Taking your pet to Cyprus: the passport, 105 days and the breeds that are not allowed in

Can you take your dog or cat to Cyprus? Yes, and from the Netherlands it is simple: the European pet passport with a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination is enough. There is no titre test, no three-month wait and no quarantine, because Cyprus is in the EU. The costs are limited to the vet and the transport. The pitfall sits further down the list of the Cypriot veterinary services, where few people read: four dog breeds and their crosses are not allowed onto the island, whatever country they come from. The same goes for a number of cat breeds that are sold perfectly normally in the Netherlands.

What does your animal need?

Requirement	Rule	Where it goes wrong
Microchip	implanted before or on the day of the rabies vaccination	a vaccination given before the chip does not count
Rabies vaccination	first jab at 12 weeks at the earliest; valid after 21 days	starting too late with a puppy
Age on arrival	at least 105 days	a three-month-old puppy is not yet allowed in
Document	European pet passport with the vaccination recorded	a separate vaccination booklet
Number	at most 5 animals per journey	more animals fall under the rules for trade
Breed	four dog breeds, and cats that are not Felis silvestris catus: banned	a cross with a banned breed

The pet passport stays valid for life, as long as the rabies vaccination is repeated on time. A booster counts immediately, provided you give it before the previous one expires. If you let it lapse, the 21-day waiting period starts again.

Which breeds are not allowed into Cyprus?

Cyprus bans the entry of four dog breeds, whatever country they come from:

• Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull
• Japanese Tosa or Tosa Inu
• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Brasileiro

The ban also covers crosses between these breeds, and a cross between another breed and one of these four if a registered vet certifies that the characteristics of the banned breed prevail.

For cats the line is drawn biologically. Only the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus, is allowed in. The veterinary services name the Savannah, the Bengal, the Caracat and their hybrids as examples of cats that are refused.

A refused animal does not go back to the vet, but to one of three outcomes. If an animal does not meet the requirements on arrival, it is sent back, placed in quarantine until it does comply, for up to six months, or euthanised without compensation if returning it or quarantine is not feasible. You pay the inspection and quarantine costs. If you have doubts about your dog's or cat's ancestry, sort it out before you leave, with papers.

And a rabbit, bird or reptile?

For animals other than dogs, cats and ferrets there is no European scheme. Each country decides for itself. Cyprus requires an import permit from the veterinary services for these animals, and you need it before the animal travels. The services also publish a list of species you are allowed to keep in Cyprus. Check it before you pack a bird, tortoise or snake.

How does your animal get onto the island?

Through a designated point of entry: an airport, port or marina designated for that purpose. Entry anywhere else is prohibited. On arrival a vet from the services or a customs officer checks the animal and the papers.

Two rules apply only to animals from outside the EU, and so not to you: the notification 48 hours before arrival and the titre test. If you bring your animal from the Netherlands, neither concerns you.

When you move, the Cypriot customs treat a pet as personal property, just like your furniture. Within the EU you pay nothing for it. If your animal flies, it travels in a crate that meets the requirements of the airline association IATA. If it travels separately, under the European rules it still counts as accompanying you if it goes within five days before or after you.

What do you need to arrange before you leave?

Start with your own vet, at least a month before departure. Have the chip read and check that the number in the passport matches, and that the rabies vaccination is valid on the day of arrival. If your animal is a puppy, count back: vaccination at twelve weeks, 21 days of waiting, and at least 105 days old on the day of travel.

Think about the way back too. If you later want to travel to the Netherlands with your animal, for a holiday for instance, the same EU rules apply. So keep the vaccination continuously valid; that keeps the way back open as well. How the rest of the move runs is in the route to Cyprus.

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 Cyprus or go straight to step 3.3 in the open plan.