Come to Belgium with a dog, a cat or a ferret

To come to Belgium from another Member State of the European Union.

• Identification and registration
  Your pet must have been identified by means of a microchip. A tattoo is accepted only if it has been placed before July 3, 2011 and be clearly legible.
  The microchip must comply with ISO 11784, apply HDX or FDX-B technology and must be readable by an ISO 11785 compliant reader.
  In addition, your pet must have a European passport. As of 29 December 2014, only the new passport model can be used. Old passports issued before this date remain valid.

• Vaccination against rabies
  Rabies vaccination is mandatory. This can only be done from the age of 12 weeks but your pet must already be identified. The veterinarian can, if necessary, still carry out the identification just before vaccination and issue a European passport.
  The first vaccination or initial vaccination must be carried out at least 21 days before departure, since the period of validity begins to run only at this time. The day of the vaccination does not count.
  The period of validity of the vaccine is calculated according to the manufacturer's instructions and is recorded in the passport of the animal. If the animal is vaccinated again during the validity period, then the vaccination is valid immediately. Vaccination outside the period of validity is considered a first vaccination.

Coming to Belgium from a third country.

Pets coming to Belgium from a country outside the European Union must meet several conditions.

• Identification
  Your pet must have been identified with a microchip. The tattoo is still allowed provided that it was placed before July 3, 2011 and that it is clearly legible.
  The microchip must comply with ISO 11784, apply HDX or FDX-B technology and must be readable by a reading device compatible with ISO 11785.

• Blood test of antibodies against rabies
  Serological examination of antibodies against rabies is not required if the country of provenance is included in  Annex II of European Regulation (EC) No 577/2013.
  For all other countries, the blood test should be performed at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 3 months before travel. This test must be carried out by a laboratory approved by the European Union. Caution: always check that the approval of the laboratory concerned is still valid.
  The result of the serological examination must be greater than 0.5 IU / ml and remain valid for the life of the animal provided that the validity of the vaccination is not interrupted (vaccination recall carried out within the period of validity of the vaccination former).
  If you go to Belgium from a country that is not listed in Appendix II (so in all cases where serological testing is a condition of importation), you must immediately upon arrival, contact the competent authority which is in this case the customs. They will check by means of the identification document if all the conditions are fulfilled and can also control the animal itself.

• Certificate
  A health certificate must be issued by an official veterinarian of the country of origin maximum 10 days before departure. The model certificate is set out in Annex IV of Regulation 577/2013. The certificate remains valid for 4 months once the animal is introduced into the European Union. If a blood test is required, you must be able to submit the test report with the result.