Check waiting periods for pets before you book your move
Before booking, check the rules for the country of your dog, cat, or ferret. On a high-risk route, after a first rabies vaccination you may have to wait at least 30 days before blood is sampled, and then 90 days from sampling before the certificate can be issued. Household goods coming from outside the EU (European Union) may be eligible for customs relief. Vehicles require separate tax checks and Dutch registration.
Pick the route before you book or ship
This guide is for people who are moving with their own pets, personal belongings, or a vehicle. Which pet documents you need depends on the country you depart from. Before booking travel, choose the pet route shown below.
The NVWA (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit, Dutch food and consumer product safety authority) provides the rules for pet entry. For a first rabies vaccination, you must allow at least 21 days before travel. A high-risk route may also require a blood test and a 90-day wait before the certificate is issued.
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| What you are moving | First decision | Start when |
|---|---|---|
| Dog, cat or ferret on the recognised pet-passport route | Confirm that the passport and rabies vaccination remain valid | Before booking; allow at least 21 days after a first vaccination |
| Dog, cat or ferret from another country on the official low-risk list | Arrange the correct EU animal health certificate and owner declaration | Before booking; certificate issued or endorsed within 10 days before EU entry, extended by the voyage length for sea journeys |
| Dog, cat or ferret from an unlisted high-risk country outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway | Plan the chip, vaccination, blood test and 90-day wait before the certificate is issued | At least 120 days after a first vaccination before certificate issue; allow extra time for travel |
| Bird, rabbit, rodent, reptile or another pet | Use the animal-specific NVWA route | Before booking; some certificates must be no more than 10 days old |
For household goods, select the route based on where the shipment originates. A vehicle also requires BPM (belasting van personenauto’s en motorrijwielen, car and motorcycle tax) checks and registration with RDW (Dienst Wegverkeer, Dutch vehicle registration authority).
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| What you are moving | First decision | Start when |
|---|---|---|
| Household goods from outside the EU | Check removal-goods relief and appoint a removal company | Before the shipment is declared |
| Household goods from another EU country | Check accijnsgoederen (goods subject to excise tax), restricted goods and destination rules | Before packing restricted items |
| Car or motorcycle | Complete customs clearance if the vehicle comes from outside the EU, arrange BPM relief, then register it with RDW | Before driving it after becoming a Dutch resident |
On 22 April 2026, EU pet rules changed. The main requirements for microchips, rabies, and documents remain in place. New document models and country lists now apply.
Getting a dog, cat, or ferret ready
For your dog, cat, or ferret, all of the following are required: identification, vaccination, travel documents, and health checks:
- Identification: a compliant microchip must be used. A tattoo that is clearly readable and was applied before 3 July 2011 may still be accepted.
- Rabies: for a first vaccination, the animal must be at least 12 weeks old. The microchip must be implanted or read before the vaccination, or on the same day and in that order.
- Waiting period: after the first vaccination, you must wait at least 21 days before travel. A booster prevents a new wait only if it is given before the previous vaccination expires.
- Document: on the recognised passport route, use a valid passport; from another country, use the correct EU animal health certificate.
- Health: an animal entering from outside the EU must have no obvious signs of disease and must be fit to travel.
For a young animal, allow at least 15 weeks
A first rabies vaccination can begin at 12 weeks, and the wait is at least 21 days. As a result, a dog, cat, or ferret younger than 15 weeks cannot enter the Netherlands under the normal route.
Starting 1 January 2026, the Netherlands restricts keeping hairless and folded-ear cats. If you bring one from abroad, you need written proof that it was born and microchipped before 1 January 2026. The RVO (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, Netherlands Enterprise Agency) rules for hairless and folded-ear cats also apply to temporary visits. These cats may not participate in shows or competitions, including cats covered by the transition.
Check who owns the pet and how the owner travels
Before you travel with your pet, check all of the following requirements:
- Ownership: the animal stays yours and is not travelling for sale or transfer to a new owner.
- Owner’s journey: either travel with your pet or give another person written authorisation. That person must make the same journey within 5 days before or after yours. The authorised person must carry proof of your journey, for example a copy of a boarding pass.
