2026/08/07
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Animal Health Certificate - Dogs/cats being exported to the European Union and United Kingdom

Animal Health Certificate - Dogs/cats being exported to the European Union and United Kingdom

Import Requirements for dogs/cats being exported from Hong Kong to the European Union and United Kingdom

The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) have imposed import requirements for dogs and cats coming from Hong Kong. These requirements include:

  1. The pet is identified by a microchip prior to rabies vaccinations;
  2. The pet has a valid anti-rabies vaccination status (at least 21 days must have elapsed since the completion of the primary vaccination against rabies);
  3. The pet has been examined by an approved veterinary surgeon before travelling and found to be in good health and able to withstand travel to the EU;
  4. The ink color of the veterinarian’s signature and stamp must be different from that of the printing of the health certificate;
  5. The pet is accompanied by a health documentation (must be in EU and/or UK format) which requires official certification from this department;
  6. Some countries/places, including Finland, Malta, Ireland and the United Kingdom, have additional requirement:
    The dogs have been treated against Echinococcus multilocularis within a period of not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours before arrival;
  7. If the pet transits through a country/ place which has not been approved by the EU and/or UK, a rabies antibody test is required, or the import will be subject to the decision of EU and/or UK; and
  8. The certification is valid for 10 days from the date of issue until the date of arrival in the EU and/or UK.

With effect from 1 October 2026, pet dogs/cats entering the European Union must comply with the following requirements:

  1. Use the latest EU designated animal health certificate and written declaration(s); and
  2. If the pet owner is unable to travel at the same time as the pet animal, an authorised person may transport it instead. The pet owner must travel within 5 days before or after the pet animals.

Procedures for Official Certification of Information on the Animal Health Certificate 

Please arrange a registered veterinary surgeon to conduct a clinical examination on your dog/cat and issue the designated animal health certificate(s) in accordance with the import requirements of the EU and/or UK.

When applying for the official certification of information on the animal health certificate, please submit the following original documents in person to our office:

  1. EU and/or UK designated animal health certificate(s) issued by the registered veterinary surgeon;
  2. EU and/or UK designated written declaration(s)
  3. Rabies vaccination record;
  4. Dog licence (applicable for dogs);
  5. Completed itinerary for both the pet owner, the authorised person (if applicable), and the pet
    (e.g. flight tickets, ferry tickets, pet taxi reservation proofs, etc.);
  6. Completed application form for animal health certificate (available at our designated address).

If the applicant has submitted the satisfactory documents and paid the fees, the endorsement process will take one working day to complete. (Applications that are submitted in the morning session will be ready for collection in the morning of the next working day. The same principle applies to applications submitted in the afternoon session.)

Owners are advised to check the import requirements through the website of the animal health authorities of the destination countries/ places for the latest information before planning their trip.

More Information

For detail information, you can visit the following website:

European Union Official Website:
https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/movement-pets/eu-legislation/non-commercial-movement-non-eu-countries_en

British Official Website :
http://www.defra.gov.uk/