How to move with your pet in NL

Moving with a pet is not the same as moving ordinary household goods. Customs may treat a small pet as part of relocation goods, but animal-health entry rules are owned by NVWA and depend on the species, where the animal travels from and whether the movement is legally commercial or non-commercial. Dogs, cats and ferrets use one family of rules; birds and other pets can use different routes. This guide owns the personal relocation workflow from classification and veterinary preparation through the first EU entry check and any Dutch dog registration after arrival.

Confirm that the animal is your existing pet and that the trip meets the current NVWA conditions for non-commercial movement. Then identify the species, the country it travels from and the first point where it will enter the EU. For a dog, cat or ferret from outside the EU, use the NVWA rule helper before booking travel because the rabies route can require a blood test and a long waiting period. If the animal is protected, invasive or an unusual mammal, also check whether it may legally be transported and kept in the Netherlands.

Use the branch that matches the animal, country of origin and purpose of the movement. The live NVWA rule for that branch remains the operational source of truth.

• Dog, cat or ferret from the EU travel group

  Use the EU pet-travel route: the animal needs the identification and rabies evidence required by NVWA, normally recorded in an EU pet passport. Ferrets follow the same core travel rules as dogs and cats.

• Dog, cat or ferret from outside the EU

  Use the non-EU NVWA route. Check the current country risk classification, rabies evidence, whether an antibody blood test is required, and which health certificate and owner declaration must travel with the animal.

• Rabbit, rodent or reptile from within the EU

  Use the species-specific NVWA route. Do not copy the dog-and-cat passport checklist onto these animals automatically.

• Rabbit, rodent, reptile or another companion animal from outside the EU

  Use the NVWA route for other companion animals, including the current health declaration and authorised-entry requirements where they apply.

• Bird from outside the EU

  Use the dedicated NVWA bird route. The animal-health controls are stricter and can involve an official certificate, identification and avian-influenza testing, vaccination or quarantine conditions.

• Protected, invasive or unusual species

  Check both the NVWA travel restrictions and the RVO rules on CITES, invasive species and which mammals may legally be kept before arranging transport.

• The trip does not meet non-commercial pet conditions

  If ownership changes, the owner does not travel in the allowed relationship to the animal, the animal count exceeds the personal route or another commercial condition applies, stop here and use NVWA's commercial import route.

1. 1

   Confirm the trip is non-commercial and the species can legally be brought and kept

   Before collecting travel documents, check whether the movement qualifies for the personal non-commercial pet route. Ownership transfer, travel timing, the number of animals and the species itself can change the legal route. Protected, invasive or restricted animals can also face separate transport or keeping rules.

   Do this: Use the NVWA commercial/non-commercial test, then check whether the species has any NVWA or RVO restriction before booking transport.

   Documents needed

   • Proof that the animal is your existing pet where relevant
   • Species and identification details
   • CITES or other species evidence when applicable

   Processing time

   Do this first. If the movement is commercial or the species is restricted, the rest of this personal relocation guide is not the correct route.

   Common mistake: Do not assume that travelling with your own animal automatically makes the movement non-commercial.

   Official source

   NVWA · Commercial or non-commercial pet travel
2. 2

   Choose the route by pet type and country of origin

   The document and health rules change by species and origin. Dogs, cats and ferrets use the rabies-focused pet-travel system. Rabbits, rodents, reptiles, birds and other pets use separate NVWA routes, and a non-EU dog/cat/ferret route also depends on the current rabies-risk classification of the country.

   Do this: Identify the species, the country the animal travels from and the first EU point of entry, then open the matching NVWA route before arranging the final travel documents.

   Documents needed

   • Pet species and identification details
   • Country-of-origin and travel itinerary

   Processing time

   Choose the route before booking non-refundable transport because some branches require months of preparation.

   Common mistake: Do not use an EEA shortcut or a generic pet checklist. Follow the current country grouping and species route on NVWA.

   Official source

   Netherlands Worldwide · Pet travel route by species and country of origin
3. 3

   Prepare identification, rabies and passport documents for dogs, cats and ferrets

   For the routes that use the EU pet-travel system, the animal must have the identification and rabies evidence required by NVWA. Within the EU travel group this is normally recorded in an EU pet passport. The order of identification and vaccination matters.

   Do this: Have the veterinarian check the chip, rabies vaccination and travel document against the exact route, and correct any problem before the travel date is fixed.

   Documents needed

   • EU pet passport when the route uses one
   • Microchip details
   • Valid rabies vaccination record

   Processing time

   For a first rabies vaccination, allow the mandatory waiting period before travel. Use the live NVWA rule rather than calculating from memory.

   Common mistake: An EU pet passport is not a universal replacement for the official health certificate used on some non-EU routes.

   Official source

   NVWA · Dog, cat and ferret requirements on the EU travel route
4. 4

   Complete the extra non-EU tests and certificates when required

   Dogs, cats and ferrets coming from outside the EU can need an official animal-health certificate, owner declaration and, for the higher-risk rabies route, an antibody blood test and waiting period. The exact country classification is a live NVWA rule.

   Do this: Use the NVWA rule helper for the country, complete any required blood test and waiting period, and have the official authority issue or validate the certificate and declarations needed for travel.

