Can I bring a pet from another country to the Netherlands?

Conditions for bringing a dog, cat or ferret to the Netherlands from another EU country

The Netherlands wants to prevent animals with rabies from entering the Netherlands. If you want to bring a dog, cat or ferret to the Netherlands from another EU country:

• the animal must be at least 15 weeks old
• the animal must be vaccinated at 12 weeks old

• after the animal has been vaccinated, you must wait 21 days before bringing it to the Netherlands

• the animal must be microchipped and have a pet passport.

If you have any questions about bringing pets to the Netherlands from abroad, contact the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

Registering an imported dog

If you are planning to import a dog, you must have it microchipped and registered within two weeks of its arrival in the Netherlands. The microchip is normally implanted by a vet, who can also advise you on how to register the animal.

Bringing an animal to the Netherlands from another EU country

Are you planning to bring a small rodent, rabbit, bird, fish, amphibian or reptile to the Netherlands from another EU country? If so, it must have a pet’s health certificate signed by a veterinarian.

If the animal is a protected species, you must check that you are allowed to import it under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna (CITES). This international agreement regulates the trade in protected animal and plant species.

Bringing an animal to the Netherlands from a non-EU country

If you want to bring an animal to the Netherlands from a country outside the EU, you should first contact the NVWA. NVWA can tell you whether this is allowed by law, and under what conditions.