The General Veterinary Inspectorate elaborated a temporary procedure allowing citizens of Ukraine to bring companion animals to Poland. The procedure in Polish, English and Ukrainian is available on the website of the General Veterinary Inspectorate.
Chip, rabies vaccination and permission
Dogs, cats and ferrets arriving in the territory of the EU from Ukraine should:
- be properly chipped;
- have a valid rabies vaccination certificate;
- have an anti-rabies antibody titration result;
- have a health certificate issued by relevant veterinary authorities.
‘If a dog, cat or ferret do not meet any of these conditions, they still may cross the Polish-Ukrainian border. The owner should report this fact to officers present at the border. In such case, the owner of the animal fills in an application for permission to the non-commercial transfer of this animal in the territory of the EU or for transit through a member state,’ explains Monika Kotowicz – Doctor of Veterinary Science and County Veterinary Officer in Wroclaw.
If Poland is the state of destination, it is an application for permission to transfer the animal to the territory of the EU. If, however, refugees want to go farther into the EU, it is an application for transit through a member state.
Visit an animal clinic in the place of your stay
After the application is filled in, the animal will be chipped and vaccinated by the Veterinary Inspection. The owner will receive a permission proving that he legally crossed the border with his pet.
‘If these procedures are not complied with at the border, the owner has to report to the point indicated by the territorially relevant county veterinary officer or to the animal clinic indicated by this officer in the place of temporary stay. The doctors will chip the animal, vaccinate it against rabies and provide information about the further procedure. In Wroclaw and the Wroclaw County, owners can bring their pets to any of the eleven clinics and rabies vaccination points for animals from Ukraine,’ adds Monika Kotowicz.
No passport for pets. What procedures apply in other EU countries?
It is important to know that passports for crossing the border within the EU are not provided for pets of refugees from Ukraine. They are issued only to pets whose owners are EU citizens.
Apart from the permission, EU states elaborated their own special procedures for refugees arriving with companion pets.
Other companion animals without special procedures
War refugees may temporarily bring also other companion animals (rodents, rabbits, amphibians, reptiles, decorative water animals, invertebrates) to Poland without additional permissions. Since there is no risk of transmitting infectious diseases (including the rabies virus) to people or animals in the case of these species, no special procedures apply.
