Getting a pet from United Kingdom to Serbia is a step by step process, and each stage has its own timing. This is a middle of the road route, and about 4-8 weeks of preparation usually covers it. Pets with correct documentation skip …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from United Kingdom to Serbia
typically takes around 4-8 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is not required.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The United Kingdom to Serbia pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Confirm or implant ISO-compliant microchip
Responsible: Your veterinarian in the UK
Before or alongside the rabies vaccination that will be recorded on the export certificate.
2
Rabies vaccination, primary or booster
Responsible: Your veterinarian in the UK
At least 21 days before travel if this is a first vaccination. A current booster with no gap in cover does not restart the clock.
3
Book cargo routing via Vienna or Frankfurt, since Air Serbia's direct flight will not carry the pet
Responsible: Owner or pet transport agent
4-6 weeks before travel, earlier in summer when cargo space is tighter.
4
Apply for Export Health Certificate 3567
Responsible: Owner, via a registered Official Veterinarian
Register for the online export health certificate service in good time; your OV needs to be APHA-verified before they can sign anything.
5
OV clinical exam and certificate signing
Responsible: Official Veterinarian
Shortly before departure, close enough to the travel date that the vaccination and microchip details remain current on the day of flight.
6
Travel and border check on arrival in Serbia
Responsible: Owner, checked by Serbian border veterinary control
Present the signed EHC 3567 and vaccination record at the point of entry.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter Serbia
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 compliant microchip required, implanted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination recorded on the export certificate.
Rabies vaccination
Primary or booster rabies vaccination required, with at least 21 days between a first vaccination and entry into Serbia. Serbia treats the UK as a lower-risk source country for this purpose, so the 21-day wait, not a titre test, is the operative rule.
Rabies titre test
Not required for pets travelling from the UK. Serbia reserves blood testing for higher-risk, unlisted source countries. Confirm this has not changed before booking travel, since Serbia can update its own country risk categories independently of the UK.
Quarantine
No quarantine for a compliant pet arriving with a valid certificate and current vaccination record.
Import permit
No import permit needed for a non-commercial move of a pet travelling with its owner (under five animals).
Health certificate
Non-commercial health certificate, endorsed in Serbia's own import format, valid for four months of travel within Serbia provided the rabies vaccination recorded on it does not expire in that window.
Export permit (United Kingdom)
No general export licence needed for a non-commercial move of your own pet. Instead you need Export Health Certificate 3567 (version 4), the specific GOV.UK certificate for cats and dogs travelling to Serbia.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Airline cargo fees, London to Belgrade via Vienna or Frankfurt: roughly GBP 500-1,200 depending on crate size and routing
IATA-compliant travel crate: GBP 80-300
UK veterinary fees: microchip if not already fitted, rabies vaccination or booster, clinical exam for EHC 3567
EHC 3567 application and OV signing fee: typically GBP 150-350, set by individual practices rather than fixed by APHA
Pet transport agent fee, useful given the Air Serbia routing gap: GBP 250-600
Vienna or Frankfurt connection fee if applicable, charged by some carriers on transfer routings
Critical points to read before you book
Air Serbia's direct Heathrow-Belgrade flight will not carry your pet under any circumstances. This is the single most common planning mistake on this route. Book a connecting cargo itinerary from the start.
Do not assume the 21-day wait alone is enough if your pet has never had a rabies vaccination before. A first vaccination needs its full 21 days to count; boosters given before the previous dose expires do not.
Serbia's risk classification of the UK could change. Confirm the titre test is still not required with the Veterinary Directorate or your OV shortly before travel, particularly if your move is more than a few months away.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
AIR SERBIA
Air Serbia
Operates the only direct London-Belgrade service, out of Heathrow, roughly ten times a week. It will not carry a pet on this sector: the airline excludes all pet travel, cabin or hold, on routes to and from the UK. The direct flight is not usable for this move whatever the pet's size.
Cargo Only
AUSTRIAN
Austrian Airlines
London to Vienna (VIE), then a short Vienna-Belgrade connection. Small pets travelling with an adult passenger go as accompanied checked baggage in the pressurised hold; unaccompanied cargo shipments are handled by Lufthansa Cargo, Austrian's parent carrier, rather than Austrian itself.
Cargo Only
LUFTHANSA
Lufthansa
London via Frankfurt (FRA) or Munich (MUC) to Belgrade. Pets travel through Lufthansa Cargo in a pressurised, temperature-controlled hold, booked separately from any passenger ticket. Brachycephalic breeds face extra restrictions and can be refused in hot weather on some sectors.
Cargo Only
The rules for bringing a pet into Serbia
Serbia has a clear set of import requirements that are manageable with some planning. Follow them in order and keep an eye on the dates that cannot move.
How to keep this move on track
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.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
FAQ
Common questions about United Kingdom to Serbia pet transport
No. Serbia treats the UK as a lower-risk source country and only requires a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old, and a signed export health certificate. The titre test and three-month wait apply to Serbia’s higher-risk, unlisted source countries, not the UK.
Not with Air Serbia, the only airline on that direct route. It excludes pets from every UK route it flies, in the cabin and the hold. You will need a connecting itinerary through Vienna with Austrian Airlines or through Frankfurt or Munich with Lufthansa Cargo.
Export Health Certificate 3567 (version 4), applied for through the online export health certificate service and signed by an APHA-verified Official Veterinarian shortly before travel. Northern Ireland owners apply through DAERA instead.
Serbia’s own import format, based on the UK’s EHC 3567, is valid for four months of travel within Serbia, provided the rabies vaccination recorded on the certificate does not expire during that period.
Airline guides
Air Serbia
Austrian Airlines
Lufthansa
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.