🇲🇹 Pet Import to Malta

Malta, as an EU member state, follows the EU Pet Travel Regulation (EU) 576/2013, administered domestically by the Veterinary Regulation Directorate (VRD) under the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights. All pets must be ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchipped before rabies vaccination, and the rabies vaccine must be administered at least 21 days prior to entry. Malta is one of a small group of EU countries — alongside Ireland, Finland, and Northern Ireland — that mandates Echinococcus (tapeworm) treatment for dogs: a licensed product must be applied 24 to 120 hours before arrival and recorded in the EU Pet Passport or animal health certificate. Pets arriving from other EU member states or EU-listed third countries (such as the UK, USA, and Australia) require a valid EU Pet Passport or official animal health certificate, with no quarantine for compliant animals. Pets arriving from non-listed third countries must undergo an FAVN rabies antibody titre test and observe a three-month waiting period before entry. The maximum number of pets per traveller for non-commercial movements is five. Dog ownership in Malta is further regulated under Subsidiary Legislation 437.41 (Dogs Order), which includes a dangerous breeds registry. Exotic or non-domestic species are subject to CITES permits and oversight by the Malta Environment and Resources Authority (ERA). Pre-arrival notification to the Veterinary Regulation Directorate is strongly recommended, as Maltese authorities apply strict documentation checks given the island's biosecurity priorities.