European regulations and Spanish legislation establish requirements for foreign dogs visiting Spain.
1. Travelling to Spain from an EU country
In order to travel to Spain with a dog, it must be microchipped or tattooed (if this was done before 3rd July 2011 and as long as it remains visible) and it must be vaccinated against rabies with a valid vaccine at the time of travelling and stated on the passport, and having a complete European passport.
Under no circumstances, it is authorized the entrance in Spain of puppies under 15 weeks and, therefore, not vaccinated against rabies. The minimum age to vaccinate dogs is 12 weeks (for the vaccine to be valid, a period of 21 days must pass after the inoculation).
2. Travelling to Spain from a country that is not member of the EUIn order to take a dog from a non-EU country into Spain, you must enter with your dog through one of Entry Points for travellers and present the required documents to the Guardia Civil.
In those cases, in which a European passport is not available, the dog must be accompanied by a zoo sanitary certificate, which must be signed by an official veterinarian from the country of origin and present a declaration, at least in Spanish, both according to the EU rules and a certified copy of the identification and vaccination data of each dog.
Additionally, your dog must be identified with a microchip or tattoo (if this was done before 03/07/2011) and be vaccinated against rabies with a valid vaccine at the time of travelling. If you arrive from a country not listed in the Annex II of Regulation (EU) 577/2013, your will need to present a serological test against rabies (see section 4) done by an authorized laboratory.
Important note:
Transportation of up to five dogs is considered for non-commercial purposes. There are exceptions for competitions, exhibitions or sport activities, duly documented for animals older than 6 months under these conditions:
Transportation of up to five dogs is considered for non-commercial purposes. There are exceptions for competitions, exhibitions or sport activities, duly documented for animals older than 6 months under these conditions:
- Not for a commercial purpose or a transfer of ownership.
- They travel with their owners or persons in charge of the dog/s in their names during the trip.
Dogs are allowed to travel separated from their owner/handler if there is a maximum of five days between the arrival of the owner/handler and the dog/s.
