Bringing a pet to Croatia

• Microchip your pet (ISO 11784/11785)Must be implanted before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccine is not recognised.
• Rabies vaccinationPet must be at least 12 weeks old. Valid 21 days after the primary dose.
• Rabies antibody (titer) test — required from some origin countriesFAVN/RNATT rabies antibody test; the result must be ≥ 0.5 IU/ml. Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after vaccination; the sample must be taken not less than 90 days before the date of issue of the health certificate (the certificate is issued before entry, so counting to entry is the stricter reading). Testing is limited to EU-approved laboratories.
• Official health certificate (EU Animal Health Certificate (new Reg 2026/705 format from 2026-10-01))Endorsed by Competent authority of the country of departure (USDA APHIS for the United States). Enter within 10 days of endorsement.
• Check breed restrictionsSome breeds are banned or restricted — see the breed rules section.
• Travel through an approved point of entry⚠Pending official confirmationThe designated Travellers' Points of Entry (border veterinary inspection posts) have their national basis in the Pravilnik o graničnim prijelazima (NN 91/13, 132/13, 44/14, 87/15), listed on the current Ministarstvo poljoprivrede — Uprava za veterinarstvo veterinary authority site. The itemised list of border inspection posts is not reproduced here — check the official site for the current points of entry.

1. 1
   Before vaccination
   Microchip

   Implant the ISO microchip first — the rabies vaccine only counts once the pet is chipped.

2. 2
   Day 0
   Rabies vaccination

   Pet must be at least 12 weeks old.

3. 3
   After 21 days
   Rabies vaccine becomes valid

   Earliest eligible entry date for listed / low-risk origin countries.

4. 4
   Unlisted origins only
   Rabies antibody titer test + waiting period

   FAVN/RNATT rabies antibody test; the result must be ≥ 0.5 IU/ml. Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after vaccination; the sample must be taken not less than 90 days before the date of issue of the health certificate (the certificate is issued before entry, so counting to entry is the stricter reading). Testing is limited to EU-approved laboratories.

5. 5
   ≤ 10 days before entry
   Health certificate issued and endorsed

   Endorsed by Competent authority of the country of departure (USDA APHIS for the United States).

6. 6
   Arrival
   Entry checks at an approved point

   No routine quarantine when all requirements are met.

No entry fee for non-commercial movement on the Croatia side (listed countries). A separate USDA endorsement fee applies on the US side (amount to be confirmed). Domestic registration: dogs must be microchipped and rabies-vaccinated and entered by an authorised vet into the national pet registry (Lysacan / Upisnik kućnih ljubimaca); reporting deadlines under the Animal Protection Act (NN 102/2017) are event-specific — e.g. a shelter reports an adopted animal within 72 hours (čl. 65(1)), and a lost dog is reported to a shelter within 3 days and to the competent veterinary authority within 14 days (čl. 67(1)) (an earlier flat '30-day registration' figure had no official basis and is not used); a pet imported for permanent residence that is not yet microchipped must be microchipped within 15 days of entry.

Banned: Pit Bull Terrier (bull-terrier types not registered with the FCI, and their crosses)

Restricted: Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier

Under the Pravilnik o opasnim psima (Regulation on dangerous dogs, Narodne novine 117/2008, published 2008-10-13 and, per Čl.16, in force from the 8th day after publication, i.e. 2008-10-21, unchanged as of 2026-05): 'pit bull terrier type' dogs not registered with the FCI / international kennel federation, and their crosses, are banned from transit, entry and temporary stay in Croatia. The 4 FCI-recognised bull-terrier breeds listed above may enter if they hold a valid pedigree issued by the Croatian Kennel Club (HKS) or any FCI member country, but the owner must meet additional registration conditions. Dogs that cannot be registered must be microchipped, neutered, and entered in the dog register as 'potentially dangerous dogs'.