Due to the war in Ukraine, on March 9 the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) released a statement concerning refugees or Dutch citizens fleeing Ukraine with a pet. Primarily, it states that “The EU has unitedly agreed that people fleeing Ukraine with their pets will be treated with clemency”.
To put it simply – all normal requirements for people bringing their pets from Ukraine into any EU-country have been temporarily suspended.
Travelers are asked to – if possible – report their arrival with their animal to the Netherlands in advance. This is done based on the mode of entry:
- Via road – travelers are directed to the NVWA here, and to click the green button labeled “Ask the NVWA a Question”. There is a field to fill out as much info as possible about the pet and the planned journey.
- Via plane – travelers are asked to report to the NVWA Amsterdam Airport Schiphol team via aas@nvwa.nl and also add as much information as possible about the pet and the planned journey.
Listed advice to travelers once arriving in the Netherlands:
- Bring the pet to a veterinarian within the Netherlands as soon as possible. This is mainly to receive a rabies vaccine, microchip, and registration.
- Until this vet visit has been completed, keep the pet away from other animals or people as much as possible.
Under normal circumstances, bringing a pet to the Netherlands from Ukraine requires much more paperwork and strict control. This is due to Ukraine both being a non-EU country, but also being designated as “high-risk” for rabies.
Do you want to know more of what it means to have a pet in the Netherlands? We have put together a blog post that highlights some important laws and resources.
