The European Union’s rules governing the non-commercial transit of pets have been updated to improve animal health and welfare, the European Commission announced on Wednesday 22 April.
Under the current rules, dogs, cats and ferrets may travel with their owners to another Member State or enter the EU from a third country, provided they meet certain requirements. Namely, animals must be vaccinated against rabies and, if they come from a non-EU country, must have undergone a serological test confirming the presence of anti-rabies antibodies.
Owners must carry a European pet passport when travelling from a Member State or Northern Ireland to another EU country or Northern Ireland. If entering from a third country, an EU health certificate is required.
The revised rules: - specify that a maximum of five pets are permitted per vehicle; - set out the conditions applicable to the transit of animals through the EU between two third countries, as well as the procedures to be followed when an animal is refused entry into a non-EU country and must be readmitted to the EU; - strengthen the requirements for animal identification, with documents now required to include the country code of the animal’s country of origin.
Most of the new provisions come into force immediately. However, the new health certificates will be required from 1 October 2026, while the new identification requirements and updated passports will not become compulsory until 1 January 2028. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)