Bringing in pets from third countries
Pet animals are dogs, cats, ferrets, invertebrates (apart from bees and crabs), decorative tropical fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, rodents and rabbits.
Pets transported for non-commercial purposes are pets which are not intended for sale or to be handed over to another person, and which are accompanied by the owner or a person authorized by the owner.
Pets may enter the Republic of Croatia only through points of entry designated by the Rulebook on Republic of Croatia's Points of Entry Designated for the Non-commercial Transport of Pets (Official Gazette No.
91/13, 132/13, 44/14 and 87/15).
In accordance with the provisions of said Rulebook, pets accompanied by the owner or person authorized by the owner may enter Croatia at the following points of entry:
- Road: Bajakovo, Batina, Erdut, Gunja, Gornji Brgat, Ilok, Kamensko, Karasovići, Klek, Ličko Petrovo Selo, Maljevac, Metković, Nova Sela, Slavonski Brod, Slavonski Šamac, Stara Gradiška, Strmica, Tovarnik, Vinjani Donji, Vukovar, Zaton Doli, Županja,
- Railway: Tovarnik,
- Port: Dubrovnik, Ploče, Rijeka, Split, Zadar,
- River: Drava-Osijek, Vukovar,
- Airport: Dubrovnik, Mali Lošinj, Osijek, Pula, Rijeka, Split, Zadar, Zagreb.
The following points of entry are designated for the entry of
pet birds into the Republic of Croatia accompanied by their owner or person authorized by the owner:
- Road: Bajakovo, Karasovići, Nova Sela, Stara Gradiška,
- Airport: Zagreb.
Pet animals, accompanied by the owner or person authorized by the owner, may enter the Republic of Croatia from Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City State through all points of entry including ports and airports towards EU where customs supervision is carried out.
Documentation and identification checks of up to five pets entering Croatia for non-commercial purposes are conducted by the officials of the Customs Administration at points of entry at which pets can enter the country.
When transporting dogs, cats and ferrets as pets, the
following requirements must be met:
- They must be marked with a transponder;
- In case the animal is marked with a transponder which does not conform to the ISO standard 11784 or 11785 but is of a different type, the owner or traveller accompanying the pet must provide the appropriate reader needed to read the transponder. At all times it must be possible to establish the name and address of the animal's owner. A veterinarian must enter the transponder number into the passport or certificate that the owner carries with the animal;
- They must be accompanied by a passport or certificate issued by a vet authorized by a competent body (the passport must indicate the date until which the vaccine is valid);
- They must be vaccinated against rabies.
Dogs, cats and ferrets originating from high-risk countries must fulfil one other requirement in addition to those listed above:
- They must be subjected to an antibody titration test of at least 0.5 IJ/ml on a sample taken by an authorized veterinarian, no sooner than 30 days after vaccination and three months before movement across border, conducted in a certified laboratory included in the list of approved laboratories
The movement of animal younger than three months and unvaccinated, which originate from low-risk countries outside the Union, shall be permitted if the owner or handler possesses a passport or certificate and if the animals stayed in one place from birth and did not come in contact with wild animals that could have been exposed to infection, or if they are accompanied by their mother on which they are still dependent.
The entry and temporary stay of dangerous dog breeds of the bull terrier type and their crossbreeds that are not entered into the register of the World Canine Organisation (FCI) is not allowed.
The rules of mandatory veterinary supervision also apply to the transporting of specific items of animal origin – all types of game hides and hunting trophies (for which the traveller must possess a certificate issued by the competent bodies of the country where the hunting took place), since infectious diseases may also be introduced with such items.
More information about the entry of pets can be found in the information leaflet of the Ministry of Agriculture's Veterinary and Food Safety Authority.
Importing more than five pet animals is subject to veterinary checks at veterinary border inspection posts (Bajakovo, Stara Gradiška, Nova Sela, Karasovići, Rijeka Port, Luka Ploče, Zagreb Airport).
