Export of dogs, cats and ferrets to the European Union and Northern Ireland: Non-commercial and in-transit non-commercial movements

Please note changes

Please note that non-commercial in-transit movements of dogs, cats and ferrets to the European Union (EU) with a final destination outside the EU, must be treated as if they were to stay within the EU. This means that they must meet all the animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movements of dogs, cats and ferrets to the EU and be certified on the non-commercial certificate.

General information

The animal health requirements applicable to the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets exported to the European Union (EU) Member States are laid down in the EU regulations.

While Northern Ireland has left the EU, it has maintained the import requirements of the EU so all references to the EU should be understood to also include Northern Ireland.

What qualifies as a non-commercial movement

The EU regulations stipulate that dogs, cats and ferrets are considered pets, and the non-commercial certificate is to be used, if the following conditions are met:

they are accompanying their owners or an authorised person responsible for such animals on behalf of the owner during their movement. By "accompanying" the EU has clarified that the animal's movement is as a result of the owner's movement to the EU, even if these movements are separate from one another either:
1. spatially (for example, the animal travels as cargo on the same flight as the owner), or
2. in time up to 5 days earlier or 5 days later than the movement of the owner (that is the animal travels at a different time from the owner, for example with the assistance of a family friend or relative, or by a carrier company specializing in pet transport)
  The EU regulations require that documentary evidence (in the form of a boarding pass or flight ticket) be presented to support the claim that the movement of the animal is the result of the movement of the owner.
they are not intended to be sold or transferred to another owner
the owner or natural person designated by the owner must declare the conditions (found in a) and b) above), in the appropriate section of the certificate; and
the number of dogs, cats and ferrets which may accompany the owner or an authorised person during a single non-commercial movement either:
1. shall not exceed 5, or
2. may exceed 5 if the following conditions are fulfilled:
  1. the non-commercial movement is for the purpose of participating in competitions, exhibitions or sporting events or in training for such events; and
  2. the owner or the authorised person submits written evidence that the pet animals are registered either to attend an event referred to in point 1, or with an association organising such event; and
  3. the pet animals are more than six 6 months old

Non-commercial movements, as defined by the EU, of dogs, cats and ferrets which are transiting the EU with a final destination outside the EU, must also meet the EU's requirements for a non-commercial movement and be certified using the non-commercial certificate.

If any of these conditions are not met, the commercial certificate should be used. Animals travelling to exhibitions and fairs would be considered a "non-commercial movement" as long as they are not for sale on-site.

Certification requirements

Note 1: step-by-step instructions on filling out the new veterinary health certificates are available. Once completed by your veterinarian, the certificate must be endorsed by a veterinarian of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Please contact your local Animal Health Office to schedule an appointment for endorsement, or to ask any remaining questions you may have. A checklist is available to ensure you have the required document and details needed to qualify your pet for movement to the EU.

Note 2: the instructions below are for all EU Member States.

Note 3: the veterinary health certificate for dogs, cats and ferrets entering the EU in non-commercial movements of 5 or fewer animals is available in several languages. The certificate must be completed in English and the official language of the Member State of the first point of entry into the EU. (for example, if a pet destined for Poland arrives via an airport in Germany, the English/German certificate should be used.). View the list of EU Member States, including their respective official languages.

Note 4: every attempt has been made to ensure that the information on this site is up-to-date; however, countries can change their import requirements without notifying the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). It is strongly recommended that you contact the embassy or official veterinary authorities in the country of destination to confirm that there are no changes, additional requirements, or prohibitions related to certain breeds of dogs or cats. Information about the Movement of Pets (Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) – Non-Commercial Movement From Third Countries is also available on the European Union website.

Pet identification

Identification is mandatory for all Member States. Before any other procedure is carried out (for example, rabies vaccination), your pet must be identified with a microchip (or transponder) or a clearly readable tattoo. A tattoo is not accepted in the Republic of Ireland or Malta. Please note that if a tattoo is used, it must have been applied before July 3, 2011.

The microchip should comply with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 11784. If it does not, the owner is responsible for providing a suitable microchip reader. For easy reference, the National Companion Animal Coalition has listed companies that manufacture ISO-compatible microchips. If the microchip is not ISO-compliant and the owner cannot provide a suitable microchip reader, the EU encourages the owner to contact the officials at the EU Port of Entry to inquire if they have a reader capable of reading other microchips. It is understood that some readers are able to read both ISO and non-ISO microchip but there is no guarantee that the point of entry will be equipped with such reader.

Vaccination against rabies

Rabies vaccination is required for the export of dogs, cats and ferrets to all EU Member States. The EU's rabies vaccination requirements are established in the EU regulations. The requirements regarding administration and timing of the rabies vaccination are very specific and must be met for the vaccination to be considered valid in order for the animal to be eligible for export.

A rabies vaccination is not considered valid by the EU unless the animal was properly identified with a microchip before it was vaccinated. As such, the EU considers the first rabies vaccination given to the animal after the microchip is implanted to be a primary vaccination. The same microchip number must also appear on the rabies vaccination certificate in order for it to be considered valid.

