Pet Transport from the Netherlands to Iceland

Taking your dog or cat from Netherlands to Iceland comes down to good timing and the right paperwork. Expect around 10-14 weeks of lead time to line up the documents and the fixed …

10-14 wks

Preparation needed

14 days

Quarantine on arrival

High

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

10-14 weeks

Quarantine

14 days

Route complexity

High

Airlines

2 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from Netherlands to Iceland typically takes around 10-14 weeks. Expect 14 days of quarantine on arrival. A rabies titre test is required, which adds a fixed waiting period, so start early.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

Start of planning.

Implant the ISO microchip, then administer the primary rabies vaccination.

Responsible: Dutch vet

Runs alongside the rabies vaccination schedule.

Complete the leptospirosis (two doses), distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza cover alongside the rabies course.

Responsible: Dutch vet

Roughly 5-6 weeks before your target travel date, allowing for lab turnaround.

Draw blood for the titre test at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, submit to an approved laboratory.

Responsible: Dutch vet and the laboratory

At least 30 days before travel.

Apply to MAST for the import permit, submitting the application form, a photo, the health certificate and lab results.

Responsible: You or your agent

As early as possible, ideally alongside the permit application.

Book quarantine space at Einangrunarstodin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstodin Mosel. Intake dates are limited, so lock this in early rather than waiting for the permit to clear.

Responsible: You or your agent, direct with the quarantine station

Close to departure, per the certificate's validity window.

Complete MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 or C1) with the Dutch vet, then get it endorsed by the NVWA.

Responsible: Dutch vet and NVWA

Day of arrival.

Fly Amsterdam to Keflavik and hand over to the quarantine station transport on arrival.

Responsible: Cargo handler and MAST border check at KEF

Immediately after arrival.

14 days minimum at the isolation station before the pet is released to you.

Responsible: Quarantine station staff

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

Microchip

ISO 11784/11785 microchip required, implanted before the rabies vaccination. Source: MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

Rabies vaccination

Primary rabies vaccination required after the microchip. Also required: two leptospirosis doses 3 to 4 weeks apart, plus current distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza cover for dogs. Source: MAST guidance notes, checked July 2026.

Rabies titre test

Required regardless of EU origin. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, tested at an approved laboratory, minimum 0.5 IU/ml. The Netherlands sits on MAST's Category 1 list, so once the result clears there is no further fixed wait before travel, unlike Category 2 countries, which face a 90-day wait from the blood draw. Source: MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

Quarantine

Mandatory. Every dog and cat entering Iceland spends a minimum of 14 days at one of two approved isolation stations, Einangrunarstodin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstodin Mosel, regardless of EU or EEA origin. There is no exemption for EU-vaccinated pets. Source: MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

Import permit

Required from MAST before travel, submitted at least 30 days ahead with the application form, a photo of the pet, the health certificate and laboratory results. Base fee around ISK 40,000 (roughly EUR 270). Quarantine station space is booked separately, with intake on set days a few weeks apart. Source: MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

Health certificate

MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 for dogs, Form C1 for cats), completed by the Dutch vet and endorsed by the NVWA.

Export permit

No formal export permit for a private pet move. The health certificate is the export document.

Health certificate

MAST does not accept a standard EU Animal Health Certificate for this route. The Dutch vet must complete MAST's own Category 1 certificate form for dogs (Form D1) or cats (Form C1), which is then endorsed by the NVWA. Source: mast.is, checked July 2026.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your Netherlands to Iceland move gets missed.

Pet Transport Global

Airlines

Carriers on this route

Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.

Icelandair

Operates Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) to Keflavik (KEF) direct. Since 1 November 2024, Icelandair no longer accepts pets as checked or excess baggage in the passenger hold. A pet now moves as manifested air cargo through Icelandair Cargo, booked through a cargo agent rather than at a passenger check-in desk.

Cargo Only

Transavia

Also flies the Amsterdam to Keflavik sector nonstop, mainly for passenger traffic. Do not assume it carries pets the same way Icelandair Cargo does; confirm live animal handling directly with Transavia before treating it as an alternative for this move.

Cabin and Cargo

Costs

What this route typically costs

Rabies titre test at an approved laboratory: EUR 150-300

Leptospirosis and core vaccination course: EUR 80-180

MAST import permit base fee: around ISK 40,000 (roughly EUR 270)

Quarantine, 14 days: around ISK 220,000 for a dog (roughly EUR 1,450), ISK 100,000-110,000 for a cat (roughly EUR 670-730)

IATA-compliant travel crate: EUR 60-250

Cargo fee, Amsterdam to Keflavik: EUR 350-800 depending on crate size and season

Agent and handling fees: EUR 250-550

Total typical range: EUR 2,000-3,500 for a dog, lower for a cat

Critical points

The 14-day quarantine is not a penalty for messy paperwork. It applies to every pet entering Iceland, including a fully vaccinated, EU-passported Dutch dog. Budget the isolation station fee and the two weeks into your plan from the outset, not as a contingency.

Icelandair stopped taking pets as checked baggage in the passenger hold on 1 November 2024. Confirm current Icelandair Cargo capacity before you commit to a travel date, and do not assume Transavia's nonstop service on the same route works the same way.

Keflavik is the only approved entry point for pets in Iceland, whatever airport you depart from in the Netherlands.

MAST does not accept a standard EU AHC for this route. The Dutch vet needs the specific Category 1 form (D1 or C1), not the certificate typically used for other EU-to-EU pet moves.

What Iceland requires

The requirements for Iceland are thorough rather than difficult. Work through them methodically and confirm anything you are unsure about with the official source.

Avoiding the common mistakes

Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.

Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.

Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.

Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.

FAQ

Common questions

Yes. Iceland does not exempt EU or EEA pets from its 14-day quarantine. The rule protects Iceland’s rabies-free, largely disease-free island status and applies regardless of how complete the paperwork is. The Netherlands’ Category 1 status shortens the pre-export titre test timeline, not the quarantine itself.

Roughly ISK 220,000 for a dog’s 14-day stay (about EUR 1,450), and around ISK 100,000-110,000 for a cat (roughly EUR 670-730), at either of Iceland’s two approved isolation stations. This is on top of the MAST import permit fee, which is around ISK 40,000.

Confirm it directly before assuming so. Transavia flies the same nonstop Amsterdam to Keflavik sector, but it does not have the same established live animal cargo process Icelandair Cargo runs since Icelandair stopped taking checked baggage pets in November 2024. Do not book on the assumption the two carriers handle animals identically.

Yes, in one respect. The Netherlands is on MAST’s Category 1 list, so once the titre test clears at 0.5 IU/ml or above, there is no extra fixed wait before travel. A Category 2 country faces a further 90-day wait from the blood draw date. The 14-day quarantine on arrival applies either way.

No. MAST requires its own Category 1 certificate, Form D1 for dogs or Form C1 for cats, completed by the Dutch vet and endorsed by the NVWA, rather than the standard EU Animal Health Certificate used for most other EU-to-EU moves.

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