Laws specific to the Netherlands:

• Dogs with cropped ears or docked tails are allowed to compete in the FitPaws World Agility Open, as long as the dog was not born in the Netherlands.
• The cage or carrier in which the animal is travelling must be labelled with the name, address in the Netherlands, and phone number of the owner or the owner’s representative.
• In the Netherlands, people are required to clean up their dog’s waste and to always carry equipment to collect the waste. So if you pick up after your dog, be sure you have another plastic bag on you before disposing of the one you just cleaned up.
• There is no quarantine to bring a dog to the Netherlands. Once in the Netherlands, animals need a passport, according to the European Union model, in order to travel to other countries in the EU.

General Information

The European Union (EU) regulations known as the EU Pet Passport have been in force since October 2004 and allows for qualifying domestic animals to freely cross borders in Europe.

Dogs entering the EU or crossing its internal borders are subject to standard requirements:

• an EU pet passport
• and identification microchip, and
• a vaccination against rabies.
  
  

Some countries (Sweden, Ireland, and Malta) impose additional conditions over and above those laid down by the EU before they allow animals into their country. Dog owners need to be aware of these regulations if they intend to travel within the EU or if their dog will cross into these countries en route to the Netherlands.

A vet in an EU country will only issue a pet passport when they have confirmed that the animal is identifiable by a microchip in the neck and that it has a valid vaccination against rabies and a blood test to prove that this vaccine is still effective. See the EUROPA Animal Health & Welfare website for a full list of EU-approved countries.

If you have any questions regarding bringing your dog to the Netherlands, please consult the Netherlands embassy in your home country. The embassy should also be able to provide any specific forms that you need. For example, some countries, such as the United States and Canada, require that dogs traveling to the Netherlands must be clinically examined by a certified veterinarian before leaving their home country. The health certificate must be endorsed by the Department of Agriculture to indicate that it is an official document.

Travelling with more than five pets

You can travel with up to five pets, but if there are more than five pets you must provide proof that:

• they are participating in a competition, exhibition or sporting event (by providing for example a registration document),and
• they are more than 6 months old.

Microchips

Your dog must be identified with a microchip that meets ISO (International Standards Organization) specifications 11784 and is capable of being read by a device compatible with ISO 11785. This is a 15-digit ISO compliant microchip that operates at 134.2 kHz. After the microchip is inserted, then your dog must be vaccinated against rabies. If your dog has been vaccinated before it was fitted with a microchip, it will have to be vaccinated again.

As of 3 July 2011, tattoos are no longer accepted for travel.

Rabies Vaccinations

European rules require that animals be given regular rabies booster vaccinations in accordance with the vaccine manufacturer’s recommendations. An animal that has received regular boosters on the recommended schedule, and that has a current vaccine against rabies, can enter EU countries at any time. However, if the animal’s rabies vaccination expired before it was revaccinated, or it is the animal’s first rabies vaccination, you need to wait 21 days after the rabies vaccination has been given to travel.

Your dog must be microchipped before being vaccinated. Before vaccinating your dog, make sure your vet reads its microchip number and enters it on your dog’s vaccination record.

If your dog has been vaccinated against rabies before it was identified by a microchip, it will have to be vaccinated again. This is to make sure that your dog is correctly identified when it is vaccinated.

Dogs entering an EU country from a country with a high incidence of rabies must have a blood titre test 1 month after vaccination and 3 months prior to departure. Refer to the Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 to determine which countries this applies to.

Dogs Travelling from within the EU

With a few exceptions, your pet can travel with you to another EU country if it has:

• been micro-chipped (in line with the technical requirements of Annex II of the EU Regulation on the movement of pets)orhas a clearly readable tattoo if applied before 3 July 2011
• been vaccinated against rabies
• had treatment against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, where your destination area is free from this tapeworm (Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland)
• a valid European pet passport, when travelling from an EU country or Northern Ireland to another EU country or Northern Ireland.

Each EU country follows essentially the same system and will issue an EU Pet Passport for the dog in question in its country of residence (as long as this is within the EU). This passport contains certain obligatory information about the animal, such as its unique identification number and proof of valid vaccination against the rabies virus. Some countries also include other information such as other current vaccinations. The passport is valid throughout the life of the animal.

Dogs Travelling from the UK

This procedure changed from the 1st January 2021 when the UK left the EU. Please click on the link below for up to date information.

Pet travel to and from Great Britain

Click here for the DEFRA website

Telephone: +44 870 241 1710
Email:helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Dogs Travelling from the USA & Canada

To bring your dog into the Netherlands from the USA or Canada, it must be accompanied by a third country official veterinary certificate. This certificate must show that your dog has been microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.

In the USA and Canada, the official health certificate for travel to countries in the EU is the annex IV vet certificate.

The health certificate along with your microchip implantation record, rabies certificate must be submitted by your veterinarian to the USDA (in USA) or CFIA (in Canada) for endorsement

You must arrive in the Netherlands within 10 days of the certificate being issued. It is valid for 4 months from the day it was issued or until the vaccine’s expiration date, whichever is first. Animals without the certificate will be denied entry into the Netherlands.