Bringing Dogs to Belgium
GENERAL INFORMATION
There is no quarantine to bring a dog to Belgium. An individual may bring up to 5 (five) pets into Belgium.
The European Union (EU) regulations known as the EU Pet Passport have been in force since October 2004.
- The European Union Pet Passport (EU Pet Passport) allows for qualifying domestic animals to freely cross borders in Europe.
- The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) provides for qualifying domestic pets to travel to and from the UK and Ireland without undergoing quarantine.
Some countries (Sweden, UK, Ireland, and Malta) impose additional conditions over and above those laid down by the EU before they allow animals into their country. Dog owners need to be aware of these regulations if they intend to travel within the EU or if their dog will cross into these countries en route to Belgium.
A vet in an EU country will only issue a pet passport when they have confirmed that the animal is identifiable by a microchip in the neck and that it has a valid vaccination against rabies and a blood test to prove that this vaccine is still effective.
See the EUROPA Animal Health & Welfare website for a full list of EU-approved countries. –
MICROCHIPS
Your dog must be identified with a microchip that meets ISO standards 11784/11785. This is a 15-digit ISO compliant microchip that operates at 134.2 kHz. After the microchip is inserted, then your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. If your dog has been vaccinated before it was fitted with a microchip, it will have to be vaccinated again.
As of 3 July 2011, tattoos are no longer accepted for travel.
RABIES VACCINATION
Only rabies vaccinations given after the implantation of the microchip will be considered valid. There is a waiting period of 21 days after the rabies vaccination has been administered before an animal can enter Belgium.
DOGS COMING TO BELGIUM FROM WITHIN THE EU
Each EU country follows essentially the same system and will issue an EU Pet Passport for the dog in question in its country of residence (as long as this is within the EU). This passport contains certain obligatory information about the animal, such as its unique identification number and proof of valid vaccination against the rabies virus. Some countries also include other information such as other current vaccinations. The passport is valid throughout the life of the animal.
Pet Passport forms in different languages are available on the EUROPA website.
DOGS COMING TO BELGIUM FROM THE UK
Dogs may travel between the UK & Ireland and Europe without quarantine, provided some stringent requirements are met. The system allowing travel is called the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). DEFRA, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has comprehensive and up-to-date information on the website and can provide an information pack on request.
DEFRA website: Pet Travel Scheme (PETS)
Telephone: +44 870 241 1710
Email: helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk
DOGS COMING TO BELGIUM FROM THE US
Specific instructions on traveling to Belgium with your dog as well as downloadable forms are available on the Embassy of Belgium in Washington, DC website.
