Check pet waiting periods before booking your move
Check your dog, cat or ferret’s country rules before booking. After a first rabies vaccination on a high-risk route, you may need to wait at least 30 days before blood sampling, then 90 days from sampling before certificate issue. Household goods from outside the EU (European Union) may qualify for customs relief. Vehicles need separate tax checks and Dutch registration.
Choose the route before you book or ship
This guide is for people moving with their own pets, personal belongings or a vehicle. The country of departure determines which pet documents you need. Choose the pet route below before booking travel.
The NVWA (External site, opens in a new tab) (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit, Dutch food and consumer product safety authority) lists the pet entry rules. A first rabies vaccination requires at least 21 days before travel. A high-risk route can also require a blood test and a 90-day wait before certificate issue.
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| What you are moving | First decision | Start when |
|---|---|---|
| Dog, cat or ferret on the recognised pet-passport route | Confirm that the passport and rabies vaccination remain valid | Before booking; allow at least 21 days after a first vaccination |
| Dog, cat or ferret from another country on the official low-risk list | Arrange the correct EU animal health certificate and owner declaration | Before booking; certificate issued or endorsed within 10 days before EU entry, extended by the voyage length for sea journeys |
| Dog, cat or ferret from an unlisted high-risk country outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway | Plan the chip, vaccination, blood test and 90-day wait before the certificate is issued | At least 120 days after a first vaccination before certificate issue; allow extra time for travel |
| Bird, rabbit, rodent, reptile or another pet | Use the animal-specific NVWA route | Before booking; some certificates must be no more than 10 days old |
For household goods, choose the route by where the shipment comes from. A vehicle also needs BPM (belasting van personenauto’s en motorrijwielen, car and motorcycle tax) checks and registration with RDW (External site, opens in a new tab) (Dienst Wegverkeer, Dutch vehicle registration authority).
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| What you are moving | First decision | Start when |
|---|---|---|
| Household goods from outside the EU | Check removal-goods relief and appoint a removal company | Before the shipment is declared |
| Household goods from another EU country | Check accijnsgoederen (goods subject to excise tax), restricted goods and destination rules | Before packing restricted items |
| Car or motorcycle | Complete customs clearance if the vehicle comes from outside the EU, arrange BPM relief, then register it with RDW | Before driving it after becoming a Dutch resident |
EU pet rules changed on 22 April 2026. The main chip, rabies and document requirements continue. New document models and country lists now apply.
Prepare a dog, cat or ferret
Your dog, cat or ferret needs all the following identification, vaccination, travel documents and health checks:
- Identification: use a compliant microchip. A clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 can still qualify.
- Rabies: the animal must be at least 12 weeks old for its first vaccination. The chip must be implanted or read before the vaccination, or on the same day in that order.
- Waiting period: after a first vaccination, wait at least 21 days before travel. A booster avoids a new wait only when given before the previous vaccination expires.
- Document: use a valid passport on the recognised passport route or the correct EU animal health certificate from another country.
- Health: an animal entering from outside the EU must show no obvious signs of disease and be fit for the journey.
Since 1 January 2026, the Netherlands restricts keeping hairless and folded-ear cats. To bring one from abroad, you need written proof that it was born and chipped before 1 January 2026. The RVO (External site, opens in a new tab) (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, Netherlands Enterprise Agency) rules for hairless and folded-ear cats apply to temporary visits too. These cats may not take part in shows or competitions, including cats covered by the transition.
Check pet ownership and owner travel
Before travelling with your pet, check all these requirements:
- Ownership: the animal remains yours and does not travel for sale or transfer to a new owner.
- Owner’s journey: travel with your pet or authorise another person in writing. Make the same journey within 5 days before or after it. The authorised person must carry proof of your journey, such as a boarding-pass copy.
- Pet numbers: normally no more than 5 dogs, cats or ferrets may travel as pets. On private transport, the limit covers the whole vehicle.
- Service and assistance dogs: these dogs must meet the same veterinary entry rules.
