What requirements apply when travelling with a pet for non-commercial purposes?

A pet must be properly identified to enable reliable verification of its identity. Two methods of identification are accepted:

• Tattoo: Accepted only if it was applied before 3 July 2011. The tattoo must be clearly legible.
• Implantable transponder (microchip): If the pet does not have a tattoo, or if the tattoo was applied after the above date, the pet must be identified with a microchip.

What is a microchip?

• A microchip is a small electronic device, approximately the size of a grain of rice, containing a unique identification number. It is implanted under the animal’s skin by a person authorised by the competent authority.
• It is inserted using an injection needle.
• The microchip remains in place permanently and does not cause pain or pose a risk to the animal’s health.
• It contains a unique identification number that can be read using a dedicated scanner.
• Scanners are available at many veterinary clinics, animal shelters and border control points.

The requirements for microchips are laid down in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013. If a microchip does not comply with the applicable technical requirements (ISO 11784 and can be read by a scanner compliant with ISO 11785), the owner or authorised person must provide a suitable device for reading the microchip during inspection.

From 1 January 2028, the requirements set out in Articles 70 and 70a of Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 will apply.

What is new?

Under these requirements, microchips used to identify dogs, cats and ferrets must

• display an individual, unique and non-reprogrammable identification code:
  • contain a unique serial number;
  • begin with the country code of the country where the dog, cat or ferret was identified, in accordance with ISO 3166; and
• be approved by the competent authority of the Member State where the dog, cat or ferret was identified.

In accordance with Part 1 of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) 2020/688, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/133, dogs, cats and ferrets entering Lithuania from third countries must be vaccinated against rabies and meet the following requirements:

• The pet must have a valid rabies vaccination. The primary rabies vaccination may only be administered to a pet that is at least 12 weeks old.
• In the case of a primary vaccination, at least 21 days must have passed before the start of the planned journey.
• In the case of a booster vaccination (revaccination), the 21-day waiting period does not apply, provided the booster was administered before the previous vaccine expired.
• The date of rabies vaccination may not precede the date the animal was microchipped. This means that the pet must first be microchipped and only then vaccinated against rabies, ensuring that the animal's identity can be correctly linked to its vaccination record.
   

When travelling with a pet, you must carry one of the following documents, depending on the pet’s origin.

Health certificate and owner’s (or authorised person’s) declaration. These documents are required if the pet originates from a non-EU country. The certificate must be issued by an official veterinarian or an authorised veterinarian in the third country. In the declaration, the owner (or authorised person) must confirm that the pet is being moved for non-commercial purposes, with no intention to sell it or transfer its ownership; and the pet will accompany the owner or authorised person throughout the journey (or the owner will travel separately in accordance with the applicable rules).

Note: A health certificate is also mandatory if the pet originates from the European Union, but its rabies vaccination administered in the EU expires while the animal is in a third country and the pet is revaccinated outside the EU.

EU Pet Passport. This document is required if the dog, cat or ferret originates from the European Union. The passport is issued by an authorised veterinarian practising within the European Union and contains all relevant information relating to the pet, its owner, identification and vaccinations. Please note that entries relating to ownership, identification and vaccination in an EU pet passport may only be made by an authorised veterinarian practising within the European Union.

Note: An EU pet passport may only be issued for dogs, cats and ferrets kept in a Member State where their owner normally resides and has their primary place of residence.

Model for EU pet passport(valid until 1 January 2028)

Model Certificate: Model certificate for non-commercial movement of dogs, cats, ferrets (Annex III, Part 1)

Model Declaration: Declaration for pet animals subject to the non-commercial movement (Annex V, Part 2)

Model Certificate for birds: Model animal health certificate for non-commercial movements of pet birds (Annex IV, Part 1)

Model Declaration for birds: Declaration for pet birds subject to the non-commercial movement (Annex V, Part 3)

Other declarations:

Model for Declaration for transit of dogs, cats and ferrets: Declaration for pet animals subject to the non-commercial movement (Annex V, Part 5)

Model for Declaration for authorisation: Declaration for pet animals subject to the non-commercial movement (Annex V, Part 1)

Veterinary certificates and declarations issued from 1 October 2026, and EU pet passports issued from 1 January 2028, must comply with the model documents set out in Regulation (EU) 2026/705.

