Exit guide
Taking a dog or cat out of Denmark
The steps the authorities in Denmark require before your pet leaves, mostly the health certificate and who has to sign or endorse it. The destination adds its own requirements on top: pick it below, or make a dated plan.
Limited official guidance. Danish Veterinary and Food Administration publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. The Danish page explains the process in four steps but gives no fixed deadline or fee: what to do and when depends on the destination's own import requirements.
The steps
Vet exam
Your own vet completes the health attestation or declaration
Applies when: you do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
In most cases your own vet fills in a health attestation or a background declaration (a document you or your vet sign to give the authority the guarantees it needs). The vet often does a clinical examination, and sometimes specific vaccinations, treatments and blood tests are required before the trip. The destination's requirements say which documents apply.
Details and the official words
“I de fleste tilfælde skal din praktiserende dyrlæge udfylde en sundhedsattest eller en baggrundserklæring.”
Official stamp
Health certificate issued or verified by Fødevarestyrelsen, if the destination requires it
Applies when: you do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
The certificate, database entry or import requirements tell you whether Fødevarestyrelsen only verifies the attestation or issues the whole certificate. You can have certificates and attestations issued by appointment in Glostrup, Korsør, Herning, Vejen, Aalborg and on Bornholm. Bring the right documents: the background declaration, vaccination attestations, health attestation and laboratory attestations where required.
Details and the official words
The page gives no deadline for how recent the certificate must be: the destination's own requirements decide.
“Du kan få udstedt certifikater og attester i Glostrup, Korsør, Herning, Vejen, Aalborg og på Bornholm efter aftale.”
“Du skal sørge for at tage de rigtige dokumenter med til aftalen hos Fødevarestyrelsen, herunder baggrundserklæring, vaccinationsattester, sundhedsattest og laboratorieattester, hvis det er et krav.”
“Sundhedscertifikat: Et officielt certifikat udstedt af Fødevarestyrelsen, som attesterer for dyrets sundhed.”
Good to know
- Some countries' import requirements are extensive and slow. For some you must give notice and plan your trip up to 12 months before you leave. A country can also require an import permit, vaccination, blood test results and parasite treatments within set periods before the trip.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
- Finding out what the destination requires, and having the right documents, is your responsibility. If the Danish authority's database has nothing on your destination, contact the destination's authorities or the Danish embassy there.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
- These steps are for a trip that counts as pet travel: it exists because of the owner's need to travel, the pet is not sold and its ownership does not change. A trip that does not meet the three requirements follows the rules for moving animals.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
- If you pass through non-EU countries, check whether each one has a special transit permit requirement. If you stay inside the international airport area, there are usually no transit requirements.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
- Your pet may have to meet specific requirements to return to Denmark, and some of them must be met before you leave Denmark or the EU. Check the rules for coming home before you go.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
- Planning to bring your pet back to the EU? After a short stay in a non-EU country you can skip the 3-month wait after the rabies blood test, but only if, before you leave the EU, your pet was vaccinated against rabies, passed a successful titer test, and your vet recorded both in its EU pet passport. So do the blood test before you go.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
Where are you taking your pet?
Routes from Denmark where we cover both sides.