Pet travel documents for France: passport, certificate, titre test
Depending on the journey, a dog or cat travels with an EU pet passport, an animal health certificate, an export certificate or several of these at once, along with the owner's declarations and sometimes a titre report. Here is what each one is for, who issues it and how long it stays valid.
Updated · official sources at the bottom of the page
Overview
| Document | What it is for | Who issues it |
|---|---|---|
| EU pet passport | Travel within the EU; returning to the EU after a stay outside it | An authorised vet in the owner's country of residence |
| EU animal health certificate | Entering the EU from a non-EU country | An official vet in the country of departure (or an authorised vet, with official endorsement) |
| Export certificate | Entering a non-EU country from France | Your vet, with endorsement by the DDPP or DDETSPP if the country requires it |
| Declarations | Confirming the move is non-commercial, naming an authorised person, covering a stopover | The owner |
| Titre report | Proving protection against rabies | An approved laboratory |
| Permits | Prior authorisation required by some destinations | The destination's authority |
| I-CAD certificate | Registering the pet in France after arrival | A vet in France, then I-CAD |
The EU pet passport
This is the document for travel inside the Union. It records the microchip number, rabies vaccinations and, for dogs going to certain countries, tapeworm treatment. Only an official vet or a vet authorised by the competent authority can issue it; in France, the order of 9 December 2014, which predates the 2026 framework, names the vétérinaire sanitaire. Since 2026, it is issued only to pets whose owner lives in the issuing Member State: residence is what counts, not nationality.
Regulation 2026/705 introduced a new model (100 × 152 mm, printed in the country's language and English, with a number that starts with the country code). Passports already issued remain valid, and old-model passports may still be issued until the end of 2027. Full details: the EU pet passport explained.
The EU animal health certificate
This is the entry document into the Union for a pet arriving from a non-EU country (outside Annex I), including a pet that lives in the EU but had its rabies booster abroad. It follows the model in Annex III to Regulation 2026/705 and, for entry into France, must be in French and English. It is signed by an official vet in the country of departure, or completed by an authorised vet and then endorsed by the competent authority. It must be presented at the entry check within 10 days, and then covers travel within the EU for 6 months. The old model is only accepted if it was issued before 1 October 2026, and until 31 March 2027. Full details: bringing a pet into France.
The export certificate
For a move to a non-EU country, the destination sets its own certificate model and conditions. The public Information and Communication portal of Expadon 2, France's export certification system, lets you look up models by country; online certification there is not yet open to live animals. Your authorised vet fills in the certificate; when the destination requires an official signature, it is endorsed by the DDPP or DDETSPP of the département (in Paris, by appointment requested at least 15 days before departure). Full details: taking a pet abroad from France.
The owner's declarations
Regulation 2026/705 sets the models for the declarations that go with the passport or certificate (Annex V). The most common:
- Non-commercial declaration (Part 2), attached to the health certificate: the movement is not for sale or any other transfer of ownership.
- Authorisation of an authorised person (Part 1): when the pet travels without its owner, the owner names a natural person in writing and gives the date of their own journey, which must fall within five days.
- Transit declaration (Part 5): for a stopover in an unlisted country, it confirms the pet stayed on the aircraft or in the international zone, with no contact with animals that can carry rabies. It avoids the titre test.
Declarations are written in at least one official language of the Member State of destination or entry, and in English. A declaration for unvaccinated young animals also exists (Part 4), but France does not accept it.
The rabies titre report
The titre test measures rabies antibodies in a blood sample taken at least 30 days after the primary vaccination; the result must reach 0.5 IU/ml at an approved laboratory. In France, three laboratories are on the Ministry of Agriculture's list: Anses in Nancy, the Haute-Garonne departmental laboratory in Launaguet, and Inovalys in Le Mans. To enter the EU from an unlisted country, a certified copy of the report is attached to the health certificate; for a pet living in France, the vet records the result in the passport, which avoids the three-month wait on return. In the EU it stays valid as long as boosters are given on time; destinations often set their own validity. Full details: rabies vaccination and titre test.
Permits, depending on the destination
France asks for no import permit for an ordinary pet dog or cat. There are only two special cases: a hybrid cat or dog (Bengal, Savannah, wolfdog…) without a recognised pedigree, which needs a permit obtained in advance from the DREAL; and category 2 dogs, which need a keeping permit from the town hall after arrival (see bringing a dog to France).