Additional requirements for pets travelling from other third countries

For pets travelling to Lithuania from third countries that are not included in the list above, the same requirements apply as those described above: identification (microchipping or, where applicable, tattooing); rabies vaccination; and the required travel documents. In addition, a rabies antibody titration test must have been carried out.

Rabies antibody titration test

If a pet is entering Lithuania from a third country that is not included in the list set out in Regulation (EU) 2026/636, documentary evidence must be provided showing that a rabies antibody titration test has been carried out.

Requirements for the test

• A blood sample must be taken at least 30 days after the primary rabies vaccination, or during a valid rabies vaccination period, and must be sent to the laboratory without delay;
• At least three months must pass between the date of the blood sample and the date of travel;
• The test must be carried out by a laboratory approved by the European Commission. An up-to-date list of approved laboratories is available here;
• Test results must show a sufficient rabies antibody titre, a level of neutralising rabies virus antibodies in the serum of at least 0.5 IU/ml;
• From 1 January 2028, laboratory test reports must include a security feature (e.g., a QR code) that allows the authenticity of the report to be verified. The laboratory report must be attached to the health certificate accompanying the pet (the official veterinarian verifies the report and attaches a certified copy);
• The test does not need to be repeated for an animal that, following a favorable rabies antibody titration test, has been continuously re-vaccinated against rabies within the validity period of the primary vaccination and all subsequent valid booster vaccinations.

🔎 Exception: If the pet was taken from Lithuania to a third country, the rabies antibody titration test was carried out before departure, and this is properly documented in the pet passport, the three-month waiting period does not apply.

📍 In Lithuania, these tests are carried out by the National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute.

Entry of pets into Lithuania by way of derogation when they do not meet the established import requirements

In certain exceptional circumstances, individuals may be required to leave a third country urgently with their pets and travel to Lithuania as their final destination. If the pet does not meet the European Union (EU) entry requirements, the SFVS Services Divisions of the Services Department in different regions may, by way of derogation, grant permission for the pet to enter Lithuania without complying with certain legal requirements. 

In such cases, the pet will be placed in quarantine for a period determined by the SFVS, but for no longer than six months, at a location designated by the SFVS.

Such permission is granted only upon a prior application submitted by the pet owner or an authorised person acting on the owner's behalf. The permission may include specific conditions that must be complied with.

Applications should be submitted by email to [email protected] and must include the following information.

• The pet owner’s details (full name and place of residence);
• The country from which the pet is arriving;
• The intended purpose of the pet's entry into Lithuania (permanent stay or temporary entry);
• The planned destination in Lithuania (the address where the pet will be kept and/or quarantined); 
• Information on which animal health requirements the pet meets and does not meet, including: identification documents; vaccination against rabies; rabies antibody titration test results, where applicable; information whether the pet is registered in the Lithuanian Pet Register; and information whether an EU pet passport has been issued for the pet;
• Copies of any documents confirming the pet's health status.
   

Where it is not possible to obtain prior authorisation urgently, the procedures established in Lithuania apply. In accordance with the applicable Procedure, checks on pets (other than birds) entering Lithuania from third countries for non-commercial purposes are carried out by the Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania. 

SFVS officials inspect pets when they receive information from customs officers indicating that the animal may not comply with the requirements laid down in the applicable legislation.

Possible decisions in cases of non-compliance

If an SFVS official determines that a pet does not meet the applicable animal health requirements or that other non-compliance have been identified, a formal decision setting out the deficiencies found will be issued After taking into account the views of the pet owner or the authorised person, one of the following decisions may be taken:

• to return the pet to the third country of origin;
• to place the pet under quarantine at the owner's declared place of residence in Lithuania, subject to compliance with specified conditions and veterinary supervision until the health requirements have been fulfilled;
• to place the pet in quarantine at a pet quarantine facility;
• in exceptional cases, euthanize the animal if its return or quarantine is not possible.

Transit through Lithuania or entry into Lithuania via another EU Member State

When travelling to another EU Member State through Lithuania in transit, or when entering Lithuania via another EU Member State, pets may, in exceptional circumstances, be moved without complying with all EU requirements, provided that a permit issued by the competent veterinary authority of the destination country is presented and has been agreed with the SFVS or the competent authority of another EU Member State, as applicable.

Further details are available in the relevant Procedure approved in accordance with the applicable legislation.

For additional information or urgent assistance, please contact the SFVS:

• By email at [email protected]
• By phone: 1879 (higher call rates may apply) or +370 5 242 0108 (for calls from abroad).