Travelling within the EU with your dog or cat

The four basic requirements

• Identification by microchip, or by a clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011.
• A valid rabies vaccination: given at 12 weeks or older, after the chip, and at least 21 days old if it was the primary vaccination.
• An EU pet passport issued in the Member State where you habitually live, and signed by you.
• Tapeworm treatment, for dogs only, if they are going to Ireland, Finland, Malta or Northern Ireland.

No rabies titre test is needed to travel from one Member State to another. The passport is covered in detail in the EU pet passport explained, and the vaccine in our article on the rabies vaccine and titre test.

Five pets at most, and the owner's own journey

The "non-commercial" rules apply as long as the trip is not about selling the animal or handing it to a new owner. They set three limits:

• No more than five dogs, cats or ferrets per movement. Since April 2026, a movement takes place in a single means of transport unless it is public transport: seven dogs in one car no longer fall under these rules, even if two owners share them. The only exception is for animals over six months old travelling to a show, competition or sporting event, with proof of registration.
• The pet travels with its owner, or with a person the owner has authorised in writing. The signed authorisation is attached to the passport, and the authorised person must be an individual, not a company.
• No more than five days apart between the pet's journey and the owner's, before or after. Keep proof of the owner's travel (ticket, boarding pass): it can be requested.

Beyond these limits, or when the trip involves a sale or an adoption handed over to a new owner, the movement is commercial and much heavier rules apply.

Puppies and kittens: France says no

EU law lets each Member State decide whether to accept young animals that are unvaccinated or whose vaccination is not yet valid. France does not, and neither do most of its neighbours (Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands). According to the European Commission's table, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland do accept them, on conditions.

Tapeworm: Ireland, Finland, Malta and Northern Ireland

Four territories are recognised as free of Echinococcus multilocularis: Malta, Finland, Ireland and Northern Ireland. Norway applies the same requirement. A dog going there must be treated:

• with a product containing praziquantel or an equivalent;
• by a vet, between 24 and 120 hours (five days) before the scheduled time of entry;
• with the treatment recorded in the passport.

Cats are not affected, and a dog travelling directly between two of these territories is exempt. We suggest booking the vet two to three days before the planned arrival: a delayed ferry or a slow drive can easily push a dog outside the window.

National rules on top

The EU passport settles the health question, not whether a given breed may be kept. Each country keeps its own rules, which often apply to visitors too. Some examples:

• Germany. Federal law bans bringing in Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bull Terriers and their crosses, including from another Member State. Visitors who do not live in Germany are exempt for up to four weeks, with paperwork: the dog's identity, an official certificate that it has not come to notice as dangerous, proof that the stay is temporary, and a certified German translation of any documents in another language. Each Land can add its own lists.
• The Netherlands. Since 1 January 2026, keeping a hairless or fold-eared cat (Scottish Fold, Highland Fold, Sphynx, Peterbald and others) is banned there, even on holiday. A cat from abroad is only outside the ban if there is proof it was born and microchipped before that date.
• Spain. There is no outright ban, but dogs classed as "potentially dangerous" (including the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino and Akita Inu) come under a special regime: the law makes their entry into Spain conditional on a licence issued by the town of residence, liability insurance is required, and the dog goes out muzzled and on a short lead. The texts we read set out no procedure for short-stay visitors, so check before you travel.
• France, on the way back. Category 1 dogs (American Staffordshire Terrier, Mastiff or Tosa types without a recognised pedigree) cannot be brought into France, not even in transit, and a dog that is legal elsewhere may be classified here. Category 2 dogs require a keeper's permit.

These rules change and sometimes vary by region or town: check them before booking a long stay, and before any move.

Switzerland, Norway and the UK

Switzerland

Switzerland applies rules equivalent to the EU's: EU passport, no titre test. It does, however, ban imports of dogs with cropped ears or docked tails, with exceptions. Everything is in our France ⇄ Switzerland guide.

Norway

As a member of the European Economic Area, Norway follows the same rules as the EU for these trips, plus tapeworm treatment for dogs.

United Kingdom

• Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales). It is a non-EU country, but it accepts the EU passport of a pet coming from France. Every dog must be treated for tapeworm between 24 hours and five days before entry, and pets must come in on routes and with carriers approved by the British government.
• Coming back to France. The passport is enough if the rabies vaccination was given in the EU and is still valid; no titre test is needed. If a booster was given in the UK, a UK-issued health certificate is required. The pet must be declared and presented to customs on arrival.
• Northern Ireland. It follows EU rules: EU passport, plus tapeworm treatment for dogs.
• UK residents. An EU passport no longer lets them enter the EU: they need a health certificate for every trip.

Crossing a non-EU country between two Member States (driving through Switzerland, for example) is not a problem if that country is listed. If it is not, the owner signs a declaration that the pet has had no contact with rabies-susceptible animals.

Before you go: our checklist

These are practical tips that go alongside the legal requirements above:

• Check the rabies vaccine's expiry date and get the booster before it, never after.
• Make sure the chip reads properly and its number matches the passport.
• For a dog heading to Ireland, Finland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway, book the tapeworm appointment around your scheduled arrival time.
• Check the breed rules of the destination country and, where relevant, its region.
• If someone else is travelling with your pet, prepare the written authorisation and keep proof of your own journey.
• Read the carrier's conditions (train, ferry, airline): each sets its own rules on size, carrier and booking.

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