We know the feeling of wanting to bring your pet everywhere with you — even on vacation. If you’re a U.S. citizen, that process can be tedious and stressful, though, as it often involves meeting different requirements for each country you go to. But for our four-legged friends across the pond, there’s a certain travel document that’s less stressful (and much more adorable) to obtain: pet passports. For European Union citizens, not only are pet passports a cute way to make you feel like Fido is part of the family, but they’re also a necessary part of traveling with pets between member states.
EU pet passports look a lot like their human equivalents: little blue booklets with personal information and (optional) photos. They contain a collection of details required to transport dogs, cats, and ferrets between countries in the EU, including microchip or tattoo code identification, rabies vaccination records, and contact information for the veterinarian who issued the document.
EU residents only have to gather their pet’s paperwork and receive a one-time stamp of approval from an authorized vet, making it easy to travel with their animal between EU member states. Once secured, the booklets are valid for life as long as the information stays up to date. Some European Free Trade Association countries and non-EU nations, such as Iceland, Switzerland, and Monaco, also have pet passports that are recognized by the EU.
“The European Union primarily pioneered this whole pet passport practice that enables animals to move more freely with their owners throughout the European Union,” Beth Schutte, CEO of a JFK airport animal handling center, told CNN in 2022.
Convenient as they may be, these passports mark a greater achievement than just making pet owners’ lives easier. According to the European Commission, “this significant step was made possible by dramatic advances made in the fight against rabies.”
The EU aimed to eradicate wildlife rabies completely by 2020 — and while it didn’t hit that goal, rabies today has been significantly reduced in Europe. A 2021 study found that the virus only exists in the eastern part of the EU; still, the member states remain vigilant about reaching rabies-free status.
But while pet passports are a fantastic option for traveling EU pet parents, they pose a few limitations across Europe as a whole. Since 2021, previously issued booklets aren’t valid for animals traveling from Great Britain to the EU. And for those hoping to haul more than five pets (dogs, cats, or ferrets), they’ll need to prove that the animals are participating in a competition or event. Other pets, like birds or guinea pigs, are subject to individual countries’ entry requirements and will likely need an EU animal health certificate as they don’t qualify for a passport.
As for U.S. citizens looking to travel Europe with a pet? You’ll need to obtain an EU animal health certificate no more than 10 days prior to landing in one of the member states. Get more details here.
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