Many destinations, by contrast, require an import permit or licence before arrival: Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, for example. Validity and processing times vary: see what some destinations ask for.
The I-CAD identification certificate
A pet arriving in France for three months or more, whether from a non-EU country or another Member State, must be registered in the national identification database for dogs, cats and ferrets within 7 days. The vet copies the details from the passport or health certificate and issues a provisional identification certificate, valid for one month, before the permanent identification card is sent. A microchip implanted abroad is kept if an ISO reader can read it. Registration fees are set by I-CAD.
Deadlines and validity periods
| Item | Deadline or validity |
|---|---|
| Primary rabies vaccination | Valid from at least 21 days after the course is completed, until the date set by the manufacturer and recorded by the vet |
| Rabies booster | Valid immediately if given before the previous one expires; otherwise it counts as a new primary vaccination |
| EU animal health certificate | 10 days from issue (or endorsement) to the entry check, plus the length of any sea voyage; then 6 months in the EU, or until the vaccination expires |
| Old-model health certificate | Accepted until 31 March 2027 if issued before 1 October 2026 |
| EU pet passport | Remains valid, old or new model, as long as its entries are up to date |
| Titre test (entry into the EU) | Sample at least 30 days after the primary vaccination and at least 90 days before the certificate is issued; valid as long as boosters are on time |
| Tapeworm treatment (dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway) | Between 24 and 120 hours before entry |
| Authorised person | The pet travels within 5 days before or after the owner |
| I-CAD registration | Within 7 days of arrival; provisional certificate valid for one month |
| Export certificate | Set by the destination country |
Frequently asked questions
Is the EU pet passport enough to travel outside the EU?
Rarely. Some countries accept it (Great Britain, or Canada as proof of vaccination), but most require their own certificate. The passport does remain the document for coming back into the EU, provided the vaccination given before departure is still valid.
Do I need to replace my dog's old passport?
No. Passports issued before the new model remain valid.
My cat is coming from the United States with its US vaccination record: is that enough?
No. A pet arriving from an Annex II country enters the EU with the EU animal health certificate, endorsed by the official authority of the country of departure and accompanied by certified copies of its vaccinations.
Official sources
The rules above come from the texts and pages of these authorities. Last checked: .
- Règlement délégué (UE) 2026/131 — mouvements non commerciaux d’animaux de compagnie (art. 4, 8, 11, 18, 19, 20)
- Règlement d’exécution (UE) 2026/705 — modèles de passeport, de certificat sanitaire et de déclarations (art. 6, annexes I, III et V)
- Règlement délégué (UE) 2026/132 — délivrance des passeports (art. 71, 71a et 71b du règlement 2019/2035)
- Règlement délégué (UE) 2026/133 — validité de la vaccination antirabique et traitement contre le ténia
- Commission européenne — Faire entrer un animal de compagnie dans l’UE depuis un pays tiers
- Commission européenne — Questions fréquentes sur les chiens, chats et furets
- DGAL — Note d’information « Importation non commerciale d’animaux de compagnie en provenance de pays tiers » (mise à jour juin 2026)
- Expadon 2 — Portail Information et Communication (modèles de certificats pour l’exportation)
- DDPP de Paris — Rendez-vous pour un voyage à l’étranger avec un animal de compagnie
- Ministère de l’Agriculture — Liste des laboratoires agréés pour le titrage antirabique (V17 du 20 novembre 2025)
- Douane — Vous voyagez avec un chien, chat ou furet
- Arrêté du 9 novembre 2023 relatif à l’identification des chiens, chats et furets (art. 15 et 16)
- Arrêté du 9 décembre 2014 relatif aux conditions de police sanitaire de certains carnivores (art. 1, définitions)
- I-CAD — Importation d’un animal en France depuis un pays tiers
- Ministère de l’Agriculture — Les chiens de catégorie 1 et 2 et les chiens dangereux
- GOV.UK — Bring your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain
- ACIA / CFIA — Bringing animals to Canada, pets
- AFCD (Hong Kong) — Import of dogs and cats from Group II
- MOCCAE (Émirats arabes unis) — Import of pets (cats / dogs)
- AVS (Singapour) — Importing dogs and cats
- DAFF (Australie) — Cat and dog import permit
- MPI (Nouvelle-Zélande) — Bringing cats and dogs to NZ
Rules change. Before anything is booked, we reconfirm every requirement with the authorities, the airline and the vet for your pet and your itinerary.
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