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Animals Arriving from an EU Country (with a European Pet Passport)

If an animal moves to Bulgaria from an EU country and it has an up-to-date European Pet Passport (EU Pet Passport) the entry process is very straightforward.

The European Pet Passport is a passport-sized and blue, standard across Europe, which contains all the required information about an animal (breed, description, identification details and health record with all vaccinations). You will need one per animal. Anyone living in an EU country is able to cross borders in Europe with their pets so long as the EU Pet Passport and rabies vaccines are up-to-date. Pet passports can be issued by any qualified veterinarian.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CONCERNING PET PASSPORTS

1. I am living in the EU. Where can I get the pet passport?

You must contact a veterinarian in your home country. The national authorities in every EU country are responsible for issuing the passport to the vets. Please note that the European Commission does not issue the pet passport.

2. Which animals are covered?

The new EU-system is for cats, dogs and ferrets. For other pets, there is not yet harmonised legislation at the EU level, so national legislation applies.

3. How does the pet passport work?

For movements of pets between EU Member States other than Ireland, Sweden, Malta and the United Kingdom, valid rabies vaccination is the only requirement for travel across borders. You should simply go to your vet, who will vaccinate your pet and enter the appropriate information in the pet passport.

An electronic microchip (transponder) will allow for easy identification of the animals, to connect the pet to the passport. Until 3 July 2011, a tattoo will be allowed as a way to identify the animal, except for the UK, Ireland and Malta which already now require the transponder. Young pets which cannot be vaccinated yet may be allowed to travel without vaccination on the [url=http:
//ec.
europa.
eu/food/animal/liveanimals/pets/nat_rules_dogscatferret_en.
htm:3dlxc25j]conditions defined by each Member State[/url:3dlxc25j]
For the entry of animals into Ireland, Sweden, Malta or the United Kingdom, antibody titration (a test to see if the vaccine has been effective) needs to be carried out after the vaccination.

The EU pet passport has been designed to last for the lifetime of the animal bearing it. When travelling, the pet owner must ensure that the rabies vaccination in the passport is valid or renew the pet's vaccination. Some Member States might also choose to include additional information in the passport about other vaccinations and the animal's medical history to make veterinary checks easier, but this additional information is not required by EU law.

The EU pet passport makes veterinary checks easier and make life easier for travelling pet owners, since there is one single system that applies for all EU countries (with some temporary exceptions for the UK, Ireland, Malta and Sweden).

4. I am travelling to an EU Member State from a non-EU country. Can I use the pet passport?

No, in principle the pet passport is only used for pets travelling between Member States of the European Union. However, you can also use the pet passport if you are travelling to or from one of the neighbouring countries where the rabies status matches that of the EU. This includes: Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City State.

For pets entering the EU from another country, there are two different possibilities :

* either you come from a country with a favourable situation regarding rabies and animal health * (for more information on this list of countries, see here);

*

* or you come from a country that does not appear on the footnote list above, which means that rabies may be endemic among domestic pets in your country. In this case, your pet must be vaccinated and tested three months before entering all EU countries except for Ireland, Sweden, Malta and the UK, where quarantine will be required.
*

* In both cases, you can use the health certificate found under "
Document"
on the following web page. Your veterinarian must complete the health certificate either in English or in the language of the country you are travelling to. If your veterinarian does not have the health certificate, you can download it from the above website as a Word document in the language of the EU country that you are travelling to.
*

* Finally, an animal from a Member State that temporarily stayed in a third country will of course be able to come back on the territory of the European Union if it is accompanied by its passport, notwithstanding the fact that the animal must be in conformity with the rules that apply to entries from the country where it stayed.

5. I live in one of the non-continental EU territories, for example Martinique or the Canary Islands. Can I use the pet passport?

Yes, you can use the pet passport if you are travelling to or from the following territories:

* Greenland and the Faroe Islands (Danish pet passport);

* French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion (French pet passport);

* Canary Islands (Spanish pet passport);

* Azores and Madeira (Portuguese pet passport);

* Gibraltar (specific Gibraltar pet passport, not UK pet passport).

6. I am a non-EU citizen but I will live in the EU with my pet for several years. Can I get a pet passport to use within the EU during this time?

Yes. You should contact a veterinarian in any of the EU Member States to get the necessary vaccination and obtain a passport for your pet.



National Veterinary Medical Service

At: 15 A Pencho Slaveikov Boul, Sofia
Tel: +359 2 915 9820
Fax: +359 2 954 9593

General information for the users of administrative services

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD THE NATIONAL VETERINARY SERVICE


GENERAL INFORMATION

1. NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ADMINISTRATION:

National Veterinary Service, 15А Pencho Slaveikov Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria


2. CONTACT DETAILS:

- telephone: (359 2) 915 98 20 ;


- fax: (359 2) 954 95 93;


- e-mail: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].bg

- e-mail: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]


3. BULSTAT No:

BG121240206


4. WORKING HOURS:

- of the administration 9,00. - 17,30.;


- lunch break 12,30 -13,00

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]


Pets Travel Scheme

What is it?

The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) is the system that allows pet dogs, cats and ferrets from certain countries to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet the rules. It also means that people in the UK can take their dogs, cats and ferrets to other European Union (EU) countries, and return with them to the UK. They can also, having taken their dogs, cats and ferrets to certain non-EU countries, bring them back to the UK without the need for quarantine. The rules are to keep the UK free from rabies and certain other diseases.


What countries can they travel to?

UK-resident dogs, cats and ferrets can travel to any of the EU countries and territories shown below and return to the UK under the Scheme.


