Guides / International pet travel
Travelling to the Netherlands with your pet in 2026: the EU rules, the 15-week line and the 14 entry points
What a dog or cat from Canada or the US needs to enter the Netherlands, why a pet under 15 weeks can't come in, which airports and ports pets can arrive through, and what to do on arrival.
International pet travel · Published · Last checked
WayFur answer
A dog or cat flying to the Netherlands from Canada or the United States needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks or older with 21 days passed since a first vaccination, and an EU animal health certificate issued no more than 10 days before arrival. That timing means a pet under 15 weeks old can't enter. It must arrive through one of the 14 airports and seaports the Dutch authority, NVWA, has designated for pets, and you declare it to Customs when you land.
What the EU asks of every dog and cat from Canada or the US
Say a couple in Toronto has just accepted jobs in Amsterdam, starting in the new year. They also have a new family member: a nine-week-old mixed-breed puppy they brought home in October. The move is happening either way. The question is when the puppy can come.
The Netherlands is in the EU, so the first layer is the bloc rule set in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, which our EU pet travel guide covers in full. NVWA's page for pets arriving from outside the EU sets out the practical version:
- Microchip first. The chip goes in before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination. A vaccination given before the chip was put in doesn't count.
- Rabies vaccination, given at 12 weeks or older, at least 21 days before entry into the EU. If an earlier vaccination is still valid when the booster is given, there's no new 21-day wait.
- An EU animal health certificate, issued by an official vet, or by an authorised vet and then endorsed on every page by the government of the country your pet is leaving. It's valid for 10 days from issue until the customs check on arrival, and when the Netherlands is where your pet enters the EU, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 requires it to be drawn up in at least one official language of the Netherlands and in English.
- An owner's declaration, which you fill in yourself before departure. NVWA says you can complete it in English only, even though the form says it must also be completed in Dutch.
Canada and the United States are listed in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so the puppy needs no rabies antibody test. That saves months: NVWA says a young pet from a high-risk country must be at least seven months old before it can travel to the Netherlands.
Where this comes from
The EU requirements come from our EU entry data for dogs and cats from listed countries and the EU certificate rules, taken from Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, Articles 14 to 19, and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, last verified 20 September 2026. The certificate language rule is from Annex III of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705. The practical steps and the seven-month figure come from NVWA's page on travelling from third countries to the Netherlands, checked 6 October 2026.
Can a puppy or kitten under 15 weeks travel to the Netherlands?
No. NVWA states it directly: dogs and cats under the age of 15 weeks from low-risk rabies countries can't enter the Netherlands, because the first rabies vaccination can only be given from 12 weeks of age. Add the 21-day wait after that vaccination and you reach 15 weeks, the earliest age a pet from Canada or the US can arrive.
The EU rules give no general shortcut. The exception for unvaccinated young animals applies only to travel between EU countries, not to a pet arriving from outside the EU.
Easy to miss
The EU regulation lets a country grant a special permit in exceptional situations. You apply before you travel, and the permit can require isolation of up to six months. Ask NVWA before counting on one, and don't plan a move around it.
For the Toronto couple, the arithmetic is simple, and every step depends on the one before it.
The Toronto puppy's earliest timeline (hypothetical example)
| Step | Puppy's age | When |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9 weeks | Microchip can go in now, before the vaccination |
| Earliest rabies vaccination | 12 weeks | In three weeks, on the day he turns 12 weeks |
| Earliest arrival in the Netherlands | 15 weeks | 21 days after the vaccination |
| Health certificate issued | 13 to 15 weeks | Within the 10 days before landing |
If the vet can't fit the vaccination in on the first possible day, every later date moves back with it.
Practical tip
Book the rabies vaccination for the first day your pet is old enough, and plan the flight from there. If you enter your pet's date of birth in a readiness check, a young pet's result names the earliest date it's old enough to enter.
Which airports and ports can pets enter the Netherlands through?
