Moving to the Netherlands (Holland) would be a dream come true. But it’s not quite perfect without your beloved pets along for the ride. So, if you need to take your pets along with you, let’s take a look at your next steps.

Can I Take My Pet to the Netherlands?

Yes, in fact, the Netherlands welcomes most pets as long as they’re healthy and well-trained.

There are a few factors that you’ll need to consider:

Vaccinations

Your pet doesn’t need any special vaccinations to travel to the Netherlands. However, they will need to be up to date with their normal annual vaccinations and this needs to be proven via your Animal Health Certificate obtained at your veterinary practice.

Microchips

Your pet must be microchipped before having their rabies vaccination. This allows any vet across the world to check that your pet is vaccinated.

The microchip is also an excellent way of identifying who the pet belongs to if they become lost, so it’s important that you keep your contact information up to date on the vaccination record.

Rabies

Your pet MUST be vaccinated against rabies. The vaccination should be up to date before you travel and you must show that it was given more than 21 days before travel. This is how long it can take before your pet has full immunity.

Netherlands Conditions for Dog or Cat Travel

It’s important to understand the conditions of travel before entering the Netherlands. Firstly, your pet will not be able to travel until they are at least 4 months old. Puppies and kittens will be turned away immediately if they’re younger than this because they won’t have the right immunity levels from their vaccines yet.

Your pet must also have had a full health check no more than 10 days prior to their journey. This check will test them for illness, ensure they’re fit and health and will sign them off as being completely vaccinated and having an ISO standard microchip.

After the examination, your vet will provide an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), which will need to be presented before travel and when you arrive in the Netherlands.

Registering a Pet in the Netherlands

If you’re planning to import your dog and live in the Netherlands, it’s important that they register with a vet within 2 weeks of their arrival in the country. Your new vet will be able to give them a full health check and help you to register them in the Netherlands while changing your microchip information.

Is the Netherlands Pet-Friendly?

The Netherlands is an incredibly pet-friendly destination. Many restaurants will allow you to dine inside with your dog and even those that aren’t specifically dog friendly will allow you to bring your dog inside at quieter times as long as it doesn’t disturb other diners.

Dogs are even allowed on public transport in the Netherlands, so you can travel easily between destinations with your pets.

Depending on the size of your pet and the method of travel, you may need to pay for extra tickets for them if they take up a lot of space.

If you’re thinking of renting in the Netherlands, there are also lots of pet-friendly apartments to choose from and they often don’t charge any extra for your pet to stay with you.

How to Get to the Netherlands from Hong Kong

Ferndale sends many pets here by cargo or by excess baggage routes, if you’re thinking of pet relocation there please give us a call! Once we’ve helped you pack all of your documents and your pet has had all of their vaccinations and health checks, it’s time to make a move.

Ferries between Netherlands and the UK

There are Stena Line ferries which travel from Harwich to the Hook of Holland and vice versa. They have pet-friendly cabins which come at a slightly higher fee due to the extra cleaning required. You must book in advance, but it does mean that your pet can travel safely with you all the way.

Pet travel to Netherlands

Ferndale pet relocation company can help ease your stress and that of your pet. We provide specialist services to prepare your pet for their journey and we will be there supporting them every step of the way.