All travelling dogs, cats, and ferrets must have a microchip in accordance with the ISO standard (ISO11784 or ISO11785 Annex A) before they can get a rabies vaccination. The microchip contains a unique number that can be used to reliably identify the pet. If the microchip does not comply with the required standard, the animal importer must carry a device that can read the microchip. The person importing the pet is responsible for the readability of the microchip. The microchip number and the date when the identification mark was done must be indicated in the animal’s travel document (EU pet passport or health certificate).
Exemption from the microchip requirement
A clearly legible tattoo is accepted as an identification mark if the tattoo was done before 3 July 2011. An animal with an identification tattoo must have written proof that the tattoo was done before 3 July 2011.