Country entry guide · Europe (EU)
Traveling to Lithuania with your dog
Lithuania welcomes dogs, but what you need to prepare depends mainly on the country your dog is travelling from — not only on Lithuania itself. As an EU member, Lithuania 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 needed to enter Lithuania. 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 Lithuania |
| 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 Lithuania
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Lithuania (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Lithuania★★★★★
Lithuania 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 Lithuania.
- 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 Lithuania'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; vmvt.lrv.lt |
| 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; vmvt.lrv.lt |
| 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 Lithuania. | European Commission — pet travel |
| Advance notification / import permit | Not required | — | Lithuania issues no pet import permit; from outside the EU, present your dog to border customs and veterinary services at a travellers' point of entry. | vmvt.lrv.lt; muitine.lrv.lt |
| Border check (documents & identity) | Non-EU arrivals | At a designated travellers' point of entry; present yourself spontaneously to customs. | No systematic check for intra-EU (Schengen) arrivals. | EU Reg. 576/2013; muitine.lrv.lt |
| 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 |
| Quarantine | Not required | — | Only if rules are breached — border authorities may then order re-export, quarantine or other measures. | EU Reg. 576/2013; vmvt.lrv.lt |
🌍 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 customs 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 Lithuania 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 spontaneously to Lithuanian customs and the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) for documentary and identity checks.
- No pet import permit is issued and no prior appointment is needed for standard non-commercial travel.
- Carry original documents (not copies); an English or officially translated certificate is recommended.
- If documents are missing or invalid, border authorities may order re-export, quarantine or other measures — at the owner's expense.
- Fight-breed dogs (American Pit Bull Terrier) and fight/dangerous crossbreeds are not allowed into Lithuania.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Lithuania regulates fighting and dangerous dog breeds under the Law on Welfare and Protection of Animals and the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) Director's Order No. B1-5 of 9 January 2013, which sets the official List of Fighting and Dangerous Dog Breeds.
Fighting breed (kovinių šunų veislė): the American Pit Bull Terrier. Fight dogs, and crossbreeds of fight and dangerous dogs, are not allowed in Lithuania — they cannot be brought in, kept, bred, purchased or sold. Any such crossbreed already in the country must be neutered.
Dangerous breeds (pavojingų šunų veislės): American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro (Brazilian Mastiff), Kangal (Turkish Shepherd), Caucasian Shepherd Dog and South Russian Shepherd Dog. To bring in, keep, breed, purchase or sell one, the owner (aged 18 or over) must hold a permit issued by the municipal administration of residence; the dog must be registered and identified with a microchip and kept under the VMVT keeping requirements, including muzzle and lead in public places.
A permit is issued by the municipal administration of the owner's place of residence and is refused to persons under 18. Confirm the current rules with VMVT and your municipality before travelling, as a dog resembling a listed breed may still be assessed as dangerous.
🛂 Airports in Lithuania
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; English or officially translated certificate recommended
- ☐Airline reservation confirming your dog's travel option
- ☐Suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold
- ☐Confirm your dog is not a fighting breed or fight/dangerous crossbreed (banned from entry)
📚 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)
- State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) — Travelling with pets
- VMVT — Keeping of dangerous-breed dogs
- VMVT Order No. B1-5 — List of Fighting and Dangerous Dog Breeds
- Lithuanian Customs — Carrying animals across the border