Important: New EU rules effective April 22, 2026
Important!
A rabbit is not a rodent. It is a lagomorph. All requirements for rodents do not usually apply to rabbits. There are separate rules for importing rabbits.
A ferret is not a rodent. It is exported with the same vaccinations as dogs.
A meerkat is not a rodent. It is exported with vaccinations for dogs.
Rodents and rabbits must have an international veterinary passport and be microchipped. They are implanted with a chip of the ISO 11784/11785 standard. This is the same standard chip that is installed on cats and dogs, but for rodents it is smaller in size.
A pet health certificate (veterinary accompanying document)
A pet health certificate (veterinary accompanying document) is a document required to transport a pet to another country. Depending on the destination country, different certificates may be required. But their content is approximately the same: information about the owner, information about the pet: breed, age, health, vaccinations.
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Eurocertificate
A Eurocertificate is a veterinary accompanying document required for exporting animals abroad. It is issued if you are traveling to countries that are members of the European Union, or if you are traveling in transit through EU countries. And if you are traveling to countries that are not members of the EU, but are part of the common European economic area: Andorra, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Vatican.
Issued only for carnivores (cats, dogs, ferrets) and for birds (for them, the form is slightly different).
The validity period of the Eurocertificate is 10 days.
How to travel with a pet in the European Union
If you are entering EU countries, then according to the rules prescribed in the Eurocertificate, you are required to enter the EU through one of the special entry points for travelers. Simply put, upon arrival, go through veterinary control. There, they will check your documents and put a stamp on the Eurocertificate. The stamp gives the right to travel without additional certificates throughout the EU for four months from the date of the stamp, or until the end of the validity of your pet’s rabies vaccination. In practice, this stamp is not always put. If you did not get it at the airport, there is nothing wrong with that.
Euro certification for birds
A Eurocertificate is also issued in case of leaving with birds. In terms of content, it is almost identical to the Eurocertificate for carnivores, the difference is in Section II Veterinary information (Certification), where there is no information on vaccination and treatments, the conditions for entry of birds into the EU are indicated and those completed are noted. Documents for birds.
Eurocertificate and rodents, rabbits
In case of leaving with rodents, rabbits, etc. animals, a Eurocertificate is not provided! Instead, they issue an exit certificate in a form approved by the country of departure.
Completing the certificate if your rabies titers are older than one year
If you are traveling to the European Union from countries where rabies is common (Georgia, Armenia, Serbia, etc.) and your rabies titers are older than one year, pay attention to Section II “Veterinary Information” (“Certificate”)! It should list not only the most recent valid rabies vaccine but also the one listed on the certificate with the test results. If it is not listed, there is a high risk that your animal will be quarantined.
EU Regulation on the Eurocertificate for pets read here.
The European Pet Passport
The European Passport is a veterinary passport that is issued in veterinary clinics exclusively on the territory of the European Union. Its content is practically no different from the international veterinary passports, but the presence of this document provides a number of advantages for those who often travel with a pet outside the European Union and back.
Not all passports issued in the European Union are Europassports. The distinctive features of the Europassport are a blue cover with yellow stars and a country code with a passport number. In some countries, for example in Portugal or Spain, a pet can be issued two veterinary passports: a domestic one and a Europassport.
Advantages
When returning back to the European Union from some countries (for example, from Serbia, Turkey and the USA), a stamp on the clinical examination in the Europassport is sufficient. In this case, a Eurocertificate is not needed. The clinical examination is done in an authorized veterinary clinic. For such export, a European passport with a mark on rabies vaccination and titers made on the territory of the European Union before leaving from there is required. Having a European passport does not exempt you from the requirement to have a rabies antibody test when entering from red countries and the need to issue documents when leaving the European Union.
With a Europassport, you can travel between countries within the European Union without additional certificates.
How to get
To get a European passport, you need to go with your pet to any veterinary clinic in the European Union. There, the animal will either be revaccinated or the vaccination data from your old passport will be copied, but in this case, you will be required to carry 2 passports with you until the next vaccination so that you can confirm the authenticity of the stickers.
Average price: 10 euros for the passport itself and 10 euros for its registration. Depending on the country, the price can vary greatly, and the cost of the appointment and the cost of the consultation can be added to it. The total amount can reach 150 euros, sometimes more, depending on the number of animals.
Please note that an animal can legally stay in the EU without a European passport for the entire validity period of the European certificate (up to 120 days). During this period and certainly after the expiration of the European certificate, you must register the pet in the country of residence and obtain a European passport.
About rabies in EU
- The rabies vaccination in the Europass must be affixed by a veterinarian within the European Union. A rabies vaccination affixed to the Europass outside the European Union will be considered invalid – more details in the EU/2013 regulation (page 10, Section V). At the same time, veterinarians outside the European Union are not prohibited from affixing marks to the Europass about a comprehensive vaccination, antiparasitic treatment and clinical examination of the animal.
- The Europass can be affixed with a mark about titers made outside the European Union. However, in this case, it will be necessary to obtain a Eurocertificate upon returning back to the European Union.
European Union Regulation on the Europass for pets
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Please note that some countries have their own requirements for filling out documents. Here are examples of documents that Japan requires:
ATTENTION! Check if your country is on this list: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies
