Taking a Dog or Cat to Portugal from the US — 2026 Requirements

Flying to Portugal with a dog or cat from the US costs $450–$1,100 round trip and takes 3–4 weeks of prep.

Portugal follows standard EU pet import rules: your pet needs an ISO microchip, an active rabies vaccine with a 21-day waiting period, an EU health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet, and a USDA endorsement ($101).

No titer test, no quarantine, no import permit. Dogs and cats have identical entry rules.

The biggest wrinkle is timing: you have a 10-day window between USDA endorsement and landing in Portugal, and you need to email DGAV (Portugal's veterinary authority) at least 48 hours before you arrive. Miss either deadline and your paperwork is invalid.

Coming home is simpler than getting there. Dogs need a CDC Dog Import Form, a microchip, and must be at least 6 months old. Cats have almost no federal re-entry rules.

What You Need

The rules are the same for dogs and cats. Every pet flying from the US to Portugal needs:

• ISO microchip implanted before the rabies vaccine.
• Active rabies vaccine given at least 21 days before arrival (for a first-time or primary shot).
• EU health certificate signed by a USDA-accredited vet.
• USDA endorsement within 10 days of arriving in Portugal ($101).
• 48-hour advance notification emailed to DGAV at your arrival airport.

You must also travel with your pet within 5 days of their arrival (max 5 pets per person). Beyond that, Portugal treats the shipment as commercial, and the rules change significantly.

What you don't need

• Titer test (US is a listed country)
• Import permit
• Wait in quarantine

Critical

Your vet must implant the microchip before giving the rabies vaccine. If the chip goes in after the shot, the EU considers that vaccine invalid and your pet can't enter. This is the single most common paperwork failure for EU pet travel.

Vaccine Rules

Rabies is the only required vaccine. No distemper, no FVRCP, no other shots needed by Portugal.

Your pet needs an active rabies vaccine given at least 21 days before arriving in Portugal. That 21-day count starts the day after the shot, not the day of.

Here's where it gets tricky. The EU treats the first rabies vaccine given after a microchip as a "primary" vaccination, and primary shots are only valid for 1 year under EU rules. This is true even if your vet gave a 3-year vaccine.

Most pet travel guides gloss over this, and it catches people who got their pet vaccinated years ago and are now adding a chip for travel. That 3-year shot your vet recorded? The EU sees a 1-year primary.

Booster shots work differently. If your pet had a primary rabies vaccine within the past year (or within the manufacturer's validity window) and gets a booster, you can travel right away. No 21-day wait. The key is no lapse in coverage. Even one day past expiration resets the clock, and the next shot counts as a new primary with a full 21-day wait.

No titer test is needed. The US is a "listed" country under EU rules, which means pets traveling from the US skip the rabies blood test that's required from other parts of the world.

Pets must be at least 12 weeks old for the rabies vaccine. With the 21-day wait, that means no pet younger than about 15 weeks can enter Portugal.

Health Certificate and USDA Endorsement

You need an EU non-commercial health certificate for Portugal. This is a different form from the standard APHIS 7001 used for most countries. Your vet fills it out through VEHCS (USDA's online system), and the system has the correct Portugal/EU form loaded.

Here's the process:

1. Your USDA-accredited vet examines your pet and fills out the EU health certificate in VEHCS. Not every vet holds this accreditation — find one near you.
2. You sign a declaration form confirming this is non-commercial travel (vacation, not selling the pet).
3. The vet submits it to USDA APHIS for endorsement.
4. USDA approves the original and mails it back.
5. The physical endorsed certificate must travel with your pet. A digital copy won't work at the Portugal border.

Most USDA-accredited vets have filled out EU health certificates before. This is a standard step for international pet travel.

The endorsement costs $101 per certificate (updated January 2026). No lab tests are needed for Portugal from the US, so $101 is the flat rate. One certificate can cover multiple pets.

Watch Out

The timing on this is tight. USDA must endorse the certificate within 10 days of your arrival in Portugal, and you need the physical approved original mailed back to you. VEHCS processes certificates the same day if everything is correct, but budget 3–5 business days for the full round trip through mail. Schedule your vet visit around 7–10 days before your flight.

After entering Portugal, the health certificate stays valid for 4 months for travel within the EU. If you're hopping to Spain or France with your pet, you're covered.

For details on health certificates, see our health certificate guide. For the endorsement process, see our USDA endorsement guide.

Microchip

Your pet needs an ISO 11784/11785 15-digit microchip. This is the international standard that EU border scanners read. Your vet implants it under the skin between the shoulder blades. It takes about 30 seconds and costs $25–$75.

The microchip must go in before the rabies vaccine. Your vet scans the chip to confirm it's working, records the 15-digit number, then gives the rabies shot. This order matters because the EU links the vaccine to the chip number on the health certificate.

If your pet already has a non-ISO chip (some older US chips are 9 or 10 digits), you have two options: bring your own compatible scanner, or have your vet implant a second ISO chip. Both chip numbers go on the health certificate.

DGAV inspectors at the airport scan the microchip and match it against your paperwork. If the numbers don't match, or the chip can't be read, your documents are meaningless.

