Are you someone who’s been dreaming about bringing along your furry friend somewhere in Europe? Then a pet passport is your golden ticket.

I have tried it both ways—with and without a pet passport—and it’s been a breeze traveling with Momo and her pet passport. In this post, I’ll be explaining it from the lens of traveling with a dog since that’s my personal experience. However, I do believe that it applies to cats and ferrets as well.

What is a Pet Passport?

An EU pet passport is the official document that allows pets (specifically, dogs, cats, and ferrets) to travel freely between the European Union (EU) and certain other countries (I’ll explain below), without having to quarantine them for a certain amount of time. It is part of the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) and serves as proof that the pet meets the health and identification requirements set by the EU.

Your pet passport will include:

• Details about the pet (name, breed, age, color, etc.).
• The pet’s microchip or tattoo identification number
• Vaccination records, especially for rabies
• Information on any necessary treatments (e.g., for tapeworm)
• The veterinarian’s information and signature. (This will be the vet in the EU, not your vet in your home country.)

How long is a pet passport valid for?

The great news is that it will be valid for the pet’s lifetime as long as vaccinations remain up to date. As I mentioned earlier, the purpose of the document is to ensure that pets meet health standards to prevent the spread of diseases like rabies and simplifies travel within the EU for pet owners.

Do You Need a Pet Passport?

Why a pet passport is important necessary

Either way you decide, a one-time-at-a-time health certification or a pet passport is necessary to ensure that your pet is healthy enough to travel abroad. It is to ensure that your furry friend has all of the necessary vaccinations to meet the destination country’s requirements for incoming animals.

The biggest advantage of having a pet passport is streamlining the logistics of traveling to the EU with your pet. As long as you keep the vaccinations up-to-date, you should be golden.

How do I travel to France or EU without a pet passport?

While it is possible to travel across the pond without applying for a pet passport, having one definitely makes things more streamlined. A pet passport means less vet visits before a trip, less paperwork, and less money to spend each time you want to go abroad to Europe with your pup.

On the first trip to France with Momo (my pup), I didn’t yet have a pet passport. So I went through the International Health Certificate route to get to Europe with her, with the plan to see a French vet while in Paris in order to get the pet passport. You will also need to show documentation of an up-to-date rabies vaccination along with the certificate. So have that on-hand!

In a nutshell, the pet health certificate cost me a pretty penny: right around $500-600 USD—in NYC—when all was said and done. It included the vet exam, any vaccination updates needed, the application, and the expedited post to get it out to France to get signed and returned back in time.

What made it stressful is that you or the vet’s office have to send the paperwork out no more than 10 days before your date of departure. You should get it back within these 10 days. It takes awhile because it’s sent via post to the EU member state where it’s reviewed and returned. I believe that this is to ensure that your pet is still in the same health condition as close to the date of you both being in the country of interest.

I got a call from the vet’s office 2 or 3 days before my date of departure. You can bet that I was getting a little nervous as it got closer to the date, but it arrived and the health certificate was approved! The receptionist at Momo’s vet told me there have been times when people have heard back the day before the date of departure. Eek!

How to Get a Pet Passport for France or another EU country

Check Your Pet’s Eligibility

Gather your most updated vet documents from your home country. Make sure that it has your pet’s latest vaccinations, any treatments they’re currently receiving, their microchip number, etc. It will be good to have both a digital and hard copy of this document. I always travel with Momo’s health records.

Ensure your pet is microchipped (ISO-standard 11784/11785). This information should be on your pet’s vet records if they are microchipped. If they aren’t, then I would suggest an appointment with your vet to get this arranged. This will be an necessary part of applying for the pet passport.

Visiting an Authorized Vet in France

How I found a vet to visit in Paris, France

Honestly, I just did a Google for “English speaking vets in Paris”. Even though I was traveling to several different cities throughout France during my summer vacation, I knew that Paris would my best bet for finding an English-speaking vet.

The website to find French vets is www.veterinaire-monveto.com. The website is a directory of vets (kinda like Zocdoc with physicians). It was a little bit difficult to use, and I wasn’t really sure if the appointment request would really get to the vet office I had chosen. But it did! The vet office responded to me via email and we had our correspondence through emailing.

I didn’t speak any French during that time, but I made sure to greet in French and to thank in French when appropriate. I mentioned in the email that I didn’t speak French and would need to see a vet who spoke English. The receptionist was patient and kindly let me know that all of their vets on staff spoke English.

If you need or want to practice the French basics for your next trip, check out my post on Essential French phrases for your next trip to France!

