Pet Travel to Curacao

Please find the requirements below for a dog/cat/ferret traveling with you from the United States/Canada to the Netherlands (Curacao). These requirements also apply if your dog/cat/ferret is transiting (making a stop) in the Netherlands because your pet is physically in the Netherlands.

1. Microchip — If your dog/cat/ferret is traveling with you from the United States/Canada to the Netherlands, your dog/cat/ferret must be identified with a microchip. The microchip needs to be compatible with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Annex A, 2.1, ISO standard # 11785 (www.iso.org). Please note that the HomeAgain microchip from AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AVID-Eurochip meet the requirements of Annex A, 2.1, ISO standard # 11785. If the microchip/transponder does not meet the requirements Annex A, 2.1, ISO standard # 11785, you will be required to bring your own reader of the microchip/transponder so that the information can be read. Your dog/cat/ferret can also be identified with a readable tattoo but you will need to show an official document to provide proof that the tattoo was applied before July 3, 2011.

2. Rabies vaccination — A dog/cat/ferret traveling with you from the United States/Canada to the Netherlands must be vaccinated against rabies. Microchip implantation must always occur prior to rabies vaccination! Vaccination against rabies before microchip implantation will not be valid, even if the dog/cat/ferret is up-to-date with its previous rabies vaccines. If your dog/cat/ferret is vaccinated before microchip implantation, your dog/cat/ferret must be revaccinated.

A. Please make sure the rabies vaccination of your dog/cat/ferret is valid at the time of travel. A rabies vaccination is valid until the expiration date of the vaccination. If necessary, please get your dog/cat/ferret revaccinated.

B. If it is the first time that your dog/cat/ferret gets the rabies vaccination after being micro-chipped, please be aware that the rabies vaccination should be given at least 21 days before the pet’s departure date to the Netherlands.

C. If your ferret is under 3 months of age, it is not allowed to travel from the US/Canada to the Netherlands. If your dog/cat is under 3 months of age, a rabies vaccination is necessary.

D. A dog/cat must be at least 15 weeks old to travel from the US/Canada to the Netherlands. First the pet needs to get an approved microchip as described above. After having received the microchip, and when the dog/cat is 12 weeks old, the dog/cat can be given a rabies vaccination. As it takes three weeks for the rabies vaccination to be activated, the dog/cat must wait an additional three weeks before the dog/cat is allowed to travel. In addition, the dog/cat of 15 weeks old must also travel with a veterinarian health certificate from an accredited veterinarian. The veterinarian health certificate must declare that the dog/cat resided at the birthplace until travel date and has not been in contact with any animals possibly infected with rabies.

E. Please note that a rabies blood test is not required because both the United States and Canada are low risk regions for rabies as described in Annex II EC regulation 998/2003.

F. For travel with your dog/cat/ferret from the US/Canada to the Netherlands a tick treatment or an echinococcus treatment is not required.

3.  Veterinarian Health Certificate – If your dog/cat/ferret is traveling with you from the United States/Canada to the Netherlands, your dog/cat/ferret must be clinically examined and the veterinarian health certificate signed by a veterinarian.

Download the form

Examination of your dog/cat/ferret can be done by an official veterinarian (government) and endorsement from the United States/Canadian Department is not necessary.

Examination of your dog/cat/ferret can also be done by an accredited veterinarian (practitioner) but endorsement from the United States/Canadian Department is necessary.

For more information about endorsement please click on the link below:

After the certificate has been signed by the veterinarian it is valid for 10 days for entry into the Netherlands. For travel of your dog/cat/ferret with you to the Netherlands a veterinary certificate is mandatory, unless your dog/cat/ferret is travelling with a valid EU pet passport. The EU pet passport needs to be signed by a European veterinarian. For more information about a pet passport, please click on: Information about a European pet passport.

Pet traveling without caretaker/owner from the US/Canada to the Netherlands
A dog/cat/ferret traveling alone (without owner or caretaker) from the United States/Canada to the Netherlands, or traveling as a commercial animal, is considered commercial trade (cargo), and therefore subject to the requirements described below.

