Country entry guide · Europe (EU)
Traveling to Malta with your dog
Malta welcomes dogs, but what you need to prepare depends mainly on the country your dog is travelling from — not only on Malta itself. As an EU member, Malta 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. Because Malta is an island, two extra steps apply to almost every dog: a tapeworm treatment given by a vet shortly before arrival, and an advance arrival notification to the veterinary authorities. 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 | Required (dogs) — vet-administered before arrival |
| 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 Malta
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Malta (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Malta★★★★★
Malta applies the EU pet-movement framework: an ISO microchip and a valid rabies vaccination are always required. Malta is also one of the few countries that require a tapeworm treatment before arrival and an advance arrival notification.
- 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★★★★☆
Malta judges entry on where the dog is actually travelling from, not where it was born or usually lives. A recent stay in a rabies-risk country can trigger an antibody test even if you fly in from an exempt country.
So read the requirements below as Malta'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; readable to ISO standard 11784/11785 (bring a scanner if not). | A legible tattoo is accepted only if done before 3 July 2011. | EU Reg. 576/2013; Veterinary Regulation Directorate (MT) |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Dog at least 12 weeks old at the shot, given after the microchip; valid from at least 21 days after the primary vaccination. | In-date boosters stay valid with no waiting period if there was no break in cover. | 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 |
| EU pet passport | EU origins | Issued by an EU vet; records the microchip, rabies vaccination and the tapeworm treatment. | 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 | Required (dogs) | A vet must treat the dog with a praziquantel product no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (1–5 days) before arrival in Malta, recorded in the passport or health certificate. | Not required only when the dog travels directly from Finland, Ireland, Norway or Northern Ireland. Does not apply to cats or ferrets. | EU Reg. 1152/2011; Veterinary Regulation Directorate (MT) |
| Advance arrival notification | Required (all arrivals) | Submit the online Pets Arrival Notification to the Veterinary Regulation Directorate before travel, giving the port/airport of arrival, flight or vessel, and travel details; print and carry a copy. | If the notification is not filed, entry to Malta may be denied. Used for both non-commercial and commercial movement. | Veterinary Regulation Directorate — Pets Arrival Notification (servizz.gov.mt) |
| Border check & points of entry | Required | Pets may only enter through a designated travellers' point of entry — Malta International Airport (Luqa) and Malta's designated sea passenger terminal — where an official vet checks documents and identity. | Entry from any other point is not permitted; present your dog and documents to the veterinary authorities on arrival. | Malta Customs — Importing Live Animals; Veterinary Regulation Directorate |
| 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 — a non-compliant dog (for example missing the tapeworm treatment) may be refused entry or placed in quarantine under official control at the owner's expense. | Veterinary Regulation Directorate (MT) |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Simplified — EU pet passport (+ tapeworm & notice)
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 and no health certificate — but a vet must still give the tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before arrival and record it in the passport, and you must file the advance arrival notification. Documents and identity are checked on arrival at the airport or sea terminal.
Health certificate + tapeworm, 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, an EU animal health certificate endorsed by an official vet, the tapeworm treatment before arrival, and the advance arrival notification. No antibody test is required. Enter only through a designated travellers' point of entry.
Antibody test + 3-month wait + tapeworm
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, the tapeworm treatment and the advance arrival notification are also required.
🛬 Arrival
Malta is an island: every dog enters through a designated point of entry, and what happens next depends on where you flew or sailed from.
- Enter only via a designated travellers' point of entry — Malta International Airport (Luqa) or Malta's designated sea passenger terminal — never any other point.
- File the online Pets Arrival Notification with the Veterinary Regulation Directorate before you travel; print and carry a copy, as entry can be denied without it.
- On arrival, present your dog and its original documents to the veterinary authorities for a documentary and identity check.
- The tapeworm treatment must be recorded in the passport or health certificate; if it is missing, the dog may be detained until treated or refused entry.
- Carry original documents, not copies. If documents are missing or invalid, the dog may be sent back to the country of departure or placed in quarantine at the owner's expense.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Malta does not ban any breed from entry and imposes no breed-based import restriction on travellers. Its only breed-specific law, the Prohibition of Breeding and Keeping of Non-Pedigree Bully Type Dog Regulations 2024 (LN 183/2024), targets the domestic breeding and sale of non-pedigree bully-type dogs — it is not an entry ban and was not introduced over aggression.
There is no category of dog that is prohibited from entering Malta on the basis of its breed. A dog of any breed may enter if it meets the standard EU pet-travel requirements (microchip, rabies vaccination, passport or health certificate, tapeworm treatment) and the arrival notification.
Under LN 183/2024, existing bully-type dogs (pedigree or mixed) are unaffected provided they were microchipped and electronically registered before 13 December 2024. Since that date it is illegal to breed non-pedigree bully-type dogs in Malta; pedigree bully breeds may still be bred through a registered kennel club. These are domestic ownership/breeding rules, not import controls.
If you are moving to Malta with a bully-type dog, plan to microchip and register it and keep proof of pedigree where relevant. For breed questions, contact the Veterinary Regulation Directorate or the Commissioner for Animal Welfare.
🛂 Airports in Malta
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) 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)
- ☐Tapeworm (praziquantel) treatment by a vet 24–120 hours before arrival, recorded
- ☐Online Pets Arrival Notification filed before travel; printed copy carried
- ☐Enter via Malta International Airport (Luqa) or a designated sea passenger terminal
- ☐Original documents (not copies); airline reservation and suitable IATA crate if in the hold
📚 Official sources
- Malta Customs — Importing Live Animals / Pets into Malta
- Servizz.gov.mt — Pets Arrival Notification (Veterinary Regulation Directorate)
- Malta Pet Arrivals — online arrival notification portal
- Ministry for Agriculture (Malta) — Veterinary Regulation Directorate, Travel with your pet
- European Commission — Travelling with a pet within the EU (tapeworm rule)
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
- Legislation Malta — LN 183/2024 Prohibition of Breeding and Keeping of Non-Pedigree Bully Type Dog Regulations
- Commissioner for Animal Welfare (Malta) — Bully Breeds FAQ