How to bring your pet to Poland

Poland is quite welcoming towards pets. So if you are planning to move here, you should not have much trouble in taking your furry friend with you, provided you comply with the existing regulations. These may seem particular but are, in fact, rather simple if you tackle them with advance planning. Make sure to enquire with the relevant authorities beforehand, including the Polish embassy or consulate in your home country as well as your local vet.

Procedures

Cats and dogs cat travel to Poland provided they meet several conditions. Note that preparing your pet for travel may take some time ' so it's a good idea to give yourself at least a month to get ready prior to your travel date.

• Your pet must have a microchip compliant with ISO 11784/11785 norms. In case the microchip does not comply with these norms, it must be accompanied by its own chip scanner
• If you are coming from a non-EU country, you must carry your pet's health certificate issued by an authorised veterinarian within 10 days of travel. No health certificate is required if you are travelling from within the European Union
• Pets also have to be vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days prior to their arrival date in Poland. If you are coming from a country that is considered rabies-free or rabies-controlled, you will just need proof that your pet has received its rabies vaccination after the microchip had been implanted. Note, however, that if this is your pet's first rabies vaccination, you will need to wait for a total of 3 weeks (21 days) before travelling

Note that different entry conditions apply to puppies and kittens. Regardless of their country of origin, they have to be vaccinated against rabies once they are 12 weeks old. They will then be allowed to travel to Poland within 21 days following the vaccination date. As regards puppies and kittens coming from high rabies prevalence countries, they have to be at least 7 months old to be allowed into the country.

Banned breeds

The following breeds are blacklisted and are not allowed to enter Poland: Akbash shepherd Caucasian, Anatolian shepherd, Bulldog, Ca de Bou, Moscow guard dog, Dogo Argentino, Mastiff Canary, Pitbull, Rottweiler, Tosa.

Pet conditions

Once you have safely arrived in Poland with your pet, you will be happy to see that the country is very pet-friendly and you will find all the necessary facilities from dog walking parks to pet shops and vet clinics in major cities as well as smaller towns.

Note that pet etiquette applies in Poland just like in most other European countries. Make sure to pick up after your pet when walking in the city or park and try to limit your pet's barking or any other loud noises after 10pm.

Useful links:

Pet Travel
European Commission ' Pet entry conditions
Travelling with pets, LOT Airlines