- Transport rules: check airline, airport and crate rules in addition to the legal entry rules.
More than 5 animals may qualify for a competition, exhibition, sporting event or training for one. You need proof, and every animal must be older than 6 months.
Use the recognised pet passport route
Use a European pet passport for travel from the EU, Northern Ireland or Norway. The same passport route also covers recognised territories. The passport must be signed and completed by an authorised veterinarian. For other departure countries, check the official country lists (External site, opens in a new tab).
Older passports remain accepted when their health entries are valid. The transition covers passports issued under the previous models before 1 January 2028. The 2026 pet-document regulation (External site, opens in a new tab) sets the issue-date limit.
Arrange a health certificate for other country routes
For a departure country outside the recognised passport route, arrange all these certificate documents and checks:
- Certificate issuer: use the EU animal health certificate for non-commercial movement (travel without sale or transfer of ownership). An official veterinarian issues it. An authorised veterinarian may also issue it if the competent authority then endorses it.
- Certificate dates: the certificate must be issued or endorsed no more than 10 days before entry into the EU. For a sea journey, the rules extend that period by the length of the voyage.
- Attachments: attach the signed declaration confirming that the movement is non-commercial. Include certified copies of the vaccination records. If a blood test is required, attach the original laboratory report or a certified copy.
- Onward travel: after the first EU border check, the certificate can support onward travel within the EU for up to 6 months or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever is earlier.
For certificates issued from 1 October 2026, use the new model. An old-model certificate issued before that date can still be accepted through 31 March 2027. The vaccination and blood-test waits still apply. Ask the official veterinarian which model to use and keep the form unchanged.
A passport can replace the certificate in defined cases. A returning EU animal qualifies if an EU veterinarian recorded the required vaccination before departure. For a high-risk trip, the vet must also have recorded the successful blood test before departure. For a returning EU animal, a rabies vaccination given outside the EU must be recorded on a separate EU health certificate. Some listed territories may issue a recognised passport. Check the document rules for your departure country.
Check the country route for rabies testing
For departures outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway, countries absent from both official lists require a rabies blood test. Listed routes use a recognised passport or an EU animal health certificate, depending on the country. Country classifications can change, so check the live lists.
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| Country route | Rabies blood test | Main travel document |
|---|---|---|
| EU, Northern Ireland, Norway or a recognised passport territory | Not required for this route | Recognised pet passport, if all entries are valid |
| Another country on the official low-risk list | Not required | EU animal health certificate, unless a defined passport-return route applies |
| Unlisted country outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway | Required | EU animal health certificate plus the laboratory report, unless a qualifying EU passport-return route applies |
The low-risk list includes the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, among others. Outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway, a country absent from both lists is high-risk. Russia and Belarus have been high-risk since 16 September 2024.
For listed-country departures outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway, at least one of these conditions must apply for the blood-test exemption. Article 17 of the pet-movement regulation (External site, opens in a new tab) sets the conditions:
- Your pet travels directly from a listed country where you normally live.
- Your pet has stayed only in one or more listed countries before this journey.
- Your pet passes through an unlisted country while secured in its transport or an international port or airport zone. It has no contact with animals susceptible to rabies. You or the authorised person provide a signed declaration confirming this.
Follow the high-risk vaccination and blood-test order
For an unlisted high-risk departure outside the EU, Northern Ireland and Norway, complete these steps in order. The current certificate model requires the 90-day wait to end before certificate issue.
- Identify the animal with a chip. Keep the chip entry.
- Have a veterinarian give the first rabies vaccination from 12 weeks old, after the chip is implanted or read. Keep the vaccination entry.
- Have an authorised veterinarian take the blood sample at least 30 days after the first vaccination. If your pet’s previous rabies vaccination is still valid, the blood sample can be taken immediately. Keep the sample date.
- Have the sample tested at an EU-designated laboratory. The result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml (international units per millilitre). Keep the laboratory report.
- Wait at least 90 days from the sample date before the veterinarian issues the health certificate, unless the EU-return exception below applies.
