🐕 What do I need to take my dog abroad with me?

With conditions

Quick answer

Conditionally: to travel with a dog in the EU a home vaccination booklet is not enough — you need a European pet passport, a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination. The procedure has a firm order: the dog must first be marked with a microchip, and only then vaccinated against rabies by an authorised vet — a vaccination before chipping does not count. After the first (primary) vaccination you must wait 21 days before the dog may travel. The passport is issued by a vet and contains data on the animal, the owner and the vaccinations (Regulation EU 576/2013). The widespread myth »the vaccination booklet is enough« is therefore false for crossing the border. Some countries (e.g. Ireland, Finland, Malta, Norway) additionally require tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before entry. Returning from certain third countries also needs a rabies antibody titre test. In Slovenia rabies vaccination of dogs is compulsory, and the competent authority is UVHVVR (the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection), which replaced the former VURS.

📋 The rules

To travel with a dog in the EU you need a European pet passport, issued by an authorised vet (Regulation EU 576/2013).
The dog must be marked with a microchip first and only then vaccinated against rabies — a vaccination carried out before chipping does not count.
After the primary rabies vaccination you must wait 21 days before the animal may travel; booster shots count at once if they have not lapsed.
Some countries require tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment 24–120 hours before entry (e.g. Ireland, Finland, Malta, Norway).
In Slovenia rabies vaccination of dogs is compulsory; the competent authority is UVHVVR (not the former VURS), which oversees the veterinary conditions of travel.

🔓 Exceptions

For return or entry from certain third countries, besides the vaccination a rabies antibody titre test from an approved laboratory is needed, carried out within the prescribed deadlines before the journey.
For puppies under 12 weeks that are not yet vaccinated, special and stricter rules apply; many countries do not allow the entry of unvaccinated puppies at all.
The rules also apply to cats and ferrets; when travelling with more than five animals or for commercial purposes, stricter conditions apply than for personal travel.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Travelling with a dog without the proper documents does not end with a fine but first with a refusal at the border: without the passport, chip or a valid vaccination the animal may not go on, which can mean an interrupted journey. Entering with an animal that is not in order risks being sent back, quarantine or, in the worst case, seizure and euthanasia of the animal, with the costs borne by the owner. Forging or entering false data in the passport is an offence, and disregarding rabies vaccination is a serious public-health risk, since rabies is a fatal disease. An overlooked trap is the order: if you vaccinated the dog before it was chipped, the vaccination does not count and must be repeated — and the journey is pushed back by a further 21 days. Some countries do not admit an animal without tapeworm treatment, so the destination country's conditions must be checked in good time before departure.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Is a vaccination booklet enough to travel with a dog?

No. For a trip abroad you need a European pet passport, a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination. A home vaccination booklet alone is not enough, since the passport is issued by an authorised vet and contains official data on the animal, the owner and the vaccinations.

What is the correct order of chipping and vaccination?

The dog must first be marked with a microchip and only then vaccinated against rabies. If it was vaccinated before chipping, that vaccination does not count and must be repeated. After the primary vaccination you must wait another 21 days before it becomes valid for travel.

How long must I wait after the rabies vaccination?

After the first or primary rabies vaccination the prescribed waiting period is 21 days before the dog may travel. Regularly renewed vaccinations that have not lapsed count at once, so it is sensible to keep the vaccination valid and not let it expire.

Which countries require something extra?

Some countries, for example Ireland, Finland, Malta and Norway, require tapeworm treatment carried out 24 to 120 hours before entry. Returning from certain third countries also needs a rabies antibody titre test, so check the destination country's conditions in advance.

Who in Slovenia regulates the conditions for animal travel?

The competent authority is UVHVVR, that is the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, which replaced the former VURS. Rabies vaccination of dogs is compulsory in Slovenia, and you should check the detailed travel conditions with an authorised vet before every trip abroad.

🔎 Common searches

What people search to land here:

“pet passport for dog what do i need”
“dog abroad rabies vaccination 21 days”
“eu pet passport”
“microchip dog travel”
“travelling with a dog eu rules”
“tapeworm treatment dog”