- Pet numbers: as a rule, no more than 5 dogs, cats, or ferrets may travel as pets. For private transport, the limit applies to the whole vehicle.
- Service and assistance dogs: these dogs must satisfy the same veterinary entry rules.
- Transport rules: in addition to the legal entry rules, check the rules of the airline, airport, and crate.
More than 5 animals may be allowed for a competition, exhibition, sporting event, or training for one. You must have proof, and every animal must be older than 6 months.
Follow the recognised pet passport route
For travel from the EU, Northern Ireland, or Norway, use a European pet passport. The same passport route also applies to recognised territories. An authorised veterinarian must sign and complete the passport. For other countries of departure, check the official country lists.
Older passports are still accepted if their health entries are valid. The transition applies to passports issued under the previous models before 1 January 2028. The 2026 pet-document regulation sets the limit for the issue date.
Get a health certificate for other country routes
If your departure country is outside the recognised passport route, arrange all of the following certificate documents and checks:
- Certificate issuer: use the EU animal health certificate for non-commercial movement (travel without sale or transfer of ownership). An official veterinarian issues it. An authorised veterinarian may also issue it, provided the competent authority then endorses it.
- Certificate dates: the certificate must be issued or endorsed no more than 10 days before entry into the EU. For a sea journey, the rules extend that period by the duration of the voyage.
- Attachments: include the signed declaration that confirms the movement is non-commercial. Add certified copies of the vaccination records. When a blood test is required, attach either the original laboratory report or a certified copy.
- Onward travel: after the first EU border check, the certificate can cover onward travel within the EU for up to 6 months, or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first.
For certificates issued from 1 October 2026, use the new model. An old-model certificate issued before that date may still be accepted through 31 March 2027. The vaccination and blood-test waits continue to apply. Ask the official veterinarian which model to use, and keep the form unchanged.
In certain situations, a passport may be used instead of the certificate. A returning EU animal meets the condition when an EU veterinarian has recorded the needed vaccination before it left. If the trip is high-risk, the veterinarian must also have recorded a successful blood test before departure. When an EU animal returns and its rabies vaccination was administered outside the EU, that vaccination has to be recorded on a separate EU health certificate. A recognised passport may be issued by some listed territories. Look at the document rules that apply to the country you are departing from.
Check the country-specific route for rabies testing
When you depart from outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway, a rabies blood test is required for countries that do not appear on either official list. For listed routes, either a recognised passport or an EU animal health certificate is used, and which one depends on the country. Classifications for countries may change, so consult the current live lists.
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| Country route | Rabies blood test | Main travel document |
|---|---|---|
| EU, Northern Ireland, Norway or a recognised passport territory | Not required for this route | Recognised pet passport, if all entries are valid |
| Another country on the official low-risk list | Not required | EU animal health certificate, unless a defined passport-return route applies |
| Unlisted country outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway | Required | EU animal health certificate plus the laboratory report, unless a qualifying EU passport-return route applies |
The low-risk list contains, among others, the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. For departures outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway, any country not found on either list is high-risk. Since 16 September 2024, Russia and Belarus have been high-risk.
When departing from a listed country outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway, the blood-test exemption applies only if at least one of the following conditions is met. The conditions are set out in Article 17 of the pet-movement regulation:
- Your pet travels directly from a listed country in which you usually reside.
- Before this journey, your pet has stayed only in one or more listed countries.
- Your pet goes through an unlisted country while it is secured in its transport or within an international port or airport zone. It does not come into contact with animals that are susceptible to rabies. A signed declaration confirming this is provided by you or by the authorised person.
Follow the order for high-risk vaccination and blood testing
If the departure is from an unlisted high-risk country outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway, carry out these steps in the order shown. Under the current certificate model, the 90-day waiting period must finish before the certificate is issued.
- Use a chip to identify the animal. Retain the chip entry.
- After the chip has been implanted or read, have a veterinarian administer the first rabies vaccination from the age of 12 weeks. Retain the vaccination entry.
- Arrange for an authorised veterinarian to collect the blood sample no earlier than 30 days after the first vaccination. When your pet's earlier rabies vaccination remains valid, the blood sample may be taken right away. Retain the sample date.
