IV. Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets to the Czech Republic from listed third countries

Listed third countries (251.9 KB)

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Important updates

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In order to enable the return of a Czech citizen which travelled to a listed third country with his/her animal back to the territory of the EU or, at the import of an animal, the following requirements must be met:

1. Identification of animals

Dogs, cats and ferrets must be identified by implanting of a transponder (microchip). The identification shall be performed by the authorised veterinarian of the country of dispatch. Only transponders (microchips) complying with the ISO standards for microchips and reading devices – ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 can be used for the identification. Where the transponder does not comply with these requirements, the owner or the authorised person must provide the means necessary for reading that transponder at any check.

When dogs, cats or ferrets are identified using tattoos and the tattoos are clearly readable and were demonstrably done before 3rd July 2011, it is not necessary to implant transponders.

Animals must be identified prior to the anti-rabies vaccination!

 

2. Anti-rabies vaccination

Dogs, cats or ferrets over twelve weeks of age must receive anti-rabies vaccination. The vaccination in a third country is performed by the authorised veterinarian. The anti-rabies vaccination must be performed using an inactivated vaccine of at least one international antigenic unit per dose (WHO standard) or a recombinant vaccine.

The vaccine administered in a Member State must have marketing authorisation; when administered in a third country, it must be approved by the competent authority or have marketing authorisation issued by that authority and must comply with the requirements established by the OIE.

For the purposes of travelling with pets, a vaccination against rabies shall be considered as valid:
a. 21 days from the date of completion of the vaccination protocol required by the manufacturer for the primary vaccination,
or
b. from the date of re-vaccination where the vaccine is administered within the period of validity indicated by the manufacturer of a previous vaccination. However, such re-vaccination shall be considered as a primary vaccination in the absence of the animal health certificate attesting the previous vaccination.

 

3. Animal health certificate or European pet passport

Dogs, cats or ferrets originating from a third country must be at their import accompanied by the animal health certificate for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats or ferrets which must had been issued prior to the movement by the official veterinarian of exporting territory or third country or by the authorised veterinarian and subsequently approved by the competent authority of the territory or third country of dispatch.

Furthermore, the pet animal must be accompanied by written declaration signed by the owner or the authorised person attesting that the pet animal is to the EU moved within the non-commercial movement.

Anti-Echinococcus treatment, i.e. the treatment against the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis, as mentioned in Point II.4 of the animal health certificate, is not required by the Czech Republic.

The certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of its issue by the official veterinarian of exporting country until the date of a check at the place of entry into the EU. For the purpose of further movement into other Member States, the certificate is valid for a total of 4 months or until the date of expiry of the validity of the anti-rabies vaccination or until conditions relating to animals under 16 weeks of age referred to in point II.3 of the animal health certificate cease to apply, whichever date is earlier.

In the case of the re-entry of dogs, cats or ferrets from a third country to the EU, the European pet passport shall be used instead of the animal health certificate. When animals are moved from Andorra, Switzerland, Faeroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino or the Vatican, the animals may be accompanied by the passport pursuant to the model contained in Part B of Annex III to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013.

Note:

At travelling with more than 5 dogs, cats or ferrets, when the conditions for granting derogation are not fulfilled, at trade in such animals or when the animals do not fulfil the conditions for the non-commercial movement (see the definition of the non-commercial movement), the animals must be accompanied by the animal health certificate for the import of dogs, cats and ferrets to the European Union (model CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS). In these cases, the animals must come from the listed third countries referred to in Annex VIII of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404. For more information, we recommend to contact the Department of Import Control of the State Veterinary Administration via the address epodatelna@svscr.cz or find out more here.

 

4. Derogations applying to transits

In the case of transit of dogs, cats and ferrets from listed third countries through other third countries to the EU, the performance of rabies antibody titration test is not required when the owner or the authorised person submits written declaration stating that the animals concerned have not had any contacts with wild animals of the species susceptible to rabies during the transit and that they are safely secured in the means of transport or premises of an international airport.