People in Ukraine travelling to the EU/Denmark with their pets
As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU and Denmark use a special derogation in Regulation 2013/576, which means that people travelling with their pets from Ukraine can be imported into the EU/Denmark even if the animal does not meet all the requirements.
Link to Regulation 2013/576
Детальніше: Зареєструйте свого домашнього улюбленця (собаку, кота чи тхора), прибувшого з України до Данії
Детальніше: Зареєструйте свого домашнього улюбленця (собаку, кота чи тхора), прибувшого з України до Данії (pdf)
Register your pets
People arriving in Denmark from Ukraine with pets are asked to fill in a form and send it to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration as soon as possible:
Once you have filled in the form, please send it together with relevant documentation regarding your pet’s animal health status to document the requirements that the animal already meets at the time of entry. Please send the form and documents to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA): email@fvst.dk
Осіб, які прибувають до Данії з України зі своїми домашніми улюбленцями, просять якомога швидше заповнити форму:
Isolate your pets due to rabies risk
Since rabies is present in Ukraine it is important that there is special attention to dogs, cats and ferrets, which can be carriers of the rabies virus.
Once the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has received your form and relevant documents, you will be contacted as soon as possible in order to take further necessary measures to minimize, among other things, the rabies risk. This involves inspection visits by an official veterinarian, isolation and various measures, e.g. rabies vaccination and antibody titration test of the animal.
It is important that you keep your pet isolated until the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has ensured that it meets the import requirements. This means no contact with other animals and humans. Dogs must only be aired on a short leash, and birds, cats and ferrets must be kept indoors.
Flyer on isolation - Veterinary unit North
Flyer on isolation - Veterinary unit South
Flyer on isolation - Veterinary unit East
Rabies symptoms
Rabies occurs in Ukraine in contrast to Denmark. Rabies is fatal and can be transmitted to humans by bite/contact with saliva from infected animals. Therefore, it is important that everyone who brings dogs, cats and ferrets from Ukraine who do not live up to EU import requirements, pay special attention to whether their animals show signs of rabies, including biting animals or humans.
Symptoms of rabies can be altered behavior, such as salivation, difficulty swallowing, change of voice, impurity, restlessness, confused behavior, tantrums/desire to attack, possibly replaced by periods of lethargy and increasing paralysis of especially the lower jaw and buttocks.
In such cases, it is very important to contact a veterinarian immediately. If the suspicion cannot be rejected, the veterinarian notifies the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, which directs the further management.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration can also be contacted immediately at email@fvst.dk or +45 7227 6900.
Rapid risk assessment for Denmark, in relation to Rabies in Ukraine
Find more information about rabies on Statens Serum Institut's website
Information material and poster for Ukrainians and people helping them
Here you will find information (for print) for Ukrainians coming to Denmark with their pets, and for people helping Ukrainians and their pets in Denmark:
Requirements for pet animal import
Below is a description of the requirements that pets must live up to in order to comply with the requirements for importation of pet animals.
Pet animals are in Regulation 576/2013 defined as:
Other species are not considered pets even if they are kept as such.
Dogs, cats and ferrets
If your dog, cat or ferret meets the EU import requirements, the following must be documented:
If you can not document that your dog, cat or ferret meets the above requirements, please contact the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration immediately so that the necessary measures to minimize the risk of rabies can be implemented. This involves inspection visits by an official veterinarian, isolation and various measures, e.g. rabies vaccination and antibody titration test of the animal.
It is important that you keep your pet isolated. That means no contact with other animals and humans that are not part of your family. Dogs must only be aired on a short leash, and cats and ferrets must be kept indoors at all times.
If you have reason to believe, that the dog is one of the breeds, or mixed breeds hereof, that are prohibited in Denmark – please contact the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration: email@fvst.dk
Go to the page: Danish Legislation on Dogs
Birds
For pet birds, except poultry, there are requirements that relate to avian influenza.
Poultry means birds of the following species: fowl, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, quails, pigeons, pheasants, partridges and ratites (Ratitae).
This means that poultry are not considered pets in accordance with EU rules, even if they are kept as such.
You must keep your bird isolated in a cage for at least 30 days after importation into the EU/Denmark, and if it does not show signs of bird flu after that time, it no longer poses a risk.
In addition, it is recommended that persons in contact with the bird do not visit or have contact with poultry herds during the period the bird is kept in isolation.
Other pets
The exception rule does not apply to the other species of pets covered by Regulation 2013/576, as there are no specific requirements for the private importation of those species.
Species other than those mentioned in Regulation 2013/576 are not considered as pets and must therefore be imported in accordance with the general import requirements.
EU citizens returning to the EU/Denmark with their pets
EU citizens who need to leave Ukraine or Russia in a hurry with their pets can make use of the same terms as described above.
Other imports of pets from Ukraine
Right now, many well-meaning individuals and organizations wish to help abandoned pets in Ukraine.
However, the possibility of derogation does not cover this type of import, and it is therefore not possible to dispense with the generally applicable import requirements.
It is especially dogs and cats that the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration are asked about.
Link to the guide on import of dogs, cats and ferrets
Ukrainians traveling from Denmark to Ukraine with their pets
According to the Danish Embassy in Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Denmark after the start of the war (who left Ukraine after February 24, 2022) can take their pets to Ukraine without a certificate and rabies antibody titration test.
The authorities in Ukraine would like information about the pets' stay in Denmark (vaccination (s), isolation time, other treatment, etc.) to accompany the pets to Ukraine.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration draws attention to the fact that Ukrainian citizens themselves are responsible for keeping up to date with Ukrainian import requirements through the authorities of Ukraine.
