Poland
Pet Travel Policy Information
Pet Travel Requirements for Poland
Pet Entry Requirements for Poland
EU Country Classifications
The European Union (EU) does not recognize any countries as rabies-free. Dogs, cats, and ferrets from all countries are subject to current rabies vaccination according to their regulations. The EU classifies countries as either: EU Member States and territoriespart 1 listed third countriespart 2 listed third countriesunlisted countries The requirements to import a dog, cat, or ferret to Poland will depend on the classification of your country of origin and whether your pet has entered an unlisted country within the past 4 months. Click on the links above to find your origination country’s classification. Pet owners should identify the classification of their country of origin before reviewing import regulations for Poland.
Type of Transport
The European Union classifies the movement of pets as non-commercial or commercial. These pet import requirements apply to both non-commercial and commercial transports. Review the conditions below to determine whether your pet’s transport will be classified as non-commercial or commercial as the requirements for each type of transport are different.
Pet Microchip
The third step to importing a dog, cat, or ferret to Poland is to have your pet identified with a non-encrypted, 15-digit, ISO 11784/11785 compliant. If your pet’s microchip is not ISO compliant, you can either bring your own. Your veterinarian, a veterinary hospital or trained nurse should implant the microchip. You should receive documentation as to the manufacturer of the microchip and instructions on how to register your pet’s information in the manufacturer or government database in your country. A tattoo is an acceptable form of identification under the following conditions: It was applied prior to July 3, 2011, andThe tattoo is clearly visible, andYour pet was vaccinated for rabies after the tattoo was applied, andAll rabies vaccinations after the tattoo was applied were kept current. (No rabies vaccinations were allowed to expire before boosters were administered).
Vaccinations
All dogs, cats, and ferrets over 12 weeks of age entering Poland must have proof of a current rabies vaccination administered at the same time or after a microchip was implanted. If entering Poland from another EU Member State, part 1 or part 2 listed third country, your pet must wait for at least 21 days after primary rabies vaccination to travel. If entering Poland from an unlisted third country, pets must wait for 30 days to have a licensed veterinarian administer a rabies titer test (next step). In either case, do not count the day of the veterinary visit in the wait time.
Rabies Titer (Serology) Test
A rabies titer test, also known as a serology test, must be administered to pets entering Poland from unlisted countries only. The test should be administered no sooner than 30 days after the rabies vaccination is administered. Do not count the day of the veterinary visit. This test measures the rabies antibodies in your pet’s blood. There are several kinds of rabies titer tests, although the Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization (FAVN) is preferred. Samples must be processed at approved laboratories. Assuming test results within acceptable limits, your pet can enter Poland until three calendar months after the date the blood was drawn for the test and avoid denial of entry or quarantine. It is worth noting that some EU Member States require that serology levels be confirmed prior to leaving their country. The test is valid to enter any EU Member State for the life of your pet if boosters are administered prior to the expiration of the previous rabies vaccination.
Import Permit
Pet owners do not need an import permit when entering Poland with a dog, cat, or ferret. Unaccompanied pets may need an import permit.
Parasite Treatments
Pet owners should always protect their pets from internal and external parasites to keep them healthy when traveling internationally; however, proof of these treatments is not required for pets imported to Poland.
Health Certificate
Every country worldwide requires current and original health certificates in their pet import regulations, and Poland is no exception. The type of health certificate required will depend on the type of transport the pet is traveling under: non-commercial or commercial.
Complete all 8 steps to enter Poland with your pet
Requirements may change. Always verify with official sources before travel.
Is Quarantine Required for Pets in Poland?
There will be no quarantine imposed on your pet when entering Poland 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.
What Additional Information Do I Need for Poland?
- Pets in Poland:
Pets are a beloved part of life in Poland, with many households welcoming dogs, cats, and even smaller animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. Parks and green spaces are abundant, making it easy for pet owners to take their dogs for walks or runs. Many cities have dog parks for off-leash play. Increasingly, pet-friendly cafés and restaurants are opening, welcoming dogs on terraces or in designated areas. Several dog parks such as the Krasinski Garden Dog Park in Warsaw offer amenities for small as well as large dogs. Some beaches in Gdansk allow dogs. Poland has a well-developed veterinary care system, with many clinics offering a range of services. Microchipping for dogs is the law in Poland.
