REQUIREMENTS FOR DOGS ENTERING CROATIA
Dogs entering Croatia with thier owners shoud be marked by a microchip or a clearly legible tatoo number which has to be written on the certificate (or a valid EU pet passport issued in accordance to the present legal regulations of European Union).
If the dogs are marked by a microchip which is not in accordance with the criteria regulated by the Croatian regulations i.e. the regulations of EU, the owner has to provide a proper scanner so that the identification number from the microchip could be read.
It is not necessary to obtain the import decision from the Croatian Veterinary Board for pets in case they are:
- not to be sold and will remain in the ownership of the importer;
- are followed by the required international certificate on the animal health or veterinary certificate (or a valid EU pet passport) in which the authorised body of the exporting country confirms the following:
a) the dogs are healthy and show no signs of infectious diseases which have to be reported at the customs and do not come from regions in which there are infestious diseases that can be transferred by dogs
b) dogs are marked by microchips
c) dogs are vaccinated agains rabies:
- not less then 6 months and not more than 1 year ago in case of primary vaccination, which should have been applied when the dog was at least 3 months old
- not more than 1 year ago in case of any following ("booster") vaccination
- by vaccine made from inactivated (killed) rabies virus
The import and temporary stay is forbiden in Croatia for possibly dangerous terrier breeds - bull terriers - that have not been registerd by the International Kennel Organization (FCI) (pit bull terriers).
In Zagreb the dogs should be on a leash in public places, parks, yards, staircases, elevatators etc, so that they would not endanger the safety and health of people and other animals. The dogs that are dangerous for the safety of people by their nature and agressive instinct or training, especially dobermnns, american staffordshire terriers, bull terriers, pit bull terriers, rottweilers, great dame, german and belgian shepherds, japanese fighting dogs, big japanese spitzs, mastiffs, jugoslavian sheperd dogs and their half-bred, should in public places be kept on a leash, and obligatory wear a muzzle. Exceptionally, dogue de bordeaux and neapolitan mastiffs are in public places kept on a leash, but without a muzzle.
Zagreb customs has suggested that the dog owners could ask thier Commercial Chambers to issue them ATA CARNETS which are used to simplify the procedure of export of goods and animals that will not be used for sale but for various fairs, exhibitions, competitions etc.
At the moment there are no restrictions for import of dogs from any specific country to Croatia due to veterinary-hygienic reasons, but in case any such restriction is issued, we will inform you about it on our web site.