   Documents needed

   • EU animal-health certificate when required
   • Owner or authorised-person declaration when required
   • Rabies antibody test evidence when required

   Processing time

   Start several months ahead when the higher-risk rabies route may apply. Final certificates can also have short validity windows, so follow the issuing authority's timing.

   Common mistake: Do not book travel on the assumption that a vaccination alone is enough for every country outside the EU.

   Official source

   NVWA · Non-EU dog and cat entry requirements
5. 5

   Use the species-specific route for birds and other pets

   Rabbits, rodents, reptiles and other companion animals do not automatically use the dog-and-cat passport route. Birds from outside the EU have a stricter animal-health route. Protected, invasive or unusual species can also need RVO/CITES checks or permission to be kept in the Netherlands.

   Do this: Open the NVWA page for the species and origin, then check RVO/CITES and the Dutch holding rules when the animal is protected, invasive or an unusual mammal.

   Documents needed

   • Species-specific health declaration or certificate where required
   • Bird identification and health evidence where required
   • CITES or holding-permission documents where applicable

   Processing time

   Check this before arranging transport. Species-specific certificates, tests or permits can take longer than the carrier booking itself.

   Common mistake: Do not apply the dog/cat rabies and passport checklist to every companion animal.

   Official source

   NVWA · Other companion animals from outside the EU
6. 6

   Plan the carrier, first EU entry point and arrival check

   Transport-provider rules and legal entry rules are separate. For a non-EU route, the animal can have to enter through an authorised point and be checked at the first EU entry. If that first entry is in the Netherlands by air or ferry, the traveller reports to Customs at goods to declare.

   Do this: Confirm the carrier's crate and booking rules separately, verify the authorised point of entry for the legal route, and keep the original travel documents accessible for the first EU check.

   Documents needed

   • Original travel passport or health certificate
   • Owner declaration where required
   • Carrier booking and transport documents

   Processing time

   Confirm the legal entry point before finalising the travel itinerary.

   Common mistake: If the first EU entry is in another country, the required entry check happens there rather than being postponed until the Netherlands.

   Official source

   Douane · Customs arrival check for pets
7. 7

   Complete Dutch dog registration and keep the travel records

   After legal entry, an imported dog can have a Dutch identification and registration obligation. RVO's route can require the first holder to obtain the correct UBN and have a veterinarian make the import registration. Cats do not use the same mandatory registration route.

   Do this: If the animal is a dog and the rule applies to your stay, follow the current RVO imported-dog registration steps within the legal window. Keep the travel passport or certificate, vaccination, test and arrival records for future travel and veterinary care.

   Documents needed

   • Dog chip and passport details
   • UBN details when required
   • Veterinarian import-registration confirmation
   • Travel and entry records

   Processing time

   For an imported dog, check the current RVO deadline immediately after arrival rather than waiting until the first routine vet visit.

   Common mistake: Do not assume that the border check also completes the Dutch dog registration.

   Official source

   RVO · Registration of dogs brought from abroad

• Pet identification details, including the chip number where required
• EU pet passport when the route uses one
• Valid rabies vaccination evidence for dogs, cats and ferrets where required
• Rabies antibody blood-test evidence when the current non-EU route requires it
• Official EU animal-health certificate when required for the non-EU route
• Owner or authorised-person declaration when required
• Species-specific health declaration or bird certificate for other pets where required
• CITES or other species documents when the animal is protected or restricted
• Arrival and Dutch dog-registration records after the move

• Veterinary consultation, microchipping, vaccination and any blood test are charged by the veterinarian or laboratory.
• An official health certificate, legalisation or inspection can have separate fees depending on the country and route.
• Airlines, ferry companies and pet shippers set their own transport, crate and handling prices.
• Protected-species permits or specialist transport can add costs on unusual-animal routes.
• Imported-dog registration and any UBN-related fee use the current RVO route rather than a fixed amount in this guide.

Do not leave this to the final week. Check the exact NVWA route before booking travel. A higher-risk non-EU rabies route can require testing and a waiting period measured in months. Species-specific certificates can also have short validity windows, so prepare early but issue final travel documents at the time required by the authority.

Requirements depend on your situation. Check the latest requirements with the relevant authority.

• Assuming an existing family pet automatically counts as a non-commercial movement. Ownership, travel timing and animal-count conditions still matter.
• Using the same checklist for every pet species. Dogs, cats and ferrets use different rules from birds, rabbits, rodents, reptiles and other companion animals.
• Getting the rabies sequence wrong for a dog, cat or ferret. Identification, vaccination, testing and certificates have an order that matters.
• Booking a non-EU trip before checking whether the country uses the higher-risk rabies route and whether an antibody test is required.
• Using an EU pet passport as if it replaces every non-EU health certificate requirement.
• Arriving through the wrong route or forgetting the first EU point-of-entry check when the non-EU rules require it.
• Checking animal-health entry rules but not checking whether a protected, invasive or unusual species may legally be kept in the Netherlands.
• Treating Customs household-goods relief as permission for the animal to enter. Customs treatment and veterinary entry rules are separate.

• If the pet is a dog and the Dutch import-registration rule applies, arrange the current RVO/UBN/veterinarian registration route after arrival.
• Keep the passport or health certificate, vaccination, test and entry records together for later travel or veterinary care.
• Use the municipality-registration guide separately if you still need to register yourself as a resident.
• Use the household-goods guide for the rest of the move, and the rental-contract guide if your question is about a pet clause in a tenancy.