- Other information:
Not specified
- Flying a Pet to Poland:
Commercial airlines which serve pets flying to Warsaw Chopin Airport are Aegean Airlines, Air China, Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Finnair, flydubai, KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa. Norwegian, Pegasus, Qatar Airways, Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines and Wizz Air. Flights to Poland should be direct or transit through a listed third country (step 1) or another EU Member State if possible*. If your pet transits through an unlisted third country, 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.
- What is a Pet Passport?:
We refer to a pet passport as a collection of documents that conform to Poland 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 Poland 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 Poland from Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales). UK Pet Passports are no longer accepted as a substitute for an Animal Health Certificate.
- Entering Poland with a Pet:
Accompanied pets entering by air from non-EU countries must do so at the Border Inspection Post at an international airport in Warsaw, Bydgoszcz, Gdansk, Katowice, Krakow, Lodz, Poznan, Rzeczow, Szczecin or Wroclaw. Dogs, cats, and ferrets can fly to Poland in the cabin, as checked baggage or air cargo, according toairline pet policies. 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? Additionally, there are many land Border Inspection Posts with Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. If traveling under non-commercial regulations, your pet’s passport, including all required documents, will be checked and entered into TRACES. All commercial transports, whether by air or land, must be preregistered in TRACES, and the responsible transporter must be registered. Flights to Poland should be direct or transit through an EU Member State, part 1 or 2 listed third country if possible*. If your pet transits through an unlisted third country, 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. All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the port of entry to Poland. 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.
- Poland Pet Import Requirements:
All steps required to conform to regulations to import a dog, cat or ferret to Poland must be completed in the origination country. Steps 1-8 should be followed in the order given.
- Breeds Banned from Import to Poland:
Poland does not permit the import of the following dog breeds: American Pit Bull Terrier, Ca de Bou (Perro de presa Mallorquin), American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino (Argentine Mastiff), Perro de Presa Canario, Dogo Canario, Tosa Inu, Rottweiler, Akbash Dog, the Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Moscow Guard Dog and the Caucasian Shepherd Dog.
- Exporting Resident Pets from Poland:
All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Poland for another EU Member State or part 1 or 2 listed third country should: Be microchippedBe vaccinated for rabies (in that order) not sooner than 12 weeks of age andWait for at least 21 days after primary vaccination before leaving Poland (wait time will depend on destination country requirements).Have a licensed veterinarian issue an EU Pet Passport (EU destinations) or Export Health Certificate in accordance with destination country requirements.Provide other required documentation (depending on destination country requirements). Exception: Exports to EU Member States that permit the entry of unvaccinated puppies and kittens. Note that many part 1 listed countries will have additional requirements in addition to a resident EU Pet Passport when returning to the country. Pet owners should consider having serology levels confirmed prior to leaving Poland. Even if your pet is not entering an unlisted third country, traveling internationally with the results of this test will ensure a smoother customs clearance in your destination country. All animals leaving Poland 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. This permit will be issued by agencies in the origin country responsible for the issuance of export permits.
- Quarantine for Pets Entering Poland:
There will be no quarantine imposed on your pet when entering Poland 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 Poland:
Not specified
- Importing Puppies, Kittens and Kits to Poland:
Unvaccinated puppies, kittens, and kits are not permitted to enter Poland from any country or EU Member State. Rabies vaccinations will not be recognized until 12 weeks of age and there is a 21-day wait for puppies and kittens arriving from EU Member States and part 1 or 2 listed third countries. Puppies and kittens entering from unlisted countries cannot do so until they are at least seven months of age to meet requirements. 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 POLAND below.
- Importing Dogs and Cats to Poland from Malaysia and Australia:
If your dog, cat, or ferret is entering Poland 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 a negative result to an IgG capture ELISA test carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for Nipah disease viruses within ten days of export. Cats may only enter Poland 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. Contact the Environmental Protection Agency of the Republic of Poland if you suspect that your pet is covered by CITES regulations. Over 180 countries participate in and enforce CITES regulations. Related:Search the CITES databaseorSearch the Species+ Database Related:Learn more about CITES
Related Resources
Traveler Tips & Experiences

Emily Parker
February 12, 2025
I visited Poland last year with my French Bulldog and found the process straightforward and well-documented.

Michael Chen
January 3, 2025
Air travel to Poland was a breeze and my cat had no issues. Highly recommend booking early!