EU Pet Passport Explained: 2026 Rules, Requirements and How to Get One

An EU pet passport is an official identification document, following a European Union standard model, that lets pet dogs, cats and ferrets travel with their owners between EU countries. An authorised veterinarian issues it only to owners whose main residence is in the EU. It records the pet's microchip number, its rabies vaccination and, where needed, tapeworm treatment. As of October 2026, the rules come from Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, which has applied since 22 April 2026.

This guide sets out the current requirements using primary sources from the European Commission, the EU's Your Europe portal, EUR-Lex and the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It also explains what changed in 2026 and how the EU pet passport differs from Animal Passport's biometric livestock ID. The two are often confused, but they are completely different things.

By Animal Passport. Last updated: 2 October 2026.

What is an EU pet passport?

The European Commission (2026) describes the EU pet passport as "an identification document that aims to facilitate the movement of pet dogs, cats or ferrets accompanying their owners between EU countries, while ensuring their traceability and compliance with animal health conditions." According to Your Europe, the EU's official citizen information portal, it contains:

• a description of the pet and its microchip or tattoo code
• its animal health records, especially its rabies vaccination
• the owner's contact details
• details of the veterinarian who issued it

It is the travel document for non-commercial movements. The European Commission defines these as movements of a pet accompanying its owner that are "not intended for sale or any other transfer of ownership." Selling, rehoming or commercial transport of animals falls under separate animal health rules.

Which animals can have an EU pet passport?

Only dogs, cats and ferrets. The European Commission's FAQ states directly that a guinea pig is not covered. Pet rabbits, rodents, reptiles, birds and ornamental fish follow the national rules of the destination country.

What changed in April 2026?

Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 governed EU pet travel for over a decade. It was formally repealed in 2021 by the Animal Health Law, Regulation (EU) 2016/429, but continued to apply to pet movements until 21 April 2026, according to the preamble of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 published on EUR-Lex. From 22 April 2026:

• New legal basis: the European Commission (2026) says Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 now sets the animal health requirements for non-commercial movement of pets.
• New passport model: new passports follow the model in Annex I, Part 1 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705.
• Residence rule: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 says the passport is only intended for pets kept in the Member State where their owners "reside habitually and have their main residence."
• Vehicle limit: the European Commission (2026) caps non-commercial movement at 5 pets in a single vehicle.
• Microchip country code: from 1 January 2028, microchips used for travel between EU countries must contain a country code. Pets chipped under the old rules before 22 April 2026 do not need a new chip (European Commission FAQ, 2026).

Is my old EU pet passport still valid?

Generally yes, if it is a recognised model and the pet's records are current. The European Commission (2026) accepts passports issued on the model of Commission Decision 2003/803/EC before 29 December 2014, and passports on the model of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 issued before 22 April 2026. Under transitional rules, the 577/2013 model may also be issued until 1 January 2028. Your Europe adds that a passport stays valid for life as long as the pet's health information, such as its rabies vaccination, remains in date.

EU pet passport requirements: the 5 conditions

For a dog, cat or ferret to move from one EU country to another, the European Commission (2026) requires the following.

1. Microchip. The pet must be identified with a microchip meeting the specifications in Article 70a of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035. A clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 is still accepted.
2. Rabies vaccination. An official or authorised veterinarian must vaccinate the pet. It must be at least 12 weeks old on the vaccination date, and the vaccination date must not be earlier than the date the microchip was implanted or read.
3. 21-day wait. The vaccination becomes valid at least 21 days after the primary vaccination course is completed. Boosters given within the validity period of the previous dose keep cover continuous, so no new wait is needed.
4. Tapeworm treatment for dogs, where required. Dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway must be treated against Echinococcus multilocularis by a veterinarian between 24 and 120 hours before scheduled entry.
5. The passport itself. An authorised veterinarian completes and issues the passport, recording the microchip code, rabies vaccination and any tapeworm treatment.

If a booster is late, the next vaccination counts as a new primary vaccination and the 21-day waiting period starts again, according to Your Europe (2026).

The microchip must come first

Order matters, and getting it wrong is a common reason travel plans fail. The Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) explains that if a pet is already chipped, the chip must be read before the vaccine is given. The passport must also show that the chip was implanted or read no later than the day of vaccination. GOV.UK says the same: if the chip comes after the vaccine, the pet must be vaccinated again.

