Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from the Netherlands → Argentina
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
How early to start
3 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)
3 weeks
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Counted only from the officially fixed waiting periods. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times are on top, so start earlier.
What your dog or cat needs
Paperwork
International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or legalised passport
Your pet needs a CVI issued, signed and stamped by the veterinary authority of the country it comes from (one of its languages must be Spanish), or a valid official passport carrying the same health information, endorsed by the veterinary authority before boarding (English is accepted as the only alternative language besides Spanish). It is valid for 60 calendar days from issue, as long as the rabies vaccination is still valid on the day your pet enters.
Details and the official words
Legalisation of the passport or health certificate at NVWA: Bring all the documents NVWA asks for to your appointment. If you need a health certificate for the trip, your own vet must complete and sign the form fully beforehand. NVWA checks the EU pet passport and any other documents and legalises them if everything is approved. If a document is missing or incomplete, the legalisation cannot take place and you need a new appointment.
“deben contar con el Certificado Veterinario Internacional (CVI) o con Pasaporte oficial legalizado”
“Uno de los idiomas del CVI debe ser el español.”
“El CVI o el Pasaporte oficial legalizado son válidos por 60 (sesenta) días corridos desde su emisión o legalización para ingresar a la Argentina con su perro o gato, siempre que la vacuna antirrábica se encuentre vigente el día del ingreso.”
“If you need a health certificate for your animal's trip, make sure your veterinarian completes and signs the form completely.”
“If there any documents missing or incomplete, the legalisation cannot take place.”
Vet exam
Health certificate from an authorised vet
A vet authorised in the country of origin certifies that your pet is clinically healthy, shows no signs of parasites and is fit to travel. It is issued within the 10 days before the date the CVI is issued.
Details and the official words
“Emitido dentro de los 10 (diez) días previos a la fecha de emisión del CVI por un veterinario autorizado en el país de origen”
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination
Dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies with a vaccine authorised by the authority of the country of origin and with immunity still valid according to the vaccine maker's validity period. If it is the first vaccination, it must have been given at least 21 days before entering Argentina.
Details and the official words
The 21-day wait only applies to a first vaccination; the plan shows it for every vaccine date, so a pet with an in-date booster can ignore it.
The original vaccination record must not be kept by the authorities: it stays with the owner.
“Cuando se trate de animales vacunados por primera vez, la vacuna debe haber sido aplicada al menos 21 (veintiún) días previos al ingreso a la República Argentina.”
Treatment
Internal and external parasite treatment
A treatment against internal and external parasites, with a product approved by the authority of the country of origin, within the 15 days before the CVI is issued (or before the passport is endorsed).
Details and the official words
“Tratamiento contra parásitos internos y externos dentro de los 15 (quince) días previos a la fecha de emisión del CVI o a la intervención del pasaporte”
Official stamp
Book your NVWA legalisation appointment by e-mail
E-mail dpp@nvwa.nl at least 14 working days before the date you want the legalisation to take place, with the type of animal, the destination, any stops on the way, your expected departure date or period, the purpose of the trip and your phone number. NVWA tries to reply within 2 working days and then sends an appointment confirmation. The appointment is at its office in Utrecht, on working days between 10:00 and 16:00.
Details and the official words
The time allowed between legalisation and departure can vary from country to country.
Cancelling or rescheduling is free up to 24 hours before the appointment. NVWA may be unable to move the appointment to your preferred date, especially if it is busy or the request came less than 14 working days ahead.
“Make sure to do this at least 14 working days before the date on which you want the legalisation to take place.”
“The appointment is at our office in Utrecht.”
“The amount of time allowed between legalisation and departure can vary from country to country.”
Good to know
- SENASA's page cites MERCOSUR Resolution GMC 17/15 for the health requirements. Brazil has since adopted a newer MERCOSUR text (GMC 20/24), so Argentina's page may be updated: check it before you travel.
- A pet from a country or zone declared rabies-free by WOAH may enter if the issuing vet authority states this on the CVI or passport. We ask for the vaccination from every pet aged 3 months or older, the safe side.
- To take your pet back to the country it came from you need a new CVI from SENASA, unless the CVI it entered with expressly says it is valid for the return, gives a maximum period and is still valid.
- A pet that arrives without meeting the requirements can be subjected to the health measures SENASA considers appropriate, which can include delays or re-export, and the owner pays the costs.
- For a pet travelling with its owner as accompanied baggage, no prior import application to SENASA, no notice to the border post and no SENASA entry permit are needed. SENASA staff check the documents, the animal and its identity on arrival, at no charge.
- NVWA legalisation of the EU pet passport and other documents is needed only in some cases. It is usually not necessary if the Netherlands has made agreements with the destination country: NVWA's Export Assistent shows whether a 'binding certificate' with instructions exists. If there is none, ask NVWA whether legalisation is needed.
- The destination's own requirements decide which documents must be legalised, and they can change. NVWA's e-mail after you book tells you what to prepare, but check the current requirements with the destination's authorities too.
- Your pet does not have to come to the legalisation appointment: bring the documents only.
- Legalisation is at your own expense. NVWA's current rates page lists the fee for legalising a dog, cat or ferret passport or certificate (under 'Exportcertificering').
- 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.
Government fees we know of
- SENASA check of an accompanied pet at the border (no charge)0 ARS
Vet, lab and courier costs are not included. The final amount can depend on how many tests or pets are on the certificate.
Common questions
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from the Netherlands to Argentina?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Argentina?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Argentina?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog or cat need a microchip?
The official rules we have verified for this route don't list a microchip requirement.