- Have the sample tested by a laboratory designated by the EU. The result has to be at least 0.5 IU/ml (international units per millilitre). Retain the laboratory report.
- Unless the EU-return exception described below applies, wait at least 90 days from the sample date before the veterinarian issues the health certificate.
- Arrange for the health certificate. It has to be issued or endorsed within 10 days before entry into the EU, with the sea-voyage extension described above.
- Attach the laboratory report showing a successful result to the certificate.
As an example, if the first vaccination is given on 1 October 2026, a blood sample may be taken from 31 October. If the result is successful, the certificate can be issued from 29 January 2027. Plan travel within the certificate's entry-validity period and leave enough time for the laboratory result.
For an animal returning to the EU, the 90-day wait is waived when an EU veterinarian recorded its valid vaccination and successful blood test before departure.
A successful blood test remains valid as long as each rabies booster is administered before the previous vaccination expires. Should that vaccination expire, the next vaccination is treated as a first vaccination, and the test rules apply once more.
Extra conditions apply to Australia and Malaysia
For cats from Australia, an additional statement about Hendra infection is required. For dogs and cats from Peninsular Malaysia, extra statements are required, along with a negative Nipah antibody test on a sample collected within 10 days before export. Ask the official veterinarian to review the certificate notes for the specific country.
Present your pet for reporting at the first EU border
When an entry check is required for your pet's route, officials carry it out at the first EU entry point. That point may be a connection in another EU country. Where required, use a designated travellers' entry point. If you enter through the Netherlands, report to Douane (Customs) via the red goods-to-declare channel whenever your pet route or customs rules require reporting. Officials inspect the required documents and confirm the animal's identity.
For protected animals, fewer Dutch entry points are available, and a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) document may be necessary. The permitted offices are named in NVWA entry-point list (PDF, about 105 KB).
Register an imported dog
When your dog is going to remain in the Netherlands for 3 months or longer, register it according to RVO's current Dutch instructions. Apply for a UBN (uniek bedrijfsnummer, unique business number), and bring the imported dog to a Dutch veterinarian within 14 days after arrival. The veterinarian registers the dog under that number. Shorter visits are exempt under RVO rules for dogs from abroad if you do not sell the dog.
A UBN identifies the location where the dog is kept. For a private dog keeper, registering one costs €23.02 once in 2026. Costs for veterinary care and database registration are separate. The application process and costs are explained in RVO UBN application guide.
Declare tax for a pet you purchased
In 2026, for eligible personal imports by travellers, goods purchased outside the EU qualify for a total tax-free allowance of €430 per traveller when arriving by plane or ship. A bought pet is included in this. When arriving by road, rail or other transport, the allowance is €300 per traveller. Private planes and boats also use the €300 allowance. Travellers' allowances cannot be pooled, and one pet's value cannot be split among different people. Alcohol and tobacco have separate quantity allowances.
A pet purchased outside the EU and brought into the EU for the first time counts toward the allowance that applies. You must declare it when its value, added to other purchases covered by this allowance, is above the limit for your route. Taxable purchases must be declared to customs at the relevant first EU entry point. When that point is in the Netherlands, declare them to Douane. If you fail to declare them, you may face a fine plus tax.
As an example, a pet bought for €500 is above the €430 allowance for air or sea passengers even if you bring no other purchases. A pet costing €350 is above the €300 allowance for road or rail. When an item is above the allowance, tax is charged on its full value. The limits and the declaration duty are covered in Douane rules for purchases abroad.
These traveller allowances apply to qualifying personal imports, not to trade consignments. A permanent move does not automatically make you eligible for them. Before travelling, ask customs which relief route applies. Animal-health entry rules are still separate.
Check which route applies to birds and other pets
When rabbits, rodents, ornamental fish, reptiles, amphibians and covered invertebrates come from outside the EU, the general health certificate must be no older than 10 days. Pet birds from origins that are not exempt usually require a chip or a closed leg ring, as well as a veterinary examination before departure. The identification exception for approved quarantine is explained below.
Under EU bird-origin list, pet birds from Andorra, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City State have an exemption. This route waives individual identification, health certificates and their attached declarations, pre-departure examinations, bird-flu safeguards, and WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) origin membership. The five-bird limit and the residence-isolation rules below continue to apply.
