Taking your pet to Bulgaria: the EU rules, the puppy rule that fails en route, and the dog tax

May your dog or cat come to Bulgaria? Yes. Within the EU a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and the European pet passport are enough; there is no titre test or quarantine. Two things differ from what you might expect. Bulgaria is one of the countries that admit a puppy without full rabies protection, but the countries along the way don't. And once there, Bulgaria has a municipal dog tax, with its own registration deadline.

What does your animal need for the journey?

For a journey with a dog, cat or ferret between two EU countries the animal has a microchip, a rabies vaccination and a valid European pet passport recording both. The chip must go in first: a vaccination only counts if the animal was already chipped. A passport stays valid for life, as long as the rabies vaccination in it is up to date.

Rule	Period or number
First rabies jab	not before 12 weeks old
Waiting after the first jab	at least 21 days before you travel
Booster	before the previous one expires, otherwise another 21 days' wait
Number of animals	up to 5 without extra requirements
Animal travels separately from you	only with written authorisation and within 5 days of your journey
Registering a dog with the municipality in Bulgaria	within 3 months of arrival or acquisition
Municipal dog tax	every year before 31 March, or within 1 month if you get the dog later

No tapeworm treatment is needed for Bulgaria; that requirement only applies to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Northern Ireland.

Can a puppy without full protection come along?

Bulgaria yes, the route no. Bulgaria is among the countries where you may bring in a puppy younger than twelve weeks that hasn't been vaccinated, or between twelve and sixteen weeks old and not yet fully protected. The passport must then contain a declaration that the animal has had no contact with wild animals that can carry rabies, or the mother travels along with a rabies jab from before the birth. But Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Netherlands itself don't admit such young animals to their territory. Anyone going by road passes through those countries. So wait until your puppy is fully vaccinated and the 21 days have passed.

What do you arrange in Bulgaria for your dog?

Bulgaria has an annual charge for keeping a dog, set and collected by the municipality itself. You pay it in the municipality of your permanent address. How it is arranged in two municipalities shows how different it can be:

	Kozloduy	Zavet
Registering	declaration within 3 months of acquisition, with the dog's passport	application within 3 months of acquisition
Annual amount in the ordinance	20 leva	5 leva
Paying	before 31 March, or within 1 month if you get the dog after that	same
Discount	exemptions from the veterinary act	50% for pensioners
Chip	—	first year free with a registered chip

If you get the dog during the year, you pay one twelfth of the annual amount per remaining month, including the month of acquisition. In both municipalities the proceeds go to measures against stray dogs. The amounts in the ordinances are still in leva.

Exempt are, among others, neutered dogs, hunting dogs of people with hunting rights, dogs of people with disabilities and service and laboratory dogs. If something changes, such as the owner or the address, or the dog dies or goes missing, in Kozloduy you report it with the same form.

And cats?

For the journey the same EU rules apply to a cat as to a dog. The municipal charge is only for dogs.

Where do you start?

With your own vet in the Netherlands, well before departure: chip, jab and passport. After arrival you ask the local taxes department of your municipality for the ordinance and the form. When the pet comes up in the rest of your move is in the step-by-step plan for Bulgaria.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 3 of 5 of the journey, step 3.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Bulgaria or go straight to step 3.3 in the open plan.