Article originally published by our friends of Mundo Latino
These days when people are traveling more than ever before, we understand that you do not want to miss a single experience without your best friend, for this reason, we want to help you prepare your arrival, stress-free to the most important places in Europe and Bulgaria.
Currently, there is a great development of pet-friendly tourism, with more and more people traveling with their pets.
We know the importance that your pet has in your life and although this article may seem a bit long we recommend you to read it calmly and completely, take into account this is only the basic information of the first steps you should take, but there are individualities of agreement to your country of origin and arrival that you will have to investigate with your authorities, your veterinary, and airline.
We will now describe the general procedures that member countries of the European Community request from people traveling from other places with animals. In the following sections, we will talk about the specifics of some of the most important countries of the Union.
1. Visit the Veterinarian in your country.
A veterinarian in the country of origin must attest to the health status of the animal prior to the trip. For this, it will be necessary to fill out a form.
The rabies vaccine must be administered by a veterinarian at least 21 days before travel, make sure you get a certificate with the validity of this procedure.
Since no puppy dog can receive vaccines before 12 weeks, no animal under 15 weeks will be admitted to the European Union including Bulgaria.
If you live in one of the countries considered to have a high incidence of rabies in the EU, you must give your pet a blood test one month after being vaccinated, and three months before departure.
A brief list of countries in America considered with a high incidence of rabies:
Anguilla, Antárctica, Bahamas, Belice, Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, República Dominicana, East Timor, Isla de Pascua, Ecuador, El Salvador, Islas Galápagos, Granada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haití, Honduras, Isla Margarita, Martinica, Nicaragua, Perú, Uruguay y Venezuela.
For a complete list of countries that do NOT require a blood test, you can check online
Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, require that your pet is treated against Cestoda (intestinal parasites such as Tenia) in a time not less than 24 hours and no longer than 120 hours before entering the country.
Finally, you should ask the Veterinarian (if you do not have one yet) that your pet receives either a visible identification tattoo or (preferably) a location chip that is in accordance with European rules and regulations.
Take your time to complete all the previous procedures before buying the ticket for your pet to Europe, the paperwork is extensive and leaving something unfinished can result in the animal being quarantined upon arrival or not even allowed to board it.
2. If you travel by plane make sure you know the requirements of the airline you are traveling with.
Each aviation company has different policies and prices. For this reason, when choosing who you are going to make your trip with, make sure to contact them and clarify all your doubts.
It is recommended that when you make your reservation, you let them know that you are going to travel accompanied by your pet. For most flights, there is a limited number of animals allowed and you need to be sure that there is still room for your friend on the date of your trip.
There are two ways in which your pet can travel, but in both, it is important that you have an adequate and authorized carrier box for aircraft.
Pets traveling in the cabin of the plane.
Depending on the size of the aircraft and the duration of your flight it is possible to request that your pet travel with you. This only applies to dogs and small cats, make sure with the airline if your pet has the size and/or weight required. Generally, you must reconfirm with the airline with a minimum of 48 hours that your friend is indeed traveling with you, and the container where you travel must be waterproof, with sufficient ventilation and must fit in the space under your seat.
Pets traveling in the cargo area.
First of all, you must have an approved transport box to travel by plane. There are many travel boxes in very good quality stores that are not accepted by the airlines so you should make sure that you really buy what you need. To make sure of the specifications, you can visit the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
But it is also advisable to ask directly with your airline, as sizes may vary.
Consider the weather, some airlines do not accept pets in their cargo area if the outside temperature on land is very cold or very hot, especially if you are going to make a connection is the United States.
3. If you travel through several countries of the European Union, you must process a passport for your pet.
Once you arrive at your destination, it is important that you visit an authorized Veterinarian (not all Veterinarians can generate this type of document) for you to issue a Passport for Pets of the EU.
This document will serve you to travel between member countries with your furry friend without major problems that to show it in the different points of sanitary control.
The passport includes the basic information about your pet, as well as your health history, vaccination and deworming, it also includes your tattoo or chip number.
Some countries also request a written statement that says you have no intention of entering the animal to sell or give it to someone else.
It is possible to travel throughout Europe accompanied by your pet but doesn’t forget to always ask in advance if your train, truck or plane have any problems with this.
If after all the paperwork, expenses and time you have not given up. Congratulations! We know that your friend deserves it, but if you still don’t know which visa do you need check here
We wish you an incredible trip full of adventures and do not forget to share your experiences with us.