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| Animal from outside the EU | Core documents and timing | Extra check |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbit, rodent, ornamental fish, reptile, amphibian or covered invertebrate | General veterinary health certificate issued as close as possible to departure and no more than 10 days old, plus a signed non-commercial declaration | Report at the first EU entry point; check protected and invasive-species rules |
| Pet bird from an exempt origin listed above | No EU health certificate, individual chip or ring, or pre-departure examination required by this origin exemption | Maximum 5 birds; residence isolation and destination-notification conditions below still apply |
| Pet bird from a non-exempt origin | Owner statement and health certificate; unique chip or closed leg ring unless the approved-quarantine exception below applies; vet examination within 48 hours before departure or on the last working day before dispatch | Maximum 5 birds and the applicable bird-flu vaccination, test or approved-country route, or approved quarantine |
| Protected species | Any required animal-health documents plus the required CITES document | In the Netherlands, protected pets may enter only through designated offices at Schiphol or Maastricht |
Under the other-pet route, you must either travel with the animal or make the same journey within 5 days. The animal travels because you travel. This route does not cover rabbits for food or animals going to reptile fairs. Invertebrates covered by the route do not include bees, bumblebees, molluscs and crustaceans.
Find out which mammals you are allowed to keep
Before moving an unusual mammal, check the huis- en hobbydierenlijst (list of mammals allowed as pets). Species on the list may be kept as pets. Fallow deer and red deer have an exception. The RVO mammal list and exceptions explain which animals qualify.
A transitional arrangement applies to mammals not on the list that were already kept when the rules began on 1 July 2024. It also applies to offspring if the mother was pregnant at that time. Keep dated proof, such as a purchase record or veterinary bill, and prevent further breeding. The mammal-list decision sets these conditions. Animal-health, CITES and invasive-species rules still apply. Ask RVO to confirm your animal’s documents before travel.
Check the health and arrival rules for birds
If pet birds come from non-exempt origins, the departure country must be a WOAH member and meet the animal-health conditions. On this route, the owner signs the non-commercial declaration.
Your own birds can travel under the pet-bird route as long as they are not being sold or transferred. This route does not apply to chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, quail, pigeons, pheasants, partridges, or flightless birds.
After entry, birds from exempt origins and birds that meet the ordinary pre-entry requirements must go directly to the residence. Keep them isolated from other birds for at least 30 days. During that period, keep them away from bird shows, fairs, exhibitions and other bird gatherings. If isolation happens in a different EU country from first EU entry, inform the final destination authorities of the residence address.
If birds travel under the approved-quarantine route, they have to go straight to the approved quarantine establishment in the final EU destination country and stay there for a minimum of 30 days. They can only leave if an official veterinarian gives written authorisation. Before you book, confirm the correct bird route with NVWA.
Under the approved-quarantine route, a written description of one bird or a group may be used instead of individual identification. Before travel, the departure authority has to seal the birds in a container. That container must let officials visually inspect the area where the birds are housed. The rules for examination, WOAH origin, and certificates for non-exempt origins continue to apply.
When birds come from non-exempt origins, a vet has to see no clear signs of disease and confirm they are fit to travel. Once examined, the birds must be kept separate from other birds until they depart.
A health certificate has to be issued or endorsed no more than 10 days before entry into the EU. For sea transport, the voyage length is added to that period. If your own vet fills out the certificate, every page must be signed and stamped by a government vet. These certificate rules are for non-exempt origins.
Claim relief for household goods coming from outside the EU
In the declaration to Douane, a removal company asks for relief for verhuisboedel (removal goods). If Douane approves this, personal goods that qualify may be imported without import duties. All the conditions listed below are required. Review them before the shipment is declared.
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| Condition | What it means | Evidence or continuing rule |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer your normal residence | You move from outside the EU to live in the Netherlands or another EU country | Proof of settlement |
| Previous residence | You lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months | Residence and deregistration records |
| Ownership and use | You owned and used the goods for at least 6 months and will use them again | Inventory, receipts or other proof if Customs asks |
| Import period | You import the goods within 12 months after taking up residence | Settlement and import dates |
| After import | For 12 months after import, do not lend, pledge, lease out or transfer the relieved goods | Keep the goods and import decision |
Your registration with the municipality must show the date you settled in the Netherlands. If that is not available, you must provide proof that you deregistered abroad and one accepted document showing settlement. Accepted examples are an employment contract, a statement from your employer, a work permit, a rental contract, or a mortgage certificate.
