If your expat wants to bring their beloved family pet, be aware of varying regulations even within the EU. Rob Hyde explains.

• Rabies facts
• Relocating pets 
• Resources

Michael Leidig, a British expatriate living and working in Vienna, has travelled easily across most of Western Europe and Hungary with his Spanish-born canine companion, Carlos.

Now, however, the correspondent for the UK's Daily Telegraph finds himself going to great lengths to bring Carlos home.

"Because of the rabies law in England I've had to have Carlos taken to the vets over here and have him undergo a series of blood tests and also complete a multitude of complicated paperwork," Leidig says. "As one blood test went wrong, we now have to wait ages before I can restart from scratch."

And when Carlos is finally allowed to enter the UK, Leidig has to ensure the dog will be locked in a cage - a situation that would make any creature unhappy. "The whole process is terribly bureaucratic in my view and it costs an absolute fortune," he remarks.

Scores of expatriate workers like Leidig insist their pets accompany them. For the most part, those within mainland Europe have traditionally been able to pass freely with their pets from one country to another since few EU countries actively enforce their pet relocation laws.

However, certain countries, including Sweden and Ireland and especially the UK, still operate laws that bear little relation to their EU counterparts.

In fact, the UK's laws on pet mobility are widely viewed as the strictest and most bureaucratic in Europe. Although the UK abolished quarantine for pets from 22 countries in Western Europe in 2000, the owners must show documents that prove the animal has been vaccinated against rabies and have been inserted with a microchip.

Ed van Bodegrafen is the managing director of Netherlands-based Voerman International, which includes pet transportation as part of its relocation package. "Pet transportation is definitely something which is popular with expatriates," he says, noting that shipping pets depends largely on whether the expat's company is willing to pay for it.

But the UK's laws give him headaches as well.

"Really, the only problems we face at the moment is when we have pets that are to enter the UK," says van Bodegrafen. "Here things are made really tricky, and many expatriates have complained to us about the criteria they had to comply [with]. Some even said the rules were so rigid that they have chosen not to relocate to the UK."

Voerman, like many companies that offer pet relocation services, arranges for animals to be picked up, kennelled, and shipped or flown and then picked up at the destination. Before beloved Fido takes off, owners are informed of local pet regulations. In most cases, the pet will need certification from a veterinarian that the animal is rabies-free and/or has had recently been vaccinated for rabies (see specific requirements below).

Leidig, for instance, has to have Carlos fitted with a chip before he can take him home.

"I accept that there has to be some element of control, also I would certainly be the last person to enjoy being bitten by a rabid dog when strolling on the Brighton seafront," Leidig says. "However, at the moment the UK laws are far too bureaucratic. Why not just ensure the pets are vaccinated regularly and have blood tests?"

Charlotte Usher, secretary of the UK-based Pet Passports group, shares the view that the laws remain too strict and cumbersome. The organisation has campaigned since 1994 for UK quarantine reform.

"What's the point of stopping pets coming into the country? Providing the animals comply with the necessary laws, then we believe animals should be able to come from wherever," Usher says.

Help may be on the way. The EU is currently formulating new legislation governing pet mobility throughout the 15 member states. Jaques Fevrier, who works within the European Commission's Animal Health and Welfare Unit, says it will "harmonise" existing laws for EU member states.

"It will be nothing new, more a rendering official of things which already exist, and will include points such as a European document, which is a mixture of a passport and a vaccination record and an identification card," explains Fevrier.

"It will be a classification of countries - 'safe' and 'risky if you like. The 'safe' ones will be rabies free or at least have a level of rabies which is equivalent to other European countries. Conditions will by and large apply here throughout these countries. The 'risky' countries will require three months' quarantine and the same system will be applied as for animals entering the UK, with a period of three months' quarantine, and criteria regarding vaccination."

Despite the apparent support for EU legislation, which would ease existing regulations on pet mobility, not everyone believes it will make European pet owners happy.

Colin Silver is managing director and founder of UK-based travel firm Dogs Away, which specialises in people taking trips with their dogs, including visits abroad to mainland Europe.

He says at the moment, mainland Europeans have very little border-control when transporting pets through member states, and that a new law which supposedly maintains this may end up actually lowering levels of pet mobility.

"The problem with things like the pet passport scheme, however, is that it can end up excluding others, such as those outside the EU but which are rabies-free countries," says Silver. "Moreover, mainland Europeans are comfortable with having a pet and travelling around with the need to pay anything for the pet, so if a EU law comes into effect which supposedly enables pet mobility - but which forces them to pay for a license for example, many might not be happy."

April 2002

• Variations of the rabies disease are believed to kill hundreds of thousands of people annually in Asia and South America.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 70,000 people die each year in India from rabies. However local medical experts believe the figure is much higher can could reach up to 250,000 per year.
• In the US, the only rabies-free state is Hawaii. In 1993, an 11-year-old girl from New York died after contracting the disease.
• In November, 2000 Ugandan authorities began shooting all stray dogs after thirty-seven people died from rabies.

US to France

Dogs must be vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days before entering France and the rabies shot must have been given in the last 12 months. A valid rabies vaccination certificate needs to accompany the animal. Also required is a Certificate of Health from a veterinarian within 5 days of any travel date (travelling both to and from France).

This means that French residents returning to the France might need to get a Certificate of Health from an international vet if you stay in the foreign country for more than 5 days.

US to Liechtenstein/Switzerland

Dogs and cats entering the customs territory of Liechtenstein/Switzerland from abroad must have a certificate from a veterinary surgeon testifying that the animal has been immunised against rabies. The vaccination must have been given at least 30 days before crossing the frontier and may not be more than one year old.

