Traveling with pets to Portugal
Portugal is a great country to live with pets. Citys, towns and villages you will see pets like dogs and cats alle over the place. If you are moving here with a pet or you plan to get a pet once you get settled in, there are a lot of thinks to be aver of.
The rules for having pets in Portugal can be quite different from what you are used to at home and the laws often change, so it is important to stay on top of them to avoid problems.
Dog breeds that are banned in Portugal
The following breeds of dogs is banners in Portugal: Pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Dogo argentino, Staffordshire bull terrier, Rottweiler, and Tosa inu.
Moving or traveling to Portugal with your pet
Lets first have a look at what you will need if you are bringing your pet with you to Portugal.
First of all you need to know that you can travel to Portugal with dogs, cats and ferrets without quarantine, if you have an up to date pet passport.
You will need a pet passport, issued by your that among other things so all your pets vaccinations. If you are traveling from a EU member country the prosess is very simple and you can get your pets passport for around €100. Prices may very from country to country.
If you and you pet are traveling to Portugal from outside of the EU, including the UK; you will need to get an animal health certificate which is valid for 4 months.
Your pet needs to be vaccinated against rabies, either with the one, two, or three-year vaccine. Rabies vaccines must be administered at the same time or after your pet is microchipped. This is another requirement for most pets traveling to and spending time in Portugal.
The microchip for your pet must be iso-compliant! You will also have to ensure your pet gets its rabis vaccine no later then 21 days berfore going to Portugal.
There are no other mandatory vaccinations for your pet to enter Portugal, but we recommend you talking to your vet as there are several vaccinations to consider. Especially it you pets is older, and if you are planning to spend time in the countryside.
If you and your pet is flying in to Portugal you must also remember to fill in a health certificate prior to the flight and within 10 days of arrival, signed by a veterinarian.
If your pet is less then 15 weeks old, it will not be able to travel to Portugal. Also you should know that there are several breads of dogs not Allwood in Portugal.
Check list when traveling with pets to Portugal:
- Your pet must be older than 15 weeks
- Your pet will need a Pet passport if they are from a EU country
- Your pet must have their rabis vaccine
- Your pet must be microchipped
- You must fill in health certificate 10 days prior to flying to Portugal
How much does it cost to bring a dog to Portugal?
The cost of taking a your pet to Portugal by flight will depend on the airline you are using so the prices will vary a lot. If you are flying with TAP, the Portuguese airline, it can cost anywhere between €70 and €200 for a pet ticket depending on where you're flying from.
For most intercontinental flights with TAP Airline it will cost you around €150 to bring your pet to Portugal.
What kind of pets can I bring to Portugal?
It is only dogs, cats, and ferrets that can fly to Portugal using commercial flights. The same pets can also be brought in via ferry and car, if they have all their paperwork in other.
If you on the other hand witch to bring another animal such as a bird to Portugal, the rules are much different and will almost surely involve quarantining the animal.
Traveling to Portugal with a pet bird you will need:
- Health certificate signed by a licensed vet
- The bird must be in isolation in the country of origan for 30 days before traveling, or the bird must quarantine in Portugal for 30 days after entering the country
- Within the last 6 months and not before 60 days of traveling your pet bird must have been vaccinated against avian influenza using a h5 vaccine or the bird must isolate for 10 days before the trip and take a test for the avian influenza h5n1