What is a pet passport?

What are the benefits of having a passport for your dog or cat?

Here are some of the main benefits of a pet passport:

Travel: if you are planning to travel with your pet, especially abroad, a pet passport may be essential. It records your pet’s health details and vaccinations and confirms that the animal belongs to you. Border authorities and airlines often ask for it, as it guarantees that your pet meets the relevant health and veterinary requirements.

Safety and identification: a pet passport contains identifying details such as the animal’s name, breed, sex and description. If your pet is lost or stolen, the passport makes it possible to identify the owner quickly and get the animal home. The passport can also record the microchip number, which improves the chances of a lost pet being found.

Health records: a pet passport holds information on vaccinations, laboratory tests, international health certificates and other important health data. This makes it easier to manage your pet’s healthcare and gives a fuller picture of its medical history.

Legal compliance: in many countries, having a pet passport is a statutory or regulatory requirement. An entry or stamp in the passport confirms that the animal has been handled in line with veterinary regulations and is in the country legally.

Easy updates: a pet passport can easily be updated whenever anything changes, such as your address, contact details or new vaccinations. That way you always have an up-to-date document with the most important information about your pet.

Can an animal travel without a passport?

If an animal travels without the proper document, the owner should be aware that it may be sent back to the country it came from or placed in quarantine at the border. The length of quarantine varies from country to country, but it is usually several weeks. On top of that, the owner may be fined!

Who can issue passports? 

Passports are issued by a veterinarian, who is required to register the document in a dedicated system that records every passport issued in Poland.  

What is needed to get a passport for a dog or cat?

Dogs and cats must meet the same conditions to be issued a passport. 

1. Rabies vaccination – the animal must be vaccinated against rabies at the time the document is issued. If your pet was vaccinated earlier, it will need to be vaccinated again. 
2. Microchip – it does not matter when it was implanted, but it is essential, because the chip number has to be entered in the relevant field. 
3. The owner’s identity document – it is a good idea to bring your ID with you so that the vet can be sure no mistakes are made when filling in the passport (at Zviropolis there is also a form for the owner to complete). 

What does the passport contain?

1. A unique document number. 
2. Owner details – first name, surname, address with postcode, the country in which the passport is issued, and the owner’s telephone number. Polish passports have space for two people to be listed as the animal’s owners. 
3. Description of the animal – name, species, breed, date of birth, colour and any characteristic features or distinguishing marks. There is also space for optional photographs of your pet. 
4. Marking of the animal – microchip number, date of implantation or reading, location of the chip, tattoo code (if the animal has one) and its location 
5. Issue of the passport – details of the authorised veterinarian, details of the practice where the document was issued, date of issue, the vet’s stamp and signature. 
6. Rabies vaccinations.  
7. Rabies antibody titre test. 
8. Treatment against one type of tapeworm (Echinococcus) 
9. Anti-parasite treatment. 
10. Other vaccinations. 
11. Clinical examination before the animal leaves the country. 

What tests are required before travelling abroad?
Testing requirements vary from country to country. We recommend checking the relevant government websites to find out exactly what needs to be done before departure and within what timeframe. 

How soon after the passport is issued can you travel with your dog or cat?

The passport becomes valid 3 weeks after the date of issue, because of the waiting period following vaccination. Only once this period has passed can you travel with your pet.

How long is a pet passport valid for?

Passports have no fixed expiry date; a new one is usually needed only when there is no more room to record vaccinations. 

To sum up, travelling with a pet takes a good deal of preparation – it is not as simple as it might seem! If you have any doubts, please do not hesitate to contact our vets.