How to get an EU pet passport: step by step

1. Confirm eligibility. Your main home must be in an EU country. Nationality and property ownership do not count. The European Commission (2026) says owners resident outside the EU cannot use an EU pet passport, even if they own a house in the EU.
2. Find an authorised vet. Only veterinarians authorised by the national competent authority can issue the passport.
3. Microchip the pet, or have an existing chip scanned.
4. Vaccinate against rabies once the pet is at least 12 weeks old.
5. Get the passport issued and checked. Make sure the chip number, dates and vaccine details are correct.
6. Count 21 days from the end of the primary vaccination before travelling.
7. Check destination extras: tapeworm treatment for some countries and any national rules. The European Commission keeps a page of national contacts.

Fees for passports, chipping and vaccination are set by individual veterinary practices and countries, not by EU law, so ask your vet for a quote.

Travelling with young pets

EU countries can choose whether to accept young dogs, cats and ferrets that are not fully protected against rabies. This means pets under 12 weeks that are unvaccinated, or pets aged 12 to 16 weeks whose vaccination is not yet valid. Under Article 9 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, these animals need either an owner's declaration that they have had no contact with rabies-susceptible wild animals, or must travel with a mother whose passport shows a valid rabies vaccination given before their birth (European Commission, 2026).

Your Europe currently lists Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland as accepting young pets. It lists France, Germany, Spain, Italy and others as refusing them. Each country can change its position, so check the European Commission's "Young animals" table before you book. Young pets cannot enter the EU from a non-EU country at all.

Owner not travelling with the pet

A pet may travel with an authorised person instead of its owner. The owner must travel within five days before or after the pet, and a written declaration on the model in Annex V, Part 1 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 must be attached to the passport (European Commission, 2026). For air travel, the European Commission confirms that a pet in the hold and an owner in the cabin of the same flight still counts as a non-commercial movement. Airlines set their own cabin and hold policies on top of these legal rules.

EU pet passport vs Animal Health Certificate

The other EU document is the EU Animal Health Certificate (AHC). Pets coming from outside the EU, and since April 2026 pets of residents of Great Britain, travel on this instead.

Sources: European Commission (2026); Your Europe (2026); GOV.UK (2026).

UK residents, the PETS scheme and the EU pet passport

Many British readers still search for the "PETS scheme" or "pet passport". The UK's Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) used to let GB owners travel on EU pet passports. That ended for travel from Great Britain on 31 December 2020. The European Commission's FAQ says passports issued to GB residents "regardless of when or where they were issued" are no longer valid for travel from Great Britain to the EU.

The April 2026 rules tightened this further. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said on 21 April 2026 that GB residents "should no longer use EU pet passports to travel into the EU". This includes people who have holiday homes in the EU or visit seasonally. GB owners instead need a new Animal Health Certificate from their vet for each trip. GOV.UK says it is valid for 10 days for entry into the EU, then 6 months for onward EU travel and re-entry to Great Britain. Northern Ireland residents can still use an EU pet passport, and GB residents may still use an existing EU passport on the return journey to Great Britain.

What is coming next: the UK and EU agreed at their 19 May 2025 summit to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) area. Defra's guidance, updated 30 July 2026, says GB pet owners will be able to get "a multiuse pet passport valid for EU travel". It says the agreement is intended to take effect in mid-2027, "subject to negotiations". A Food Standards Agency board paper from September 2026 adds that a planned July summit was postponed but negotiations are "at an advanced stage". Until that agreement is in force, the Animal Health Certificate is still required.

EU pet passport vs Animal Passport: not the same thing

Because of our name, people sometimes ask whether Animal Passport issues EU pet passports. It does not. Only an authorised veterinarian can issue an EU pet passport, under EU law. Animal Passport is not a government-issued travel document and cannot replace a pet passport, an Animal Health Certificate, a microchip or a rabies vaccination.

Animal Passport is a digital animal and livestock identity record built on muzzle biometrics. A cow's nose print is unique, much like a human fingerprint. Using a phone camera, the record links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age, body condition and vaccination history. The age estimate comes from a dental photograph and includes a confidence score. Body condition is scored from 1 to 5 using a side-profile photo. It does not provide veterinary diagnosis or legal advice.

The use case is different too. In the August 2025 floods in Pakistan, Animal Passport was used in livestock rescue so farmers could reclaim animals after their paper ear tags washed away. That is a question of proving who owns an animal, not a question of whether a pet dog can cross a border.

For more about animal identification and traceability, see the Animal Passport blog.

Where sources disagree

Official pages are not always updated at the same speed. Your Europe still refers to microchips meeting "Annex IV" technical requirements. The European Commission's food safety pages, which were updated for April 2026, refer to Article 70a of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035. Treat the European Commission pages and the regulation text on EUR-Lex as the authoritative version, and confirm country-specific details with the destination's competent authority before travel.