Pet travel to and from Malta

Travelling with your own pet

The standard EU rules here concern non-commercial travel with dogs, cats and ferrets: the journey must not involve a sale or change of ownership. Your pet normally travels with you. Another person may accompany them with written permission if your own journey takes place within five days before or after theirs.

• Normally, no more than five dogs, cats and ferrets may travel together in one private vehicle. Check the arrangements for your means of transport.
• An exception may apply to pets over six months old attending competitions, exhibitions, sporting events or related training, with the required registration evidence. Other movements may follow different rules.

EU pet passports & rabies vaccinations

For travel within the EU, dogs, cats and ferrets generally need an EU pet passport with identification and a valid rabies vaccination recorded by an authorised vet. EU pet passports are issued to owners whose main residence is in the EU; having a holiday home alone is not enough.

• The microchip must be implanted or read and recorded before the rabies vaccination is given. Bring all previous records.
• A first rabies vaccination can be given from 12 weeks of age. Allow at least 21 days after the primary vaccination course is completed, and follow the validity date recorded by the vet.
• Keep boosters within the previous vaccine’s validity period. A lapse can mean repeating the waiting period.
• Malta does not accept the young-pet rabies exemptions. Entry is normally possible from 15 weeks of age at the earliest, subject to the vaccine’s validity and all other entry conditions.

Arriving in Malta: two extra checks

Submit the official Malta pet-arrival notification before travelling and keep a copy with you. Have your route, arrival time, flight or vessel details and pet documents ready. Follow the Veterinary Regulation Directorate’s instructions for the arrival check.

Dogs generally need a vet-administered tapeworm treatment containing praziquantel, or an equally effective approved treatment, 24–120 hours before their scheduled arrival in Malta. The vet must record the treatment details, including the date and time, in the appropriate travel document. This requirement does not apply to cats or ferrets.

Some direct routes qualify for an exemption; confirm your complete route before relying on one. Dogs travelling from Great Britain to Malta need this treatment.

Entering from outside the EU

An EU animal health certificate is generally needed when arriving from a non-EU country. It must be issued by an official vet, or by an authorised vet with the required official endorsement, and accompanied by a declaration that the journey is non-commercial. A valid EU passport may be accepted for an EU-resident pet returning home; certain other territories also have recognised passport arrangements.

The certificate normally allows entry within 10 days of issue. After the entry checks, it can cover onward EU travel for up to six months, or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first. Confirm the approved entry point and document-check arrangements for your route.

Whether a rabies antibody blood test is needed depends on the departure country and route. Use the current official country list, as exemptions can change.

When a rabies antibody blood test is needed

For entry from countries without a testing exemption, a rabies antibody titration test is required. The sample must be taken at least 30 days after the primary rabies vaccination, or within a continuously valid vaccination series. A designated laboratory must confirm a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml.

Allow at least 90 days between the blood-sampling date and the issue of the EU animal health certificate. Keep the official laboratory report with the travel documents.

For a pet normally resident in the EU, that 90-day wait can be waived on re-entry if a satisfactory test was completed and recorded in the passport before leaving the EU. A satisfactory test does not normally need repeating if every rabies booster remains in date. Discuss the outward and return journey before leaving Malta.

Great Britain & Northern Ireland

Great Britain means England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has different pet-travel arrangements, so tell us exactly where you are travelling.

Owners whose main residence is in Great Britain need an animal health certificate for entry to the EU; they cannot use an EU pet passport for that journey. A fresh certificate is required for each separate entry trip. Eligible EU-resident owners returning with their pets may use a valid EU passport.

Direction matters for dogs: Great Britain to Malta requires the timed tapeworm treatment. A dog travelling directly from Malta to Great Britain is exempt from Great Britain’s tapeworm-treatment requirement. Check again if your journey includes another country.

Other pets & destinations

The EU pet-passport system covers dogs, cats and ferrets. Birds, reptiles, rabbits, rodents and other species follow separate national rules. Contact the authorities in the departure, transit and destination countries for the documents your particular species needs.

Some protected species also require CITES import, export or re-export permits. Malta’s Environment and Resources Authority can advise on these wildlife-trade requirements.

For destinations outside the EU, check the destination authority’s import conditions before booking. Permits, tests, treatments or quarantine may be required, and the return journey to Malta needs its own planning.

Before you book the journey

Ask the airline or ferry operator to confirm that your pet can travel on the exact route and date. Check their carrier, species, breed, size and seasonal restrictions separately from the border-entry rules.

• Choose a suitable carrier that lets your pet stand, turn and lie comfortably, and let them become familiar with it before travel.
• Check every transit stop and the return journey, including documents and any timed treatments.
• Keep original travel documents accessible and check that the microchip number matches throughout.
• Discuss your pet’s health and any travel concerns with the vet before departure.