Checked against official sources on 2 November 2026. Rules change: always check the linked source. This guide is for information only and does not replace the legal text or what your town hall or region says.
Which rules apply from April 2026
Reglamento (UE) 576/2013, which governed non-commercial movements of pet animals, was repealed by Article 270(2) of Reglamento (UE) 2016/429 (Regulation (EU) 2016/429) with effect from 21 April 2021, but continued to apply to movements of pet animals until 21 April 2026 [1][3]. Since 22 April 2026, Reglamento Delegado (UE) 2026/131 (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131) applies, setting the identification, vaccination and document requirements [1], together with Reglamento de Ejecución (UE) 2026/636 (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636), with the lists of non-EU countries [2].
If your dog already travelled before, you do not need to redo anything because of the change: passports issued on the previous model before 22 April 2026 and identification carried out under the previous regulation before that date are considered valid [1].
- A «sin fines comerciales» (translation: “non-commercial”) movement: 5 animals or fewer, with no sale or change of owner, travelling with their owner [1][4].
- The dog may travel with a person authorised in writing, provided the owner makes the same journey within five days before or after [4].
- With more than 5 animals, the commercial rules apply, except for competitions, exhibitions or sporting events, with documentation and animals over 6 months old [4][7].
From another EU country
To enter Spain from another Member State, the dog needs [4]: a microchip (or a legible tattoo applied before 3 July 2011), a valid rabies vaccination recorded in the passport and a European pet passport with the sections «Propietario» (translation: “Owner”), «Descripción del animal» (translation: “Description of animal”), «Marcado» (translation: “Marking”), «Expedición del pasaporte» (translation: “Issuing of the passport”) and «Vacunación antirrábica» (translation: “Vaccination against rabies”) completed. The microchip must be implanted before the vaccine [7].
Spain does not grant exemptions or allow entry to dogs under 15 weeks old: the first rabies vaccine can only be given from 12 weeks of age and is valid from 21 days afterwards [4][10]. The European Commission lists Spain among the countries that do not admit puppies that are unvaccinated or without full immunity [7]. Boosters must be given before the previous vaccination expires; otherwise they count as a first vaccination and you have to wait 21 days again [7].
Treatment against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis is not required to enter Spain: it is only required by Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland [7]. The same rules apply to Norway, Northern Ireland and the countries in Annex I of Reglamento 2026/636: Andorra, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City [2][4].
From a non-EU country
The dog must enter through a designated travellers' point of entry [1][4]. There you have to find the control point and declare to the Resguardo Fiscal de la Guardia Civil (the Civil Guard's customs unit) or to the authorised customs staff that you are travelling with an animal; they check the documents and read the microchip [4]. The official list of points of entry (updated 26/10/2026) includes, among others, the airports of Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Sevilla, Gran Canaria, Tenerife Norte and Tenerife Sur, the ports of Algeciras, Tarifa, Almería, Motril, Málaga, Barcelona and Valencia, and the land crossings of Ceuta-El Tarajal and Melilla-Beni Enzar [6].
Documents: an EU animal health certificate signed by an official vet in the country of origin, drawn up in at least one of the official languages of the Member State of entry (in Spain, Spanish) and in English, a signed declaration by the owner that the journey is non-commercial and a certified copy of the identification and vaccination details, which is also required if you are coming from an Annex II country [4][11]. The certificate must be issued or endorsed no more than 10 days before entry into the EU (by sea, the days of the crossing are added) and, once checked at the point of entry, it is valid for travel within the EU for six months or until the rabies vaccination expires, if that is sooner [1][7][11].
Rabies antibody test: it is compulsory unless you are coming from a country listed in Annexes I or II of Reglamento 2026/636 [1][4]. The sample is taken at least 30 days after vaccination, at an approved laboratory, with a result equal to or above 0.5 UI/ml, and the dog can only enter once 3 months have passed since the blood sample was taken; that is why the minimum age is 7 months [4]. If the vaccination schedule is maintained, the test is valid for the animal's whole life [4]. Annex II includes, among others, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom [2], and since 19 June 2026 also Montenegro and Serbia [12].
If the requirements are not met, the dog may be returned to the country of origin, isolated in quarantine or, as a last resort, put down, with the costs borne by the owner [5][7].
If you leave Spain and come back
To return from a country that is not in the annexes of Reglamento 2026/636, have the antibody test done before leaving the EU: if the result is favourable and recorded in the passport, you will not have to wait the 3 months on your return [4][7]. Re-entry must also be through a travellers' point of entry [4].
From the United Kingdom (after Brexit)
Since 1 January 2021, European pet passports issued to residents of Great Britain are not valid for travel from Great Britain to the EU [7]. The British Government states that anyone living in England, Scotland or Wales needs an animal health certificate from their vet for each trip: it is valid for 10 days for entering the EU and 6 months for travelling within the EU and returning to Great Britain [8]. The dog must be microchipped before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination, given from 12 weeks of age, and you must wait at least 21 days after the first vaccination [8].