- Arrange the health certificate. It must be issued or endorsed within 10 days before EU entry, with the sea-voyage extension described above.
- Attach the successful laboratory report to the certificate.
For example, a first vaccination on 1 October 2026 allows a blood sample from 31 October. With a successful result, the certificate can be issued from 29 January 2027. Arrange travel within its entry-validity period and allow time for the laboratory result.
The 90-day wait is waived for an animal returning to the EU if an EU veterinarian recorded its valid vaccination and successful blood test before departure.
A successful blood test stays valid while every rabies booster is given before the previous vaccination expires. If that vaccination expires, the next vaccination counts as a first vaccination and the test rules apply again.
Report your pet at the first EU border
If your pet’s route requires an entry check, officials check it at the first EU entry point. This may be a connection in another EU country. Use a designated travellers’ entry point when required. At Dutch entry, report to Douane (External site, opens in a new tab) (Customs) through the red goods-to-declare channel when your pet route or customs rules require reporting. Officials check the required documents and the animal’s identity.
Protected animals have narrower Dutch entry points and may need a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) document. The NVWA entry-point list (PDF, about 105 KB) (External site, opens in a new tab) names the permitted offices.
Register an imported dog
If your dog will stay in the Netherlands for 3 months or more, register it under RVO’s current Dutch instructions. Request a UBN (uniek bedrijfsnummer, unique business number) and take the imported dog to a Dutch veterinarian within 14 days of arrival. The vet registers the dog under that number. The RVO rules for dogs from abroad (External site, opens in a new tab) exempt shorter visits if you do not sell the dog.
A UBN identifies the place where you keep the dog. Registering one for a private dog keeper costs €23.02 once in 2026. Veterinary and database-registration costs are separate. The RVO UBN application guide (External site, opens in a new tab) explains the application and the costs.
Declare tax on a pet you bought
For eligible personal traveller imports in 2026, purchases outside the EU have a total tax-free allowance of €430 per traveller arriving by plane or ship. This includes a bought pet. For road, rail and other transport, the allowance is €300 per traveller. Private planes and boats also use €300. You cannot pool travellers’ allowances or split one pet’s value between people. Alcohol and tobacco have separate quantity allowances.
A pet bought outside the EU and brought into the EU for the first time counts towards the applicable allowance. Declare it if its value, together with other purchases covered by this allowance, exceeds your route’s limit. Declare taxable purchases to customs at the relevant first EU entry point. If that is in the Netherlands, declare them to Douane. Failure to declare them can lead to a fine plus tax.
For example, a pet bought for €500 exceeds the €430 air or sea passenger allowance even if you bring no other purchases. A €350 pet exceeds the €300 road or rail allowance. An item above the allowance is taxed on its full value. The Douane rules for purchases abroad (External site, opens in a new tab) cover the limits and declaration duty.
These traveller allowances cover qualifying personal imports, not trade consignments. A permanent move does not automatically qualify for them. Ask customs which relief route applies before travel. Animal-health entry rules remain separate.
Check the route for birds and other pets
For rabbits, rodents, ornamental fish, reptiles, amphibians and covered invertebrates from outside the EU, the general health certificate must be no more than 10 days old. Pet birds from non-exempt origins normally need a chip or closed leg ring and a veterinary examination before departure. The approved-quarantine identification exception is explained below.
Pet birds from Andorra, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City State have an exemption under the EU bird-origin list (External site, opens in a new tab). This route waives individual identification, health certificates and their attached declarations, pre-departure examinations, bird-flu safeguards and WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) origin membership. The five-bird limit and residence-isolation rules below still apply.
