Pet Transport from Spain to Ireland
If you have been quoted for a rabies blood test on this route, you are being sold something you do not need. Spain and Ireland are both EU member states, and the European Commission is unambiguous: …
Get your free quote →Which Ireland rules depend on a pet coming from Spain?
The EU sorts non-EU countries into groups, and Spain falls in “EU countries”.
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. Official source
These rules apply to that group, on top of the rules every pet follows:
- Health certificate: 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 - Microchip: 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 - Microchip: 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 - Minimum age: 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 - Minimum age: 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 - 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
The rules that apply to every pet entering Ireland, whatever the origin, are listed with their official sources in our Ireland guide.
What does Spain require before your pet leaves?
- Export health certificate: Endorsement: pet export certificates are issued by inspectors of the Servicios de Control Oficial en Frontera; for countries that require it they must first be legalised by MAPA's Subdirección General de Acuerdos Sanitarios y Control en Frontera (Calle Almagro 33, 28010 Madrid), by appointment requested by email (sgacuerdos@mapa.es) at least 24 working hours ahead. The appointment form mentions a fee only for phytosanitary certificates. Applies to dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Spain where the destination requires legalisation.
Solicitud cita previa para certificados de exportación y mascotas, checked 2 October 2026
Approved carriers on this route
| Airline | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Air France | Cabin and Cargo | |
| British Airways | Cargo Only | |
| Emirates | Cargo Only | |
| Lufthansa | Cabin and Cargo | |
| Singapore Airlines | Cargo Only | |
| Cathay Pacific | Cargo Only | |
| KLM | Cabin and Cargo |
The 96-hour window that decides everything
Ireland is one of five places in Europe that still require dogs to be treated against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis before arrival. The others are Finland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland.
The treatment must be given between 24 and 120 hours before you travel. Not before that window, not after it. A vet has to administer it and record it, and the four-day span is the entire margin you get.
Two things trip people up. The first is treating too early, which feels safer and is not: a tablet given a week out is as invalid as no tablet at all. The second is that the window is tied to the actual crossing, so a delayed ferry or a rebooked flight can push you past 120 hours and invalidate a treatment that was correct when it was given.
Cats are exempt. This is a dogs-only requirement, and owners moving both animals sometimes assume it covers the household.
What you actually need, and how long it takes
The microchip goes in first. A rabies vaccination given before the chip does not count, and redoing it is the most expensive avoidable mistake on any European pet move.
The animal must be at least 12 weeks old for its primary rabies vaccination, and you then wait at least 21 days before travelling. That 21 days is the only fixed waiting period on this route. Against the six months a non-EU origin would demand, it is nothing.
An EU pet passport carries the record. Issued by a vet in Spain, it travels with the animal and covers the microchip number, the vaccination and the tapeworm treatment in one document.
So a realistic standing start is about four weeks: chip and vaccinate, wait three weeks, treat for tapeworm in the final days, travel.
The exemption worth knowing if you move again
There is a detail in the rule that almost no guide mentions, and it matters if Ireland is not your last stop.
The tapeworm treatment is not required for dogs travelling directly between Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland. Those five are treated as a single zone for this purpose, because they share the freedom from the parasite the rule exists to protect.
In practice: Spain to Ireland needs the tablet. Ireland to Malta afterwards does not. If you are moving between the five, you can stop budgeting a vet visit into every leg.
Common questions about this route
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Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.
- IATA · International Air Transport Association, Live Animals Regulations