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Dog or cat from the Netherlands to Serbia: the rules

Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead. The main steps: microchip, before the rabies vaccination, rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry, book your NVWA legalisation appointment by e-mail and legalisation of the passport or health certificate at NVWA.

Rules checked up to 12 October 2026From 7 official pages

Make my dated plan Reverse: Serbia → Netherlands

In short

At a glance

The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.

How early to start

3 weeks

if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet

Set by: Rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry (21 days after a first vaccination)

3 weeks

if it is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: Book your NVWA legalisation appointment by e-mail (14 working days is about 20 calendar days (our conversion, not an official figure); the destination decides how long before departure the legalisation may take place)

The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.

On this route

  • No rabies blood test
  • No import permit
  • No quarantine
  • Official stamp on the certificate

Which rules apply to you

Serbia puts the Netherlands in the group “Annex 1 country (EU and pet-passport Europe)”. See every group

Official name: Annex 1: EU member states, Andorra, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and the Vatican (pet passport, no titer)

Prefer a feed reader? Netherlands rule changes · Serbia rule changes

Netherlands → Serbia

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether the Netherlands (leaving) or Serbia (entering) asks for it.

  1. Get ready

    1. IdentificationEntering Serbia

      Microchip, before the rabies vaccination

      Your pet must be permanently identified with a microchip (or a clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011). The identification must come before any rabies vaccination (and any antibody test).

      Details and the official words

      “1) животиње треба да буду трајно обележене -микрочип;”

      “тетовираном пре 3. јула 2011. године, а то означавање мора претходити свакој вакцинацији”

    2. VaccinationEntering Serbia

      Rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry

      Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies with an inactivated vaccine (at least one antigenic unit per dose, WHO standard) or a recombinant vaccine, given at 12 weeks of age or older. After a first vaccination, wait 21 days before entering Serbia. A booster given after the previous vaccination expired counts as a first vaccination.

      Details and the official words

      “2) да су кућни љубимци вакцинисани против беснила са најмање једном антигенском јединицом по дози (препорука Светске здравствене организације); или рекомбинована вакцина која изражава имунизујући гликопротеин вируса беснила у живом вирусном вектору и да је протекао 21 дан од дана вакцинације, у случају прве вакцинације против беснила;”

      “Период ваљаности вакцинације почиње успостављањем заштитног имунитета, које није краћи од 21 дан од примарне вакцинације”

      “were at least 12 weeks old at the time of vaccination against rabies”

      “Any revaccination must be considered a primary vaccination if it was not carried out within the period of validity of a previous vaccination.”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. PaperworkEntering Serbia

      Pet passport (EU and listed European countries)

      From an EU country or Andorra, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino or the Vatican, your pet travels with a correctly completed pet passport issued by an authorised vet of that country. No veterinary certificate is needed.

      Details and the official words

      “4) да кућне љубимце прати исправно попуњен пасош издат од овлашћеног ветеринара одређене земље.”

      “Кућне љубимце псе, мачке и крзнашице не треба да прати ветеринарски сертификат издат од стране надлежног ветеринарског органа.”

    2. Official stampLeaving the Netherlands

      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.”

    3. Official stampLeaving the Netherlands

      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.

      Details and the official words

      “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.”

Good to know

  • 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.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in the Netherlands publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.

Government fees on this route

  • NVWA legalisation of the passport or certificateLeaving Netherlands65.87 EUR

    NVWA tariff 2026, per legalisation; no VAT.

    “legaliseren paspoort|certificaat voor honden|katten|fretten 65,87”

    NVWA-tarieven exportcertificering 2026 · as of 2026-01-01

Government fees in total: 65.87 EUR (each currency separately)

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

  • Microchipyour vet · for: microchip, before the rabies vaccination45.50–55 EUR

    the Netherlands: 4 published prices

  • Rabies vaccinationyour vet · for: rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry55–87.05 EUR

    the Netherlands: 4 published prices

  • Health certificate (vet’s fee)your vet · for: pet passport (EU and listed European countries)105 EUR

    the Netherlands: 1 published price

    • Dierenkliniek Vondelpark (De Dierenkliniek, Amsterdam): Consultation for a health certificate for travel outside the EU (the table cell lists the inside-EU label, then the outside-EU label, then the two prices in the same order, so the second price is the outside-EU one)105 EUR · per consultation · read 2026-10-13

Prices that businesses publish on their own pages, quoted as we read them; yours can differ. Ranges are the lowest to highest of these examples, never our estimate. How we collect prices

Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.

Round trip

Coming back to the Netherlands

Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves the Netherlands.

The trip back asks for 7 steps: microchip, rabies vaccination, EU animal health certificate and non-commercial declaration and more.

Every step from Serbia to the Netherlands

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-12.

Entering SerbiaLeaving the NetherlandsReport a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from the Netherlands to Serbia?

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 Serbia?

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 Serbia?

Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.

How early should I start preparing my pet for the Netherlands to Serbia?

With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead. The main steps: microchip, before the rabies vaccination, rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry, book your NVWA legalisation appointment by e-mail and legalisation of the passport or health certificate at NVWA.

Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake

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