Regulations sourced from DEFRA, USDA APHIS, DAFF and other official authorities.
How we source our data →
Overview
For cats, Lithuania to Ireland is as simple as an EU pet passport and a current rabies vaccination. For dogs, one additional step is mandatory: a praziquantel tapeworm treatment administered by a licensed vet, timed to fall between 24 and 120 hours before your dog’s scheduled arrival in Ireland. The treatment is recorded in the EU passport and checked at Dublin Airport. Miss the window and entry is refused. Get it right and the process is otherwise straightforward.
Step by step
The Lithuania to Ireland process
1
Verify passport records.
Check microchip pre-dates rabies vaccination in EU pet passport
Responsible: Your Lithuanian vet
2
Check passport dates.
Confirm rabies vaccination is current and at least 21 days old
Responsible: Lithuanian vet
3
Standard lead time.
Book Vilnius to Dublin flights. Confirm pet policy.
Responsible: Owner
4
Calculate from scheduled Dublin landing time. Vilnius to Dublin with connection is typically 5-8 hours.
For dogs: work out when to have the tapeworm treatment (24-120 hours before Dublin arrival)
Responsible: Owner
5
24-120 hours before Dublin arrival.
Vet administers praziquantel and records it in EU pet passport
Responsible: Licensed vet in Lithuania or transfer country
6
Travel day.
Travel to Dublin. EU pet passport presented at DAFM entry check.
Responsible: Owner, airline
Checklist
Ireland: entry requirements
Requirement
Detail
Microchip
Required. ISO 11784/11785. Implanted before the rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccination
Required. At least 21 days since primary vaccination. Source: EU Regulation 576/2013.
Rabies titre test
Not required.
Quarantine
No quarantine for compliant arrivals.
Import permit
Not required.
Leaving Lithuania
Export requirements
Requirement
Detail
Export permit
No export permit required for intra-EU movement.
Health certificate
EU pet passport. Lithuania is an EU member state. Lithuanian vets issue EU pet passports. Current microchip and rabies vaccination recorded in passport.
Costs
What this route typically costs
1
Tapeworm treatment: approximately EUR 20-50
2
Pet passport update: EUR 20-60
3
Cabin pet fee: EUR 30-80
4
Cargo (if needed): EUR 200-600
5
Total typical range: EUR 70-800
Critical points
Read before you book
⚠ Timing the tapeworm treatment correctly is the single most important preparation step for this route. It must fall within 24-120 hours of Dublin arrival. Calculate from the landing time, not departure.
⚠ A dog arriving at Dublin Airport without a correctly timed and recorded tapeworm treatment will not be admitted. There is no workaround at the airport.
⚠ Cats are not subject to this requirement. EU pet passport alone is sufficient for cats.
Carriers
Airlines on this route
Ryanair
Vilnius (VNO) and Kaunas (KUN) to Dublin (DUB) via connecting hubs. Cabin only for small pets. No hold cargo.
Cabin Only
LOT Polish Airlines
Vilnius to Warsaw (WAW) to Dublin. LOT accepts live animal cargo. Warsaw Chopin Airport has live animal cargo facilities.
Cargo and Cabin
Aer Lingus
Dublin hub. Connecting services from European hubs. Cabin and some cargo options.
Cabin and Cargo
Wizz Air
Budget flights from Vilnius and Kaunas to various European destinations with onward connections to Dublin. Cabin only.
Cabin Only
Why Ireland requires the tapeworm treatment
Ireland is a rabies-free island with strict biosecurity rules. The tapeworm treatment requirement specifically targets Echinococcus multilocularis, a tapeworm that can infect humans and is present in parts of continental Europe. Ireland, along with Finland, Malta, and Norway, uses this measure as a condition of entry for dogs.
All dogs arriving in Ireland from countries not on the exempt list (Finland, Malta, Norway, Northern Ireland) must be treated. Lithuania is not on the exempt list. Your Lithuanian vet administers a praziquantel-based product and records it in the EU pet passport. The window is 24 hours minimum and 120 hours maximum before the scheduled Dublin arrival.
Timing in practice: Vilnius to Dublin
A journey from Vilnius to Dublin typically involves one or two connections and takes between five and eight hours in total. If your Dublin arrival is at 18:00, the treatment window runs from 18:00 five days earlier (120 hours) to 18:00 the previous day (24 hours).
In most cases, having the treatment on the morning of the day before departure keeps you comfortably within the window. Verify the calculation using your actual flight itinerary before booking the vet appointment.
FAQ
Common questions
The treatment can be given at any point within the 24-120 hour window measured back from Dublin arrival time. For example, if you arrive in Dublin at 10:00 on Saturday, the earliest you can give the treatment is 10:00 on Monday (120 hours before) and the latest is 10:00 on Friday (24 hours before). Any vet appointment within that range is valid.
Yes, provided a licensed vet is accessible during your transit and the timing works. However, it is much simpler to arrange the treatment in Lithuania before you leave, timed correctly against your Dublin arrival. Relying on treatment at a transit airport introduces risk if the vet is not accessible or the timing becomes tight.
The product must contain praziquantel as the active ingredient. Many commercial worming products licensed for companion animals contain it. Your Lithuanian vet will know the appropriate licensed product. The key requirement is that it is administered by a licensed vet and recorded in the passport.