Pets from Canada and the US must enter the EU through a travellers' point of entry that the arriving country has designated. NVWA's list of points of entry names 14 for the Netherlands: six airports and eight seaports.
The 14 points of entry for pets arriving in the Netherlands from outside the EU
| Airports | Seaports |
|---|---|
| Amsterdam Schiphol | Amsterdam |
| Eindhoven Airport | Eemshaven |
| Groningen Airport Eelde | Harlingen |
| Lelystad Airport | Hoek van Holland |
| Maastricht Aachen Airport | IJmuiden |
| Rotterdam Airport | Moerdijk |
| Rotterdam | |
| Vlissingen |
Easy to miss
Pets that are also protected species, under CITES, the EU Birds or Habitats Directives, or the Bern or Bonn Conventions, can only enter through Maastricht Aachen Airport or Amsterdam Schiphol. Dogs and cats aren't usually affected, but some exotic pets are.
The couple's flight lands at Schiphol, which is on the list. NVWA's list applies to pets entering the EU via or to the Netherlands, so a pet that lands at Schiphol and connects onward to another EU country is checked there too. If your route connects through another EU airport first, ask your airline and that country's authority where the border check will take place.
Where this comes from
The entry points come from our Dutch entry-point data, taken from NVWA, Punten van Binnenkomst / Points of Entry (DIGD012000, version 1.0.4, 16 December 2024), last verified 5 October 2026. The PDF was re-read on 6 October 2026 and still lists the same 14.
Arriving and staying: customs, quarantine and dog registration
You don't need to notify NVWA before arriving with your own pet. When you land, take the red "something to declare" exit and report your pet to Customs. Customs checks the microchip, the health certificate and the other documents.
If you can't fly with your pet, you can authorise someone to travel with it within five days before or after your own journey, using the authorised person declaration. That person carries proof, such as a copy of your boarding pass, that you're making the same trip.
If something is wrong with the paperwork, Customs hands the pet to an NVWA vet, who checks the animal and the documents and decides what happens next. That can mean quarantine or being sent back to the country of origin, with the owner paying the costs, including housing, transport and vet bills. NVWA's own advice is to start preparing months before the trip.
Moving changes one more thing. NVWA says that if you stay in the Netherlands for more than three months, you must have your dog registered in a designated database by a vet within two weeks of arrival. For the Toronto couple, that puts an Amsterdam vet appointment in their first fortnight, along with everything else that comes with a move.
Where this comes from
The customs, quarantine, authorised-person and dog registration rules come from NVWA's page on travelling from third countries to the Netherlands and its points-of-entry documentation, both checked 6 October 2026.
Enter your pet, your route to the Netherlands and your travel date. The free readiness check compares the EU entry rules with your pet's age, vaccination dates and origin, lists the Dutch points of entry, and shows the source for each one. Add your pet's date of birth and a young pet's result names the earliest date it's old enough to enter. Confirm the final details with NVWA and your airline before you fly.
Sources
- European Commission (EUR-Lex): Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705
- NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority): Travelling from third countries to the Netherlands with your cat or dog
- NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority): Punten van Binnenkomst / Points of Entry (DIGD012000, version 1.0.4, 16 December 2024)
- European Commission (EUR-Lex): Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131
- European Commission (EUR-Lex): Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636
Common questions
How do I bring my dog to the Netherlands?
From Canada or the US: microchip, rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older with the 21-day wait finished, an EU animal health certificate issued no more than 10 days before arrival, and a signed owner's declaration. Fly into one of the six designated airports, such as Amsterdam Schiphol, take the red "something to declare" exit and report your dog to Customs. No rabies blood test is needed.
How old does a puppy have to be to fly to the Netherlands from Canada or the US?
At least 15 weeks. The rabies vaccination can't be given before 12 weeks, and 21 days must pass before entry. NVWA states that dogs and cats under 15 weeks from low-risk countries can't enter.
What changes if I'm moving to the Netherlands with my dog?
If you stay more than three months, a vet must register your dog in a designated database within two weeks of arrival. The entry rules are the same as for a visit.