Are you longing to travel within the European Union but can’t bear the thought of being separated from your beloved pet ferret, dog or cat? You needn’t worry because thanks to the passport from the European Union you can hit the road worry-free!
Pet passport
The unified passport was introduced in the European Union in 2004 as a replacement for the different national identification documents. Since then, travelling with your ferret, dog or cat has got a lot easier. All you have to do is pay a brief visit to your veterinarian! Your veterinarian is authorised to issue the passport.
In addition to data on the owner, the pet passport contains important information about the pet: a photo, the proof of vaccination against rabies, the number of the electronic identification chip, gender, breed and identifying physical characteristics.
The pet passport is only valid for ferrets, dogs and cats because to date, no European legislation has yet been created for other pet species. They remain subject to the national laws of the country in which they are located.
Differences country to country
Despite the uniform pet passport, some Member States of the European Union impose additional requirements for importing pets. For example, for Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom, a ferret, dog or cat needs to have been treated against tapeworms and ticks. In Finland and Sweden, only tapeworm protection is required.
What’s more, unlike in the other EU-Member States, a clearly legible tattoo is not permitted as a means of identification in Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom. In these countries, the identification chip is mandatory.