Non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets from other EU Member States into the Republic of Croatia

If a citizen of a Member State of the European Union intends to travel to the Republic of Croatia with their dog, cat or ferret as pet animal, such movement of the pet animal shall be considered non-commercial movement if the following conditions are met:
  • the pet animals at the time of initiating the movement are not intended for sale, handing over to another owner or other commercial purposes;
  • the pet animals are accompanied by the owner or the authorised person;
  • the maximum number of pet animals during a single non-commercial movement does not exceed 5;
  • pet animals older than 12 weeks are vaccinated against rabies, in accordance with the vaccine manufacturer’s instructions, which shall comply with the validity requirements set out in Annex III to Regulation (EU) No. 576/2013;
  • pet animals are marked/identified by a transponder or a clearly readable tattoo, which was tattooed prior to 3 July 2011;
  • pet animals are accompanied by:
  • passport prescribed in Part 1 of Annex III to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 577/2013; or
  • passport prescribed in Annex I to Commission Decision (EC) No. 2003/803 if it was issued prior to 29 December 2014;

What is the meaning of non-commercial movement of pet animals?

Non-commercial movement of pet animals involves the movement of up to 5 pet animals (which need not be of the same species, for instance, it can be two dogs and three cats), accompanied by the owner or other person responsible for them, provided that these pet animals, at the moment of starting the movement, are not intended for sale, handing over to another owner or for other commercial purposes. Their movement shall be reasoned by the need for movement of the owner or authorised person with whom they most often travel in the same means of transport. In accordance with the new regulations on the non-commercial movement of pet animals, the pet animal may travel temporally and/or spatially separate from the owner, i.e. in another vehicle at different times, however not longer than 5 days.
 
Ownership

Ownership of a pet animal is evidenced by a properly registered name and surname of the owner of the pet animal in the identification document (passport) accompanying a pet animal.
 
Movement of a pet animal accompanied by the authorised person

If the abovementioned pet animals do not travel to the Republic of Croatia accompanied by their owner, but the owner intends to send their pet animal to the Republic of Croatia accompanied by the authorised person, then the authorised person shall have a statement signed by the owner, which shall contain the following information:

  • name and surname of the owner of the pet animal;
  • statement by the owner of the pet animal authorising a natural person for non-commercial movement of the pet animal;
  • name and surname of the authorised person;
  • information on the identification and the number of pet animals.
The example of the model by which the owner of the pet animal may authorise another natural person for representation during the non-commercial movement of the pet animal:   
 
Derogations regarding the maximum number of pet animals during a single non-commercial movement

The number of dogs, cats and ferrets, which are sent to the Republic of Croatia from another Member State of the European Union during non-commercial movement, may exceed five when the pet animals are moved non-commercially due to participation in competitions, exhibitions or sporting events, or training for the purpose of such events.
In such cases, during the non-commercial movement of pet animals, the following requirements shall be fulfilled:
  • the owner or authorised person shall present to the official of the competent authority responsible for checking pet animals (customs officials of veterinary inspectors) a written evidence that the pet animals are either registered for participation in the above mentioned events or registered with the organisation that organises such events (e.g. the invitation by the event organiser shall specify the exact transponder numbers with which the pets are identified and state the title of the event with the address and date); and
  • the pet animals shall be older than six months.
Requirements with regard to anti-rabies vaccination

Dogs, cats and ferrets that are as pet animals non-commercially moved from another Member State of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia shall be at least 12 weeks old on the date they are vaccinated against rabies. Only inactivated and recombinant vaccines approved by the authority competent for marketing shall be used.
The vaccination of pet animals against rabies shall be performed by an authorised veterinarian, who shall indicate the vaccine name, vaccination date and the validity of the anti-rabies vaccination in the relevant section of the passport.
Dogs, cats and ferrets shall be non-commercially moved between the Member States of the European Union only during the validity of the anti-rabies vaccination. The validity period of the anti-rabies vaccination shall begin with the creation of protective immunity, which occurs on the 21st day after the vaccination and usually lasts a year, depending on the vaccine type and the vaccine manufacturer's instructions. The following shall be added:
  • in cases where the vaccine manufacturer recommended a vaccination of the pet animal on two occasions (i.e. booster dose), 21 days shall pass from the second vaccination prior to trading,
  • in cases where the pet animal is vaccinated after the validity period of the previous anti-rabies vaccination has passed, 21 days shall pass after the repeated anti-rabies vaccination for the animal to be non-commercially moved between the Member States,
  • in cases where the pet animal is vaccinated against rabies regularly every year in the validity period of the anti-rabies vaccination, it is not necessary to wait 21 days after the repeated anti-rabies vaccination for the animal to be non-commercially moved between Member States.
Derogations regarding the non-commercial movement to the Republic of Croatia of young dogs, cats and ferrets that have not been vaccinated against rabies or do not have protective immunity against rabies yet