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| Animal from outside the EU | Core documents and timing | Extra check |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbit, rodent, ornamental fish, reptile, amphibian or covered invertebrate | General veterinary health certificate issued as close as possible to departure and no more than 10 days old, plus a signed non-commercial declaration | Report at the first EU entry point; check protected and invasive-species rules |
| Pet bird from an exempt origin listed above | No EU health certificate, individual chip or ring, or pre-departure examination required by this origin exemption | Maximum 5 birds; residence isolation and destination-notification conditions below still apply |
| Pet bird from a non-exempt origin | Owner statement and health certificate; unique chip or closed leg ring unless the approved-quarantine exception below applies; vet examination within 48 hours before departure or on the last working day before dispatch | Maximum 5 birds and the applicable bird-flu vaccination, test or approved-country route, or approved quarantine |
| Protected species | Any required animal-health documents plus the required CITES document | In the Netherlands, protected pets may enter only through designated offices at Schiphol or Maastricht |
The other-pet route also requires you to accompany the animal or make the same journey within 5 days. The animal travels because you travel. It excludes rabbits for food and animals going to reptile fairs. Covered invertebrates exclude bees, bumblebees, molluscs and crustaceans.
Check which mammals you may keep
Check the huis- en hobbydierenlijst (list of mammals allowed as pets) before moving an unusual mammal. Listed species may be kept as pets. Fallow deer and red deer have an exception. The RVO mammal list and exceptions (External site, opens in a new tab) explain which animals qualify.
A transition covers non-listed mammals already kept when the rules began on 1 July 2024. It also covers offspring if the mother was pregnant then. Keep dated proof, such as a purchase record or veterinary bill, and prevent further breeding. The mammal-list decision (External site, opens in a new tab) sets these conditions. Animal-health, CITES and invasive-species rules still apply. Ask RVO to confirm your animal’s documents before travel.
Check bird health and arrival rules
For pet birds from non-exempt origins, the departure country must be a WOAH member and meet the animal-health conditions. On this route, the owner signs the non-commercial declaration.
The pet-bird route covers your own birds travelling without sale or transfer. It excludes chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, quail, pigeons, pheasants, partridges and flightless birds.
Birds from exempt origins and birds meeting the ordinary pre-entry requirements must go directly to the residence after entry. Keep them isolated from other birds for at least 30 days. Keep them away from bird shows, fairs, exhibitions and other bird gatherings during that period. If isolation takes place in a different EU country from first EU entry, inform the final destination authorities of the residence address.
Birds using the approved-quarantine route must instead go directly to that establishment in the final EU destination country for at least 30 days. They may leave only with written authorisation from an official veterinarian. Check the applicable bird route with NVWA before booking.
For the approved-quarantine route, your written description of an individual bird or a group can replace individual identification. The departure authority must seal the birds in a container before travel. The container must allow visual inspection of the space where the birds are kept. The examination, WOAH origin and certificate conditions for non-exempt origins still apply.
For birds from non-exempt origins, the vet must find no obvious signs of disease and confirm fitness to travel. After examination, keep the examined birds away from other birds until departure.
The health certificate must be issued or endorsed within 10 days before EU entry. Sea transport extends this period by the voyage length. If your own vet completes the certificate, a government vet must sign and stamp every page. These certificate requirements apply to non-exempt origins.
Claim relief for household goods from outside the EU
A removal company claims relief for verhuisboedel (removal goods) in the declaration to Douane. If Douane grants it, eligible personal goods can enter without import duties. You need all the conditions below. Check them before the shipment is declared.
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| Condition | What it means | Evidence or continuing rule |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer your normal residence | You move from outside the EU to live in the Netherlands or another EU country | Proof of settlement |
| Previous residence | You lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months | Residence and deregistration records |
| Ownership and use | You owned and used the goods for at least 6 months and will use them again | Inventory, receipts or other proof if Customs asks |
| Import period | You import the goods within 12 months after taking up residence | Settlement and import dates |
| After import | For 12 months after import, do not lend, pledge, lease out or transfer the relieved goods | Keep the goods and import decision |
Municipal registration must show when you settled in the Netherlands. If it is unavailable, provide proof of deregistration abroad plus one accepted settlement document. Examples include an employment contract, employer statement, work permit, rental contract or mortgage certificate.
