GR

Importing Your Pet to Greece

Relaxed to import
Verification date not recorded. Confirm current requirements with the destination authority.
Prepared by , International Animal Health Consultant

Greece is an EU member state, so a dog or cat arriving there follows the EU pet rules, which since 22 April 2026 are set by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131. The Ministry of Rural Development and Food is the competent authority, and its main national circular on non-commercial pet movements is 3382/100752 of 17 September 2015.

From another EU country, your pet travels on an EU pet passport issued by an authorised vet. From outside the EU, it needs an EU animal health certificate, endorsed by the competent authority of the country you leave from. The exceptions are a pet with a passport issued in a country listed in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, and an EU-resident pet coming home on its EU pet passport. A pet that meets the rules is not quarantined.

For arrivals from outside the EU, Greece’s entry-point list names border inspection posts at Athens International Airport, Piraeus Port and Thessaloniki Port and Airport, along with road and rail crossings and 12 island entry points. The list states rules from 1 October 2004 and may be out of date in detail, so check the European Commission’s current travellers’ points of entry page before you book.

Cargo is different. If your pet travels unaccompanied as cargo, even on its own, or you are moving more than 5 pets, the Ministry’s 2018 circular treats the move as commercial and it must be recorded in TRACES. From outside the EU it also needs an import licence from the veterinary authority of the relevant Regional Unit, so confirm current practice with the Regional Unit before you book.

Greece is a popular destination for pets of expats and returning Greek nationals.

Import Requirements

Every requirement below is taken from an official government page, and each one links to the page it comes from. The rules were last checked on 7 October 2026. They can change, so check the linked page again before you book.

EU rules that apply in Greece

Who is in charge

Where your pet travels from

GroupWhat appliesOrigins
EU countries (movement between Member States)Pet dogs and cats moving between Member States travel on an EU pet passport issued by an authorised veterinarian, with microchip and valid rabies vaccination (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, Article 11). Tapeworm treatment applies only for dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway. SourceEU Member States
Listed third countries and territories, Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 (Article 17(1)(a) of 2026/131)No rabies antibody titration test needed. The EC travellers' points of entry page also exempts these origins (and Norway) from the obligation to enter through a designated travellers' point of entry. SourceAndorra, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City State
Listed third countries and territories, Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 (Article 17(1)(b) of 2026/131)No rabies antibody titration test needed. Animal health certificate, microchip and rabies vaccination still required; entry through a travellers' point of entry with documentary and identity checks. Montenegro and Serbia were added by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1228. The EUR-Lex text of 2026/636 lists the USA as including American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. SourceAscension Island, United Arab Emirates, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Aruba, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Barbados, Bahrain, Bermuda, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Canada, Chile, Curaçao, Fiji, Falkland Islands, United Kingdom, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cayman Islands, Saint Lucia, Montenegro, Montserrat, North Macedonia, Mauritius, Mexico, Malaysia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Serbia, Singapore, Saint Helena, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Taiwan, United States of America, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna
Non-listed third countries and territoriesRabies antibody titration test required: sample taken by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after primary vaccination and not less than 90 days before the animal health certificate is issued, tested in an EU-designated laboratory, result at least 0.5 IU/ml. The 90-day wait does not apply to re-entry of an EU-resident pet whose passport documents a favourable test done before leaving the EU. Sourceall other countries and territories
  • Pets from third countries or territories listed in Annex I or Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 do not need a rabies antibody titration test (the page adds in brackets that Annex II was amended by 2026/1228 to add Montenegro and Serbia); pets from all other third countries do. Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • Montenegro and Serbia were added to Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 (titre-test exempt list) by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1228, and are shown in Annex II on the EC listing page. The exact start date (18 or 19 June 2026) was not confirmed on EUR-Lex in this pass; it does not affect moves from October 2026 onwards. Applies to dogs and cats from Montenegro and Serbia.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • Annex I countries (Article 17(1)(a) of 2026/131) are those that applied and showed they apply pet rules equivalent to the EU's own; Annex II countries (Article 17(1)(b)) qualify on rabies surveillance and control criteria. Both are exempt from the titre test; only Annex I origins are also exempt from entering through a travellers' point of entry (Article 15(a)). Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 on non-commercial movement of pet animals, checked 1 October 2026