The United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland) is in Annex II of Reglamento 2026/636, so no antibody test is needed [2]. You must enter through a travellers' point of entry [8]. From Northern Ireland you can travel with a European pet passport and without going through a travellers' point of entry [7][8]. These rules also apply to assistance dogs [8]. The British Government is negotiating a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU under which it expects travelling to the EU with a dog to become easier, with a multi-use pet passport valid for EU travel; its intention is for the agreement to take effect in mid-2027, subject to negotiations, and until then an animal health certificate is still needed [13].
Ceuta and Melilla
The land crossings of Ceuta-El Tarajal and Melilla-Beni Enzar are authorised travellers' points of entry, so dogs entering from Morocco through those borders follow the rules for non-EU countries [6]. For ferry routes to or from Ceuta and Melilla, Baleària requires a microchip, a health booklet with a valid rabies vaccination given within the last 12 months and a European pet passport, and warns that animals can only enter through a port authorised as a travellers' point of entry [9]. The MAPA information note on bringing dogs, cats and ferrets into Spain from other Member States expressly includes Ceuta and Melilla and, for consignments to these cities, assigns the checks to the official vets at the border inspection posts through which animals leave the EU customs territory [10]. We have not found a specific official rule on the journey between the mainland and Ceuta or Melilla, so Baleària's requirements are the ferry company's conditions, not a verified official rule.
Summary by origin
Requirements for a non-commercial movement, checked on 02/11/2026.
| Origin | Document | Rabies | Antibody test | Travellers' point of entry | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU, Norway, Northern Ireland and Annex I (Andorra, Switzerland…) | European pet passport (or that of the Annex I country) | Valid vaccination (minimum 21 days after the first) | No | No | [2][4][7] |
| Great Britain | Animal health certificate (10 days to enter) | Valid vaccination | No (Annex II) | Yes | [2][8] |
| Annex II countries (USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan…) | EU animal health certificate + declaration + certified copy | Valid vaccination | No | Yes | [1][2][4][11] |
| All other countries | EU animal health certificate + declaration + certified copy | Valid vaccination | Yes: ≥ 0.5 UI/ml and wait 3 months | Yes | [1][4][11] |
| Morocco to Ceuta or Melilla by land | EU animal health certificate + declaration + certified copy | Valid vaccination | Yes (Morocco is not listed in Annex I or II) | El Tarajal / Beni Enzar | [2][4][6][11] |
Frequently asked questions
Does my dog need a passport to come from France or Portugal?
Yes: a European pet passport, a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination recorded in the passport. No antibody test or tapeworm treatment is needed.
Can I bring a 3-month-old puppy to Spain?
No. Spain does not admit dogs under 15 weeks old, because the rabies vaccine is given from 12 weeks of age and takes 21 days to become valid.
I am coming from the United States: do I need the rabies test?
No, because the United States is in Annex II of Reglamento 2026/636. You do need an EU animal health certificate, a valid vaccination and to enter through a travellers' point of entry.
How many dogs can I bring?
Up to 5 on a non-commercial movement. With more, the commercial rules apply, except for competitions, exhibitions or sporting events with documentation and animals over 6 months old.
Sources
- Reglamento Delegado (UE) 2026/131 sobre los requisitos zoosanitarios para los desplazamientos sin fines comerciales de animales de compañía · EUR-Lex (European Union)
- Reglamento de Ejecución (UE) 2026/636, listas de terceros países o territorios (anexos I y II) · EUR-Lex (European Union)
- Reglamento (UE) n.º 576/2013 (derogado; aplicable hasta el 21/04/2026) · EUR-Lex (European Union)
- Viajar con la mascota. Perros, gatos, hurones · Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
- Viajar con perros, gatos y hurones: más información y preguntas frecuentes · Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
- Lista de puntos de entrada de viajeros autorizados para el control de animales de compañía (actualizada 26/10/2026, PDF) · Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
- Viajar con mascotas y otros animales en la UE (Tu Europa) · European Commission
- Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad: travelling to an EU country · UK Government (GOV.UK)
- Pasajeros que viajan a Ceuta o Melilla con mascota (centro de ayuda) · Baleària
- Nota informativa relativa a la introducción en España de perros, gatos y hurones sin ánimo comercial procedentes de otros Estados miembros · Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
- Reglamento de Ejecución (UE) 2026/705, modelos de documentos de identificación, de certificado zoosanitario (anexo III) y de declaraciones · EUR-Lex (European Union)
- Reglamento de Ejecución (UE) 2026/1228, que modifica el anexo II del Reglamento de Ejecución (UE) 2026/636 para incluir Montenegro y Serbia · EUR-Lex (European Union)
- Veterinary sector: preparing your business (SPS agreement) · UK Government (GOV.UK)