Don't want to leave them behind? Here's a quick guide to getting 'residency' for your expat pets.

We have our passports and we are ready to go

Since July 2004 the EU introduced a mandatory EU Pet Passport for transportation of cats, dogs and ferrets within the EU, which applies in the Netherlands. Different rules apply if you are bringing an animal from a non-EU country (such as blood tests), or if the animal is listed as an endangered species, or a bird.

To bring your pets into the Netherlands requires a "pet passport" (dierenpaspoort), which is available from veterinarians in all EU and most western nations. The pet passport is both a certificate of health and proof of immunisation against rabies among others that is required by the Dutch customs authority for leave to enter the country.

The animal must be vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before the departure date. In some countries the vaccination is no longer valid if it is older than 1 year.
You dog, cat or ferret will also require a special identifying microchip (electronic identification system) or tattoo and the certificate must include details of the chip or tattoo.  Tattoos will no longer be accepted as identification after July 2011, so if your animal is young, you might want to think about a microchip.

Compliance with these regulations will avoid quarantine when you arrive. It is up to the discretion of the airline whether the animal must travel in the hold, or the cabin.

Cats, dogs and ferrets not accompanied by their owners are considered commercial trade and must be examined by a veterinarian within 24 hours before departure for the Netherlands and must travel with a certificate stating the date and time of the exam. The animal will be examined again on arrival.

*Note: Pit Bull terriers and associated crossbreeds are not allowed into the Netherlands.

Other animals

The European Commission is in the process of introducing a veterinary certificate for travel with other types of animals, until that time the transitional measures listed below apply. These pets — unless listed as endangered — can enter the Netherlands with a health certificate issued by a vet. The certificate can not be older than 10 days upon arrival.

It is strongly advised to check with the Dutch embassy in your country and the airline to check on the latest regulations before making arrangements to bring in your pet.
If you have an unusual pet, it is worth your while to check if they are on the endangered/protected species list (some birds, monkeys and varieties of turtles/lizards) because you might be barred from bringing them into the Netherlands.

See the EU website on Animal Health and Welfare to check if you need a CITES license (see below).

In particular, parrots, parakeets and budgerigars may not be brought from Argentina, Columbia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Brazil, Senegal, Thailand, East Timor or Paraguay. For these birds, from other places, the certificate of health mentioned above will be required.
More stringent temporary measures may be in place concerning the import of birds due to avian flu, it is therefore recommended that you check the latest information with the Customs office (listed below).

It is important to bear in mind that bringing protected species of flora and fauna into the Netherlands is nearly always prohibited.

You may only bring such species into the country if they have been part of your personal belongings for a long period, according to the customs service. You must, however, be able to prove this by documentation. For the few species you are allowed to bring with you to the Netherlands, you usually need an export licence issued in the country you are moving from, together with an import licence issued by the Dutch CITES bureau LASER (0800 223 33 22, free phone).

It is important you contact the Dutch Customs Information on 0800 0143 (free hone) before making arrangements to bring an unusual animal, bird or plant into the country. The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality has a good website on Travelling with pets, in English. Go to their site, choose for English, and click on "livestock" to find further information.

Staying

Dogs must be registered at the local town hall (gemeente) and an annual tax paid to the tax office (Belastingdienst).

Dog taxes (hondenbelasting) vary from area to area, from approx. EUR 55 up to EUR 105 for the first dog. Additional charges will be added for each additional dog. Proof of registration comes in the form of a small metal tag added to the dog's collar.

Check with your local town or district hall to find out where your dog is free to walk without a leash and where it is allowed to relieve itself (uitlaatgebied), as doing so in an undesignated area brings a heavy fine.

The dog droppings must be cleaned up by you and put in marked containers in parks or in a closed sack in the appropriately marked bin located in most neighbourhoods.

Frequently these bins are green with the sign depot dog and an unmistakable picture!
Cats do not require registration or tax, nor do other pets. Lost/found animals are usually taken to the local pound (listed in the phone book under dierenasiel or dierenopvangcentrum).

