Crossing International Borders with Pets

As the plans for the Italy-Croatia journey continue, I am researching every step with a keen eye so that we are not surprised with new roadblocks along the way. Here is the information that I learned today regarding pets and crossing the Croatian borders…

FYI: We will be driving from Bologna, Italy to Split, Croatia (after first spending 67 days in Italy).

From the Croatian Customs Administration website:

Entry of pets, accompanied by the owner or a person authorized by the owner, from third countries is possible only at border crossing designated by the Rules on determining entry points for the non-commercial movement of pets (Official Gazette of Republic Croatia no. 53/23).

Meaning not all borders are designated as one where (non-EU) pets may cross. Great. We are planning to enter Croatia from Italy (at the northwestern border), having to cross through Slovenia on the way. This entry point was not listed as one on the website. So I hired the team at Expat in Croatia to research this for us and find an official answer. Here is the report that they sent:

“Regarding your inquiry about designated border crossings for importing pets into

Croatia, the rulebook specifies certain crossings for non-commercial pet

movements. These crossings are intended for animals entering Croatia or the EU

from a third country.

Since your point of entry to the EU will be Italy, as you rightly concluded; it's logical

to assume that this regulation won't apply to you. After customs and veterinary

inspections in Italy, you should be able to enter Croatia freely at any border crossing.

However, you are correct in your instinct to have this confirmed directly with the

border authorities, although they seem difficult to reach.

I've attempted to contact via phone, several border crossings and a general customs

office without success, but I've sent an email for clarification. They referred me to the

veterinary inspection, and I'm currently awaiting their response. Once I have it, I will

forward it to you.

Unofficially, I spoke to a person who manages a shelter here in Croatia, and very

often organizes adoptions outside of Croatia and he confirmed to me that in addition

to the chip, vaccination certificate and the usual certificates that you must have for

your journey anyway, when crossing any border within EU, the border officers do not

ask for anything more.”

So, as long we officially “enter” Vannah into the EU at the Milan airport, we will not have an issue crossing borders. I will just be sure to have all of her paperwork on me, along with our own, at all times.

So, what are the requirements for entering Vannah into the EU? Microchip, and a list of vaccinations. If you are an American citizen, most likely your vet offers this as a service. If not, you can call around and find one who does. You will just need to let them know where you are going and they will know how to fulfill that requirement and provide you the necessary paperwork for your trip. We live in Atlanta, so our vets at East Marietta Animal Hospital, is where we will be going to do this.

I will write another post solely about Expat in Croatia and our experience with them.