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Non - Commercial Movements of Pet Animals
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NON-COMMERCIAL MOVEMENT OF PET ANIMALS


I. GENERAL INFORMATION

Legal framework
The Animal Health Laws and the Regulations (EU) No 576/2013 and (EU) No 577/2013, as well as every other community or national legislation in relation to it, constitute the legal basis for the non-commercial movement of pet animals.

Terms used in the text
v Pet animals
Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), cats (Felis silvestris catus), ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), invertebrates (except bees, bumble bees, molluscs and crustaceans), ornamental aquatic animals, amphibia, reptiles, birds (except poultry covered by Council Directives 2009/158/EC), rodents and domestic rabbits.


v Movement of a pet animal
Any movement of a pet animal between Member States or its entry or re-entry into the territory of the European Union (EU) from a third country.


v Non-commercial movement of a pet animal
Any movement of a pet animal which is accompanying its owner or a natural person responsible for the animal on behalf of the owner during its movement and is not intended to be sold or transferred to another owner.

On duly justified and documented grounds, the pet animal is considered as accompanying its owner or the authorised person even if the non-commercial movement of the pet animal takes place up to five days earlier or later than the movement of the owner or of the authorised person, or takes place in a different physical location than that occupied by the owner or by the authorised person.

v Owner
A natural person indicated as the owner in the identification document.

v Authorised Person
A natural person who has authorisation in writing from the owner to carry out the non commercial movement of the pet animal on behalf of the owner.

v European Union Member State
A country which is a member of the EU.

v Third country
A country which is not a member of the EU.

v European Union Pet Passport
A document issued by an authorised veterinarian and drawn up in accordance with the model set out in the Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 or in the Decision 2003/803/EC (provided that is issued before 29 December 2014).
This document enables the pet animal to be clearly identified and its health status to be checked for compliance with the legislative provisions in force.

v Health Certificate
A document issued by an authorised veterinarian and drawn up in accordance with the model set out in the Regulation (EU) No 577/2013. This document enables the pet animal to be clearly identified and its health status to be checked for compliance with the legislative provisions in force.

The certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issue by the official veterinarian. In the case of transport by sea, that period of 10 days is extended by an additional period corresponding to the duration of the journey by sea. For the purpose of further movement into other Member States, this certificate is valid from the date of the documentary and identity checks for a total of four months or until the date of expiry of the validity of the vaccination against rabies, whichever date is earlier.

v Authorised Veterinarian
Any veterinarian who has been authorised by the Competent Authority to carry specific veterinary checks and identification procedures on pet animals.

v Official Veterinarian
A veterinarian appointed by the Competent Authority.

ll. ENTRY INTO THE TERRITORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

Points of entry
Pet animals may enter Cyprus only from designated points of entry (airports, ports and marinas). The entry of a pet animal from any other point is prohibited.

The entry points for animal species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are the Larnaka and Pafos International Airports and the Lemesos and Larnaka ports only.

Notification of arrival
The owner or the person responsible for a pet animal originating from a third country must communicate its arrival to the District Veterinary Office of the relevant point of entry, as well as all the necessary information about the date and time of arrival and the flight number or the ship name. The information must be communicated at least 48 hours prior to the arrival.


DOGS, CATS, FERRETS


A. General requirements

1. Identification
Every animal must be individually identified. An animal is considered identified when it bears either
ü a clearly readable tattoo (the tattoo, as a means of identification, is accepted only if it has been applied before 3 July 2011) or
ü an electronic identification system (transponder - microchip).

The transponder (microchip) must comply with ISO standard 11784 and apply HDX or FDX-B technology and must also be capable of being read by a reading device compatible with ISO standard 11785. In the case where the transponder does not comply with the aforementioned standards, the owner/person responsible for the animal must provide the means necessary for reading the transponder at the time of any inspection.

In any case, the date of vaccination against rabies should not precede the date of application of the transponder or tattoo or the date of reading of the transponder or the tattoo indicated in the appropriate section of the identification document.

In Cyprus, only authorized veterinarians have the right to carry out the implantation of the transponder.

2. Vaccination against rabies
The entry of pet animals into the territory of the Republic of Cyprus unvaccinated against rabies is prohibited regardless of the country of origin.

In order to be vaccinated, the animal must be at least 12 weeks old. The vaccination, or revaccination if applicable, must be in accordance with the recommendations of the vaccine manufacturer and carried out either with an inactivated vaccine of at least one antigenic unit per dose according to the World Health Organization standards, or with a recombinant vaccine expressing the immunising glycoprotein of the rabies virus in a live virus vector.