When documents are still missing, check with the moving company whether it can submit the application before you provide those documents. Send the missing documents as soon as possible.
To claim relief, work through these steps with your removal company:
- Pick a removal company that can file the Douane declaration using the relief code.
- Give the company a signed inventory of every personal item in the shipment.
- Supply the settlement evidence listed above.
- If a vehicle is part of the shipment, include copies of its registration certificate and proof of purchase or ownership. A separate import declaration is still required for the vehicle.
- Retain the declaration, decision, inventory and settlement evidence for the full restriction period.
The relief does not cover alcohol-containing products, tobacco and tobacco products, commercial vehicles, or non-portable professional materials. Separate restrictions or bans apply to other goods. Among them are weapons, narcotics, counterfeit goods, protected species, animal products, and certain cultural goods. Find out which items can be declared separately. Take prohibited goods out of the shipment.
Move household goods from another EU country
You do not need a customs declaration for ordinary removal goods from another EU country, because goods move freely within the EU. Separate rules still apply to excise goods, pets, weapons, narcotics, counterfeit goods, protected species, animal products, and cultural goods. For a vehicle, the BPM and RDW steps are still required.
Import and register a car or motorcycle
Warning
Check the foreign-plate exemptions before driving
If you are registered in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, Personal Records Database), or if you should be registered there, you generally may not drive in the Netherlands on foreign plates. Before driving, check foreign-plate rules and exemptions. Student, employee, employer, and short-term exemptions have separate conditions.
When your vehicle is imported from a country outside the EU, you need to complete customs clearance first, before the RDW inspection takes place. You must request BPM relief prior to that inspection as well. If BPM applies to the vehicle, submit the paper BPM return once the inspection is finished.
For an EU move, use the Belastingdienst (Tax Administration) exemption application. A non-EU move uses a separate vehicle import declaration.
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| Origin | Before the RDW inspection | Tax-relief route |
|---|---|---|
| Another EU country | No customs declaration for the vehicle; apply for the moving-house BPM exemption | Use the Dutch-only Belastingdienst form and apply within 12 months of moving |
| Outside the EU | Have the removal company file a separate vehicle import declaration and obtain the import-relief decision | Use the import declaration with its exemption code in the BPM route before the inspection |
To qualify for the EU moving-house BPM exemption, you must have owned the vehicle and used it for at least 6 months before the move. Every condition listed below is required. You must follow the restriction dates in your own exemption decision.
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| BPM moving-relief condition | Rule |
|---|---|
| Vehicle use | The vehicle is part of the household goods, and you use it for the same purpose as before |
| Previous ownership and use | At least 6 months before the move |
| Previous normal residence | Normal residence in the other country for at least 12 months before the move |
| Application | Within 12 months after moving |
| After relief | Do not sell, rent out or lend the vehicle for 12 months after registration, or BPM becomes payable. Family members living with you may drive it. Check the dates in your exemption decision. |
Arrange registration in this order:
- Register in the BRP. Use the municipality-registration guide to arrange registration.
- Complete the customs step if the vehicle comes from outside the EU.
- Request BPM relief before the inspection. For an EU move, print, sign and post the Dutch exemption form.
- Book the RDW inspection.
- If you cannot use the foreign plates, apply for a one-day registration for the inspection journey.
- Before the inspection, make a copy of the complete foreign registration certificate. RDW keeps the original.
- You must attend the inspection in person. Bring the vehicle, the original foreign registration certificate, valid identification, and the tax document showing that the vehicle qualifies as household goods.
- After the inspection, submit the paper BPM return if the vehicle is subject to BPM. The return is still required when relief means no BPM is due.
- You must wait until RDW and Belastingdienst approve. RDW then sends the registration certificate within 5 business days. The full registration code follows 2 working days later. Postal delivery times vary.
- From the moment the vehicle is registered in your name, arrange Dutch third-party liability insurance.
