Country entry guide · Europe (EU)
Traveling to Greece with your dog
Greece welcomes dogs, but what you need to prepare depends mainly on the country your dog is travelling from — not only on Greece itself. As an EU member, Greece applies the EU pet-movement rules: an ISO microchip and a valid rabies vaccination are always required. A dog coming from another EU country simply needs an EU pet passport. A dog from a listed non-EU country (such as the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom) needs an EU animal health certificate but no blood test. A dog from a non-listed country faces the longest path, including a rabies antibody test and a three-month wait. No tapeworm treatment is required to enter Greece. This guide explains each case so you know exactly what to prepare before you book your flight.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes |
| Microchip | Required |
| Rabies vaccination | Required |
| Rabies antibody test | Conditional — non-listed origins only |
| Veterinary certificate | Conditional — non-EU origins |
| Tapeworm treatment | Not required for Greece |
| Quarantine | Normally not required |
⏱️ Estimated preparation time
Times are indicative. The rabies antibody test alone adds a fixed 3-month wait.
⚠️ Important
- MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
- Only a veterinarian can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
- Requirements depend on: the country of origin, previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.
Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.
Find a flight to Greece
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Greece (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Greece★★★★★
Greece applies the EU pet-movement framework: an ISO microchip and a valid rabies vaccination are always required, and no tapeworm treatment is needed to enter Greece.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
Whether your dog leaves from an EU country, a listed non-EU country or a non-listed country decides whether an antibody test and a health certificate are required.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
A recent stay in a rabies-risk country can trigger an antibody test even if you fly in from an exempt country. It is your dog's real origin and history that count — not only the last airport.
So read the requirements below as Greece's framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin and history with your vet.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO microchip | Required | Must be implanted before the rabies vaccination. | A legible tattoo is accepted only if done before 3 July 2011. | EU Reg. 576/2013; minagric.gr |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Dog at least 12 weeks old at the shot; valid from 21 days after the primary vaccination. | The microchip must already be in place; otherwise re-vaccination is needed. | EU Reg. 576/2013, Annex III |
| Rabies antibody test | Conditional | Non-listed origins only: blood ≥30 days after vaccination, ≥3 months before entry, result ≥0.5 IU/ml, EU-designated lab. | Not required from the EU or from listed countries (US, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Japan, Australia…). | EU Reg. 2020/692; minagric.gr |
| EU pet passport | EU origins | Issued by an EU vet; records the microchip and rabies vaccination. | Replaced by an animal health certificate for non-EU origins. | EU Reg. 577/2013 |
| EU animal health certificate | Non-EU origins | Issued/endorsed by an official vet before departure; valid 10 days to entry, then up to 4 months for onward EU travel. | Not needed for EU origins (passport instead). | EU Reg. 577/2013, Annex IV |
| Tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment | Not required | — | Only Finland, Ireland, Malta, N. Ireland and Norway require it — not Greece. | European Commission — pet travel |
| Advance notification / import permit | Not required | — | Greece issues no import permit and requires no prior customs appointment for a pet dog. | minagric.gr — pet animals |
| Border check (documents & identity) | Non-EU arrivals | At a designated travellers' point of entry; present yourself to the competent authorities/customs. | No systematic check for intra-EU (Schengen) arrivals. | EU Reg. 576/2013; minagric.gr |
| Puppies / minimum age | Effectively ≥15 weeks | 12-week rabies shot + 21-day wait (listed); about 7 months from a non-listed country. | Puppies under 12 weeks cannot be vaccinated, so cannot enter from outside the EU. | EU Reg. 576/2013; minagric.gr |
| Quarantine | Not required | — | Only if rules are breached — authorities may then order re-export, quarantine or other measures. | EU Reg. 576/2013; minagric.gr |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Simplified — EU pet passport
A dog coming from another EU country needs an EU pet passport showing a valid ISO microchip and an in-date rabies vaccination. No antibody test, no health certificate and normally no border check.
Health certificate, no blood test
From a listed non-EU country (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and others), your dog needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU animal health certificate endorsed by an official vet before departure. No antibody test is required; present yourself to the competent authorities at a travellers' point of entry.
Antibody test + 3-month wait
From a non-listed (at-risk) country, add a rabies antibody test: blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, result ≥0.5 IU/ml at an EU-designated laboratory, then a compulsory 3-month wait before entry. An endorsed EU animal health certificate is also required.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Greece depends on where you flew from.
- From another EU country: no systematic border check — keep the EU pet passport with you.
- From outside the EU: enter via a designated travellers' point of entry and present yourself to the competent Greek authorities (customs / veterinary service) for documentary and identity checks.
- No import permit is issued and no prior appointment is needed for a pet dog travelling with its owner.
- Carry original documents (not copies), in Greek and/or English or officially translated.
- If documents are missing or invalid, the authorities may order re-export, quarantine or other measures — at the owner's expense.
- Greece has no breed-based import ban, so no dog is refused entry on the basis of its breed.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Greece has no breed-specific dangerous-dog ban and publishes no list of prohibited breeds. Dog ownership is governed by the animal-welfare law (Law 4830/2021, Project Argos), which defines a dangerous animal by behaviour, not by breed.
No breed categories exist. Under Law 4830/2021 a 'dangerous animal' is one that repeatedly shows unprovoked, unwarranted aggression toward people or other animals — an individual behavioural assessment, never an automatic breed label. There is no equivalent of a banned breed list, and no breed is prohibited from entering or being kept in Greece.
Owner obligations apply to every dog: an ISO microchip, registration in the National Companion Animal Registry (EMZS) with the owner's details and a DNA sample, sterilisation or DNA registration, and keeping the dog on a lead in public spaces. If a dog is officially assessed as dangerous, its owner faces stricter keeping conditions set by the competent authority.
Because Greece regulates behaviour rather than breed, plan around the owner obligations of Law 4830/2021 (microchip, registration, DNA, leashing) rather than a breed list. For registry and enforcement questions, contact the Greek Ministry of the Interior.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Greece
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Microchip (ISO) implanted before the rabies vaccination
- ☐Valid rabies vaccination (dog ≥12 weeks at the shot, +21 days)
- ☐Rabies antibody test — non-listed countries only
- ☐EU pet passport (EU origin) or endorsed EU health certificate (non-EU origin)
- ☐Original documents in Greek and/or English, or officially translated
- ☐Airline reservation confirming your dog's travel option
- ☐Suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold
- ☐No breed ban in Greece — plan for owner obligations (registration, leashing) under Law 4830/2021
📚 Official sources
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
- European Commission — Travelling with a pet within the EU
- European Commission — Listing of non-EU countries (antibody-test exemption)
- Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food — Pet Animals
- Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food — Animal health requirements for non-commercial movement of pets
- Gov.gr — Register and monitor pet animals (National Companion Animal Registry)