Notifying DGAV Before You Arrive

This is a Portugal-specific step that most country guides skip entirely because it's not an EU-wide rule. Portugal's veterinary authority, DGAV (Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária), needs at least 48 hours' notice before your pet arrives.

Email the Traveller's Point of Entry (PEV) at your arrival airport:

Include scans of your endorsed health certificate, vaccination records, and flight details (airline, flight number, arrival time). You'll get a confirmation back. If you don't hear anything within 24 hours, follow up.

Miss this notification and you'll still get through, but expect delays while DGAV processes you as a walk-in instead of a scheduled arrival.

Airline Rules for Flying to Portugal

Airline rules apply on top of Portugal's country rules. Several US carriers fly direct to Lisbon, and TAP Air Portugal is the main option with the most routes.

Cabin travel: Your pet must fit in a soft carrier under the seat. TAP's limit is 8 kg (17.6 lbs) total, with a carrier no larger than 45 × 30 × 23 cm.

A note on JetBlue: JetBlue prohibits pets in Mint (Business) class on transatlantic flights. If you are flying with a pet, you must book a seat in the Core (Economy) cabin.

Breed RestrictionsDogs Only

Portugal restricts seven dog breeds under Decree-Law 315/2009: Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, and Tosa Inu.

These breeds aren't banned. If you own one of these dogs, you can bring them to Portugal, but you'll need to follow stricter handling rules: a leash no longer than 1 meter, a muzzle worn in public, and liability insurance.

Sterilization Rule: If you are staying in Portugal for more than 4 months with a restricted breed, the dog MUST be sterilized. Proof of spaying/neutering is required for long-term registration.

No cat breeds are restricted.

Cost Breakdown

Dogs

Cats

Cats cost slightly less because there's no CDC Dog Import Form to deal with and no federal microchip rule for re-entry. The microchip is still worth getting. If your cat escapes the carrier at Lisbon Airport, a chip is the only way to prove it's yours.

Timeline

6+ months before (only if your pet needs a first rabies vaccine): Get the microchip implanted, then the rabies shot. The 21-day waiting period starts the next day. If your pet already has an active rabies vaccine and microchip, skip to 3–4 weeks before.

3–4 weeks before: Confirm your airline's pet policy and reserve a pet spot. Policies change often. Call the airline directly.

7–10 days before: Visit your USDA-accredited vet for the health exam and EU health certificate. The vet submits it through VEHCS for USDA endorsement. Budget 3–5 business days for the approved original to come back by mail.

48+ hours before: Email your arrival airport's DGAV office (PEV) with scans of your endorsed health certificate, vaccination records, and flight details.

1–7 days before (dogs only): Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online. Print the receipt or save it to your phone. Each dog needs a separate form.

Travel day: Arrive at the airport 2–3 hours early. Bring the original endorsed health certificate, vaccination records, microchip paperwork, CDC Dog Import Form receipt (dogs), and your pet's regular vet records in a waterproof folder. The airline checks your paperwork at the counter before boarding.

Common Mistakes

Airport Tips

At your departure airport: Check in at the counter with your pet. Show the airline your endorsed health certificate, vaccination records, and (for dogs) your CDC Dog Import Form receipt. The agent confirms your pet reservation and checks carrier dimensions.

Go through security with your pet in the carrier. TSA may ask you to remove the pet and send the empty carrier through the X-ray.

Arriving in Portugal: Follow signs to "Goods to Declare / Bens a Declarar" at customs. A DGAV inspector scans your pet's microchip, checks it against your health certificate, and reviews your vaccination records. The whole process takes 15–30 minutes if your paperwork is correct.

Pay the inspection fee at the counter: €42.25 for one pet, €84.50 for 2–5 pets. Your pet's entry is recorded in TRACES, the EU's trade control system. After that, you're through.

Cat-specific tip: At security, use a harness and leash when removing your cat from the carrier. A top-access carrier makes this much easier than pulling a stressed cat out the front opening.

Returning to the US

Dogs

Portugal is a low-risk rabies country according to the CDC. Re-entry rules for dogs coming from low-risk countries are straightforward:

• Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online before your return flight. The receipt is valid for 6 months.
• Your dog must have a microchip readable by a universal scanner.
• Your dog must be at least 6 months old.
• Your dog must appear healthy on arrival.

No screwworm certificate is needed. Portugal is screwworm-free. No titer test. No USDA health certificate for the return trip. You can land at any US airport, seaport, or land border crossing.

Show the CDC Dog Import Form receipt to your airline at check-in and to U.S. Customs on arrival.

Cats

Federal re-entry rules for cats are minimal. Your cat must appear healthy at the port of entry. That's the main federal rule.

There's no CDC import form for cats. No federal microchip rule. No screwworm certificate. The CDC Dog Import Form is dog-specific.

State rules may apply. Many US states require rabies vaccination for cats, and a few (Hawaii, Guam) quarantine all arriving cats. Check your home state's rules before you travel.

For the full re-entry process, see our guide to returning to the USA with a pet.

FAQ

Your bottleneck is the USDA endorsement. Schedule the vet visit 7–10 days before your flight, submit through VEHCS right away, and don't forget to email DGAV 48 hours before landing. Once the endorsed certificate is in your hands, the rest is routine.