Pet Import from the UK to Russia
– Requirements & Documents

This page summarises the official veterinary requirements of the Russian Federation for importing dogs and cats from the United Kingdom for non-commercial purposes (personal pets, relocation, travel). When the rules below are met, no separate import permit or quarantine decision from Rosselkhoznadzor is required for up to two animals per owner.

General Import Requirements for Dogs and Cats

Microchip

A microchip is mandatory for all pets entering Russia. It must:

• Be implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Comply with ISO 11784/11785 standards.
• Have its number recorded in the pet passport and/or veterinary certificate.

Mandatory Vaccinations for Dogs

Under Russian rules, each dog imported into the Russian Federation must be vaccinated against the following diseases:

• Rabies
• Canine distemper
• Infectious canine hepatitis (adenovirus)
• Parvoviral infection
• Adenoviral infections (CAV-2)
• Leptospirosis (if the dog has not been treated with dihydrostreptomycin or an equivalent licensed substance)

Validity of vaccinations for dogs:

• All non-rabies vaccines listed above must not be older than 12 months at the time of departure.
• If any of these vaccines were not given within the last 12 months, revaccination must take place no later than 20 days before departure.

Rabies vaccination for dogs:

• The rabies vaccine must be valid at the time of entry.
• Russia accepts rabies vaccines with a revaccination interval longer than one year if:
  • The issuing veterinarian confirms in the certificate that the immunity period has not expired, or
  • A laboratory test confirms rabies antibody levels of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
• Puppies under 3 months of age may be imported without rabies vaccination under Russian rules.

Mandatory Vaccinations for Cats

For cats, the following vaccinations are required:

• Rabies
• Panleukopenia (feline panleukopenia)

Validity of vaccinations for cats:

• Cats vaccinated against panleukopenia with a vaccine that has a revaccination interval longer than 12 months cannot be imported if 12 months or more have passed since vaccination.
• If the cat has not been vaccinated against panleukopenia within the last 12 months, the vaccine must be administered no later than 20 days before departure.

Rabies vaccination for cats:

• Russia accepts rabies vaccines for cats with a revaccination interval longer than one year, provided that:
  • The issuing veterinarian confirms that the immunity period has not expired, or
  • Laboratory testing confirms rabies antibody levels of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
• Kittens under 3 months of age may also be imported without rabies vaccination under Russian rules.

International Veterinary Passport

Dogs and cats may travel with an international veterinary passport. Such a passport is treated as a full veterinary certificate if:

• It identifies the animal (including the microchip number).
• It contains complete vaccination records and parasite treatments.
• It includes a note by the official veterinarian of the country of departure confirming a clinical examination performed within 14 days before departure.

A clinical examination is a physical check of the animal aimed at detecting any signs of disease. Re-issuing the international pet passport as a separate Russian veterinary movement document is not required upon entry into the Russian Federation.

If a dog or cat was temporarily exported from Russia and then re-imported, a clinical examination mark in the passport is not required if less than 14 days have passed since departure from the Russian Federation.

Parasite Treatment (Deworming & External Parasites)

Parasite treatment is mandatory for all pets entering Russia. It must:

• Include treatment against internal parasites (deworming).
• Include treatment against external parasites (fleas, ticks, etc.).
• Be recorded by the veterinarian in the international veterinary passport or in the Form No. 15 certificate (with date, product and veterinarian’s stamp/signature).

Rabies Antibody Test (Titer Test) – Is It Required?

For imports from the UK to Russia, a rabies antibody test (titer test) is not mandatory. Russia primarily relies on a valid rabies vaccination in accordance with the rules described above.

However, a titer test showing antibody levels of at least 0.5 IU/ml may be useful in practice:

• If the rabies vaccine has a revaccination interval longer than one year and the expiry of immunity needs to be confirmed.
• If there are doubts about the quality or readability of rabies vaccination records (e.g. damaged labels, unclear batch numbers).
• If the owner or airline wishes to have an additional safety margin in case of document scrutiny.

The test is therefore an optional tool to confirm immunity, but it is not a mandatory requirement for entry into Russia from the UK.

Border Checks and Veterinary Control

At the external border of the Eurasian Economic Union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia), each animal is subject to veterinary control. In practice, this includes:

• A visual inspection of the dog or cat.
• Verification of the microchip or other identification marks (tattoo, brand, etc.) against the data in the passport or certificate, where available.
• Checking vaccine records, parasite treatments and, if required, clinical examination notes.

Although checks on passenger flights may be infrequent, the documents must still be completed correctly. Any serious discrepancy can be used as a formal reason to refuse entry.

Important Notes

• Import of up to two dogs or two cats for personal use is allowed without an import permit or quarantine decision from Rosselkhoznadzor.
• Veterinary regulations in the country of departure may allow the return of a temporarily imported animal under a special accompanying document valid for a specific period. These requirements should be clarified in the country of departure.
• The export of dogs and cats from Russia for non-commercial purposes (including temporarily imported pets) is carried out by the owners without an import or export permit from Rosselkhoznadzor and may cover any number of animals.
• Additional vaccines (beyond those listed above) may be recommended by individual veterinarians but are not mandatory for entry into Russia if all official requirements are met.

Our Services

If you are unsure whether your documents and vaccinations fully comply with Russian rules, we can review everything in advance and help you avoid problems at the border.

• Pet Travel Document Check
• Phone Consultation
• Pet Transportation with a Courier