Microchip Questions for EU Pet Travel

Name: Kerstin
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Toy Poodle
From: Alabama
To: Netherlands

Dear PetRelocation,

I am traveling in August, first to the Netherlands and then to Germany. I had my 5 1/2 month old dog microchipped last week and he had a rabies vaccination in May. There seems to be confusion online and I am not sure now if everything is in order -- does he need to be re-vaccinated for rabies or is the vaccination in May enough?

Some comments lead me to believe that he needs a new vaccination now and that I have to wait 21 days after that before we can travel. I have read the German authorities website and it is nowhere stated that the rabies vaccination is only accepted if it happened after microchipping the dog. Can you please clarify that for me?

Thanks,

Kerstin

Hi Kerstin,

Sure, we'd be happy to provide some information. The USDA website states that pets going to the Netherlands must be microchipped first, then given a rabies vaccine, and then a waiting period of at least 21 days must elapse. (The same is true for Germany.)

In terms of general pet travel advice, we recommend choosing a pet-friendly airline and making sure your dog is comfortable spending time in his travel crate in the weeks before departure. Hydration is also very important.

Please feel free to peruse our blog for more information regarding international pet travel, and let us know if you're interested in finding out about our door-to-door services.

Good luck with everything, and thanks for your question!