The use of live modified vaccines against rabies is not allowed.

Τhe period of validity of the vaccination starts from the establishment of protective immunity, which is at least 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol required by the manufacturer for the primary vaccination and continues until the end of the period of protective immunity. The day of vaccination counts as day 0 not day 1, so if the completion of the vaccination is conducted on the 1st of the month the earliest it can travel is the 22nd.

Revaccinations (booster vaccinations) are valid from the date of administration, provided they are administered within the period of validity indicated by the manufacturer of the vaccine used in the previous vaccination. The vaccination will be considered as a primary vaccination in the absence of veterinary certification attesting the previous vaccination. The relevant documents ratifying the fulfilment of these requirements should be presented upon request during the inspection at the point of entry.

The registered vaccines for rabies in the Republic of Cyprus are the following.


3. Age
Taking into account the abovementioned requirements, any pet animal entering the territory of the Republic of Cyprus must be at least 105 days old. The entry of pet animals aged less than 105 days old is prohibited regardless of the country of origin.

4. Breed
The entry of dogs of the following breeds is prohibited regardless of the country of origin.

· Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull
· Japanese Tosa or Tosa Inu
· Dogo Argentino or Argentinian Mastiff
· Fila Brasileiro or Brazilian Mastiff

The breeds listed above also include a) dogs from the cross of such breeds (e.g. Dogo Argentino with Fila Brazileiro) or b) dogs from the cross of any breed with a breed listed above in which a registered veterinarian certifies that the characteristics of the dangerous breed prevail (are dominant).

Cats that do not belong to the species ‘’Felis silvestris catus’’ are banned from entering Cyprus (e.g. Savannah, Bengal, Caracat, their hybrids etc.).


5. Transport
In the case of transport by air, the animals should be placed in containers which fulfil the requirements of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) specifications. For more information you may visit IATA website
http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/live-animals/Pages/index.aspx

In the case of transport by sea, the animals must be transported under conditions fulfilling the health and welfare provisions as foreseen by the legislation in force.

6. Maximum number of animals allowed
The maximum number of pet animals which may accompany the owner or an authorised person during a single non-commercial movement shall not exceed five.
By way of derogation from the above, the maximum number of pet animals may exceed five if the following conditions are fulfilled:
(a) the non-commercial movement of pet animals is for the purpose of participating in competitions, exhibitions or sporting events or in training for such events;
(b) the owner or the authorised person submits written evidence that the pet animals are registered either to attend an event referred to in point (a), or with an association organising such events;
(c) the pet animals are more than six months old.

Where the maximum number of pet animals is exceeded and the conditions of the derogation are not fulfilled, those pet animals shall comply with the animal health requirements laid down in Directive 92/65/EEC.


B. Special requirements

1. Entry from EU Member States

Accompanying documents
1. Passport drawn up in accordance with the model set out in the Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 or in the Decision 2003/803/EC (provided that is issued before 29 December 2014), certifying a valid anti-rabies vaccination. If more than five pet animals per citizen will be moved, within 48 hours prior to the time of dispatch of the animals, an authorised veterinarian must verify that the animals are in good health and fit to be transported for the intended journey and must document the clinical examination in Section X of each animal passport.

2. Document verifying that the animal has arrived in Cyprus from another EU Member State.

2. Entry from third countries

Accompanying documents

1. Health certificate or third country passport from third countries which have notified the European Commission that they have adopted the passport model used in the EU, where a valid vaccination against rabies is certified. Part of the health certificate is a written declaration signed by the owner or the authorised person, confirming that the movement of the pet animal into the Union is a non-commercial one.

2. Passport drawn up in accordance with the model set out in the Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 or in the Decision 2003/803/EC (provided that is issued before 29 December 2014), in the case of re-entry from a third country of a pet animal of EU origin, certifying a valid anti-rabies vaccination.

3. Document verifying that the animal has arrived in Cyprus either directly or transiting through an EU Member State from the third country or territory mentioned in the health certificate.

4. Rabies neutralising antibody titration test is required in case that the country or territory is not listed in annex II of Regulation (EU) No 577/2013. In case of transit through a territory or a third country other than those listed in that annex, the test is not required, provided that the owner or authorised person provides a signed declaration that during such transit the pet animal has had no contact with animals of species susceptible to rabies and remain secured within a means of transport or within the perimeter of an international airport.

The rabies antibody titration test must be performed in a laboratory approved by the EU on a blood sample taken by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after vaccination and three months before the animal movement. In other words, four months prior to the movement the animal must receive the primary anti-rabies vaccination, followed by blood sampling for rabies antibody titration 30 days after that vaccination. The neutralising antibody titer must be equal or greater to 0,5 IU/ml. The titration does not have to be renewed on a pet animal which has been revaccinated at the intervals recommended by the vaccine manufacturer.

