Country entry guide · Europe (EU)
Traveling to Portugal with your dog
Portugal welcomes dogs, but what you need to prepare depends mainly on the country your dog is travelling from — not only on Portugal itself. As an EU member, Portugal 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. One national point to know: arrivals from outside the EU must notify the Traveller Point of Entry in advance. 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 |
| Advance arrival notice | Non-EU arrivals (≥48 h before) |
| Tapeworm treatment | Not required for Portugal |
| 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 Portugal
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Portugal (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Portugal★★★★★
Portugal 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 Portugal. Non-EU arrivals must additionally notify the Traveller Point of Entry in advance.
- 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 Portugal'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, with written proof. | EU Reg. 576/2013; dgav.pt |
| 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; dgav.pt |
| 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 the official authority 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 Portugal. | European Commission — pet travel |
| Advance arrival notice / Point of Entry | Non-EU arrivals | Notify the Traveller Point of Entry (e.g. airport) as early as possible, at least 48 hours before arrival; no import permit is issued. | No arrival notice for intra-EU (Schengen) arrivals. | dgav.pt — Aviso de chegada |
| Border / veterinary check | Non-EU arrivals | At a designated Traveller Point of Entry; a veterinary control fee applies (€42.25 for one animal, €84.50 for two or more; free for assistance dogs). | No systematic check for intra-EU (Schengen) arrivals. | dgav.pt; Despacho DGAV 3044/2024 |
| Puppies / minimum age | Effectively ≥15 weeks | 12-week rabies shot + 21-day wait (listed); about 7 months from a non-listed country. | Dogs under 12 weeks, or aged 12–16 weeks vaccinated less than 21 days ago, cannot enter from outside the EU. | EU Reg. 576/2013; dgav.pt |
| Quarantine | Not required | — | Only if rules are breached — authorities may then order re-export or, in the worst case, euthanasia, at the owner's expense. | dgav.pt — Cães e Gatos |
🌍 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, no advance arrival notice and normally no border check.
Health certificate + advance notice
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 issued by the official authority before departure. No antibody test is required, but you must notify the Traveller Point of Entry at least 48 hours before arrival and undergo the veterinary check on 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 and an advance arrival notice are also required.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Portugal 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: notify the Traveller Point of Entry (aviso de chegada) as early as possible — at least 48 hours before arrival — and enter through that designated point for the veterinary check.
- A veterinary control fee applies to non-EU arrivals: €42.25 for one animal, €84.50 for two or more; assistance dogs are exempt.
- No import permit is issued, but pleasure marinas/ports that are not Points of Entry cannot be used — the dog must reach a Traveller Point of Entry to be checked.
- Carry original documents (or certified copies where allowed), in Portuguese, bilingual or officially translated.
- If documents are missing or invalid, authorities may order re-export to origin or, in the worst case, euthanasia — at the owner's expense.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Portugal regulates dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs under Decree-Law 315/2009 (amended by Law 46/2013). Unlike some countries, no breed is banned from entry, but owners of listed breeds must meet strict keeping conditions.
Potentially dangerous breeds (raças potencialmente perigosas), listed in Portaria 422/2004, are: Brazilian Mastiff (Fila Brasileiro), Argentine Dogo, Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Tosa Inu — plus their first-generation crosses. Keeping one requires an annual licence from the local parish council (junta de freguesia), compulsory civil-liability insurance (Portaria 585/2004, minimum €50,000), a muzzle and lead in public, and — for dogs not registered in a recognised stud book (e.g. Pit Bull, American Bully) — sterilisation.
A separate category, 'dangerous animal' (animal perigoso), is defined by behaviour rather than breed: any dog that has bitten or injured a person or another animal, has been declared aggressive by its owner, or has been assessed as a risk by the authorities. These dogs face the same keeping obligations and must be sterilised.
Importing a listed breed is allowed. From another EU country, travel on the EU pet passport as usual. From outside the EU for a non-commercial stay, the owner signs a responsibility statement (termo de responsabilidade) at the Point of Entry for stays up to 4 months, or requests a residence notification (notificação de permanência) from DGAV for longer stays. Confirm the current formalities with DGAV before travelling.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Portugal
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)
- ☐Advance arrival notice to the Traveller Point of Entry (non-EU arrivals, ≥48 h)
- ☐Original documents in Portuguese, bilingual or officially translated
- ☐Airline reservation confirming your dog's travel option
- ☐Suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold
- ☐If a listed breed: civil-liability insurance and responsibility statement / residence notification
📚 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)
- DGAV — Entering Portugal from outside the EU (dogs & cats)
- DGAV — Dangerous & potentially dangerous animals (general information)
- gov.pt — Responsibility statement for entry of dangerous-breed dogs from outside the EU
- Portuguese Customs (AT) — Customs information for travellers