How do I take my pet to the Netherlands?

If you are travelling from an EU country to the Netherlands, you will need the following for your pet:

• An EU pet passport or EU veterinary certificate. You can get this from your vet.
• Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. This must be recorded in your pet's EU pet passport. You can get your pet vaccinated when it is 12 weeks or older. This must be done no later than 21 days before you travel. Ask your vet how long your vaccination is valid.
• An ID chip. This must be placed before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination. The date on which your pet was chipped and the chip number must be stated in the pet passport.

If you are travelling with a dog and you will be staying in the Netherlands for more than 3 months, register your dog with a vet.

For more information on what you need to do when travelling with a dog or cat, answer these  questions (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, NVWA) (information in Dutch).

If you are travelling from an non EU country to the Netherlands, you will not need the following for your pet: 

• An EU pet passport or EU veterinary certificate. You can get this from your vet.You can get this from your vet.
• A vaccination against rabies. This must be stated in the EU pet passport or on the veterinary certificate. You can get your pet vaccinated when it is 12 weeks or older. This must be done no later than 21 days before you travel. Ask your vet how long your vaccination is valid.
• An ID chip. This must be placed before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination. The date on which your pet was chipped and the chip number must be stated in the pet passport or on the EU veterinary certificate.
• A blood test. Find out which conditions the blood test needs to meet on the website of the NVWA (information in Dutch). A blood test is not required if you are travelling from a country with a low risk of rabies.

For more information on what you need to do when travelling with a dog or cat, answer these questions (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, NVWA) (information in Dutch).

Transiting with your dog or cat

If you are transiting through the Netherlands to another EU country with your dog or cat, find out more about the rules for that on the NVWA website. 

Submitting a customs declaration

You will need to submit a customs declaration if the following 3 conditions apply:

• You have bought 1 or more pets outside the EU.
• You are taking the pet or pets to the EU for the first time.
• The pet or pets costs more than € 430.

If these conditions apply to you and you do not submit a customs declaration, customs may impose a fine. And you will still have to submit a customs declaration.