Import permit

  • Not required (EU level): the European Commission sets out the conditions that must be met for a pet dog, cat or ferret to move from a non-EU country into an EU country (travel with the owner, at most 5 animals, microchip, health, rabies vaccination, titre test where applicable, tapeworm treatment for some destinations, animal health certificate and declaration, travellers' point of entry); no permit is among them. National files must still settle any national permit (for example a breed or hybrid licence). Applies to pet dogs, cats and ferrets moved from non-EU countries into the EU (non-commercial).
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 2 October 2026
  • At EU level a permit is used only by way of exception. Article 29 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 lets a Member State, in exceptional situations, authorise entry of pets that do NOT comply with the conditions in Articles 7 to 20, on a permit from the destination Member State (applied for in advance or, by derogation in Article 29(2), granted on arrival), with possible isolation under official supervision of up to six months. Article 15(b) also uses a permit, only for pet dogs moved by military, law-enforcement or search-and-rescue teams that enter other than through a travellers' point of entry. An ordinary compliant pet does not need one. Applies to pet dogs, cats and ferrets that do not meet the EU entry conditions.
    Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 on non-commercial movement of pet animals, checked 2 October 2026

Microchip

  • Each pet must be identified with an implanted microchip meeting the technical specifications in Article 70a of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035. Neither the EC pages nor 2026/131 name ISO 11784/11785 directly; the standard is set by reference to Article 70a. Exceptions: the same EC page accepts a clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011, and a microchip that does not meet Article 70a is accepted if the owner provides a reader on request (Article 13(1)(b) of 2026/131; see below).
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • The rabies vaccine must not be given before the microchip is implanted or read (same day is acceptable).
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • If a pet from a non-EU country has a microchip that does not meet the EU technical requirements, the owner must provide a reader so EU authorities can check it. Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    FAQs (dogs, cats and ferrets), checked 1 October 2026
  • For non-commercial movements between EU countries, the microchip must contain the country code from 1 January 2028. The same FAQ lists exceptions: pets microchipped before 22 April 2026 under Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 need not be re-chipped, and pets from non-EU countries on a short stay identified under their own national rules do not need a country-code chip (Article 7(2)(a) of 2026/131 also deems transponders implanted before 1 January 2028 without the country code compliant). Applies to dogs and cats moving between Member States.
    FAQs (dogs, cats and ferrets), checked 1 October 2026
  • Article 7(1)(b) of 2026/131 (identification for movements between Member States): if the transponder does not meet the Article 70a technical requirements, the owner or authorised person must provide a reader on request. Applies to dogs and cats moving between Member States.
    Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 on non-commercial movement of pet animals, checked 1 October 2026

Rabies vaccination

Rabies titre test

  • Where required (non-listed origins), the test must measure a level of neutralising antibody to rabies virus in serum of at least 0.5 IU/ml, done in a designated laboratory. Neither the EC page nor 2026/131 (which refers to point 1 of Annex XXI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/692) names a test method such as FAVN or RFFIT. Applies to dogs and cats from non-listed third countries.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • The test must be done by an official laboratory designated under Article 37 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, or by a laboratory in a third country listed in Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 designated in line with Article 37(4) and (5) of that Regulation; only laboratories specifically accredited for the method may do it, so the laboratory need not be in the EU. The EC publishes the lists of designated laboratories. Applies to dogs and cats from non-listed third countries.
    Designated laboratories for performing rabies antibody titration tests, checked 1 October 2026
  • The blood sample must be taken by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after the primary vaccination (or within a current valid vaccination series) and not less than 90 days before the animal health certificate is issued. Applies to dogs and cats from non-listed third countries.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • The 90-day wait does not apply when an EU-resident pet returns and its passport shows a favourable titre test done before it left the EU. Applies to EU-resident dogs and cats returning from non-listed third countries.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026