If documents are still missing, ask the removal company whether it can apply before you supply them. Send the missing documents as soon as possible.
To claim relief, complete these steps with your removal company:
- Choose a removal company that can file the Douane declaration with the relief code.
- Give it a signed inventory of every personal item in the shipment.
- Provide the settlement evidence listed above.
- Send copies of a vehicle registration certificate and purchase or ownership proof if a vehicle is included. The vehicle still needs a separate import declaration.
- Keep the declaration, decision, inventory and settlement evidence for the full restriction period.
Relief excludes products containing alcohol, tobacco and tobacco products, commercial vehicles and non-portable professional materials. Other goods have separate restrictions or bans. These include weapons, narcotics, counterfeit goods, protected species, animal products and some cultural goods. Check which items may be declared separately. Remove prohibited goods from the shipment.
Move household goods from another EU country
Ordinary removal goods from another EU country need no customs declaration because goods move freely within the EU. Separate rules still apply to excise goods, pets, weapons, narcotics, counterfeit goods, protected species, animal products and cultural goods. A vehicle still needs its BPM and RDW steps.
Import and register a car or motorcycle
If the vehicle comes from outside the EU, arrange customs clearance before the RDW inspection. Apply for BPM relief before the inspection. File the paper BPM return after the inspection if the vehicle is subject to BPM.
For an EU move, use the Belastingdienst (External site, opens in a new tab) (Tax Administration) exemption application. A non-EU move uses a separate vehicle import declaration.
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| Origin | Before the RDW inspection | Tax-relief route |
|---|---|---|
| Another EU country | No customs declaration for the vehicle; apply for the moving-house BPM exemption | Use the Dutch-only Belastingdienst form and apply within 12 months of moving |
| Outside the EU | Have the removal company file a separate vehicle import declaration and obtain the import-relief decision | Use the import declaration with its exemption code in the BPM route before the inspection |
For the EU moving-house BPM exemption, you must have owned and used the vehicle for at least 6 months before the move. You need every condition below. Follow the restriction dates in your own exemption decision.
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| BPM moving-relief condition | Rule |
|---|---|
| Vehicle use | The vehicle is part of the household goods, and you use it for the same purpose as before |
| Previous ownership and use | At least 6 months before the move |
| Previous normal residence | Normal residence in the other country for at least 12 months before the move |
| Application | Within 12 months after moving |
| After relief | Do not sell, rent out or lend the vehicle for 12 months after registration, or BPM becomes payable. Family members living with you may drive it. Check the dates in your exemption decision. |
Arrange registration in this order:
- Register in the BRP. Use the municipality-registration guide to arrange registration.
- Complete the customs step if the vehicle comes from outside the EU.
- Request BPM relief before the inspection. For an EU move, print, sign and post the Dutch exemption form.
- Book the RDW inspection.
- Request a one-day registration for the inspection journey if you cannot use the foreign plates.
- Copy the complete foreign registration certificate before the inspection. RDW keeps the original.
- Attend the inspection yourself. Bring the vehicle, the original foreign registration certificate, valid identification and the tax document showing that the vehicle qualifies as household goods.
- After inspection, file the paper BPM return if the vehicle is subject to BPM. You still need the return when relief means no BPM is due.
- Wait for approval from RDW and Belastingdienst. RDW then sends the registration certificate within 5 business days. It sends the full registration code 2 working days later. Postal delivery times vary.
- Arrange Dutch third-party liability insurance from the moment the vehicle is registered in your name.
- Have Dutch number plates made.
- Keep any required roadworthiness inspection valid.
Registration also starts the motor vehicle tax process.
A foreign driving licence has its own validity and exchange rules. Vehicle import leaves those rules unchanged. Check the driving-licence exchange guide before driving.
Resolve problems before you travel
A missing document or an import ban can stop part of your move. Check these cases before paying for transport.
Resolve missing pet documents or dates
If the pet dates do not work, change the journey. Ask an official veterinarian and NVWA to check the route. Keep the full legal waiting periods and carry every required document.