The vet appointment in France to obtain the pet passport

The vet I saw was incredibly friendly and spoke great English. She did a health check on Momo and checked the documents I had forwarded to the clinic upon request. The vet filled out the pet passport with all of the necessary information, referring to the documents from my vet in the States. She noticed that Momo’s rabies vaccine was going to expire in about three months and offered to do it there if I was interested (I said yes since I figured it would be cheaper in Paris than NYC).

The appointment took about 45 minutes to an hour all in all. I had the pet passport authorized and in-hand by the time I left the vet’s office! I used it for the trip back to NYC without a hitch.

How much is a Pet Passport for the EU?

This is approximately how much I paid in the 6th Arrondissement (St Germain) in Paris, France:

Consultation + rabies vaccine: ~90 euros

Pet passport: ~23 euros

Traveling to the EU with a Pet Passport

Where is the EU pet passport valid?

• All EU member states
• Norway, Switzerland, and Northern Ireland

What if I’m traveling from an EU member state to one that is a non-EU country?

Unfortunately, you’ll have to obtain an additional health certificate for any non-EU country you’ll also be traveling to. The EU pet passport alone will not be valid. Be sure to check with those countries’ embassies. You can also ask your vet clinic on what specific countries’ regulations are, and they may have some resources on file for you to start from.

Returning to the USA after traveling in the EU with your pet (very important!)

As of August 2024, a new step was added when it comes to returning to the States with your furry friend. You’ll need to fill out a form online prior to returning. Over the summer, I did it the day before my flight back to NYC. It’s quick and it took less than a minute.

I believe there are at least two forms as it depends on if you’re coming from a low- or high-risk country. For France and for most—if not all—countries in the EU, the low-risk form is the one you’ll need.

• CDC Dog Import Information to the USA
• CDC Dog Import Form if you are coming from Low-Risk countries, such as France. It takes only 1-2 minutes and you show it to the airline clerk when you check in for your flight.

Essential Tips for Pet-Friendly EU Travel

Research pet-friendly accommodations

I use Airbnb and Booking.com to make all of my lodging bookings. I turn on the traveling with a pet filter, and I’ve found some pretty good spots that way. I’ve noticed that hotels will charge you anywhere between 6€-15€ per night if a pet is staying with you. You’ll pay this fee when you check-in at the hotel.

Familiarize yourself with airline pet travel policies

Generally, the weight limit for pets in-cabin is 8kg (or about 16-17 pounds) including the carrier. It depends on the carrier and the person at the airline check in how picky they are if you are on the line of this limit, though.

My favorite travel essentials for my pup, Momo

Traveling is hard enough on us, so I can’t even imagine how confusing and maybe even scary it is for our fur babies. I always pack these travel essentials when Momo and I are traveling to make sure she (and by extension, I) is comfortable during the journey.

Soft-sided Travel Pet Carrier

An neighbor actually recommended this carrier to me because she uses it to travel with her dog from NYC to San Francisco. And I, myself, have been using this carrier for Momo for the past 2-3 years! I cannot recommend it enough.

What I really love about it is that it’s soft-sided and you can expand the sides so your pup has more room to relax while in the carrier. While it does take up more of our legroom, I personally don’t mind because I know she’s more comfortable. (I’ll admit that I’m also on the petite side, so I can manage a bit better with less space.)

Collapsable dog bowl for water (though, sometimes I ask the steward/ess for ice)

Little treats like Bocce’s training treats—we’re big fans of Bocce!

Cookie treats for something more substantial and enjoyable. We love Bocce’s Soft & Chewy. The different flavors are always so fun. They’re wheat-free and baked with real ingredients.

Stasher products are great for packing the little treats and kibble. They’re made of silicone, so they’re washable and reusable!

Pee pads (to line the carrier for any accidents. None yet, but better safe than sorry.)

I also pack a little bit of kibble for Momo. She’s not much of a snacker and she’s fairly picky about when she eats. So it’s a bit unnecessary in my case, but I like to have it just in case she changes her mind (one of these days).

Conclusion

Whew, so that was a lot of information. I’m not gonna lie to you and say that it will be a breeze getting the pet passport (or the International Health Certificate), because it really is easier said than done. But I will tell you that it is possible and well-worth the time and effort if you plan on traveling with your furry best friend! I don’t regret bringing Momo with me one bit. She has been the best companion and I can’t imagine this new chapter in France without her by my side.

If you still feel like you are at a loss of how to get this ball rolling, I highly recommend to just make a phone call to your vet’s office and inquire about traveling abroad with your pet. That’s what I did, and it really got each step moving along.

I know it’s a lot of things to think about and do. So, I hope this post has helped you get started on your next steps for bringing your lovable pet along on your next trip to France or elsewhere in the EU!

This post was all about obtaining a pet passport for traveling in the EU with your pet.