5. The three month period does not apply to the re-entry of a pet animal whose passport certifies that the titration was carried out, with a positive result, before the animal left the territory of the Community.

6. Dogs and cats from Malaysia (Peninsula) are prohibited from entering Cyprus unless they are accompanied by a health certificate from the Malaysian Veterinary Authorities confirming that the cat or dog:

    (a) has had no contact with pigs during at least the past 60 days prior to export,
    (b) has not been resident on holdings where during the past 60 days any case of Nipah disease has been confirmed and
    (c) has been subjected with a negative result to an IgG capture ELISA test carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for antibody against the Nipah disease viruses by the competent veterinary authorities on a sample of blood taken within 10 days of export.
The prohibition does not apply to dogs and cats in transit, provided they remain within the perimeter of an international airport.
    7. Cats from Australia are prohibited from entering Cyprus unless they are accompanied by a certificate from the Australian Veterinary Authorities confirming that at they have not been resident on holdings where during the past 60 days cases of Hendra disease have been confirmed.
      The prohibition does not apply to cats in transit, provided they remain within the perimeter of an international airport.


      C. Conduct of checks

      Upon arrival, every animal and its accompanying documents are inspected either by a Veterinary Officer or by a Customs Officer on duty. If the respective entry requirements for each case are met, the animal can enter into the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. Inspection fees are paid in the case of entry of a pet from a third country and whenever the entry requirements are not met.


      D. Actions taken when a pet animal does not fulfil the provisions

      Depending on the requirements which are not met, the pet animal may be:
      · Returned to the country of origin (re-exported).
      · Isolated in quarantine for as long as necessary for it to meet the health requirements. The duration of the quarantine cannot exceed a six-month period.
      · Euthanised without any compensation to the owner or the person responsible for the animal, if re-exportation or isolation in quarantine for the required period is not feasible.

      Furthermore, the owner or the person responsible for the animal is obliged to pay the legal inspection and quarantine fees as indicated in the legislation, plus VAT. Regardless of the animal country of origin, quarantine takes place at private kennels which are registered and officially approved for that purpose. In the case of absence of such kennels, home quarantine will apply.


      OTHER ANIMAL SPECIES AND ANIMAL SPECIES ALLOWED TO BE KEPT

      No harmonised legislation at EU level exists for the time being, as far as the remaining pet animal species is concerned, and therefore these species entry in each EU Member State is governed by its national legislation. For the entry of pet animals other than dogs, cats and ferrets, an import permit issued by the Veterinary Services must be obtained prior to the movement.

      The species of animals that are allowed to be kept in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus can be found here.



      lll. EXIT FROM THE TERRITORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

      The veterinary provisions in force governing the non-commercial movement of companion animals differ from one country to another. It is the responsibility of the pet owner or the person responsible for the animal to ensure that the animal meets the entry requirements of the country of destination and to obtain the necessary documents prior to the pet's movement.


      lV. INFORMATION

      Further information, including lists of countries and territories, lists of the EU approved laboratories and links for the national websites of Member States which have specific requirements for the entry of pet animals to their territory, can be obtained at the website of the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/movement-pets_en)
      and at the following contact points:


      LEFKOSIA DISTRICT VETERINARY OFFICE
      Tel: +357-22805241
      Fax: +357-22805174
      E-mail: dvs.lefkosia@vs.moa.gov.cy

      LEMESOS DISTRICT VETERINARY OFFICE
      Tel: +357-25819512
      Fax: +357-25306544
      E-mail: dvs.lemesos@vs.moa.gov.cy

      LARNAKA DISTRICT VETERINARY OFFICE
      Tel: +357-24821275
      Fax: +357-24304270
      Email: dvs.larnaca@vs.moa.gov.cy

      AMMOCHOSTOS DISTRICT VETERINARY OFFICE
      Tel: +357-24824555
      Fax: +357-24722811
      E-mail: dvs.ammochostos@vs.moa.gov.cy

      PAFOS DISTRICT VETERINARY OFFICE
      Tel: +357-26821260
      Fax: +357-26306198
      E-mail: dvs.paphos@vs.moa.gov.cy

      ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE DIVISION
      Tel: +357-22805253 / 22805236 / 22805250
      Fax: +357-22805176
      E-mail: animal.health@vs.moa.gov.cy

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      Last Update on:

      17/08/2022 12:39:54 PM

       


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