Travelling in Europe with your dog: passport, rabies and the rules
To travel with your dog within the European Union, you need three things: a microchip that meets the standards, a valid rabies vaccination given by a vet, and a European pet passport issued by that same vet. Plan ahead: the rabies vaccine requires a legal waiting period before you can set off.
The steps, in order
The order is not a mere administrative detail: a microchip fitted after the rabies vaccine invalidates the passport. First you identify, then you vaccinate, then you collect the passport, and finally you check the rules of the country you are visiting.
Four steps, to be done in this precise order.
Have your dog identified with a microchip
An ISO-standard microchip, fitted by the vet and registered with the national database (in France, I-CAD). This is the prerequisite for everything else.
Have the rabies vaccine done
By an authorised vet: it is a legal requirement for crossing a border. The protocol and the minimum age of the puppy are for the vet to decide.
Apply for the European pet passport
Issued by the authorised vet. It records the microchip number, the rabies vaccination history and your identity, and it is mandatory to cross a border within the EU.
Check the rules of the destination country
A tapeworm treatment for certain countries, a rabies blood titre test outside the EU: to be sorted out with your vet before you book the trip.
It depends on where you're going
Within the European Union (Spain, Italy, Germany, etc.)
- An ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccine and a European pet passport are enough.
- Spain requires nothing beyond this common baseline.
- Keep the passport up to date and carry it with you.
Ireland, Malta, Finland, Norway, Northern Ireland
- A tapeworm (echinococcus) treatment is mandatory.
- To be given by a vet between 1 and 5 days before entry.
- It must be recorded in the passport.
United Kingdom (since Brexit)
- The country applies its own rules: microchip, valid rabies vaccination, tapeworm treatment before entry.
- Check the official British source before you book.
Outside the European Union
- Often a blood titre test for rabies antibodies, sometimes with a long waiting period.
- Health certificates specific to the country, and possibly quarantine.
- Consult the country's official source and have your vet validate the file before you book.
Heading south or abroad? Talk to your vet about preventing mosquito- and sandfly-borne diseases (heartworm, leishmaniasis) before you go: it is something you plan ahead, not something you improvise the day before.
Before leaving, check that your contact details are up to date in the national identification database (in France, I-CAD) and add an engraved tag to the collar: if your dog bolts on arrival, that is what brings it back to you.
- Règlement (UE) n° 576/2013 sur les mouvements non commerciaux d'animaux de compagnie (passeport, identification, vaccination antirabique), Commission européenne (2013)
- Règlement délégué (UE) 2018/772 — traitement contre Echinococcus multilocularis avant l'entrée en Finlande, Irlande, Malte, Norvège et Irlande du Nord, Commission européenne (2018)
- Fichier national d'Identification des Carnivores Domestiques — identification obligatoire et mise à jour des coordonnées, I-CAD
- Identification du chien et voyage à l'étranger, service-public.gouv.fr
- WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group — Vaccination Guidelines (rage et vaccins essentiels) (2024)
- ESCCAP — Maladies à transmission vectorielle, Guideline GL5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
What is a dog passport, and who issues it?
It is the European pet passport, issued by an authorised vet. It records the microchip number, the rabies vaccination history and your identity, and it is mandatory to cross a border within the European Union.
Do you need a dog passport for Spain?
Yes. Spain is in the European Union: the common baseline applies, namely an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and the European pet passport. It requires nothing more, no tapeworm treatment as in Ireland or Malta.
How do you travel with your dog in Europe?
Three prerequisites, all put in place by your vet: a microchip that meets the standards, a valid rabies vaccine and a European pet passport. You identify first, then you vaccinate. For a few countries, a tapeworm treatment is added.
Is the rabies vaccine mandatory to travel with your dog?
Yes, it is a legal requirement to cross a border. It is a veterinary act: the protocol is decided with your vet, and the law imposes a waiting period after the initial vaccination. Plan for several weeks, sometimes longer.
How long before leaving should you get started?
Several weeks at the very least, and sometimes several months for a country outside the EU (a rabies blood titre test with a waiting period). The rule: you prepare the file and clear the waiting periods before booking the trip, never the other way round.
Do you need a worming treatment to travel?
To enter Ireland, Malta, Finland, Norway or Northern Ireland, yes: a tapeworm (echinococcus) treatment, given by a vet 1 to 5 days before entry and recorded in the passport. Elsewhere in the EU, it is not required.
Can you travel to the United Kingdom with your dog?
Yes, but since Brexit the United Kingdom applies its own rules (microchip, valid rabies vaccination, tapeworm treatment before entry). Check the official British source and have your file validated by the vet before you book.
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