Pet Microchip

The first step to prepare your dog, cat or ferret to enter Ireland is to have your pet microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785 compliant 15 digit pet microchip.

If your pet currently has a microchip that is not ISO 11784/11785 compliant, then you have 3 choices:

• You can bring your own microchip scanner.
• You can contact the officials at the Border Inspection Post where you will enter the EU and inquire as to whether they have scanners that can read your pet's chip.
• If your pet's current microchip can still be read, your veterinarian can implant compliant chip. The number and implant dates of both microchips must be documented on the EU Health Certificate (see step #5).

A tattoo is an acceptable form of identification as long as it was given prior to July 3, 2011, is clearly visible and your pet was vaccinated for rabies after the tattoo was applied.

Vaccinations

All dogs, cats and ferrets must have proof of a current rabies vaccination administered after a microchip was implanted to enter Ireland.

The first rabies vaccination after the microchip is implanted is called the primary vaccination and it should be a one year vaccine unless manufacturer specifications permit its use as a primary vaccination. If your pet's previous rabies vaccination had expired before being revaccinated, the next vaccination becomes the primary vaccination.

All vaccinations that are administered after the primary vaccination are called booster vaccinations.

If your pet is entering Ireland from a rabies-free (click here) or rabies-controlled country (click here), the primary rabies vaccination must be administered no sooner than 21 days before entering Ireland.

There is no waiting period after booster vaccinations as long as:

• the previous vaccination was administered after a microchip was implanted AND
• the booster vaccination was administered before the previous vaccination had expired.

Ireland does honor the 3 year rabies vaccination for dogs, cats and ferrets; however, it should only be administered as a booster, not as a primary vaccination. You can speak to your veterinarian about this.

Once your pet has entered Ireland, a 21 day waiting period is not required for subsequent visits, provided rabies boosters are kept up to date, and the other entry requirements are met.

If your pet is entering Ireland from a high-rabies country, it must wait for a minimum of 30 days after the primary or booster vaccination before receiving a rabies titer test (see step #3).

Rabies Titer Test

If your pet is entering Ireland from a high-rabies country (click here), your pet must be microchipped, then vaccinated for rabies (in that order). After waiting a minimum of 30 days after the primary or booster vaccination, a rabies titer test must be administered  (Have your veterinarian scan your pet's microchip prior to the titer test.)  Samples must be processed at approved laboratories. Assuming test results within acceptable limits, your pet can enter Ireland no sooner than 3 calendar months after the date the blood was drawn and avoid quarantine. This step is not required unless entering Ireland from a high-rabies country.

If you do not have 3 calendar months before traveling, your pet will be quarantined for the balance of time required to fulfill the 3 months.

Tapeworm Treatment - Dogs Only

Before your dog can enter Ireland, it must be treated against certain tapeworms one to five days prior to entering the country unless your pet is entering directly from Northern Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway.

Health Certificate

Here is where the rules differ and depend on whether or not your pet's transport is accompanied OR it involves a purchase, sale or transfer of ownership.

The owner is traveling with or within 5 days of the pet* AND the transport does not involve purchase, sale or transfer of ownership. If this is correct, then your pet will travel under non-commercial regulations. *Note that a representative of the owner can accompany the pet under non-commercial regulations; however, the owner must still travel within 5 days before or after the pet travels. Proof of the owner's travel must be available.

Non-commercial transport to Ireland from a country outside of the EU:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply. If traveling to Ireland from a high-rabies country, step 3 applies.

A licensed veterinarian must complete the non-commercial EU health certificate for Ireland. Endorsement by a government veterinarian must occur within 10 days of arrival.

After issuance, the form must be endorsed by the government agency in the origination country that is responsible for the import and export of animals.

This form is good for transports of 5 or less dogs, cats or ferrets. (see item 6 if you are traveling with more than 5 pets). It is valid for 4 months of travel within the EU as long as your pet's rabies vaccination does not expire.

You or your representative must sign a Declaration of Non-Commercial Transport stating that your pet's transport does not involve the sale or transfer of ownership of your pet.

Non-commercial transport to Ireland from another EU Member State:

- Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply.

Have your veterinarian update an EU Pet Passport for your pet. A non-commercial EU health certificate is not required for pets traveling to Ireland from another EU Member State unless a rabies booster was administered by a veterinarian outside of the EU at any time after your pet received its microchip.

Commercial Transport: the owner is not traveling with or within 5 days of the pet OR the purpose of the transport involves a sale or transfer of ownership OR more than 5 dogs, cats or ferrets are traveling with or without their owner.

Commercial transport to Ireland from a rabies-free or rabies-controlled country outside the EU:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply.

A licensed veterinarian must complete the English version of the commercial EU health certificate for Ireland within 48 hours of entry.

The forms must be endorsed by the government agency responsible for the import and export of animals.

This form is good for transports of 5 or less dogs, cats or ferrets. (see step 6 if you are traveling with more than 5 pets.) It is valid for 4 months of travel within the EU as long as your pet's rabies vaccination does not expire.

All dogs must be vaccinated against distemper.

Commercial Transport to Ireland from high-rabies countries outside the EU:

Dogs, cats and ferrets can only enter Ireland from these high-rabies countries. Pets must conform to all rules above and also have a titer test according to step 3 above.

Commercial transport to Ireland from another EU Member State

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply. Step 3 does not apply.

Your pet must travel from a licensed premises which is registered with the governing guthority responsible for the import and export of pets. Your veterinarian must update an EU Pet Passport for your pet and provide 24 hours notice to the local Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine office serving your destination.  Your pet's transport must be accompanied by an Intratrade certificate and registered in the TRACES system.

