Pet import requirements for Poland

Poland at a glance

The detail

Poland, of ficially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. Typical air gateways on file in clude WAW, GDN, KRK, WRO, POZ, and KTW. Recommended for commercial moves.

Import requirements

The movement into Poland territory of animals less than 16 weeks old is not authorized.

Entering Poland from Malaysia & Australia

If your pet is entering Poland from peninsular Malaysia, the following conditions must be met:

• Your pet has had no contact with pigs during at least the past 60 days prior to export.
• Your pet has not lived in a place where cases of Nipah disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.
• Your pet has been tested with negative a result to an IgG capture ELISA test carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for Nipah disease viruses within 10 days of export.

Cats may only enter Poland from Australia under the condition that they have not lived in areas where cases of Hendra disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.

Entering Poland by Air

Accompanied pets entering by air from non-EU countries must do so at the Border Inspection Post at an in ternational airport in Warsaw, Bydgoszcz, Gdansk, Katowice, Krakow, Lodz, Poznan, Rzeszow, Szczecin or Wroclaw.

Veterinary Border Inspection Post is only at Warsaw Airport. If in spection of Border Veterinarian is required – Warsaw should be airport of destination.

Official veterinary control at the EU external border in volves verifying the compliance of animals/goods entering the EU in terms of animal health and welfare and/or consumer health safety. This is a control carried out upon application, so it is important for the applicant to prepare the appropriate documents in advance, allowing the border veterinarian at the BCP to be notified of the in tention to in troduce the consignment into the EU before its expected arrival in the EU and to report the consignment for control once it has reached the border crossing point.

Pets should enter Poland directly or transit through another EU Member State. If your pet transits through a high-rabies country, then a Transit Declaration will be required stating that your pet has had no contact with rabies-carrying animals and remained secured within the airplane or airport.

All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the port of entry to Poland. If your dog or cat is not in apparent good health, further examination by a licensed veterinarian may be required at your expense.

Pets can enter Poland in the cabin, as checked baggage or air cargo.

Veterinary Inspection of dogs, cats and ferret before their shipment to the EU must be done during 48 hours.

Requirements for NON- Commercial Movement

In order for pets to fly “non-commercially,” they must fly within five days of their owner. If you are unable to meet this 5-Day Rule, the move can still be carried out but it will be considered a commercial move, which in creases costs and changes the EU import requirements and timeline. If you are unable to fly within 5 days of your pets, you will need to meet stricter import requirements. Contact your relocation coordinator to discuss commercial moves.

EU regulation 2021/404. In the Annex VIII you can find a list of countries from which import of unaccompanied dogs/cats/ferrets is allowed.

If country is not listed in Annex VIII Import of dogs/cats/ferrets as manifested cargo to EU/Poland is allowed only if the owner or person authorized by the owner will arrive into Warsaw on the same flight or within 5 days before/after of animal’s arrival. Import of unaccompanied dogs from countries not listed in Annex VIII is not allowed.Cats and dogs from Malaysia and cats from AustraliaPet birds from third country

Dogs are generally welcome on trains and city buses as long as there is enough space, and they are not put on the seat. They need a muzzle and must be put on a leash. The owner must have the dog under control at all times and be ready to show the dog’s Health Certificate/health book/pet passport showing current rabies vaccination.

Identification and microchip

Each pet shall be identified by means of a microchip. No other form of identification is acceptable. The microchip used should comply with ISO Standard 11784. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine is administered. The transponders must: comply with ISO Standard 11784 and apply HDX or FDX-B technology; and be capable of being read by a reading device compatible with ISO Standard 11785

Rabies and vaccinations

All pets must have an original Rabies Certificate signed by the vet. The Rabies vaccine must be at least 21 days old at the time of the final health exam and endorsement.

The document confirming validity of the anti-rabies vaccinations must state:

The anti-rabies vaccine:

a) be a vaccine other than a live modified vaccine and fall within one of the following categories:

• an in activated vaccine of at least one antigenic unit per dose (recommendation from the World Health Organization); or
• a recombinant vaccine expressing the immunizing glycoprotein of the rabies virus in a live virus vector.

b) where it is administered in a Member State, it must have been granted a marketing authorization in accordance with Article 5 of Directive 2001/82/EC or Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 726/2004;

c) where it is administered in a territory or a third country, have been granted an approval or a license by the competent authority and meet at least the requirements laid down in the relevant part of the Chapter concerning rabies in the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and

Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals of the World Organization for Animal Health.

The anti-rabies vaccination must fulfil the following conditions:

a) the vaccine was administered by an authorized veterinarian.

b) the pet animal was at least 12 weeks old at the date on which the vaccine was administered.

c) the date of administration of the vaccine is in dicated by an authorised veterinarian or an of ficial veterinarian in the appropriate section of the identification document.

d) the date of administration referred to in the point

(c) does not precede the date of application of the transponder or tattoo or the date of reading of the transponder or the tattoo in dicated in the appropriate section of the identification document;

e) the period of validity of the vaccination starts from the establishment of protective

immunity, which shall not be less than 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol required by the manufacturer for the primary vaccination, The period of validity of the vaccination is in dicated by an authorized veterinarian or an of ficial veterinarian in the appropriate section of the identification document.

f) a re-vaccination must be considered a primary vaccination if it was not carried out within the period of validity referred to in point (e) of the previous vaccination.

Vaccination against rabies made on the unmarked animal is in valid.

Dogs: Rabies, Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus (DHLPP) and Bordetella. *Rabies (at least 21 days prior to import in case of primary vaccination)

Cats: Rabies, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (FVRCP). *

These should be valid at the time of import and administered no less than two weeks before export date for maximum effectiveness.