Arrange missing settlement evidence
The removal company can apply before every requested document is available if Douane’s conditions are met. Ask the company before shipping and send missing evidence as soon as possible.
Douane’s published claim route uses a removal company. If you plan to move the goods yourself, contact Douane first.
Check goods from Russia against the import bans
If goods come from Russia, check the current EU import-ban list before packing. Douane states that no exemption is possible for goods prohibited by the sanctions. Ask Douane or a sanctions specialist when the classification is uncertain.
Check your documents before departure
Check every applicable item before departure:
- Pet: identify the animal, country route, travel document, vaccination status and first EU entry point.
- High-risk pet: record the vaccination, sample and earliest certificate-issue dates before paying for transport.
- Animal documents: check the required chip number or other identification, dates, signatures, endorsements, declarations and laboratory attachments.
- Other animal: check the NVWA species page, Dutch mammal list, CITES status and invasive-species rules.
- Non-EU goods: confirm every relief condition, appoint the removal company and sign the full inventory before declaration.
- Restricted goods: check the separate declaration rules for alcohol, tobacco and other restricted items. Keep prohibited goods out of the shipment.
- Vehicle: arrange customs clearance for a non-EU vehicle, keep BPM and RDW steps separate, and avoid foreign plates after the BRP rule applies.
Keep the official decisions and evidence with your moving records.
Continue with these guides:
- Author
- By Inburgering.org team
- Reviewer
- Reviewed by Kirill Svavolia
Official Sources
- NVWA: Bringing pets into the Netherlands (External site, opens in a new tab) - the Dutch starting point for current non-commercial pet rules, with routes by animal type and country of departure
- NVWA: Travelling from third countries with a cat or dog (External site, opens in a new tab) - low- and high-rabies-risk routes, certificate and declaration rules, blood-test timing, border checks, quarantine consequences and dog registration
- NVWA: Travelling from EU countries with a cat or dog (External site, opens in a new tab) - the passport, identification, rabies-vaccination and minimum-age rules for the pet-passport route
- EU: Delegated Regulation 2026/131 on non-commercial pet movements (External site, opens in a new tab) - The rules applying since 22 April 2026, including pet identification, vaccination, certificates, tests, bird-origin exemptions, the sealed-container identification alternative, and distinct bird residence-isolation and approved-quarantine routes.
- EU: Implementing Regulation 2026/705 on pet documents (External site, opens in a new tab) - The 2026 passport, health-certificate and declaration models; old passport issue cutoff of 1 January 2028; certificate transition through 31 March 2027; blood-test wait before certificate issue; bird examination timing.
- European Commission: Listed territories and non-EU countries (External site, opens in a new tab) - the lists applying since 22 April 2026 that determine recognised passport territories and when no rabies antibody test is required
- Your Europe: Travelling with pets and other animals (External site, opens in a new tab) - current EU guidance on passports, certificates, vaccination, titration tests, owner travel, the five-pet limit and border outcomes
- NVWA: Points of entry for pet animals (PDF, about 105 KB; version 1.0.4) (External site, opens in a new tab) - the designated Dutch entry points, goods-to-declare route, five-day owner journey and narrower entry points for protected animals
- NVWA: Pet birds from outside the EU (External site, opens in a new tab) - Bird species exclusions, five-bird limit and national certificate-endorsement procedure on applicable routes. The EU regulations supply the origin and identification exemptions.
- NVWA: Rabbits, rodents, reptiles and other pets from outside the EU (External site, opens in a new tab) - non-commercial conditions, the 10-day health certificate, written declaration, first-EU-entry check and Dutch mammal-list transition
- RVO: Registration rules for dogs from abroad (External site, opens in a new tab) - English overview of import registration, UBN and the 14-day veterinary appointment. Use the current Dutch RVO pages for the stay threshold and 2026 UBN fee.
- Dutch Customs: Pets (External site, opens in a new tab) - Pet ownership and entry documents, protected-species documents, and tax on bought pets at first EU entry. Use the separate traveller-allowance sources for transport-specific thresholds.