The animal must have been vaccinated against rabies with either an inactivated vaccine or a recombinant vaccine that is approved for that purpose by the competent authority.

A primary vaccination is considered valid if the vaccine is administered according to the manufacturer's protocol and at least 21 days have passed between the date of vaccination and the date the animal will arrive in the EU.

A revaccination (booster) is considered valid on the day it is administered as long as it was given within the period of validity of the previous vaccination, as specified by the manufacturer. There is no waiting period after a valid revaccination but proof that it is a revaccination must be supplied if the animal will travel to the EU during the 21 days after the revaccination. An addendum with the animal's rabies vaccination history must be completed and included with the certificate.

Important

An animal must have been continuously vaccinated for rabies since receiving their primary vaccination for the rabies vaccine to be considered valid. If a revaccination is not carried out within the manufacturer's period of validity of the previous vaccination (for example, the rabies vaccination expires at all, even if it is only 1 day), or if the previous vaccine was administered before the animal was identified with a microchip, the revaccination must be considered a primary vaccination. A primary vaccination is only valid for the duration of time specified by the manufacturer for primary vaccinations. Currently, in Canada, all licensed rabies vaccines specify that primary vaccinations are only valid for 1 year. It is possible that some rabies vaccines licensed in other countries (for example, the EU) have a longer validity period for primary vaccinations. If the rabies vaccine was given outside of Canada, the exporter must provide a copy of the rabies vaccination information and manufacturer's guidelines to the CFIA at the time of certificate endorsement. The animal must wait 21 days after a primary vaccination before being eligible to enter the EU.

If for any reason an animal has been re-microchipped, this most recent identification will be considered the "official identification" and a revaccination for rabies must follow. This would then fall under the EU's definition of a primary vaccination and a resulting 21 day waiting period would be required

Certain EU Member States may allow the entry of animals less than 3 months of age under specific additional conditions. It is the responsibility of the exporter to contact the competent authority in the EU Member State of destination to determine if they allow such imports and obtain a copy of the requirements. Additional information regarding the export of young animals to the EU can be found on the EU website.

Echinococcus treatment

Dogs travelling to Finland, Malta, the Republic of Ireland, or Northern Ireland require treatment for echinococcus within a period of not more than 120 hours and not less than 24 hours before the time of scheduled entry of the dogs into the EU.

Dogs must be treated against Echinococcus multilocularis using an approved/licensed veterinary product whose active ingredient is Praziquantel, or an equivalent product (an equivalent product is a product authorized in Canada that bears a label claim against Echinococcus multilocularis). A qualified vet must carry out the treatment and record it in the Veterinary Certificate. You must not administer the treatment yourself. Ensure that the veterinarian rescans the microchip to confirm that the number is correct and that the chip is readable.

Contrary to previous requirements (prior to February 29, 2012), this treatment must be administered before the certificate is presented to the CFIA District Veterinarian for endorsement.

Additional specific country requirements

It is important to note that at any moment, any country can request that additional requirements be met. It is the exporter's responsibility to verify the import requirements in place in the country of destination.

Malta requires a Pre-Notification Form for Arrival or Transit of Live Animals to be submitted for all animals before they travel. This authorization must be obtained by the exporter from the Maltese authority and has to accompany the animal upon arrival, in addition to the health certificate.

Actions in case of non-compliance following arrival in the EU

The EU Regulations state that when an inspection conducted upon arrival reveals that a pet animal does not comply with the established conditions, the decision can be made to:

return the pet animal to its country of dispatch; or
isolate the pet animal under official control for the time necessary for it to comply with the conditions; or
as a last resort where the return is not possible or isolation not practical, put the pet animal down

The measures in case of non-compliance are applied at the expense of the owner and without the possibility of any financial compensation for the owner or the authorised person.

For EU animals returning

Please note that only an authorised EU veterinarian can enter information into the EU pet passport. All tests and vaccinations are to be completed before the animal leaves the EU. If a pet animal stays in Canada (or another third country) longer than the validity of the anti-rabies vaccination, a veterinary certificate must be completed with the passport serving as supporting documentation.

Completion of the veterinary certificate

Please refer to the detailed instructions for the completion of the certificate by a licensed veterinarian. After completion, it must be endorsed by a CFIA Veterinarian (local Animal Health Office).

When presenting the certificate for endorsement to a CFIA Veterinarian please take all the supporting documentation along with you: original or certified copy of rabies vaccine certificate, documentary evidence of travel, etc. (A certified copy of a rabies certificate is a photocopy of the original rabies certificate that is authenticated by an original signature of a veterinarian.)

The certificates required are available in the following languages and are available from your local Animal Health Office

Please note that Finland and Malta accept the English only certificate.

Once all the above steps have been successfully completed, and the certificate has been signed by your veterinarian, you may take it to your local CFIA Animal Health office to obtain an official endorsement by a CFIA veterinarian.