1. Microchip — If your dog/cat/ferret is traveling without its caretaker or owner from the US/Canada to the Netherlands, your dog/cat/ferret must be identified with a microchip. The microchip needs to be compatible with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Annex A, 2.1, ISO standard #11785 ( www.iso.org). Please note that the HomeAgain microchip from AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AVID-Eurochip meet the requirements of Annex A, 2.1, ISO standard #11785. If the microchip/transponder does not meet the requirements Annex A, 2.1, ISO standard #11785, you will be required to bring your own reader of the microchip/transponder so that the information can be read. Your dog/cat/ferret can also be identified with a readable tattoo but please note that you will need to provide an official document to show proof that the tattoo was applied before July 3, 2011.

2. Rabies vaccination — A dog/cat/ferret traveling without its caretaker/owner from the US/Canada to the Netherlands must be vaccinated against rabies. Microchip implantation must always occur prior to rabies vaccination! Vaccination against rabies before microchip implantation will not be valid, even if the pet is up-to-date with its previous rabies vaccines. If your pet is vaccinated before microchip implantation, your pet must be revaccinated.

A. Please make sure the rabies vaccination of your pet is valid at the time of travel. A rabies vaccination is valid until the expiration date of the vaccination. If necessary, please get your pet revaccinated.

B. Please note that the rabies vaccination should be given to your dog/cat/ferret at least 21 days before the pet’s travel date from the US/Canada to the Netherlands.

C. A dog/cat/ferret younger than three months can not be shipped without their owner/caretaker from the US/Canada to the Netherlands because a rabies vaccination can only be given to pets older than three months.

D. Please note that a rabies blood test is not required because both the United States and Canada are low risk regions for rabies as described in Annex II EC regulation 998/2003.

E. For travel from the US/Canada to the Netherlands with your dog/cat/ferret, a tick treatment or an echinococcus treatment is not required.

3. Veterinarian Health Certificate – If your dog/cat/ferret is traveling without its caretaker/owner from the US/Canada to the Netherlands, the dog/cat/ferret must be clinically examined by a veterinarian within 24 hours before the pet’s departure date to the Netherlands ( download the form).

Examination of your dog/cat/ferret can be done by an official veterinarian (government) and endorsement from the United States/Canadian Department is not necessary.

Examination of your dog/cat/ferret can also be done by an accredited veterinarian (practitioner) but endorsement from the United States/Canadian Department is necessary.

For more information about endorsement please click on the link below:

The veterinarian must state a signature, the date and time of the examination on the veterinarian certificate. Please look on the website of the United States/Canadian Department of Agriculture for more details.

Contact details for pet travel from the US/Canada to the Netherlands
Please send an email to the Netherlands Embassy Agricultural Department for information about pets traveling from the US/Canada to the Netherlands.

US/Canada: was-lnv@minbuza.nl

Contact details for pet travel from the US/Canada to Aruba/Curaçao
Please send an email to the Netherlands Embassy Department of Aruba/ Curaçao for information about the requirements for pet travel from the United States to Aruba/ Curaçao.

Aruba: was-gma@minbuza.nl

Curaçao: was-gmcur@minbuza.nl

Contact details for pet travel to the Netherlands from countries other than the US/Canada
If your pet is traveling to the Netherlands from another country than the United States or Canada, please contact the Netherlands Embassy Agricultural Department of the country where your pet departures from. For example if your pet is traveling from Mexico to the Netherlands, please send an email to the Netherlands Embassy Agricultural Department in Mexico to ask about pet travel requirements. For contact details please click on: Netherlands Embassies Agricultural Departments around the world.

Pet traveling from the Netherlands to the US/Canada

Please find the contact information below for a pet traveling from the Netherlands to the United States/Canada.

United States

United States Embassy Agricultural Department in the Netherlands
Lange Voorhout 102
2514 EJ The Hague
The Netherlands

Phone:+ 31 70 3109300
Fax: + 31 70 3657681
AgTheHague@fas.usda.gov
Agricultural Department American Embassy

Canada

Canadian Embassy Agricultural Department in the Netherlands
Sophialaan 7
2514 JP The Hague
The Netherlands

Phone: + 31 70 3111600
Fax: + 31 70 3111620
info@canada.nl
Agricultural Department Canadian Embassy