Ferry transport of domestic animals in Europe

Before we take a pet on a ferry there are more things to take care of than providing it with necessary documents and getting all possible information on conditions of the ferry crossing of domestic animals.

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In countries of the European Union it's regulated by the directive of the European Parliament and the Council of 26th of May 2003 on requirements made to non-commercial transport of domestic animals concerning their health (No 998/2003). In accordance with the directive, transported dogs, cats and ferrets have to be identified by means of a legible tattoo or a microchip. During the cruise animals also have to be provided with a passport issued by an entitled veterinary surgeon, which will confirm vaccinations. The first vaccination against rabies of a pet under 3 months becomes valid after 21 days after injection. Following vaccinations made with a year's break become valid at the day of vaccination. It is also important that it's not permitted to travel with domestic animals younger than 3 months. Additionally, in case of going to Great Britain, Sweden, Ireland or Malta an additional blood test for the level of rabies antibodies should be made and it's positive result obtained in a laboratory approved be the European Commission from a sample of blood taken from 120 to 365 after the last vaccination against rabies. If our pet has required documents and is vaccinated we have to find a company entitled to ferry crossing of domestic animals. Not all in Europe are, so it's advisable to find out about it in advance. Conditions in which our pet will be transported differ with every shipowner. The most common are:

• transport in the ship's cabin
• transport on board with other travellers (lead and muzzle obligatory)
• transport in a designated cage for animals
• transport in a car left on-board for the time of the crossing.

During the cruise the owner is responsible for the animal. Animals are not allowed to stay in public areas such as cafés, restaurants and the like. In all cases the owner is obligated to provide the pet with food during the cruise. Conditions of ferry crossings vary depending on the shipowner and some European countries we may be travelling to, as well. Therefore, to avoid inconveniences, before the cruise we should find out in advance about conditions of crossings of the given shipowner and also about restrictions concerning import of domestic animals to the country we are going to travel to.