Bringing a dog or cat back from the foreigner: What are the rules?

Verified 22 December 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)

When traveling abroad, if you plan to bring a dog or cat back to France, you must follow certain rules.

It is forbidden to bring into France a attack dog of 1re category. The dogs concerned are dogs derived from crossings which can be morphologically assimilated to dogs of the following breeds:

  • American Staffordshire terrier, commonly known as pit bulls
  • Mastiff, commonly called boerbulls
  • Tosa

The introduction of a 2-man guard and defense doge category is possible as long as the regulation applicable to this category of dogs. The dogs concerned are dogs of the following breeds:

  • American Staffordshire terrier purebred dogs
  • Rottweiler purebred dogs
  • Tosa purebred dogs

The category of guard and defense dogs also includes dogs from breeding that can be morphologically assimilated to Rottweiler dogs.

Any dog introduced into France can only enter if it has at least 1 adult tooth.

The maximum number of dogs or cats that can be brought back from the foreigner to France is limited to 5.

Any cat (breed or crossbreed) can be brought back to France.

Reminder

Find out in advance about the conditions of transport of animals practiced by the airline or railway company with which you plan to travel.

The conditions for entry into France vary depending on whether the animal comes from a Member State of the European Union (EU) or another country.

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Animal originating in an EU country

The dog or cat must fulfill the following conditions:

  • Be stained (or tattooed if the tattoo was performed before July 3, 2011 and remains clearly legible)
  • Be vaccinated against rabies. To be valid, the rabies vaccine must have been given for 1re once when the animal was at least 12 weeks old and before identification by chip or tattoo. Protective immunity is established at least 21 days after 1re vaccination. Boosters should then be given at the scheduled intervals for the vaccine used
  • Be accompanied by a valid European pet passport
  • Have been subjected to any health measures for the prevention of diseases or infections other than rabies. You should ask a French veterinarian before returning to France or a veterinarian in the country of departure. You can also find out at the French Embassy or Consulate in your country of departure

Animal from another country

The dog or cat must fulfill the following conditions:

  • Be stained (or tattooed if the tattoo was performed before July 3, 2011 and remains clearly legible)
  • Be vaccinated against rabies. To be valid, the rabies vaccine must have been given for 1re once when the animal was at least 12 weeks old and before identification by chip or tattoo. Protective immunity is established at least 21 days after 1re vaccination. Boosters should then be given at the scheduled intervals for the vaccine used
  • Have been subjected to a rabies antibody titration test at least 30 days after vaccination against rabies and at least 3 months before the date of arrival in France (blood test carried out in an EU approved laboratory to verify the effectiveness of vaccination against rabies)
  • Have been subjected to any health measures for the prevention of diseases or infections other than rabies. You should ask a French veterinarian before returning to France or a veterinarian in the country of departure. You can also find out at the French Embassy or Consulate in your country of departure

Find an EU-approved laboratory to do rabies titration

Your dog or cat should obligatory be registered at the Icad upon arrival in France.

To do this, you must take your pet to a veterinarian to prepare the form entitled provisional identification certificate on intra-Community import or trade.

Your veterinarian can enter this form online and attach scanned supporting documents for your animal (depending on its country of origin). All you have to do is send Icad a check for €11 to I-Cad.

Who shall I contact

  • I-CAD, identification of domestic carnivores

    Organization authorized to manage the national identification register of domestic carnivores (dogs, cats and ferrets)

    By telephone

    09 77 40 30 77

    Open Monday or Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm

    Call not surcharged

    By E-mail

    Access to contact form

    By mail

    112-114 avenue Gabriel Péri

    94246 L'Haÿ-les-Roses Cedex

The supporting documents to be provided are:

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Animal originating in a country of the European Union or Switzerland

You must provide the photocopies the following entries in the passport of the country of provenance of the animal:

  • Description of the animal
  • Marking or identification of the animal
  • Vaccination against rabies
  • Date of issue of the passport

In the event of non-compliance or absence of rabies vaccination, the veterinarian alerts the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations. If necessary, this shall trigger a prefectural order for placing the animal under surveillance and determine its duration.

The definitive identification card for the animal shall be issued only at the end of this surveillance, on proof of the valid anti-rabies vaccination.

Animal from another country

You must provide the original health certificate drawn up by a veterinarian of the country of origin with the following information:

  • Identification or marking of the animal
  • Vaccination against rabies or any proof that the animal is vaccinated against rabies
  • Anti-rabies antibody titration

FYI  

Animals originating in some countries are exempt from anti-rabies antibody titration.

In the event of non-compliance or absence of rabies vaccination, the veterinarian alerts the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations. If necessary, this shall trigger a prefectural order for placing the animal under surveillance and determine its duration.

The definitive identification card for the animal shall be issued only at the end of this surveillance on proof of the valid anti-rabies vaccination.

If you do not have official health documents of the country of origin, you must send the following documents to the Icad:

  • Written attestation that no health document is in your possession
  • Proof of rabies vaccination on French soil (passport)

The veterinarian alerts the departmental directorate for the protection of populations. If necessary, this shall trigger a prefectural order for placing the animal under surveillance and determine its duration.

The definitive identification card for the animal shall be issued only at the end of this surveillance on proof of the valid anti-rabies vaccination.