US to the Netherlands

US nationals taking common pets into the Netherlands must provide a health certificate that is not older than 10 days, and proof that the pet has been vaccinated against rabies. This vaccination certificate must be valid for a minimum period of three months.

The same rules apply to Australian nationals, except in the case of cats. Along with a health certificate and proof of vaccination against rabies, cats coming into The Netherlands from Australia must have also been officially cleared of Hendros disease. Note also that Pittbull terriers are not allowed in the country.

Canada to the Netherlands

No quarantine is required if you submit a health certificate and rabies vaccination certificate. The Health Certificate must be issued by a Canadian certified veterinary surgeon, and must be dated not more than 10 days prior to departure from Canada, this information can be added to the Rabies vaccination certificate.

The Rabies vaccination certificate must be issued by a Canadian certified veterinary surgeon and must contain the following information:

1. Statement in Dutch or English that the animal has been inoculated with a Canadian officially inspected and approved rabies vaccine.

2. Date of vaccination

3. Type of vaccine used and expiration date, the name of the manufacturer and the manufacturer's batch number

4. Description of the animal (sex, age, breed, hair colour and markings)

5. Name of the owner of the animal

Note: Pitbull Terriers are not allowed into the Netherlands.

The vaccination of your cat or dog must be given at least 30 days and not more than nine months prior to entry into the Netherlands.

If this is not possible, a veterinary surgeon can inoculate the animal at the airport in Amsterdam. The animal must then be held in quarantine at home for 30 days after the shot.

For information on taking your cat or dog back into Canada please contact Agriculture Canada.

If you want to take another animal, please check with the CITES-Desk in Canada if your animal is on the endangered species list. If this is the case, special regulations apply.

Canada to Belgium

For accompanied animals you must submit a rabies vaccination certificate. This certificate must be issued by a Canadian-certified veterinary surgeon and must contain the following information:

A statement in English that the animal has been inoculated with a Canadian official, inspected and approved rabies vaccine

- Date of vaccination

- Type of vaccine used and expiration date, the name of the manufacturer and the manufacturer's batch number

- Description of the animal (sex, age, breed, hair colour and markings)

- Name and address of the owner of the animal (in Canada and in Belgium)

Also, please note that:

- The vaccination of your cat or dog must be given at least 30 days and not more than a year prior to entry into Belgium. For certain precise cases a derogation (to reduce the 30 days period to 15 days) can be obtained from the Belgian Ministry of Agriculture in Brussels through the Washington Office at:

Embassy of Belgium

3330 Garfield Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel (202) 625-5839
Fax (202) 342-2683

All dogs must be identified in one of two ways: 1/ either a tattoo; or, 2/ an electronic chip. If the dog coming from abroad does not have any tattoo and if its owner intends to stay more than six months on Belgian territory, the owner will have to go to a veterinarian in Belgium in order to identify the animal (by a tattoo or a chip) and ask the veterinarian to do the necessary in order to register the dog at ABIEC.

The registration cost for the owner is between BEF 200 and 500 (approximately EUR 5 and 12.40) and the identification cost is between BEF 300 (EUR 7.50 for a tattoo) and BEF 1500 (EUR 37 for a chip); Prices may vary.

Special regulations also apply to the following dogs, and owners are advised to contact the relevant Embassies for further information.

Pitbull Terrier

Fila Braziliero

Tosa Inu

Akita Inu

Dogo Argentino

American Staffordshire Terrier

English Terrier (Staffordshire bull-terrier)

Bull Terrier

Mastiff (all origins)

Band dog

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Dogue de Bordeaux

Rottweiler

Canada to Germany

Germany does not distinguish between any countries, EU or non-EU when it comes to animals, providing that no more than three enter the country and that they meet the following requirements.

Owners must provide a certificate proving the animal has been vaccinated against rabies. This certificate must not be older than 12 months and must have been conducted 30 days before the attempt to enter Germany, so that any sign of rabies may be detected.

This certificate must be either an International Certificate which is also in German, or the certificate must be a accompanied by a certified translation into German.

Those who feel they do not need to meet the requirements may apply for the right to bypass these requirements by writing the authorities of the German state they will be arriving in, for example those arriving at Frankfurt airport should write in advance to the authorities of the federal state of Hessen.

Canada to the UK

Pets arriving from Canada are still subject to a UK quarantine of six months. This is because Canada, like America, has still not yet been recognised by the UK Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).

This system allows pet animals from certain countries to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet certain conditions. It also means that people in the UK can, having taken their pets to these countries, bring them back without the need for quarantine.

PETS was introduced for dogs and cats travelling from certain European countries on 28 February 2000. The Scheme was extended to Cyprus, Malta and certain Long Haul countries and territories on 31 January 2001.

The Scheme only applies to pet cats and dogs* ("pets") including guide dogs and hearing dogs. It is limited to pets coming into the UK from certain countries and territories and only operates on certain sea, air and rail routes to England.

UK to foreign countries

To be able to take your dog or cat abroad, all those taking pets out of the UK must visit a recognised veterinary practice for:

*Vaccination

*Insertion of identification chip - tattoos not accepted

*Blood sample taken from animal 30 days after vaccination

NB. The blood sample is sent to be checked in laboratory

If OK the Vet will sign papers and that is the pet's "passport".

If the blood sample is negative then the vaccination and sampling has to be repeated.

Click here for EU press release on traveling with pets "made easier."

www.ipata.com - The Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association International, Inc. Founded in 1979 to provide professional, competent and caring pet transportation relocation services throughout the USA and the world.

www.relojournal.com/june2001/petrelocation.htm - Article on common misperceptions of shipping pets via commercial aircraft.