EU Countries

Austria, Azores, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Ceuta, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.


Non EU Contries

Andorra , Fiji, New Caledonia, Antigua &
Barbuda, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Argentina, Grenadines, Norway, Aruba, Guam, Russian Federation, Ascension Island, Hawaii, St Helena, Australia, Hong Kong, St Kitts &
Nevis, Bahrain, Iceland, St Pierre &
Miquelon, Barbados, Jamaica, St Vincent, Belarus, Japan, San Marino, Bermuda, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Malaysia, Switzerland, British Virgin Islands, Mauritius, Taiwan, Canada, Mayotte, Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman Islands, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Chile, Monaco, USA (mainland), Croatia, Montserrat, Vanuatu, Falkland Islands, Netherlands, Antilles, Vatican, Wallis &
Futuna.


Taking your animal abroad

The procedures:

Have your pet microchipped

Before any of the other procedures for PETS are carried out, your pet must be fitted with a microchip so that it can be properly identified.



Have your pet vaccinated

After the microchip has been fitted your pet must be vaccinated against rabies. There is no exemption to this requirement, even if your pet has a current rabies vaccination.



Arrange a blood test

After your pet has been vaccinated, it must be blood tested to make sure that the vaccine has given it a satisfactory level of protection against rabies. This must be done 1 month after vaccination. This blood test must have been performed 6 months prior to the animal travelling.



Get PETS documentation

For animals being prepared in an EU country, you should get an EU pet passport. If you are preparing your animal in a non-EU listed country you will need to obtain an official third country veterinary certificate although note that Gibraltar, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland are also issuing passports.



Before your pet enters the UK, it must be treated against ticks and a tapeworm

Your pet must be treated against ticks and tapeworms not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before it is checked in with an approved transport company for its journey into the UK. Must be treated with Fipronil and Praziquantel.



Arrange for your animal to travel with an approved transport company on an authorised route

Your pet must enter the UK from a listed country travelling with an approved transport company on an authorised route.


Why pets have to be treated

The tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis can cause a serious or fatal liver disease in humans. The tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus can carry diseases that are harmful to humans. Neither of these parasites is thought to be currently present in the UK. The treatment needs to be given not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before the pet is checked in to travel to the UK to ensure that the tapeworm eggs are not shed in the UK.
Human diseases caused by the ticks and tapeworm in humans, the fox tapeworm, Echinococcus multilocularis, can cause a serious and often fatal disease called alveolar echinococcosis. This produces effects similar to liver cancer. Symptoms include abdominal pain, jaundice, fever and anaemia and tapeworm cysts may develop in the liver. Treatment may involve surgery or lifelong chemotherapy. Without treatment the disease is usually fatal. This tapeworm is not found in the UK, but is present in France, Germany, and other parts of continental Europe.
The tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus can carry a range of diseases including Boutonneuse Fever (also known as Mediterranean Spotted Fever). Although this disease can usually be treated with antibiotics, up to 2.5% of cases are fatal. Dogs are the main host for the tick that carries and transmits this disease. The fever and the tick are absent from the UK but are widespread throughout the Mediterranean including Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece.

we got passports for our dogs to come to bulgaria and the 3 months blood test to ensure the rabies injection was effective. reading the above, if i have read it right, would pose a problem if i wanted to return to the uk, although they are members of the eu, they have different rules of entry to the country, even with a valid pet passport. they still have to go into quaranteen, strange the rules are different. anyone gone back to the uk and did you have any problems with your pets

Looking at the above I think you may have mis understood it? Under the Pet Travel Scheme dogs, cats and ferrets can enter any European Union country without the need for quarantine. The scheme has been designed to allow pets to travel whilst stopping the spread of rabies and other diseases. Many non-EU destinations also belong to the PETS scheme, which is good news if you are driving to Bulgaria and intend to enter non-EU countries like Croatia.

We arrived a couple of weeks ago with our dogs, travelling by car from UK to the VT area.
Although we only had to show our passports at Romania and Bulgaria, our pet passports were never asked for,
despite the dogs sticking their noses out of the window!
The vaccinations have to be up to date, including rabies, to get back into the UK without quarantine.
Also, the pet has to be flea and tick protected no less than 12 hours or more than 24 for entry into the UK.

Here is a question for anyone in the know. We have been asked to transport a horse from Bulgaria to the UK ( not your average pet ! ) but the lady says an export licence is required and she doesn't know how to obtain one. Can anybody help with information or suggestions ?

Thanks in anticipation

John
Bulldog Express

if you contact the bulgarian embassy they will send you a link for the relivant department to get the license from. We did last year and they were really helpful. unfortunately my computer has crashed since then so i havent got the information any more. good luck

You should find the following internet link helpful:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... /DG_178459

Defra is the UK government department that deals with the movement of animals and their information is very helpful.

Good luck.

Some new rules

The UK will harmonise its pet movement rules with the rest of the European Union from 1 January 2012, bringing the UK’s Pet Travel Scheme into line with the most recent science. The UK will maintain its high level of protection against animal diseases after the changes, which have the potential to save pet owners around £7 million in fees.

Read more here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... passports/

cowshed-sarah wrote:

Some new rules

The UK will harmonise its pet movement rules with the rest of the European Union from 1 January 2012, bringing the UK’s Pet Travel Scheme into line with the most recent science. The UK will maintain its high level of protection against animal diseases after the changes, which have the potential to save pet owners around £7 million in fees.

Read more here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... passports/

cowshed-sarah Thanks for update should be very useful to our members