EU Pet Passport Cost and How to Get One

What the pet passport is and where it applies

The EU pet passport is the travel document for dogs, cats and ferrets that move between EU countries. It records the animal's identification and the vet's entries for the rabies vaccination, and for dogs the tapeworm treatment where one is required. The owner has to sign it. It covers non-commercial travel, where the animal is neither sold nor changes hands.

Other species do not get this document. Horses need an equine passport, which the guide on transporting a horse within Europe explains.

The legal basis changed this spring. Until 21 April 2026, Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 still applied to pet travel, even though it had been repealed in 2021. Since 22 April 2026, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 applies, and the passport model is set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705. Under the European Commission's transitional rules, passports issued to the older model are still accepted. Austria's social affairs and health ministry adds that passports issued before 31 December 2027 stay valid for the animal's lifetime, with new-model passports issued from 1 January 2028.

Who can get one

Only vets who have been authorised by the competent authority may issue the passport. Ask the practice or the local veterinary office whether yours is authorised.

The passport is issued in the EU country where you normally live, and the practice may ask you to prove it. If your main home is outside the EU and you are only visiting, you do not get a pet passport; the animal travels with a veterinary certificate instead. The UK government stated on 21 April 2026 that EU pet passports may now only be issued to people whose main home is in the EU, and that owners resident in Great Britain should get an Animal Health Certificate for travel to the EU.

What it costs in Germany

The GOT sets a basic rate for every service. The practice charges between one and three times that rate at its discretion (section 2), and anything outside that range needs a written agreement beforehand (section 5). VAT is added on top (section 1(3)). The fee schedule does not list the pet passport as an item of its own. For services that are not listed, section 8 applies the rate of an equivalent service. Which item a practice uses can differ; the vaccination certificate and the other certificate are the obvious candidates.

The amounts come from the GOT fee schedule without VAT (retrieved on 17 October 2026); the right-hand column is our own arithmetic. Three times the rate is the ceiling the regulation allows without a special agreement, not a typical price.

A worked example at the basic rate, not a price list: if your dog already has a chip that only needs reading, and the practice bills the passport as an other certificate, reading (€4.59) and certificate (€17.00) come to €21.59. Add a general examination and the total is €45.21. If the chip has to be implanted first, the reading drops out and implantation (€10.24) and documentation (€5.50) come in; with examination and certificate the sum is €56.36. VAT and the chip itself come on top.

If the vet visits you at home, a travel fee is added: €3.50 per double kilometre, at least €13 (section 10). The invoice has to show the fee schedule number for each service (section 7(4)), so you can see how the passport was billed.

What else adds up

Materials such as the chip appear on the invoice next to the fees (section 7(2) GOT), and the regulation names no price for them. Medicines, vaccines included, are priced under the German medicines price ordinance (section 9).

If the rabies vaccination required for travel is still missing, the injection (no. 221, €11.50 at the basic rate), the vaccine and the vaccination certificate (no. 87) are billed as well. Dogs travelling to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway also need a tapeworm treatment from a vet; its price depends on the product.

What it costs in Spain and elsewhere

The GOT applies in Germany only. Other countries have their own rules, and prices differ from practice to practice. For Spain, the consumer magazine Consumer gave about €30 to €50 for the passport in June 2026 and noted that the price varies by clinic. Where you cannot find a price list, ask the practice for a written estimate before the appointment.

Steps and deadlines

The steps build on each other, so the order matters:

1. The animal must be identified by a microchip. A tattoo counts only if it was applied before 3 July 2011 and is clearly legible.
2. EU law requires a valid rabies vaccination for the trip. The animal must be at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated, and the vaccination date must not be earlier than the day the chip was implanted or read.
3. The vaccination counts only from 21 days after the primary course is complete. An animal vaccinated at 12 weeks is therefore about 15 weeks old before its first border crossing. Some countries allow very young animals in under conditions; the destination country decides.
4. The authorised practice issues the passport and enters the chip and the vaccination. You sign it.
5. Dogs travelling to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway get the tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival. The vet enters it in the passport.
6. You carry the passport on the trip. No more than five animals may travel together in one vehicle. Exceptions exist for competitions, shows and sporting events, for animals older than six months and with the organiser's written confirmation.

When a transport company moves the animal

The passport covers private travel in which you go along. If a transport company carries your dog, stricter requirements apply: a clinical examination by an authorised vet within 48 hours before dispatch, an official animal health certificate and a TRACES notification. The passport is still needed on top. The details are in the guide to dog transport in Europe, and for cats in the guide to moving a cat to another EU country.

What the transport itself costs is covered in What does an animal transport cost. Note: this guide offers general orientation and is not legal advice. Rules and fees change, and the current legal text prevails. Editorial status: 17 October 2026.

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