The EU has established uniform animal health rules for the movement of dogs, cats, and ferrets, with rules targeting the control of certain animal diseases such as rabies and echinococcosis (infestation by Echinococcus multilocularis, a species of tapeworm affecting wild and domestic canidae).
The overarching instrument is Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases (‘Animal Health Law’) and its delegated and implementing acts. The specific pet-movement regimes are:
- Non-commercial movement (with owner, not for sale/transfer):
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 on animal health requirements for non-commercial movement of pet animals. - Commercial movement within the EU:
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688, as amended, on animal health requirements for movements within the EU of terrestrial animals and hatching eggs. - Entry into the EU from outside:
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, as amended, on entry and movement of animal consignments, germinal products and animal products.
Related: gb_pet_import_rules (Great Britain import rules) and uk_rabies_disease_status (UK rabies disease/status).
Source: pdf-parsed/gov-eu-landing/ec_movement_pets.txt (European Commission, landed 2026-08-12).
Claims (verified C1 substrings of source_file)
The EU has established uniform animal health rules for the movement of dogs, cats, and ferrets.the EU has put in place rules targeting the control of certain animal diseases such as rabies and echinococcosis (infestation by Echinococcus multilocularis, a species of tapeworm affecting wild and domestic canidae).These rules are laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases (‘Animal Health Law’) and its delegated and implementing acts .When dogs, cats, and ferrets travel with their owners (non-commercial movements, which do not aim at sale or transfer of ownership of the animals) the applicable rules are laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 on animal health requirements for non-commercial movement of pet animals .The rules concerning commercial movements of dogs, cats, and ferrets within the EU are set out in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688, as amended, on animal health requirements for movements within the EU of terrestrial animals and hatching eggs.Specific animal health requirements for entry into the EU of dogs, cats, and ferrets are laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692, as amended, on entry and movement of animal consignments, germinal products and animal products.