If you plan on leaving your dog/cat at a kennel while you're away on vacation, you will need to update the pet passport with a vet (dierenarts) stating that all its immunisations are up-to-date.

A "doggie motel" in the Netherlands is called a dierenhotel or dierenpension. As in most countries, not all such facilities have a great reputation, so ask around, or speak to your veterinarian.

Veterinary Services

Bubbles, unfortunately, may have to stay in 'Neverland'

The Dutch are great pet lovers and most suburban and urban areas have good veterinary services available. Look in your local phone book under veterinarian (dierenarts) or veterinarian practice (dierenartspraktijk).

If there is not an emergency veterinarian (Dieren Spoedkliniek) or a 24-hour service listed below, either call the Animal Ambulance (Dierenambulance, listed below) in your area or your local veterinarian office. Both will list an emergency number for help outside of office hours.

AMSTERDAM

• Spoedkliniek (night and weekend emergency clinic)(Not a drop in clinic, call first) 020 694 4766
• De Toevlucht Stichting Vogelhospitaal (Bird Hospital), Bijlmerweide 1, 1103 RR Amsterdam Zuidoost. Tel: 020 600 1144

THE HAGUE

Spoedkliniek (emergency clinic), Het Zicht 61, 2543 AK, The Hague. Tel: 070 366 0701

ROTTERDAM

• Dierenkliniek Kralingseweg, Kralingseweg 343, Rotterdam. Tel. 010 450 2916
• Dierenziekenhuis (animal hospital), Pascalweg 4, 3076JP Rotterdam. Tel: 010 492 5151. www.dierenziekenhuis.nl

UTRECHT

• Dierenartsen Dienstgroep Domstad, Zamenhofdreef 60, 3562JZ Utrecht, Tel. 0900 33377633
• Dierenkliniek Hoograven, Detmoldstraat 10, 3523GD Utrecht, Tel. 030 288 6469, www.dierenkliniekhoograven.nl

There is a good network of vets and animal hospitals in the Netherlands

Pet lost/found or adoption

If your pet has gone astray, call your local pound or one of the main numbers below. If the animal has an electronic chip you can also report the loss to the national chip database, listed below.

National Chip Database www.chipdatabase.nl

AMSTERDAM

Dierenkwijtlijn (Lost Pet Line), 020 470 5000 (recorded menu choice — 51)

DEN BOSCH

Bosch en Duin, Dierenkliniek, Tolhuislaan 2, 3735 KG Bosch en Duin. Tel: 030 228 3810

EINDHOVEN

Dierenkliniek Dikkertedap, Orpheusln 29, 5631 BR Eindhoven, 040 243 2455

GRONINGEN

Diergeneeskundig Centrum Paterswoldseweg en Hoogkerk, Paterswoldseweg 306, 9727 BW Groningen. Tel: 050 525 2697

HAARLEM

Dierenkliniek Meerwijk, Stresemaanlaan 19, 2037 TA Haarlem. Tel: 023 533 3363

THE HAGUE

Haags Dierencentrum, 070 366 1806 (recorded menu choice — 1) www.haagsdierencentrum.nl

MAASTRICHT

Dierenkliniek Oranjeplein 14, 6224 KD Maastricht, 043 363 1818

ROTTERDAM

Dierenopvangcentrum, 010 437 4211

UTRECHT

Amivedi Dieren Opsporingsdienst (animal tracing service). Tel: 030 251 3372

Animal Ambulance Services (Dierenambulance)
AMSTERDAM 020 626 2121
THE HAGUE  070 328 2828/ 070 366 0909
HILVERSUM 035 683 0300
LEIDEN 071 517 4141
MAASTRICHT/ZUID-WEST LIMBURG 043 352 0455
ROTTERDAM DAR Dierenambulance 010 415 5666/Dierenambulance Reo 010 476 8750
UTRECHT 030 273 1600
WASSENAAR070 511 7772

[Copyright Expatica 2006]

Subject: pets + the Netherlands