Dog or cat to Ecuador: a certificate of ten days, dewormed within 21 days
A dog or cat enters Ecuador with a health certificate from the official veterinary service, in the Netherlands the NVWA, that is no older than ten days. The animal is older than four months, has been dewormed within 21 days and has valid vaccinations, including rabies. If it travels as cargo, you apply to Agrocalidad for an import permit 72 hours in advance.
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Your dog or cat may come to Ecuador with a health certificate from the official veterinary service of the country of departure, in the Netherlands the NVWA. On arrival the certificate is no older than ten days and is in Spanish or English. The animal is older than four months, has been dewormed within 21 days before departure and has valid vaccinations. That is in the requirements that Agrocalidad, Ecuador's animal and plant health agency, published in March 2026.
| Requirement | Dog | Cat |
|---|---|---|
| Age | older than 4 months | older than 4 months |
| Identification | name, tattoo or microchip | name, tattoo or microchip |
| Clinical examination | within 10 days before the journey | within 10 days before the journey |
| Deworming, internal and external | within 21 days before departure | within 21 days before departure |
| Vaccinations, valid on arrival | distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, rabies | panleukopenia, cat flu (rhinotracheitis and calicivirus), rabies |
| First rabies vaccination | at least 14 days before arrival | at least 14 days before arrival |
| Certificate | at most 10 days old on arrival, Spanish or English | likewise |
What must the certificate state?
That a veterinarian recognised by the official service examined the animal within ten days before the journey, and that it showed no signs of contagious diseases or parasites, and no wounds that were still healing. The certificate states the species, age, breed, sex and coat colour.
For the deworming the veterinarian records the name of the product, the active substance and the date. If one of the required vaccinations is not authorised in the Netherlands, the veterinarian notes that on the certificate and you have the animal vaccinated in Ecuador afterwards.
The two deadlines run differently. The examination falls within ten days before the journey, the deworming within 21 days before departure. Plan both backwards from your flight date, and allow for a day's delay: a certificate eleven days old does not qualify.
What do you arrange in the Netherlands?
The NVWA shows the way through its Export Assistant: choose Ecuador and check whether there is a binding certificate with instructions. If there is not, you can ask the NVWA for the requirements at dpp@nvwa.nl. According to the NVWA the preparation can take from weeks to more than half a year; so start early.
Make sure your animal is microchipped before the rabies vaccination. According to the NVWA the vaccination is otherwise not valid.
How does it go on arrival?
That depends on how the animal travels. If it travels with you in the cabin, or you receive it with your luggage in the arrivals hall, you only show the certificate. The same applies on arrival over land.
If it travels as cargo, you need an import permit from Agrocalidad. You email the airport of arrival, Quito or Guayaquil, 72 hours before arrival: the air waybill, your passport, your phone number and email address, the certificate, the vaccination booklet and, if needed, the name of your customs broker. Agrocalidad issues a payment order; paying in cash is not possible. An officer examines the animal in the customs warehouse and issues the permit. The fee for inspecting a pet in 2026 is 28.90 dollars per animal.
And if you ever want to return?
Ecuador is not on the European list of countries for which no blood test is needed. According to the NVWA, a dog or cat coming to the Netherlands from such a country must have had a rabies blood test. If you have it done outside the EU, the animal may only travel 90 days after a good result.
So have the blood test done in the Netherlands, at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and before you leave. The result remains valid for the animal's whole life, as long as you keep repeating the rabies vaccination on time.
Where the animal fits in the planning of flight, household goods and first weeks is in the route to Ecuador. For the rest of the move, see household goods to Ecuador.
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 Ecuador 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 Ecuador, 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.
- Agrocalidad — the requirements for importing dogs and cats, March 2026 — agrocalidad.gob.ec
- Agrocalidad — bringing dogs and cats in, in the cabin or as cargo — agrocalidad.gob.ec
- ARCFZ (gob.ec) — the import permit for pets travelling as cargo — gob.ec
- Agrocalidad — the 2026 tariff, the inspection of pets — agrocalidad.gob.ec
- NVWA — taking your dog or cat to a country outside the EU — nvwa.nl
- NVWA — the rabies blood test on return from a high-risk country — nvwa.nl
- European Commission — the non-EU countries for which no blood test is needed (Ecuador is not among them) — food.ec.europa.eu
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