All dogs, cats and ferrets may enter Ireland commercially from a rabies-free or rabies-controlled countries. Dogs, cats and ferrets may only enter Ireland commercially from these high-rabies countries and must have a titer test according to step #3 above.

Traveling with more than 5 pets

If you are traveling with 6 or more cats, dogs or ferrets, in order to transport them under non-commercial regulations, they must be 6 months or older and attending or training for a competition, show or sporting event. If this is not the case, your pets must meet the requirements for commercial transport. (see step #5)

Entering Ireland from Malaysia & Australia

If your pet is entering Ireland from peninsular Malaysia, the following conditions must be met:

1. Your pet has had no contact with pigs during at least the past 60 days prior to export.
2. Your pet has not lived in a place where cases of Nipah disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.
3. Your pet has been tested with negative a result to an IgG capture ELISA test carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for Nipah disease viruses within 10 days of export.

Cats may only enter Ireland from Australia under the condition that they have not lived in areas where cases of Hendra disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.

Entering Ireland

All dogs, cats and ferrets entering Ireland from outside of the EU by air must provide advance notice to the Department of Agriculture in Ireland.

Accompanied pets entering by air from inside the EU can enter Ireland at any airport. All pets from outside the EU should enter Ireland at Dublin Port, Dublin Airport or Rosslare Europort unless they meet the requirements of an service dog.

Pets entering Ireland by air can enter according to their airline's pet policies. (checked baggage or air cargo) Note that as of July 19th 2021, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is no longer allowing Pets to travel outbound as excess baggage.

All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the port of entry to Ireland. If your dog or cat is not in apparent good health, further examination by a licensed veterinarian may be required at your expense.

Pets transiting Ireland on the way to another EU Member State must comply with requirements as stated in steps 1-5.

Puppies and Kittens

Unvaccinated puppies and kittens are not permitted to enter Ireland. Puppies and kittens must be microchipped, then vaccinated for rabies no sooner than 12 weeks of age. All regulations in steps 1-5 will apply.

Banned Breeds

The following breeds of dogs or their crosses are not banned but are controlled while in Ireland, namely the American Pit Bull Terrier; English Bull Terrier; Staffordshire Bull Terrier; Bull Mastiff; Doberman Pinscher; German Shepherd (Alsatian); Rhodesian Ridgeback; Rottweiler; Japanese Akita; Japanese Tosa and to every dog of the type commonly known as a Ban Dog (or Bandog).

The owner is responsible for their pet's actions, and are liable for injuries or attacks. In public places, they must be on a strong, short lead. The person holding your pet must be over 16 years old, and your dog must be muzzled. The court, if they deem the dog as dangerous, has the power to have your dog destroyed.

Exporting Pets Living in Ireland

All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Ireland for another EU Member State must be microchipped, vaccinated for rabies (in that order) and wait 21 days before leaving the country.  If you are planning to take your pet on a trip to a country with a high incidence of rabies, your veterinarian should do a rabies titer test before you leave Ireland if you intend to return.

Owners must produce a microchip registration certificate from an authorized database. (Animark, Fido, Irish Kennel Club or Microdog ID Ltd).

Export permits may be required for non-accompanied transports.

Pet owners should contact the Regional Veterinary Office at least 2 months in advance of travel to ensure that department officials can endorse documentation for your destination country.

All cats, dogs and ferrets leaving Ireland that will be returning must be issued an EU Pet Passport prior to departure.

Other Animals

There are no rabies requirements for other species of rodents, rabbits, birds, ornamental fish, intervebrates, amphibians and reptiles imported to Ireland from other EU states as well as Andorra, Switzerland, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and San Marino. However, pet rabbits and rodents imported to Ireland from any other non-EU rabies-controlled country will be quarantined for 4 months.

Birds entering Ireland with their owner or owner's representative from other EU Member States or Andorra, Croatia, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City State will need an Owner's Declaration and an Advance Notice to Import form sent to the Department of Agriculture.

Birds entering Ireland with their owner or owner's representative from other countries will need to meet the following requirements:

• Application for a Licence to Import Pet Birds, health certificate and Owner's Declaration must accompany your bird.
• Your bird must reside in an OIE member country.
• You are not importing more than 5 birds.
• Your bird must have undergone isolation for 30 days prior to export OR
• Two vaccinations against avian influenza with the H5 vaccine between 60 days and 6 months of import OR
• 10 days of isolation and undergone a test to detect the H5N1antigen or genome OR
• 30 days of quarantine in a registered premesis in the United Kingdom or other EU countries.
• All permits must accompany birds that are covered by CITES.
• Export permits may be required by the wildlife authority in the exporting country.

It must be imported at either Dublin or Shannon Airport.

Invertebrates, tropical fish, reptiles, amphibia, mammals such as rodents and rabbits entering Ireland from non-EU Member States should have a health certificate to enter Ireland. Pet owners are strongly advised to seek further information from the relevant authority of their country and/or that of the destination country.

CITES

If your pet is not a dog, cat or ferret, and especially if it is a turtle or parrot, you should verify that it is not protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  You will need to apply for additional permits if this is the case. Over 180 countries participate and enforce CITES regulations. .

Need More Assistance?

To the best of our ability, we ensure that recommendations given on PetTravel.com reflect the current regulations. We cannot predict how a given country may enforce these regulations. Noncompliance may result in the need to make arrangements to put your pet into quarantine at your expense, return your pet to the country of origin, or euthanize your pet. We suggest that you minimize the disruptions that may occur by following the rules of the country you are visiting.

Further detail on import permits, costs, tests and procedures are available at minimal cost at PetTravelStore.com. We also stock all the equipment and accessories you will need for traveling with your pet. Same day shipping Monday through Friday until 4:00 PM EST.

 

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