Health certificate

  • Pets entering from third countries need an EU animal health certificate completed and issued by an official or authorised veterinarian in the country of dispatch and then endorsed by that country's competent authority. Exceptions on the same page (Article 20 of 2026/131): a pet accompanied by a pet passport issued in an Annex I country, and an EU-resident pet re-entering on its EU pet passport (see topic other), need no certificate. Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • The certificate is valid for 10 days from issue by the official veterinarian until the documentary and identity checks at the travellers' point of entry; for transport by sea the 10 days are extended by the length of the sea journey. Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • For onward travel to other EU countries the certificate is valid for 6 months from the entry checks, or until the rabies vaccination expires if earlier. Applies to dogs and cats entering from third countries and travelling onward within the EU.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • The certificate must be accompanied by a written declaration from the owner or authorised person that the movement is non-commercial (model in Part 2 of Annex V to 2026/705). Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • Transitional rule: old-model certificates (Annex IV to 577/2013) issued before 1 October 2026 are accepted until 31 March 2027. Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 of 20 March 2026 establishing model identification documents and model declarations, checked 1 October 2026
  • The EC page confirms that old-model certificates remain valid only if issued before 1 October 2026 (end date 31 March 2027 is in Article 6 of 2026/705). Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • Article 6(1) of 2026/705: an old-model passport (Part 1 of Annex III to 577/2013) is deemed to comply with the new model passport where it was issued before 1 January 2028, for non-commercial movements into a Member State from another Member State. Article 6(2) gives the same rule for old Part 3 passports used for movements from third countries or territories listed in Annex I to 2026/636. Applies to dogs and cats moving with an EU pet passport.
    Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 of 20 March 2026 establishing model identification documents and model declarations, checked 1 October 2026
  • Article 18(1) of 2026/131: the animal health certificate is valid for 6 months from the entry checks at the travellers' point of entry, or until the rabies vaccination expires if earlier. Applies to dogs and cats entering from third countries.
    Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 on non-commercial movement of pet animals, checked 1 October 2026

Other vaccines and tests

Parasite treatment

  • Dogs (not cats) must be treated against Echinococcus multilocularis before entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway. Dogs moving directly between these disease-free countries are exempt (Article 10(1) of 2026/131 and the EC 'Travelling with a pet within the EU' page). Article 16 of 2026/131 (dogs from Annex I countries) and Article 10(2) (dogs from other Member States) allow an alternative regular-treatment scheme where the destination Member State has authorised it and says so on a dedicated website. Applies to dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026
  • The tapeworm treatment must be given by a veterinarian between 24 and 120 hours before scheduled entry. Applies to dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway.
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026

Quarantine

  • Under EU rules quarantine is tied to non-compliance: a pet that fails the entry checks may be returned to the country of departure, quarantined until it complies, or, if neither is possible, euthanised (Your Europe, last checked 1 September 2026). Separately, Article 29 of 2026/131 lets a Member State admit a non-compliant pet on a permit that may include isolation under official supervision for up to six months. The entry measures for a compliant pet (Article 14 of 2026/131, see other_vaccines_and_tests) include no quarantine. Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    EU rules on travelling with pets and other animals in the EU, checked 1 October 2026

Arrival points and notice

  • Pets from third countries must enter through a travellers' point of entry designated by the Member State (Article 15 of 2026/131, with listed exceptions). Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 on non-commercial movement of pet animals, checked 1 October 2026
  • The EC publishes each Member State's travellers' points of entry. Pets from Andorra, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Vatican City State are exempt from using them. Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Travellers' points of entry, checked 1 October 2026

Minimum age

  • Young unvaccinated (or not yet fully protected) dogs and cats cannot enter the EU from any non-EU country. Applies to dogs and cats from third countries.
    Young Animals, checked 1 October 2026
  • Between Member States only, a destination country may allow young pets under 12 weeks unvaccinated, or 12 to 16 weeks vaccinated but within the 21-day wait (Article 9 of 2026/131). The EC table (checked 1 October 2026) lists Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland as accepting them for non-commercial moves. Applies to young dogs and cats moving between Member States.
    Young Animals, checked 1 October 2026
  • Article 9 of 2026/131 defines the young-animal derogation for movement from another Member State. Applies to young dogs and cats moving between Member States.
    Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 on non-commercial movement of pet animals, checked 1 October 2026

How many pets

How your pet may travel

  • The pet must travel with its owner; if the owner cannot travel at the same time, an authorised person may move it, with the owner travelling within 5 days before or after, confirmed by a written declaration attached to the passport (model in Annex V, Part 1 to 2026/705).
    Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, checked 1 October 2026

Other conditions

  • Between Member States, pets must carry an EU pet passport (Article 11(1) of 2026/131). The EC guidance page says it is completed and issued by an authorised veterinarian. Exception (Article 12 of 2026/131): a pet whose owner lives in a third country and that entered the EU on an animal health certificate may move on to another Member State with that certificate while it is valid. Applies to dogs and cats moving between Member States.
    Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026 on non-commercial movement of pet animals, checked 1 October 2026
  • EU-resident pets returning after a short stay outside the EU may re-enter on their EU pet passport (instead of a certificate) if it shows rabies vaccination and any needed titre test were done before leaving; Article 20(b) of 2026/131 adds that the vaccination must still be valid on return. Applies to EU-resident dogs and cats returning from third countries.
    FAQs (dogs, cats and ferrets), checked 1 October 2026

