Travelling with Animals

Travelling with Animals

If you do not want to leave your furry family member at home and prefer to enjoy your holiday with your pet, here is some advice on how to do it.

Travelling with Animals
The Czech Republic is a country whose inhabitants have a highly positive relationship to pets. So, you can bring all your family members without worry. Dogs are allowed in most restaurants, parks, zoos, etc. However, it is recommended to always ask first.

What are the requirements to ensure everyone in your family can enjoy the trip? There are no inspections at the land borders of the Czech Republic thanks to the Schengen Area – most of the time anyway, so the only border inspection that a dog or cat must go through is at Prague Airport. However, even when you come to the Czech Republic by car there are some rules that need to be followed.

EU member states and Norway

One person may be accompanied by five pets at most on a non-commercial trip, which means that it is not permitted to trade with pets. Before leaving, make sure you have the following:
  • Animal identification
Dogs and cats must have a microchip that meets the ISO standards for microchips and scanning devices – ISO 11784 and ISO 11785. Your pet may also have a tattoo, as long as it is readable and has been demonstrably made before 3 July 2011.
  • Rabies vaccination
This vaccination is obligatory from 12 weeks of age of the animal. The rabies vaccination must be done using a vaccine that complies with the WHO standards, or using a recombinant vaccine. You can travel after 21 days from the first vaccination at the earliest, or one day after a booster injection.
  • Pet animal passport
Four-legged pets must have a pet animal passport. It is a uniform document valid in all EU member states. Each passport is marked with a country code and a serial number.

Other countries

Similar requirements apply to travelling with dogs and cats from other countries to the Czech Republic. One person may be accompanied by five pets at most and is not permitted to sell them.
  • Animal identification
Dogs and cats must have a microchip that meets the ISO standards for microchips and scanning devices – ISO 11784 and ISO 11785. Your pet may also have a tattoo, as long as it is readable and has been demonstrably made before 3 July 2011.
  • Rabies vaccination
This vaccination is obligatory from 12 weeks of age of the animal. The rabies vaccination must be done using a vaccine that complies with the WHO standards, or using a recombinant vaccine. You can travel after 21 days from the first vaccination at the earliest, or one day after a booster injection. When travelling from some countries, a serological examination is also required to show the level of protective rabies antibodies. More details are provided by the State Veterinary Administration, see the contact information below.
  • European pet animal passport and veterinary certificate
Your four-legged pet must have a veterinary certificate for the non-commercial transfers of dogs, cats or ferrets when travelling to the Czech Republic, issued by your official veterinarian prior to the trip and subsequently approved by a corresponding authority in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, the pet owner must provide a written declaration confirming that the animal is transferred to the UE within a non-commercial transfer. The Czech State Veterinary Administration will provide the current details.
 

State Veterinary Administration website

https://en.svscr.cz/
 
Prague State Veterinary Administration
Slezská 100
Prague 2
Tel.: +420227010142
 
Brno State Veterinary Administration
Palackého tř. 1309
Brno
Tel.: +420541210178
 
Ostrava State Veterinary Administration
Na Obvodu 1104
Ostrava
Tel.: +420596781910