- Dutch Customs: Moving to the Netherlands from a non-EU country (External site, opens in a new tab) - the removal-goods relief conditions, evidence, removal-company route, provisional documents, exclusions, vehicle declaration and Russia sanctions warning
- Dutch Customs: Moving things from an EU country (External site, opens in a new tab) - that ordinary removal goods from another EU country need no customs declaration, while excise, restricted goods, pets and vehicles retain separate rules
- Tax Administration: Moving within the EU — BPM exemption (External site, opens in a new tab) - the EU-move BPM conditions, 12-month application and disposal rules, Dutch form and postal route
- RDW: Relocating and bringing a vehicle (External site, opens in a new tab) - BRP and personal-attendance conditions, pre-inspection tax steps, documents, paper BPM return, registration timing, insurance, plates and motor vehicle tax
- NetherlandsWorldwide: Driving with foreign registration plates (External site, opens in a new tab) - the rule that a person registered or required to register in the BRP generally may not drive on foreign plates, plus limited exemptions
- NVWA: Dog or cat from outside the EU (External site, opens in a new tab) - Dutch dog-registration rule for stays longer than 3 months and the 2-week registration deadline.
- RVO: Mammals allowed as pets and exceptions (External site, opens in a new tab) - Current mammal list, deer exceptions, dated proof and prevention of breeding under the transition.
- Overheid.nl (Dutch government portal): Besluit huis- en hobbydierenlijst (decision listing permitted pet mammals) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Legal mammal-list transition, animals already kept on 1 July 2024, offspring of mothers pregnant then, evidence and no further breeding.
- RVO: Hairless and folded-ear cats (External site, opens in a new tab) - 2026 keeping restrictions, written proof of birth and chip before 1 January 2026 for cats from abroad, temporary visits and event ban.
- Overheid.nl: 2026 cat keeping restrictions (External site, opens in a new tab) - Legal keeping restriction from 1 January 2026, transition based on written chip-date evidence and ban on competitions and displays.
- Douane: Tax on purchases from abroad (External site, opens in a new tab) - 2026 total purchase allowances including bought pets: €430 for air or sea passengers and €300 for private planes or boats; no pooling or splitting an item, full-value taxation above the allowance, declaration and possible fine.
- Belastingdienst: Moving-house BPM exemption application (PDF, about 241 KB) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Dutch exemption conditions, household-family driving exception, and the 12-month disposal restriction after registration; breach makes BPM payable under the accompanying exemption guidance.
- RVO: Dogs from abroad (Dutch) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Current Dutch registration instructions for stays of 3 months or more, shorter visits without sale, UBN and the 14-day veterinary import registration.
- RVO: UBN for private dog keepers (Dutch) (External site, opens in a new tab) - UBN as a location number, the one-off 2026 fee of €23.02, and separate veterinary and database costs.
- European Commission: Customs declaration (External site, opens in a new tab) - The customs authority in the country where goods are presented at EU entry is normally responsible for the declaration; Dutch Customs is not responsible for every EU entry point.
- RDW: Driving with a foreign driving licence (External site, opens in a new tab) - Foreign driving licences have their own validity and exchange conditions, separate from vehicle import and registration.
- EU: Regulation 2026/636 country lists, consolidated 19 June 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Annexes I and II list third-country pet routes; Annex III lists the ten exempt bird origins for Article 28 of Regulation 2026/131.
- Your Europe: Traveller allowances for goods from outside the EU (External site, opens in a new tab) - General €300 per-traveller allowance and €430 air or sea allowance for qualifying personal purchases, supporting road and rail coverage.
- Douane: Pets brought into the Netherlands (Dutch) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Bought-pet taxation at first EU entry and the distinction between personal pet travel and ownership-transfer movements.
- Douane: Traveller-baggage relief handbook (External site, opens in a new tab) - Personal, occasional traveller imports; eligible traveller status; no trade consignments, pooling or splitting one item; full-value tax above the applicable allowance.