The decision to move abroad is a major milestone in life. It not only takes a long time to prepare your move, but also a lot of accuracy with the endless paperwork. Spain is one of the most popular destinations for expats. Due to the easy immigration regulations, especially for citizens of other countries within the European Union. However, if you decide to bring your pets along your move to Spain, you need to remember certain preparations.
Before your departure
Most of the preparations you need to make, happen before you leave your country into your new life. At first, check what provisions apply to your pet. While most kinds of cats and dogs can easily be brought into Spain, more exotic pets, such as birds or reptiles, require specific certificates and veterinary inspections.
Here is a check-list of the things you need to prepare beforehand:
- Your pets must meet the current health and identification requirments of Spain.
- Pets that are brought to Spain have to be provided with a ISO 11784/11785-compliant and 15-digit long chip. If your pets are not yet provided with such a chip, you need to bring a compatible scanner or get them microchipped again.
- At least 21 days before your departure, your pets need to be vaccinated against rabbies.
- You need an EU Pet Passport for your pets. If you are moving from a country outside of the European Union, you need an EU Animal Health Certificate, as well as a signed decleration regarding non-commercial movement.
How to travel
After you finish your in-advance-preparations, start planning how to get to your destination. Make sure to arrive at EU entry points. Most people travelling with their pets prefer to travel by car. This way, you can pause whenever its neccessary and its way less stressful for the pets. Especially coming from another European country, coming to Spain by car is a great alternative to travelling by plane. At the same time your moving, you can enjoy a slow and calm roadtrip.
Nevertheless, a long car ride is not an option to everybody. For people coming from outside Europe, public transportation may be the only way to get to Spain. But to get your pet into a train or airplane, you need to make some preparations as well. To transport your pets, they need to be in an IATA-approved transportation box. Meaning that the box has to allign with the guidlines of the International Air Transport Association, so that they can function as carry-on luggage in the aircraft cabin. If that is not a option, you could also pay for a professional pet transport.
Arriving in Spain
Keep in mind, that after your arrival in Spain, your pets can undergo a veterinary examination. Here, your pets’ health certificates and vaccination records may get checked.
Now, after welcoming your new life in Spain, you just need to be clear about following points:
- You need to register your pets’ microchips at the Registro de Indentificación Animal (RIA) or at the local registry office. For this registration, you need to have your ID (or NIE-number or passport), a proof of address, a Spanish mobile number and your pets’ microship data.
- Look for a veterinarian and keep a health record (cartilla sanitaria), as it is often required in order to visit the veterinarian.
- A pet insurance in Spain is not mandatory. Still, there are a lot of offers, also some made especially for expats.
Stick to these steps of preparation and moving to Spain will be as easy as it gets.
