SCHIPHOL – October 21, 2026 | The Dutch Daily
Bringing a pet to the Netherlands from outside the EU is possible, but the rules are strict and the preparation can take more than four months. According to the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority NVWA, a dog or cat needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and the right documents, and if it does not meet the EU requirements it cannot travel. This guide explains the rules for a private move with a dog or cat, what changes for high-risk countries, what happens at arrival and how to register a dog afterwards. Information was checked on 21 October 2026 and rules can change; always confirm with the NVWA before you book a flight.
Bringing a pet to the Netherlands: quick answer
- Chip first: the chip must be in place before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination is not valid.
- Rabies vaccination: the animal must be at least 12 weeks old for the first vaccination.
- Low-risk country: the animal may travel 21 days after the first rabies vaccination and must be at least 15 weeks old.
- High-risk country: at least 7 months old, with a blood test and a wait of 90 days after sampling.
- Documents: EU health certificate (or EU pet passport if the animal was in the EU before) plus an owner’s declaration.
- Dogs: register within 2 weeks of arrival.
Contents
- 1. Bringing a pet to the Netherlands: the 7 rules
- 2. Bringing a pet to the Netherlands: low-risk and high-risk countries
- 3. Documents you need
- 4. Is your trip commercial?
- 5. Arrival and what if the rules are not met
- 6. Registering your dog
- 7. Extra requirements and open questions
- 8. FAQ
- 🇳🇱 Dutch Corner
- Sources
1. Bringing a pet to the Netherlands: the 7 rules
The NVWA page for bringing a pet to the Netherlands from outside the EU boils down to these steps:
- Start early. Preparation can take more than 4 months. If the animal does not meet the EU import requirements, it cannot travel.
- Microchip. The animal must be chipped, and the chip number and implantation date must appear on the EU health certificate or EU pet passport.
- Rabies vaccination. The first vaccination requires an age of at least 12 weeks. The chip must be in place before the vaccination; chipping and vaccinating may happen on the same day. Boosters must be given before the previous vaccination expires, and every rabies vaccination must be recorded in the certificate or passport.
- Check the rabies risk of your origin country (section 2).
- Prepare the right documents (section 3).
- Check whether the trip counts as commercial (section 4).
- Enter through the right place and report to customs (section 5).
Other vaccinations are not mandatory for entry, but they are recommended.
2. Bringing a pet to the Netherlands: low-risk and high-risk countries
| Low-risk country | High-risk country | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 15 weeks | 7 months |
| Rabies vaccination waiting time | May travel 21 days after the first rabies vaccination (no wait if a previous vaccination is still valid) | Blood test required; may travel 90 days after the blood sample |
| How to tell which one | Countries not on the EU list of approved territories and non-EU countries are high-risk; the NVWA gives Turkey and Morocco as examples. | |
The 90-day wait does not apply if the blood test is done before departure in the Netherlands or another EU country; the vet records the result in the EU pet passport and you carry the result when you travel. The NVWA page does not list all countries, so use the EU list linked on the NVWA site.
3. Documents you need for bringing a pet to the Netherlands
- EU pet passport: only valid if the animal has previously been in the EU. A rabies vaccination given outside the EU and written in the passport is not valid.
- EU health certificate: required if the animal needs a rabies vaccination outside the EU. An official vet in the country of departure must issue it, assign a unique number, and sign and stamp every page, even if your own vet filled it in. The validity period is in the last section of the certificate.
- Owner’s declaration: required together with the health certificate, even if you travel with the animal. Complete it before departure.
- Authorised person: if someone else travels with the animal within 5 days before or after you, they need the “Verklaring gemachtigd persoon” form, proof that you make the same trip (for example a boarding pass copy), your signed owner’s declaration and the pet passport or health certificate.
The NVWA advises reading all documents carefully, including footnotes and remarks. A pet shipper is optional for non-commercial trips; IPATA lists them. Assistance and service dogs follow the same rules as other dogs, with no exemptions. For pet food, check the NVWA rules on animal products.