The entry into the Republic of Croatia is allowed for dogs, cats and ferrets from other EU Member States, which are:
  • younger than 12 weeks and unvaccinated against rabies, or
  • aged between 12 and 16 weeks and are vaccinated against rabies, but do not yet meet the requirements of the valid anti-rabies vaccination, which means that 21 days have not passed from the vaccination.
During the entry of such pet animals, the following requirements shall be fulfilled:
Requirements with regard to the identification of dogs, cats and ferrets

Dogs, cats and ferrets prior to trading shall be identified with a microchip (transponder) or a clearly readable tattoo.
As of 3 July 2011, the transponder is the only valid manner of identifying dogs, cats and ferrets. The tattoo is accepted only if the animal was tattooed prior to 03 July 2011 and the tattoo is clearly legible.
The transponder type is not stipulated, but transponders that conform to the ISO standard 11784 or 11785 are commonly used in the EU Member States. If the transponder does not meet these standards, the owner of the animal shall, at their own expense, provide the appropriate reader in order to read the transponder during the check.

Identifying the pet animal with a transponder can be performed at any age of the animal in accordance with the recommendations of the transponder manufacturer; however, the identification with a transponder shall be performed prior to the anti-rabies vaccination. If the pet animal was vaccinated first, and then identified with a transponder, the vaccination is not considered valid. In this case, after identification with a transponder, the animal shall receive a new anti-rabies vaccination and 21 days shall pass from the vaccination before entry into the territory of the Republic of Croatia.
 
Requirements with regard to the identification document

During the non-commercial movement into the Republic of Croatia of dogs, cats and ferrets from other EU Member States, the animals shall be accompanied by an identification document, i.e.:
The passports are issued by veterinarians authorised by the competent authority of the Member States of the European Union from which the pet animals originate, after checking that the pet animal is identified by a transponder or tattoo. The authorised veterinarian shall enter the following information into the passport:
  • location of the transponder implementation or location of the tattoo
  • date of implementation or date of reading the transponder or tattoo, as well as the transponder or tattoo alphanumeric code
  • name, type, breed, gender, colour, date of birth, which are indicated by the owner, as well as any special or distinctive characteristics or properties of the pet animal
  • name and surname, as well as the contact information of the owner of the pet animal
  • name and surname, contact information and signature of the authorised veterinarian who issued or completed the identification document
  • details on the anti-rabies vaccination
  • any preventive protective measures against diseases or infections other than rabies
  • any other information regarding the health status of the pet animal
After entering all the information, the owner of the pet animal shall sign the passport.
 
Requirements regarding the entry of dangerous dogs into the Republic of Croatia

In accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance on Dangerous Dogs (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Croatia“ number 117/08), the entry of dangerous dog breeds of the bull terrier type and their crossbreeds that are not entered into the register of the World Canine Organisation (FCI) shall not be entered into the Republic of Croatia.
Controlled breeding of the bull terrier type (Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, bull terrier, mini bull terrier) is evidenced by the pedigree issued by the kennel club of any member country of the World Canine Organisation (FCI).
 
Supervision of the non-commercial movement of pet animals

In accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No. 576/2013, the Republic of Croatia shall implement in a non-discriminatory manner, the documentary and identity check of pet animals that are the subject of non-commercial movement into its territory from another Member State of the European Union.
In the Republic of Croatia, the supervision of non-commercial movement of pet animals is carried out by the customs officers and veterinary inspectors.
In accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No. 576/2013, the owner of the pet animal or the authorised person shall, at the request of an official of the competent authority responsible for examining pet animals in trade within Republic of Croatia, do the following:
  • present the official with an identification document for the pet animal; and
  • enable the availability of the pet animal for such checks.
In the case of non-compliance with the prescribed requirements for the entry of the pet animal into the Republic of Croatia, the entry of the pet animal will be refused, whereby the animal may be returned to the country of departure or placed in quarantine until the fulfilment of the prescribed health conditions. As a last option, when returning the animals is not possible or isolation is not practical, the animal can be put down (killed) in accordance with applicable national rules.

All liability and costs incurred by implementing these measures shall be borne by the owner of the pet animal or the authorised person.
 
Last updated: 30/09/2016
© 2012 Ministarstvo poljoprivrede.