Rules set by Greece

Who is in charge

Import permit

Quarantine

Arrival points and notice

Minimum age

Banned and restricted breeds

How your pet may travel

  • The Ministry's 2018 circular states that even a single pet travelling unaccompanied (as cargo), or more than 5 pets, counts as a commercial consignment under Directive 92/65/EEC and must be recorded in TRACES. This is stricter than the EU rule, cited in the Ministry's 2015 circular, that a pet may still count as accompanying its owner if it travels up to 5 days before or after the owner or on a different means of transport; the 2018 circular itself applies the 5-day window to a pet travelling with an authorised person who carries the owner's written declaration and proof of the owner's journey. The circular predates Regulation (EU) 2026/131 and has not been confirmed as updated. Applies to dogs and cats moving into or out of Greece.
    Circular 174/30192 (20.03.2018): Εντατικοποίηση των ελέγχων ζώων συντροφιάς, checked 1 October 2026
    Official sources differThe Ministry's older circular 3382/100752 of 17 September 2015 (https://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/politis/Zoa_Syntrofias/egkiklios3382_100752_170915.pdf), citing point 10 of Regulation (EU) 576/2013, says a pet may still count as accompanying its owner if it travels up to 5 days before or after the owner or on a different means of transport. The newer 2018 circular from the same Ministry is preferred.

Official fees

  • No official page states a rule on this. We confirm it with you for each move.

Other conditions

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EU requirements at Athens

At Athens International Airport, as at Greece’s other authorised entry points, customs work with the veterinary authorities and refer pets for veterinary checks. Apart from the few origins the EU exempts, such as Switzerland and Norway, a pet from outside the EU must come in through an authorised entry point, and Greece must be its direct destination. At a crossing not authorised for pets, customs and border guards must refuse entry.

The checks follow the EU rules: a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, and the EU animal health certificate with your written declaration that the move is non-commercial. That applies to pets from the UK, the USA and Canada as much as anywhere else outside the EU, though none of the three needs a titre test, because all are listed in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636.

Greek island travel

If your destination is an island, Athens is not the only way in. Greece’s entry-point list names 12 island entry points for pets arriving from outside the EU: Rhodes, Kos, Kalymnos, Mytilene, Limnos, Chios, Samos, Syros, Argostoli, Heraklion, Chania and Corfu. The list is old, so confirm the island is still on the European Commission’s travellers’ points of entry list before you book.

Otherwise, factor in the ferry or domestic flight from the mainland, and check each carrier’s pet policy before booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, not for a pet that meets the entry rules. For a non-compliant pet from outside the EU, the Greek authorities decide whether to send it back to the country of origin, isolate it or, as a last resort, euthanise it, without financial compensation. Get every document right before you travel.

Only if your pet comes from a country outside the EU that is not listed in Annex I or II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636. The UK, the USA and Canada are all listed, so pets from there need no test, but a pet from an unlisted country such as Jordan does. Where a test is needed, an authorised vet takes the blood sample at least 30 days after the primary rabies vaccination and not less than 90 days before the animal health certificate is issued, and a designated laboratory must find at least 0.5 IU/ml. Every pet still needs a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination. If your Greek-resident pet visits an unlisted country, have the test done before it leaves the EU: its passport must show a positive result dated before departure, or it faces a test and a 3-month wait to come back.

Yes. Cats need the same microchip, rabies vaccination and travel document as dogs. Tapeworm treatment applies to dogs only, and only for Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway, so neither cats nor dogs need it for Greece.

From outside the EU, your pet needs an EU animal health certificate, completed and issued by an official or authorised vet in the country you leave from and then endorsed by that country’s competent authority. The model is set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705, and an old-model certificate is accepted only if it was issued before 1 October 2026, and then only until 31 March 2027. The certificate is valid for 10 days from issue until the documentary and identity checks at the point of entry (for a sea journey, the 10 days are extended by the length of the voyage). It must travel with your written declaration that the move is non-commercial. From another EU country, your pet travels on its EU pet passport instead.

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Greece

  • Difficulty: Relaxed
  • Code: GR

Sources

Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.

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