- Get Dutch number plates made.
- Make sure any required roadworthiness inspection stays valid.
The registration also starts the process for motor vehicle tax.
Make a budget for vehicle costs after tax relief.
If you meet the conditions, relief can remove import duties and BPM. Include RDW fees, transport, number plates, insurance, motor vehicle tax, and any inspection or modification costs in your budget. Keep any decisions for customs relief, BPM relief, and registration.
A foreign driving licence has separate rules for validity and exchange. Importing a vehicle does not change those rules. Check the driving-licence exchange guide before you drive.
Fix problems before you travel.
Part of your move can be stopped by a missing document or an import ban. Check these cases before you pay for transport.
Sort out missing pet documents or dates.
When the pet dates do not work, adjust the journey. Have an official veterinarian and NVWA check the route. Observe the full legal waiting periods and carry every required document.
Warning
Inspect pet documents before departure.
Before departure, verify each required chip number or other identification, date, signature, endorsement, and attachment. Should your pet fail the border checks, authorities may return it or quarantine it until it complies. If neither option is possible, they can euthanise it. Quarantine costs, including housing, transport, and veterinary care, are paid by the owner.
Arrange any missing settlement evidence.
If Douane’s conditions are met, the removal company can apply before every requested document is available. Ask the company before shipping and send missing evidence as soon as possible.
The claim route published by Douane uses a removal company. If you plan to move the goods yourself, contact Douane first.
For goods from Russia, check them against the import bans.
Before packing, check the current EU import-ban list if goods come from Russia. Douane states that no exemption is possible for goods prohibited by the sanctions. Ask Douane or a sanctions specialist when the classification is uncertain.
Review your documents before departure.
Before departure, check every applicable item:
- Pet: determine the animal, the country route, the travel document, vaccination status, and the first EU entry point.
- High-risk pet: before paying for transport, record the vaccination, sample, and earliest certificate-issue dates.
- Animal documents: verify the required chip number or other identification, dates, signatures, endorsements, declarations, and laboratory attachments.
- Other animal: consult the NVWA species page, the Dutch mammal list, CITES status, and invasive-species rules.
- Non-EU goods: before the declaration, confirm every relief condition, appoint the removal company, and sign the full inventory.
- Restricted goods: review the separate declaration rules for alcohol, tobacco, and other restricted items. Keep prohibited goods out of the shipment.
- Vehicle: for a non-EU vehicle, arrange customs clearance, keep the BPM and RDW steps separate, and avoid foreign plates after the BRP rule applies.
Store the official decisions and evidence with your moving records.
Go on to these guides:
- First 90 days in the Netherlands: arrival checklist
- Owning a car in the Netherlands: what to arrange
Official Sources
- NVWA: Bringing pets into the Netherlands - the Dutch starting point for current non-commercial pet rules, with routes by animal type and country of departure
- NVWA: Travelling from third countries with a cat or dog - low- and high-rabies-risk routes, certificate and declaration rules, blood-test timing, border checks, quarantine consequences and dog registration
- NVWA: Travelling from EU countries with a cat or dog - the passport, identification, rabies-vaccination and minimum-age rules for the pet-passport route
- EU: Delegated Regulation 2026/131 on non-commercial pet movements - The rules applying since 22 April 2026, including pet identification, vaccination, certificates, tests, bird-origin exemptions, the sealed-container identification alternative, and distinct bird residence-isolation and approved-quarantine routes.
- EU: Implementing Regulation 2026/705 on pet documents - The 2026 passport, health-certificate and declaration models; old passport issue cutoff of 1 January 2028; certificate transition through 31 March 2027; blood-test wait before certificate issue; bird examination timing.
- European Commission: Listed territories and non-EU countries - the lists applying since 22 April 2026 that determine recognised passport territories and when no rabies antibody test is required
- Your Europe: Travelling with pets and other animals - current EU guidance on passports, certificates, vaccination, titration tests, owner travel, the five-pet limit and border outcomes
- NVWA: Points of entry for pet animals (PDF, about 105 KB; version 1.0.4) - the designated Dutch entry points, goods-to-declare route, five-day owner journey and narrower entry points for protected animals
- NVWA: Pet birds from outside the EU - Bird species exclusions, five-bird limit and national certificate-endorsement procedure on applicable routes. The EU regulations supply the origin and identification exemptions.
