Requirements for non-commercial imports of dogs, cats, and ferrets
The following requirements concern the non-commercial import of cats, dogs, and ferrets exclusively from the United States and Canada into Spain pursuant to Regulation (CE) 998/2003 and Commission Decision 2004/824/EC
It will be considered a non-commercial import the entry into Spain of up to five animals without commercial purposes (not being part of an international sale or with the intention to sell).
For the entry of more than five animals, or any number of animals with commercial purposes, please check the rules for commercial imports.
The entry of dogs, cats, or ferrets under three months of age is not allowed.
Rabies vaccine: For first vaccinations, the vaccine must be administered more than 21 days before entry into Spain; for booster vaccinations, no waiting period is required, provided the booster vaccine was administered before the expiration date of the prior vaccine. For more information. See our Frequently Asked Questions page.
The ownership in Spain of certain dogs is subject to strict requirements regarding registration and safety. Please read our page on Potentially Dangerous Dogs to see if your dog is included in this category.
Identification
All animals will be identified with either a tattoo or a microchip compatible with standards ISO-11784 or Annex A to ISO-11785 (more information in our Frequently Asked Questions page). If the animals are identified with a non-compatible microchip, the importer must supply the appropriate reading equipment.
Certificate
The animals will also be accompanied by a veterinary certificate, issued by an Official Veterinarian, which will include the following:
- Identification of the owner or person responsible for the animal(s)
- Description and origin of the animal(s)
- Microchip or tattoo number, location and date of insertion.
- Information on the rabies vaccine (the vaccine type must be inactive, and in compliance with the standards of the OIE).
The veterinary certificate will be valid for 4 months or until the vaccine’s expiration date, whichever is first. Animals without the certificate will be denied entry into Spain. For animals from the United States and Canada traveling to Spain, parts V, VI, and VII of the certificate do not need to be filled. However, if the animals are traveling to Finland, Ireland, Sweden, or the United Kingdom, the veterinarian must also fill parts V, VI or VII of the certificate, as appropriate. Please contact the Embassy of the country you'll be travelling to.
This certificate must be accompanied by supporting documentation, or a certified copy thereof, including the identification details of the animal concerned, vaccination details and if required, the result of the serological test.
You can view, fill, and print the certificate here.
(In order to print the certificate, you will need to install Acrobat Reader, available for free at Adobe's web site).
Important: Who can sign the certificate?
United States: the veterinary certificate may be filled out by any veterinarian accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA/APHIS, under the National Veterinary Accreditation Program, NVAP. However, once filled, the certificate must be endorsed by an Official Veterinary employed by the Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (VS/APHIS) of the Department of Agriculture. First, ask your veterinarian whether he/she is accredited under NVAP. If that is not the case, please contact the Area Office of VS/APHIS to request a list of accredited veterinarians near your place of residence. Once the accredited veterinarian has filled and signed the certificate, it will need the endorsement (signature) of a VS/APHIS Official Veterinarian. The accredited veterinarian or VS/APHIS Area Office can inform you of the procedure.
Canada : The certificate must be signed by a licensed veterinarian and endorsed by an Official Veterinarian from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). For more information on how to find an official veterinarian, read this page.
The cage or carrier in which the animal is travelling must be labelled with the name, address in Spain, and phone number of the owner or the owner’s representative.
Once in Spain, pet animals need a passport, according to the European Union model, in order to travel to other countries the EU. Ask your veterinarian in Spain about the passport.
Please see also our frequently asked questions section.