Rabies Vaccination Certificate

Vaccination against rabies

Rabies is an incurable and lethal infectious disease that can affect any warm-blooded animal (including humans), and it is spread through salivary and biting transmissions. If you travel with your pet from a country in which rabies is present, the conditions for the entry into foreign country would stricter. 

Rabies has been classified into three categories around the world: rabies-free countries, rabies-controlled countries, and countries with high rabies levels. It is important that you are aware of the rabies status of your pet’s origin country and the destination country before relocating it internationally.

All countries can be placed into one of three categories regarding their risk of rabies:

  • Rabies- Free, pets can export without quarantine and minimal paperwork.
  • Low Risk, pets need to have the standard requirement for import foreign countries
  • High Risk, pets from these countries need to have blood titer testing and may need to quarantine.

Primary Vaccination

1st vaccination: At least 8 weeks old or above

Fully Vaccination

2nd vaccination: At least 2 to 4 weeks after the 1st vaccination.

The animal must be more than 12 weeks old at the time of the 2nd vaccination (if the 2nd vaccination is not completed 2 to 4 weeks following the 1st vaccination, the primary vaccination must be repeated)

A rabies blood titer testing must be performed at least three to six months before the pet arrives in a country that quarantines pets upon arrival. The health certificate and rabies vaccination certificate are required even in countries that do not have a mandatory quarantine period.

Booster Vaccination

The booster vaccination must be completed within 18 months following the primary vaccination. The duration of each booster vaccination must not be more than 18 months otherwise the primary vaccination must be repeated before importation of the animal.

If you pet from Rabies-free countries
 
–          must be microchipped
 
–          maybe vaccinated against rabies
 
–          available for using EU pet passport
If your pet from Low- Rabies countries
 
–          must be vaccinated
 
–          must be vaccinated against rabies
 
–          are accompanied by a valid health certificate
If your pet from High- Rabies countries
 
–          must be microchipped
 
–          must be vaccinated against rabies
 
–          are accompanied by a valid health certificate
 
–          must have rabies antibody titer test, and wait for 3 months after the blood taking date
Method of Rabies Antibody Test
 
–          Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test (RFFIT)
 
–          Rabies Neutralizing Antibody Titer Test (RNATT)
 
  1. The test must be carried out on a sample collected by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after the date of vaccination and not less than three months before the date of movement.
  2. The test must measure a level of neutralising antibody to rabies virus in seHirum equal to or greater than 0,5 IU/ml and must be performed in an approved laboratory.
  3. The validity of the test: 1 year from the date of blood sampling.