Tests and treatments

Rabies Titer Test required when entering Poland from a high-rabies country. At least equal to 0,5 IU/ml carried out in an approved laboratory on a sample taken by an authorized veterinarian, at least 30 days after vaccination and three months before importing an animal. The result of titration test must be documented in the appropriate section of the identity document by an authorized veterinarian. The document with the result of this test must be attached to the health certificate. The blood sample must be examined in the laboratory approved by the European Commission.

*To maintain the validity of the titration test, the animal must be vaccinated against rabies regularly and on time.

The pet animal (dog only) must, prior to entering a Member State listed in the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/878, or Norway, be treated against the parasite *Echinococcus multilocularis*.

Poland is not listed in this Anex

Cats: tick treatment (within 48 hours of travel date)

Health certificate and permits

EU Health Certificate

This is the standard Health Certificate to be filled out by your accredited veterinarian and must be signed in a different color than that of the certificate's printing (usually blue ink). This certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issue until the date of the checks at the EU point of entry. For the purpose of further movements within the EU,The forms below must be sent to your local governing authority for their stamp of approval.

For the purpose of further movement into other Member States, this certificate is valid from the date of the documentary and identity checks for a total of four months or until the date of expiry of the validity of the anti-rabies vaccination. For the purpose of further movements within the EU the Heath Certificate must be endorsed by the of ficial at the traveler's point of entry.

Health Certificate must be written in at least one of the of ficial languages of the Member State of entry and in English.

Health Certificate for Poland

No Import Permit Required for pets.

REQUIREMENTS

FOR NON-COMMERCIAL MOVEMENT

OF 5 OR LESS DOGS, CATS AND FERRETS

Non-Commercial Health Certificates

Quarantine

If the pet animal does not meet the necessary requirements, the competent authorities shall decide in consultation with the of ficial veterinarian:

to return the animal to its country of origin,

to isolate the animal under of ficial control for the time necessary for it to meet the health requirements, at the expense of the owner or the natural person responsible for it, to put the animal down, without financial compensation, where its return or isolation in quarantine cannot be envisaged.

Restrictions and banned breeds

In Poland there are no banned breeds. We have a list(11 breeds) that are described as aggressive. Import to Poland is allowed, however running a breeding or keeping a dog of an aggressive breed requires a permit issued by the commune head(mayor,city president)competent for the planned place of breeding or keeping the dog. The permit is issued at the request of a person in tending to breed or keep such a dog.

A list of dog breeds considered aggressive is available in the regulation of the Ministry of Interior and Administration of 28 April 2003.

https://www.wetgiw.gov.pl/nadzor-weterynaryjny/zwierzeta-domowe

Customs, agents, and airports

Recommended for commercial moves.

Accompanied pets entering by air from non-EU countries must do so at the Border Inspection Post at an in ternational airport in:

• Warsaw (WAW)
• Bydgoszcz (BZG)
• Gdansk (GDN)
• Katowice (KTW)
• Krakow (KRK)
• Lodz (LCJ)
• Poznan (POZ)
• Rzeczow (RZE)
• Szczecin (SZZ)
• Wroclaw (WRO)

Pets should enter Poland directly or transit through another EU Member State.

Airports listed on this destination file: WAW, GDN, KRK, WRO, POZ, KTW.

Export notes

All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Poland for another EU Member State must be microchipped, vaccinated for rabies (in that order) and wait 21 days before leaving Poland. If you are planning to take your pet on a trip to a high-rabies country, your veterinarian should do a rabies titer test at least 3 months before you leave Poland.

Export permits may be required for non-accompanied transports.

Other pets / CITES / extra rules

It is important to ensure that the specimen was legally obtained and to complete all required export and import procedures. This is regulated by the [Washington Convention (CITES) and European Union regulations](https://environment.ec.europa.eu/to pics/nature-and-biodiversity/wildlife-trade_en)in this area.

Animal Welfare Regulations 1

Animal Welfare Regulations 2

April-16-2018 - Poland- Regional Meeting Presentation

Official contacts

Główny Inspektorat Weterynarii

Address: ul. Wspólna 30

00-930 Warszawa

Tel. +48 22 623 17 17

Tel. +48 22 623 20 89

Fax. +48 22 623 14 08

email: wet@wetgiw.gov.pl

General Veterinary Inspectorate

lek. wet. Krzysztof Jażdżewski – Veterinary Chief Officer

00-930 Warsaw,

Wspólna Street No. 30, Poland,

Tel: +48 22 623-1717

Fax: +48 22 623-1408

Email: wet@wetgiw.gov.pl

WebsiteDeputy Veterinary Chief Officerlek. wet. Jakub KubackiTel: +22 623-1717

Fax: +22 623-1408

E-mail:wet@wetgiw.gov.pl

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentMr Czesław SiekierskiAddress: Wspolna Street No. 30, 00-930

Warsaw, Poland

Tel: +48 22 623-1000

Website

Office of Minister's Press Spokesman: Rzecznik.Prasowy@minrol.gov.pl

Current as of July 2025

Disclaimer

Import rules change without much warning. Confirm every vaccine date, test, permit, and crate routing with the destination veterinary authority before you travel. This page is a planning brief for Furry Freight customers, last checked against the IPATA country profile dated 2025-07-10.

Next: measure your dog, find the kennel size, then get a free travel quote. Moving on military orders? PCS moves. Going to Hawaiʻi instead? Hawaiʻi has its own regime.

Other destinations: Albania · Andorra · Austria · all destinations