Dog or cat to the Philippines: an import permit from BAI, a ten-day certificate and from 2027 the blood test
Your dog or cat may come to the Philippines with an import permit (SPSIC) from the Bureau of Animal Industry, a health certificate from the NVWA no more than ten days old and a valid rabies vaccination. From 1 January 2027 a rabies blood test is also required. You need it for the way back to the Netherlands anyway, so have it done in the Netherlands. You may import at most three animals a year.
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Your dog or cat may come to the Philippines. You apply online beforehand for an import permit from BAI, the Bureau of Animal Industry. That permit is called the SPSIC. The animal travels with a health certificate issued no more than ten days before arrival by the government's official veterinarian, in the Netherlands the NVWA. From 1 January 2027 a rabies blood test is also required. Have it done in the Netherlands: then it also covers the way back to the Netherlands.
What does BAI require?
| Requirement | What applies | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Import permit (SPSIC) | apply online through the DA Trade System | processing 11 working days; valid 60 days, cannot be extended |
| Number | at most 3 animals per year per importer | |
| Age | currently at least 4 months at application; from 2027 at least 18 weeks | pregnant animals are not allowed |
| Rabies vaccination | given from 12 weeks of age, valid until arrival | after a first vaccination wait 14 days before applying for the permit |
| Rabies blood test | result of 0.5 IU/ml or higher, from a lab recognised by the EU or the CDC | required from 1 January 2027 |
| Microchip | ISO-compatible | otherwise bring your own scanner |
| Health certificate | signed by the government's official veterinarian, in English | issued within 10 days before arrival |
| Deworming, internal and external | valid until arrival |
How do you apply for the permit?
You apply for the SPSIC (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance) online through the DA Trade System of the Department of Agriculture. Processing takes 11 working days. The permit is valid for 60 days, for one shipment. You cannot extend it or transfer it to someone else. So your flight must fall within those 60 days.
Each importer may bring in at most three animals a year. If you have more animals, that will not work in one year.
A transfer of less than 24 hours is no problem, as long as your animal stays in the cargo area and you do not change airlines. If you do change, you need a new permit.
What changes on 1 January 2027?
In July 2026 BAI adopted new import conditions, Memorandum Circular 38. There is a transition period until 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 everything applies in full. Two things change for you:
- The blood test becomes mandatory. The blood is tested by the national lab of the exporting country or by a lab recognised by the EU or the CDC. The result must be 0.5 IU/ml or higher. A copy goes with the animal on arrival.
- The minimum age becomes 18 weeks at application. For now BAI's website still says 4 months.
The blood test result stays valid for the animal's whole life, as long as you repeat the rabies vaccination on time. Otherwise it is valid for two years from the blood sampling.
What do you arrange in the Netherlands?
Your dog or cat needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. Make sure the animal is chipped before it gets the vaccination, otherwise the vaccination is not valid. Check the NVWA's Exportassistent to see whether there is a binding certificate for the Philippines. If not, email dpp@nvwa.nl for the requirements and the certificate. Preparation can take weeks to over half a year.
Have the blood for the blood test taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, according to the NVWA. So count back from your departure date.
The health certificate may be at most ten days old on arrival. So schedule the appointment for the certificate in the last days before your flight. And apply for the permit so that it is still valid when you leave.
Why the blood test for the way back?
The Philippines is not on the list of non-EU countries for which no blood test is needed on return (Annex II to Implementing Regulation 2026/636). If your animal ever goes back to the Netherlands, the test is therefore needed. If you have it done outside the EU, you wait 90 days after a good result before your animal may enter the Netherlands. If you do it in the Netherlands before leaving, that waiting period falls away. The same test covers the new Philippine requirement of 2027.
What happens after a year in the Philippines?
BAI recognises a three-year rabies vaccine on arrival. But once your animal has lived in the Philippines for a total of one year, it must get a Philippine booster, and then one every year. That is in a BAI circular from 2026.
According to the NVWA, a vaccination entered in the EU pet passport outside the EU is not valid. After that first Philippine booster, your animal therefore returns with an EU animal health certificate, signed by an official veterinarian.
What happens on arrival?
A government veterinarian checks the papers and the animal. Bring: the printed permit, the original health certificate, the form from Annex A-2 and the copy of the blood test. If your animal travels as cargo, also the air waybill. For dogs and cats the circular names no mandatory quarantine.
BAI charges fees for the permit and the inspection. The amounts were not on the pages we opened; ask BAI about them. What else can come along is covered in household goods to the Philippines.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.4: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to the Philippines or go straight to step 4.4 in the open plan.
What is due when?
Enter your departure date and see day by day what your dog or cat needs for Philippines, from microchip to certificate.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Bureau of Animal Industry — importing a dog or cat, with the SPSIC and the frequently asked questions — bai.gov.ph
- BAI Memorandum Circular 38 (2026) — the new import conditions, with the blood test from 1 January 2027 — bai.gov.ph
- BAI circular on the annual rabies vaccination of imported pets after one year's stay (2026) — bai.gov.ph
- NVWA — taking your dog or cat to a country outside the EU — nvwa.nl
- NVWA — the rabies blood test when returning from a high-risk country — nvwa.nl
- European Commission — non-EU countries without a blood test requirement (Implementing Regulation 2026/636, Annex II); the Philippines is not on it — food.ec.europa.eu
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