Documents to bring a pet to Union Territory in Europe

Coming with pets into Union Territory from another country also of the Union Territory or from Andorra, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marin,  Switzerland and Vatican, you need the  PET PASSPORT for the animal, the one laid down in Annex to Commission Decision 2003/803/EC, endorsed by a clinical veterinary.

From other countries, your pet must come in through travelers point with an Health Certificated endorsed by the Official Authority of the original country. (see Annex II, decision 2011/874/EU)


For re-entries into Union Territory after the pet has been in an non member state country for a short time, (about a month) is allowed to be accompanied by the PET PASSPORT, the one laid down in Annex to Commission Decision 2003/803/EC, endorsed by a clinical veterinary.

Why pet animals are not allowed in Europe, Union Territory

Dogs and cats are rabies susceptible animals. If the control officer found REQUIREMENTS FAILED, (valid vaccination and antibody titration for some countries), YOUR ANIMAL MAY BE:

• REDISPATCHED
or
• QUARANTINE IN ISOLATION, PAID BY OWNER (which can go up to several months)
or
• EUTHANASIA  (when it is not possible to return or isolation in quarantine)


IT IS NOT ALLOWED PET ANIMALS GET IN UNION TERRITORY FROM A NOT MEMBER STATE COUNTRY WHEN:

• They don’t go together with the owner or
• Travelling more than 5 animals per owner or
• The pets are for commercial purposes
EXCEPT if they come from countries listed in:
Part B and part C, Section 2, Anexo II of Regulation No 998/2003
Annex II of Regulation No 206/2010


IT IS NOT ALLOWED PET ANIMALS GET IN UNION TERRITORY COUNTRY, FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY WHEN:




• Pets under 3 months old.
But in some countries, will be allowed if they travel covered by a Pet Passport and:
a) Accompanied by their mothers, on whom they are still dependent.
b) Or if they are coming from Ireland, Malta, Sweden or United Kingdom, and have stayed in the place of origin since birth.

IT IS NOT ALLOWED DOGS GET IN UNION TERRITORY COUNTRY, FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY WHEN:

• Breeds considered dangerous defined by the Competent National Authorities. Examples: Tosa Inu, Fila Brasileiro, American Pitbull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiller.

7th.What to do on the departure day

In general, the day of departure give the feeling to the animal as if they will go to ride the normal routine.You need to place the animal in the kennel as normal, as you had already used.
The good attitude of the owner at the time of travel is to left the pet in silence, he will be more calm during the journey.
When you leaves your pet in, avoid long farewells and cuddling, because that can bring disorder and restless during the flight.

6th. Sedatives or tranquilizers

Never give your pet sedatives or tranquilizers, unless they have been prescribed by the veterinarian.The animal natural ability to balance and maintain equilibrium can be changed under sedatives, which can be dangerous when the kennel where the animal be is moving.This type of medication can decrease the balance factors and reaction abilities. Some animals like cats do not respond well and become more agitated so it is advisable to do a test previously to analyze the reaction.
Whether flying in the plane cabin or in the cargo, animals are exposed to altitude high pressures, which can create respiratory and cardiovascular problems for dogs and cats, which are sedated or tranquilized. Brachycephalic dogs or cats with short snouts, are especially affected by these conditions.
If your pet is sedated, the name and the potion of the medication, must be given to the travel agency at time of check-in.

5th. Plan your trip in advance

When you are planning a trip, it is necessary to contact the veterinary. Choose an hotel that accepts pets.


If you leave the country, know what are the health requirements of countries that you want to visit and if it is necessary to pay a tax.


The most common requirements are: import permit, quarantine upon arrival, official documents validated by the Veterinary Authority of the country of origin, health certificate, (different models depending on the country of destination), validated by the Health Authority of the country of origin, with or without notarized signature of the embassy, anti-parasitic treatment, restriction to only one pet per person, etc..

If your pet travel by plane, he could go in 3 different ways;

1.Taking pet as baggage in the cabin

So, if you can take your pet with you in the cabin, each airline has its own criteria. Some airlines will accept pets weighing up to 5-7kg, others until 8-10kg up, (always including the weight of the animal and transport box).
When arriving at the destination, you need to pass by the health authorities and submit all documentation that should be prepared at home.
In some cases, traveling with the pet in the cabin is not recommended. Some pets are very agitated, anxious, barking or howling too, should not go in the cabin. Furthermore, it is important to consider that it will take longer to cool the animal because of several factors such as light, the noise, the smells of food, etc.

2.Taking pet as baggage in the cargo hold

If your pet has more than 10kg, (or in some airlines from 5kg), needs to go in the cargo hold of the plane. The cargo compartment is pressurized and air conditioned just like the cabin. The only difference are the lights off, (or reduced), and the fact that he will be alone during the trip.
In this case, you check-in with him, just as if he goes in the cabin. However, you need to delivered him to the airline staff, and taken to be accommodated in the cargo hold of the plane.
Pets tend to travel more comfortable. That's because its transport box can be much more spacious, (since there are no limits as restricted in size), it has water available throughout the trip, and can have up to a feeder attached to the kennel.
Arriving at the destination, the passenger disembarks and goes to wait for the bags, meanwhile an official of the airline will seek your pet. On output, it is necessary to pass by the health authorities of the country, presenting the documentation prepared at home.

Note: When you take your pet as accompanied baggage, he will go along with you on  the same flight.
You do check in with the pet, and the airline will charge a fee as special baggage.

