Immigration & Residency

If at the border it turns out that your animal does not have the necessary documents or they do not meet the requirements, vaccinations can be done by the veterinarian on duty right at the checkpoint. But while this is being done, the animals remain under customs control in specially designated premises. No one guarantees that your dog or cat will be comfortable there, so it is better to properly prepare for the trip.

The import of animals that have reached the age of 6 months is prohibited. It is prohibited to import more than 5 animals at the same time. Both rules are established for those transporting a pet for non-commercial purposes.

Traveling with pets in the EU

It’s time for your trip. Regardless of the mode of transport, you will need a portable animal transport container that closes securely. On the plane, animals are transported both in the aircraft cabin and in the luggage compartment. Animals are allowed in the cottage. The weight of which, together with the container, does not exceed 8 kg. You will hold the box in your hands or under the front seat.

If the weight of an animal with a container is 8 kg or more, you will have to transport it as cargo. Please note that you will not be able to remove/release the pet from the container during embarkation, flight, and disembarkation. At the airport, find the border guard and go through the border veterinary control to receive an internationally recognized Veterinary certificate (Form 5a), free of charge.

A trip to Poland with a cat or dog

So, your plan of action to cross the border without any problems and travel with your pet:

1. In advance: microchip the animal. The chip is European – ISO 11784/85 must be readable with an ISO 11785 compatible scanner. It is significant to install BEFORE rabies vaccination. If you get the vaccine first and then the chip, the vaccine doesn’t count.
2. In advance: obtain an international veterinary passport. To do this, contact the veterinarian who is seeing the pet. The authorization will need to enter information about vaccinations (at least 2 vaccinations against plague, vaccination against parvovirus and rabies) and tests. The passport must contain a photo of the animal (over 1-year-old) and a label with the chip number (electronic identifier).
3. 1–12 months before travel: rabies vaccination. It is imperative that at least 21 days pass from the moment of vaccination to travel. Where: in any veterinary clinic. Preparations: Nobivac R, Biocan R, Hexadog R, Defensor-4 (vaccines Rabikan, Rabizin, Shchelkovo are not accepted). Save the sticker from the ampoule with the drug and paste it into the veterinary passport along with the date of vaccination, the signature of the veterinarian, and the seal of the state veterinary service. It is crucial to know that the rabies vaccine is administered to animals three months and older. If your pet is less than three months old, check if it is allowed to enter without vaccination.
4. 1-11 months before travel: blood test for antibodies to the rabies virus. The content of counterpoising immunoglobulins should be at least 0.5 IU / ml. Blood sampling for this analysis is done one month after injection, but no later than one month before departure. Where: Contact your city’s public veterinary hospital.
5. A month before the trip (after analysis): obtain an international veterinary certificate or an import certificate. This is a combined form of the above activities (vaccinations, tests), completed in English and/or the language of the meeting party. More information about the certificate is on the website of the country’s veterinary service.
6. A month before the trip: write a statement about your voluntary desire to transport your pet.
7. 3-5 days before the trip: obtain a veterinary certificate of form No. 1 issued by the state service of veterinary medicine. A veterinary certificate is issued based on an examination of the animal. Where: Contact your city’s public veterinary hospital. Call in advance, make an appointment and specify what tests you will need to pass. The veterinary certificate may be issued only in-state veterinary clinics.

Forty-eight hours before the trip: deworming and insect-acaricidal treatment of the animal (treatment from worms, fleas, and ticks). The veterinarian must note in the veterinary passport that the treatment has been carried out. Where: in a veterinary clinic or at home.

Sometimes at the border, there are questions about the breeding value of animals. Just in case, we advise you to get a certificate in advance that the pet does not represent breeding value. Dog owners need to contact cynological organizations, cat owners – to felinological organizations. Pedigree animals need a pedigree for export in a unique form.