Bringing Pets to Denmark

If your move includes bringing pets to Denmark (and I am not referring to your children or spouse), you will need to get a PETS Passport. The Pet Travel Scheme is a scheme which allows animals to travel easily between various member countries without undergoing quarantines.

The Pet Passport is nothing more than an official document from your vet that includes information on your pet. Before bringing pets to Denmark, you will need to have your pets checked out and given certain shots before they can travel.

The reason for the PETS scheme is to help prevent diseases, especally rabies, from being brought into other countries and to help prevent having to put pets into long-term quarantine in kennels. Many pets don't survive the required 6-month quarantine or they might suffer long-term ill effects after being released. Most pet owners prefer to keep their beloved pets from such a fate! (We would never make our pets suffer that fate.)

Bringing pets to Denmark requires a PETS passport, so your pet will need to be microchipped. This is a simple procedure and does not harm the animal. The chip is embedded with an unique number identifying your pet and this number will be on all their medical records.

When you enter or leave a country with your pet, the pet will be scanned at the port of departure (usually) and always at the port of entry.(See our story below.) The chip and paperwork must match up for the pet to be allowed in.

The requirements for bringing pets to Denmark under the PETS Passport scheme are as follows:

1. ISOP microchip implant under the skin of the pet.

2. Treatment for ticks and fleas within 24 hours of departure.

3. Confirmation from your vet that the pet is fit to travel and does not suffer from any illnesses.

4. Your vet must be approved to provide such certification.

5. Pet must be verified to be free of rabies.

6. Have all your vaccination records available for viewing when bringing pets to Denmark. They may never be viewed, but if you don't have them ... they won't be allowed in and could be quarantined.

7. Your pet must travel in a secure container. This can be a pet carrier or special travel crate. The animal must be able to stand up inside the container you use. If you are bringing a large dog, is must be able to not only lie down comfortably, but to stand up without being hindered.

8. Talk with your vet about sedation. Ours recommended that we not sedate our cats; she told us about natural pheromones that work with some animals. Also check with your airline carrier about their rules concerning bringing pets to Denmark. Some airlines do not allow sedation due to adverse affects under air pressure.

9. Airlines will carry your pets as cargo, so they can fly with you and not be sent on another flight. Always book your pets ahead of time, since some airlines have restrictions on how many pets can be on a single flight. Right now only Kastrup Airport and Billund Airport can be used for entry under the PET scheme. If you entering at other airports, you should contact a Control Enforcement Officer through the The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration International Trade Division on 0045 3395 6000, and they can give you more advice.

10. You also need to check with your carrier (plane, train, boat, etc.) to see if they accept pets. Not all carriers will transport pets and you also need to be aware that your port of entry must be able to process your pet. If you enter a country at a small port or airport, they may refuse your pet if they don't have the scanner or necessary authority to allow pets into the country.

TIP: It is important to check with your local vet as soon as you know that you are going to be bringing your pet to Denmark. It can take several months to get all the paperwork, vaccinations, chips, rabies checks, etc., done. The sooner you know what is required and how long it will take, the easier it will be on you and your pet. There are time restraints on vaccinations, so too early is not good and too late is not good. Planning is important. You have to do flea baths within 24 hours of departure - rabies vaccinations are rarely valid for more than a year (somethimes 2 years). Microchips are good for life, so the earlier you do that the better - it is always a great way to find your pets again if they ever get lost.

I hope this information on bringing pets to Denmark has been helpful. You can get more information direct from the government on bringing your pets to Denmark.

Our story about Bringing Pets to Denmark

When we relocated from Denmark to the UK, we were detained in France (waiting for the ferry) for a short time since some of the paperwork was not in accordance with French regulations with regard to timing after vaccinations. When we entered the UK, it was quick - they scanned the microchips and just looked at the documents for about 15 seconds.

On our last trip from the UK back to Denmark, we drove over via France again - this time we were bringing pets to Denmark using the channel crossing. They sat in the front seat with us snuggled in their blankets. (We used the natural pheromone spray and that seemed to calm them down quite a bit.) We had gotten all their shots, vaccinations, etc., and spent a lot of time worrying about how to transport them here. We could not come over on the ferry to Esbjerg, since they did not process pets, so we went the long way.

The funny thing is that the authorities in Britain did not bother to check our pets or even ask if we had pets. When we told them, they were not interested in the pets or the paperwork.

When we got to France, we drove off the channel train and we went on our merry way. At the exit gates, they looked at our passports and again - were NOT INTERESTED in the cats. So we did all the work and had all the paperwork, but it was not necessary in the end.

This is not to say that you don't need to go through the process, because if you don't, they will probably check and you will lose your pets to the "quarantine".

On our first trip from Denmark to the UK, they did check and scan the pets on both sides of the border. You never know when you will be checked, so remember to HAVE YOUR PAPERWORK IN ORDER.

Now, if after reading all this you decide not to bring your pet to Denmark, but leave it at home with friends or family .. do not fret. See you can always adopt a pet here in Denmark.

Insurance for your Pets

Let me tell you that going to a veterinarian here is mega expensive. You will only pay the first 300 kroner and than the rest of the bill is paid by ALM Brand. If your dog is very ill, you are easily talking about 1000s of kroner for a medical treatment. You can learn more about it on the link below:

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