🌍 Send a pet abroad
What you need, country by country, and who can help: transporters, shared trips and shelters doing international adoptions.
💡 In short, before anything else
There are two legal ways. One: the adopter comes to Romania, adopts the animal, the passport is put in their name and they travel home with it. This is non-commercial travel, with no TRACES and up to 5 animals. Two: the animal travels without its new owner, through an association and a transporter. This counts as a commercial movement, even if nobody makes a profit and even if the adoption fee only covers costs. It needs an official DSVSA certificate in TRACES, a clinical exam within 48 hours, departure from an approved centre and an authorised transporter. A private person without an approved centre cannot send an animal to an adopter abroad on their own. EU rules for non-commercial travel are in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, applicable from 22 April 2026, which replaced Regulation 576/2013.
Where is the animal going?
🇩🇪 Germany🇦🇹 Austria🇳🇱 Netherlands🇸🇪 Sweden🇫🇮 Finland🇩🇰 Denmark🇳🇴 Norway🇨🇭 Switzerland🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇯🇵 Japan
🔎 Quick check: is it possible? · 🇯🇵 Japan
📋 What you need: 🇯🇵 Japan
- ISO microchip, implanted before the first vaccine.
- Two rabies vaccines: the first at 91 days of age or older, the second at least 30 days after the first.
- Rabies antibody test (titre) after the second vaccine, at a laboratory recognised by Japan. The result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml and is valid for 2 years.
- The animal may arrive only 180 days or more after the blood sample.
- At least 40 days before arrival, notify the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) at the port or airport of arrival.
- Within 10 days before the flight: clinical exam, then the Japanese certificate (Form AC) endorsed by the official vet (DSVSA).
⚠️ Watch out
- Plan 8 to 10 months ahead.
- If anything is missing or wrong, the animal may be held for up to 180 days at the importer's cost or sent back.
- Dogs may enter only through certain airports and seaports.
- RNA and live-virus vaccines are not accepted.
Steps common to all EU countries
- ISO microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccine.
- Rabies vaccine given at 12 weeks or older. It becomes valid after 21 days, so the animal is at least about 15 weeks old when it leaves.
- EU pet passport issued by an authorised vet, with the chip and the vaccine recorded.
- Dogs must be registered in RECS (the Romanian dog register).
- If the animal travels without its new owner: clinical exam no more than 48 hours before departure and an official certificate from the Romanian veterinary authority (DSVSA), sent through the EU TRACES system.
- The animal leaves from a shelter or centre approved by DSVSA for EU dispatch. If it goes through a collection centre, it stays there at least 48 hours.
- Transport is done by an authorised animal transporter (Regulation EC 1/2005).
- In the destination country, the adopter registers the animal in the national register within the local deadline.
🚐 Planerade resor
Transportörer som åker utomlands och har plats kvar. Dela resan, betala mindre.
Inga planerade resor till det här landet just nu.
🌍 Transporters to 🇯🇵 Japan
No transporters listed for this country yet.
Do you transport animals abroad? List your service and trips →
🏠 Shelters doing adoptions to 🇯🇵 Japan
No shelters listed for this country yet.
Official sources: Animal Quarantine Service: importing dogs and cats from non-designated regions · European Commission: movements of dogs and cats within the EU · European Commission: travelling with a pet within the EU · European Commission: young animals · Romanian ANSVSA Order 10/2024 (approved establishments for intra-EU trade)
Indicative information from official sources, October 2026. Rules change often: always confirm with the Romanian veterinary authority (DSVSA) and the destination country.
ℹ️ Inimo is only a listings platform. The transporters and shelters listed here offer their own services and are responsible for permits and paperwork. Check their authorisation before you agree.