3.Taking pet as live charge, (manifest charge)

The method of live charge, since it has greater control over the whole process, is the only accepted in some countries.
Attention; countries of Union Territory only accept taking animals as live charge if they come from certain countries named in;
• Part B, Section 2 of Regulation No 998/2003.
• Part C of Annex II of Regulation No 998/2003.
• Annex II of Regulation No 206/2010.

When your pet travels as manifest office live, (or live load), the trip is considered a foreign trade transaction, even if the sender and recipient are the same person. For this reason, all required documentation is much more complex, and it is impossible to be done by an ordinary citizen. By law, you must hire a customs broker to perform the shipment for you. He will be responsible for issuing all necessary documents for the flight, schedule and monitor veterinary inspection carried out by an official veterinarian of the Ministry of Agriculture, pay all fees and effectively deliver the animal to the care of airlines.
Unlike the method of accompanied baggage, the pet does not check in at the passenger terminal of the airport, but by the cargo terminal.
Each airline has its own rates for boarding, charging different rates for each destination, with the price of air freight calculated by a number of factors including animal weight, volume kennel, distance to destination, liters of fuel costs, among others.
On landing, the release process is a bit more complicated because it involves not only health authorities, but also the customs authorities. Normally you need to pay a small fee for release.

4th. Special needs that must carry with

Extra leashes and collars.
A blanket or something soft.
Enough food for the trip and some more if on the destination place you can not buy it. Be aware there are some countries that do not allow the entry of food of animal origin.
Fresh water for the entire trip.
Containers for food and water.
Toys.
Medications recommended by the veterinarian.
Utilities for the hygiene and animal care, (brushes, combs, etc).

3rd. Pet full Identification

The identification of your pet is extremely important to be able to recover more easily if lost. This must be done before the rabies vaccine, by the veterinarian.
Identification is done by applying microchip or by a clearly and visible tattoo if applied before 3th July 2011.

If your pet will travel in the cargo, write "Live Animal" on both sides of the carrier and put also arrows to indicate the direction in which the box must be oriented. Add on top of box the flight number and destination of the animal, your name, address, phone number and a picture of the animal.
.

2nd. Take care of Travel Accommodation

The best way to transport your pet is using a specific container, (kennel) for animals.
This should follow the rules of IATA: sufficient length so that the animal can stand up with enough ventilation, do not contain dangerous objects inside and a bottom with absorbent material and leak-proof liquid (newspapers/diapers ...).

Prior to your journey you should give your pet only a light meal and the opportunity to urinate and defecate before go to tho kennel.
Put a small bag of food ration for 24 hours on top of the kennel.

We recommend that you buy a box for transport in advance so that your pet has a certain familiarity with the box that will carry it. Put his toys and something softer inside, to make the animal feel safe in the box and get comfortable during the flight.

If traveling by plane or train, you should inform what the regulations for the transit of animals are, before making reservations. If you prefer traveling by plane, choose direct flights to avoid loss.
Avoid the hottest hours of the day, (in case of summer) or cooler, (in case of winter).

Your animal can travel in the cabin or in the cargo.

In the cabin
To travel in the cabin, the kennel must be malleable and flexible.

In the cargo hold
If you need to transport your pet in the basement, use shipping boxes that are approved by the company or you run the risk of not letting the animal boarding.
The container must be strong enough to protect your pet during transport, be secure enough to contain it and have sufficient ventilation on all four sides, to ensure the air quality will not deteriorate.
The pet's nose and paws should not be able to fit through any ventilation opening or door mesh.The door must be secured in such a manner that it will not open accidentally.
The kennel must have a water pot and a food container accessible from the outside and securely fitted.
The water pot must be secured and in proportion to the size of the pet.
The interior size of the kennel for each animal must have enough space to turn about normally, to stand and sit erect, and to lie in a natural position. The correct interior dimensions are; the kennel length should be from the tail to the nose plus half of it, and the kennel width should be the distance from floor to the ears.

1st. Make an appointment with your Veterinarian

Make a check up to detect diseases symptoms that could make impossible for them to travel.
Tell the veterinarian where the pet will go and how long he will be absent, to know what precautions need to take to avoid diseases, parasites, etc.
Ask your veterinarian for the certificate that your pet is in good health and with all the vaccines updated and deworming done.
It may even be necessary  to get official health certificate or the pet passport.

Rules for traveling with a pet

Traveling with a pet requires some preparation before departing.
Firstly you need to evaluate if your pet is able to radically change environment. Maybe he at the moment is recovering from a period of illness, being too young or too old, or not strong enough to endure the journey.
The best option is to find some friend or a pet hotel that can take care of your pet properly.
Before deliver the animal you should do a short report, which describes the bullet points of the behavior and medical history of your pet, and the veterinarian contacts as well.
In special cases, you´ll need to provide the usual food and toys, for him feels not a big environment change when moving to another home or to a hotel.

If your option is to take your pet with you, please do not facilitate.
Traveling without proper documentation has enormous financial and emotional costs.
An animal without any guarantees of immunity against rabies is generally quarantined about 4 months from arrival on site, with all the costs been paid by the pet owner.

Then you must fulfill the following tasks:

1st. Make an appointment with your Veterinarian

2nd. Take care of Travel Accommodation

3rd. Pet full Identification

4th. Special needs that must carry with

5th. Plan your trip in advance

6th. Sedatives or tranquilizers 

7th.What to do on the departure day