarian. To do so, you must first apply for a so-called UBN number, so it’s clear to whom the veterinarian is issuing the passport. Applying for this (using DigiD) is a piece of cake. Without your UBN number, you cannot obtain a new pet passport.

The passport consists of two parts. The front (blue) section is the official, standardized travel section, and the second section is intended for recording vaccinations and health checks. In EU passports, the animal’s identification information must be laminated, as must the rabies vaccination records. This is to prevent fraud.

Rabies is a fatal disease for all warm-blooded animals, including humans. If you want to travel with your dog, cat, or ferret, the animal must be vaccinated against rabies. The first vaccination must be administered no later than 21 days before departure. If the vaccination is subsequently repeated according to the vaccination schedule, the animal may travel abroad at any time. With timely booster shots, there is therefore no waiting period! The rabies vaccination is recorded in the blue section of the passport.

Identifying your pet is required when traveling abroad. This can be done
using a microchip. Tattoos have not been valid since July 2011.
The veterinarian will record the microchip number in the passport.
Please note that the date the microchip was implanted must be entered in the passport
, and that this date must be before the rabies vaccination!

When traveling abroad, don't forget about tick prevention!