4. Is bringing a pet to the Netherlands a commercial trip?
The NVWA’s import page says a trip is commercial if any of these is true: the animal is changing owner, you travel with more than 5 dogs or cats (except for events or competitions), or you do not travel with the animal and do not make the same trip again within 5 days. Non-traders can also make commercial trips, for example if the animal gets a new owner after the trip. Commercial trips need a specific certificate, and for animals from outside the EU the first EU border control post must check them; the page says appointments must be made through a pet shipper, the inspection centre or the airline, not by you.
5. Bringing a pet to the Netherlands: arrival and what if the rules are not met
For non-commercial travellers, the NVWA says the animal must enter through designated points of entry and be checked at the first point of entry. On arrival you report to customs (goods to declare) with the animal and the documents; non-commercial travellers may come through the arrivals hall without prior notice. If the requirements are not met, customs hands the animal to NVWA inspectors. The animal either returns to its country of origin or goes to quarantine, and the owner pays for the return trip and the quarantine.
6. Registering your dog after bringing a pet to the Netherlands
The NVWA says that if a dog stays in the Netherlands for more than 3 months, it must be registered with RVO within 2 weeks of arrival; a vet can arrange this. This applies to dogs only. The Rijksoverheid adds that every dog needs a European pet passport and that imported dogs must be chipped abroad and have a passport or health certificate before arriving, and must be registered within two weeks of arrival. You may not chip your dog yourself: the chip is placed by a vet or by a chipper who is on RVO’s chippers’ register. If you buy or take over a dog in the Netherlands, check that it is chipped, registered and has a passport; buyers can be punished for buying an unregistered dog without a chip and passport, but the page gives no fine amount. When a dog changes owner, you register yourself as the new owner online and the previous owner deregisters the dog.
7. Extra requirements and open questions
- Dogs that pass through Finland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta or Norway need deworming; ask your vet.
- Peninsular Malaysia has extra requirements for dogs and cats (Nipah virus), and Australia for cats (Hendra virus).
- The NVWA pages we read do not mention tapeworm treatment, so we cannot confirm any rule on it; check with the NVWA or the Import Veterinair Online tool (ivo.nvwa.nl).
For the rest of your move, see our first 30 days checklist and BRP registration.
Our tips (not from the sources):
- Ask your vet in your home country how many weeks bringing a pet to the Netherlands will take before you set a moving date.
- Keep the original documents in your hand luggage, not in the hold.
- Write down the date of every vaccination and the chip number in one place.
8. FAQ
How early should I start bringing a pet to the Netherlands?
The NVWA says preparation can take more than 4 months.
How old must my dog be for bringing a pet to the Netherlands?
At least 12 weeks for the first rabies vaccination, and at least 15 weeks to travel from a low-risk country or 7 months from a high-risk country.
Can I use an EU pet passport?
Only if the animal has been in the EU before. Otherwise you need an EU health certificate and an owner’s declaration.
What happens when bringing a pet to the Netherlands goes wrong?
Customs hands it to the NVWA; it either goes back or into quarantine, at your cost.
Do I have to register my dog?
Yes. Dogs must be registered within 2 weeks of arrival (NVWA: if the dog stays more than 3 months).
🇳🇱 Dutch Corner
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Het huisdier | Pet |
| De hond | Dog |
| De kat | Cat |
| De chip | Microchip |
| De hondsdolheid (rabiës) | Rabies |
| De dierenarts | Vet |
| Het dierenpaspoort | Pet passport |
| De douane | Customs |
| De quarantaine | Quarantine |
Sources
- NVWA: Ik neem mijn hond of kat mee uit een land buiten de EU (chip, rabies, risk countries, documents, arrival, registration, extra requirements)
- NVWA: Honden en katten invoeren (commercial trips, EU imports, border control, registration)
- Rijksoverheid: Moet ik mijn hond laten chippen en registreren? (chipping, passport, registering imported dogs)
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