Belgium

Pet Entry Requirements for Belgium

Is Quarantine Required for Pets in Belgium?

What Additional Information Do I Need for Belgium?

• Banned Breeds:

  Belgium does not publish a list of banned breeds. Pet owners are responsible for their pet’s behavior.

• Pets in Belgium:

  According to theBelgian Association of Pet Food Manufacturers (BEPEFA), there is an average of 3 pets per Belgium household. Dogs have gained in popularity in recent years with 38% of households owning at least one dog. At least 31% of households in Belgium own at least one cat. Many public places, including cafes and some public transport, are pet friendly. Belgian Rail allows small pets in a basket, cage, or box to travel for free. Belgium has a strong network of veterinary services offering a high quality of pet care. Dogs must be registered and microchipped. Vaccinations, especially against rabies, are required.

• Other information:

  Not specified

• What is a Pet Passport?:

  We refer to a pet passport as a collection of documents that conform to Belgium pet import requirements for dogs, cats, and ferrets entering this country from non-EU countries.This term is not to be confused with an official EU Pet Passport issued in the European Union for EU-resident pets. Your pet’s passport to enter Belgium will include proof of microchip, current rabies vaccination, rabies titer test (some countries), and one of the following: An official EU or NI Pet Passport (resident EU or Northern Ireland pets)An EU Health Certificate (non-EU-resident pets)A government-issued Pet Passport from a part 1 listed third country (see EU COUNTRY CLASSIFICATIONS)An Animal Health Certificate when entering Belgium from Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales). UK Pet Passports are no longer accepted as a substitute for an Animal Health Certificate.

• Entering Belgium with a Pet:

  Pets entering Belgium by air from non-EU countries must do so at Border Inspection Posts at Brussels, Liege, Brussels South Charleroi Airport and Oostende Airports. Pets entering Belgium under commercial regulations must enter Belgium at Brussels or Liege. Pets can arrive in the cabin, as checked baggage or as air cargo. In all cases, pets must travel in a crate or carrier in accordance with the International Air Transport Association. Related:Is your pet’s crate IATA-compliant? All live animals should enter Belgium directly or transit through an EU Member State, or part 1 or 2 listed third country if possible*. If your pet transits through an unlisted country, then a Transit Declaration will be required. This statement must attest that your pet has had no contact with rabies-carrying animals and remained secured within the airplane or airport. *Note: If your pet has a layover in an EU Member State in its itinerary, then additional requirements will apply. All commercial transports, whether by air or land must be preregistered in the TRACES database and the responsible transporter must be registered. All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the port of entry to Belgium. If your dog or cat is not in apparent good health, further examination by a licensed veterinarian may be required at importer expense.

• Find a Licensed Veterinarian:

  Before beginning any pet export procedure, make sure your veterinarian is approved by the governing veterinarian authority in your pet’s country of origin. Your veterinarian should work for or is licensed by the agency of the government that is responsible for the movement of live animals.

• Belgium Pet Import Requirements:

  All steps required to conform to regulations to import a dog, cat or ferret to Belgium must be completed in the origination country. Steps 1-8 should be followed in the order given.

• Exporting Resident Pets from Belgium:

  All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Belgium for another EU Member State or part 1 or 2 listed third country must be microchipped, vaccinated for rabies (in that order) and wait for 21 days before leaving Belgium after primary vaccination. If your pet will visit or enter an unlisted country, a veterinarian in Belgium should administer a rabies titer test before leaving Belgium if your pet will be returning. Even if your pet is not entering an unlisted country, traveling internationally with the results of this test may ensure a smoother customs clearance in your destination country. Non-accompanied transports may require export permits. All animals leaving Belgium for non-EU countries that do not have specific health certificates must obtain a health certificate in accordance to their destination country requirements prior to the issuance of an export permit. The agency responsible for the issuance of export permits will issue the necessary documentation.

• Quarantine for pets entering Belgium:

  There will be no quarantine imposed on your pet when entering Belgium if pet import regulations detailed here are met. If your pet does not conform to the regulations as stated below, it will be subject to quarantine if facilities are available, returned to the origination country, or euthanized. The importer will be responsible all costs involved.

• Importing Other Pet Animals to Belgium:

  Rodents, rabbits, reptiles entering Belgium from an EU Member State or part 1 or 2 listed third country must be examined by a licensed veterinarian within five days of transport and show no signs of disease or external parasites. They must be accompanied by their owner and less than five in number. Birds will be subject to 30 days of quarantine in both the origination and destination countries. They must be accompanied by their owner, identified by a non-removable, legible individual marking displaying an alpha-numeric code (clip, ring, microchip, transponder, ear tag). Birds must have, within the last six months and not later than 60 days prior to dispatch from the third country, been vaccinated, and at least on one occasion revaccinated, against avian influenza using an H5 vaccine approved for the species concerned in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.ORhave been in isolation for at least 10 days prior to export and have undergone a test to detect the avian influenza H5N1 antigen or genome as laid down in the Chapter on avian influenza of the Manual of Diagnostic tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals, as regularly updated by the World Organization of Animal Health, carried out on a sample taken not earlier than the third day of isolation. All birds entering Belgium must be accompanied with a health certificate indicating these conditions.

• Pet-Friendly Airlines Flying to Belgium:

  A large variety of commercial airlines that accept pets fly to Brussels include but are not limited to Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air Europa, Air Serbia, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Croatia Airlines, Cyprus Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Iberia, KLM, Lot Polish, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore, TUI Fly and Turkish Airlines. Flights to Belgium should be direct or transit through a listed third country (see step 1) or another EU Member State if possible*. If your pet transits through an unlisted country (see step 1), then a Transit Declaration will be required. The declaration must state that your pet has had no contact with rabies-carrying animals and remained secured within the airplane or airport. *Note: If your pet has a layover in an EU Member State in its itinerary, then additional requirements will apply.

• Importing Puppies and Kittens to Belgium:

  Unvaccinated puppies and kittens are not permitted to enter Belgium from any country. Microchips can be implanted at 8 weeks of age; however, rabies vaccinations cannot be administered prior to 12 weeks of age. Although your pet can be microchipped at eight weeks of age, rabies vaccinations must not be administered prior to 12 weeks of age. There is a 21 day wait for puppies and kittens over 12 weeks of age arriving from EU Member States or part 1 or 2 listed third countries. The minimum age for entering Belgium from an unlisted country is seven months of age. Related: More information ontransporting a puppy.

• Animals Eligible for These Pet Import Requirements:

  These rules apply to the transport of domestic dogs, cats and ferrets including assistance and service animals. Unless 5th generation removed from the pedigree, wolf hybrids, Savannah and Bengal cats cannot be imported under these regulations. Owners of other types of pets (amphibia, reptiles, birds, rabbits, rodents) covered by these regulations should refer to IMPORTING OTHER PET ANIMALS TO Belgium below.

• Importing Dogs and Cats to Belgium from Malaysia and Australia:

  If your pet is entering Belgium from peninsular Malaysia, the following additional conditions must be met: Your pet has had no contact with pigs during at least the past 60 days prior to export.Your pet has not lived in a place where cases of Nipah disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.Your pet has been tested with negative a result to an IgG capture ELISA test carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for Nipah disease viruses within 10 days of export. Cats may only enter Belgium from Australia under the condition that they have not lived in areas where cases of Hendra disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):

  Importers should verify that their pet is not protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This is important if your pet is not a dog or cat and very important if it is a turtle or parrot. You will need to apply for additional permits if this is the case. Over 180 countries participate in and enforce CITES regulations. Related:Search the CITES databaseorSearch the Species+ database Related:Read more about CITES

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