- NVWA: Rabbits, rodents, reptiles and other pets from outside the EU - non-commercial conditions, the 10-day health certificate, written declaration, first-EU-entry check and Dutch mammal-list transition
- RVO: Registration rules for dogs from abroad - English overview of import registration, UBN and the 14-day veterinary appointment. Use the current Dutch RVO pages for the stay threshold and 2026 UBN fee.
- Dutch Customs: Pets - Pet ownership and entry documents, protected-species documents, and tax on bought pets at first EU entry. Use the separate traveller-allowance sources for transport-specific thresholds.
- Dutch Customs: Moving to the Netherlands from a non-EU country - the removal-goods relief conditions, evidence, removal-company route, provisional documents, exclusions, vehicle declaration and Russia sanctions warning
- Dutch Customs: Moving things from an EU country - that ordinary removal goods from another EU country need no customs declaration, while excise, restricted goods, pets and vehicles retain separate rules
- Tax Administration: Moving within the EU — BPM exemption - the EU-move BPM conditions, 12-month application and disposal rules, Dutch form and postal route
- RDW: Relocating and bringing a vehicle - BRP and personal-attendance conditions, pre-inspection tax steps, documents, paper BPM return, registration timing, insurance, plates and motor vehicle tax
- NetherlandsWorldwide: Driving with foreign registration plates - the rule that a person registered or required to register in the BRP generally may not drive on foreign plates, plus limited exemptions
- NVWA: Dog or cat from outside the EU - Dutch dog-registration rule for stays longer than 3 months and the 2-week registration deadline.
- RVO: Mammals allowed as pets and exceptions - Current mammal list, deer exceptions, dated proof and prevention of breeding under the transition.
- Overheid.nl (Dutch government portal): Besluit huis- en hobbydierenlijst (decision listing permitted pet mammals) - Legal mammal-list transition, animals already kept on 1 July 2024, offspring of mothers pregnant then, evidence and no further breeding.
- RVO: Hairless and folded-ear cats - 2026 keeping restrictions, written proof of birth and chip before 1 January 2026 for cats from abroad, temporary visits and event ban.
- Overheid.nl: 2026 cat keeping restrictions - Legal keeping restriction from 1 January 2026, transition based on written chip-date evidence and ban on competitions and displays.
- Douane: Tax on purchases from abroad - 2026 total purchase allowances including bought pets: €430 for air or sea passengers and €300 for private planes or boats; no pooling or splitting an item, full-value taxation above the allowance, declaration and possible fine.
- Belastingdienst: Moving-house BPM exemption application (PDF, about 241 KB) - Dutch exemption conditions, household-family driving exception, and the 12-month disposal restriction after registration; breach makes BPM payable under the accompanying exemption guidance.
- RVO: Dogs from abroad (Dutch) - Current Dutch registration instructions for stays of 3 months or more, shorter visits without sale, UBN and the 14-day veterinary import registration.
- RVO: UBN for private dog keepers (Dutch) - UBN as a location number, the one-off 2026 fee of €23.02, and separate veterinary and database costs.
- European Commission: Customs declaration - The customs authority in the country where goods are presented at EU entry is normally responsible for the declaration; Dutch Customs is not responsible for every EU entry point.
- RDW: Driving with a foreign driving licence - Foreign driving licences have their own validity and exchange conditions, separate from vehicle import and registration.
- EU: Regulation 2026/636 country lists, consolidated 19 June 2026 - Annexes I and II list third-country pet routes; Annex III lists the ten exempt bird origins for Article 28 of Regulation 2026/131.
- Your Europe: Traveller allowances for goods from outside the EU - General €300 per-traveller allowance and €430 air or sea allowance for qualifying personal purchases, supporting road and rail coverage.
- Douane: Pets brought into the Netherlands (Dutch) - Bought-pet taxation at first EU entry and the distinction between personal pet travel and ownership-transfer movements.
- Douane: Traveller-baggage relief handbook - Personal, occasional traveller imports; eligible traveller status; no trade consignments, pooling or splitting one item; full-value tax above the applicable allowance.