Certificates for dogs and cats

If you are going to travel with your dog or cat, you will need a certificate to certify its state of health and condition. The requirements vary depending on the destination, so after contacting the embassy or consulate for the necessary regulations and certificates, you can request them at our veterinary hospital. Generally the certificates for dogs and cats are as follows:

Passport: This document is necessary for dogs and cats travelling within the European Union or entering from other countries. We recommend that you check with your vet that the passport is the current model.

Identification and rabies vaccination: The main requirement for travelling to countries inside or outside the European Union is that the animal is properly identified and vaccinated against rabies (primary vaccination, minimum 21 days before travelling; minimum age of the animal, 12 weeks, in case of re-vaccination, the vaccine is applied within the period of immunity established by the manufacturer). All your details must be stated in the animal’s passport or health certificate.

Animal health certificate: Compulsory when travelling outside the European Union. It must be issued by a registered clinical veterinarian, such as our Balmesvet centre, and certifies that the animal has no symptoms of infectious-contagious diseases, is vaccinated against rabies and is fit to travel and any other data required by the country of destination. It is usually valid for a maximum of 10 days, depending on the destination country.