The Canary Islands follow Spain's pet rules, so for travellers from elsewhere in the EU the trip is simpler than the distance suggests: no titer test, and the pet passport does most of the work. Cooper's arrival from outside the EU was a different matter, with a rabies blood test and a 90-day wait before entry. The origin decides almost everything here.

Bringing a pet to Canary Islands requires three documents in the right order: a microchip, a rabies vaccine within the destination's wait window, and a government-endorsed health certificate. The table below lays out exactly what's required, what's not, and where each rule comes from.

Who sets the rules here

Canary Islands applies the rules of Spain unchanged — the same requirements, administered locally.

Relationship to Spain
inherits unchanged

How Canary Islands handles your pet

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

Health & documents

Microchip · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Microchip · StandardISO 11784/11785verified 2026-07-15
Microchip · Must be done before vaccination Yesverified 2026-10-02
Quarantine · Typenone_if_compliantverified 2026-10-02
Quarantine · Required Noverified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Minimum level iu ml0.5verified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved laboratory required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Waiting period after test days90 daysverified 2026-10-02
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Test must follow vaccination days30 daysverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Issuerofficial veterinarianverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Endorsed byofficial veterinarianverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Validity days10 daysverified 2026-10-02
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination21 daysverified 2026-10-02
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-10-02
Tapeworm treatment · Required Noverified 2026-10-02

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-02

Timing chain

Day -90 microchip implant · Day -21 rabies vaccine deadline · Day -10 health certificate issued · Day 0 arrive at customs

Conditional requirements

These rules apply only to some travellers — where the pet is departing from, where it has been, or who is travelling with it. Most people can ignore them, but if one applies to you it can change what you need, or mean denied entry if you skip it.

Pet arriving in the Canary Islands from within the European Union

  • Rabies titer (blood) test: MAPA (Spain, whose rules the Canary Islands inherit): the rabies serology test is an addition only for travel involving a country NOT listed in the annexes of Regulation (EU) 2026/636 - "Si usted va a viajar a un país no listado en esos Anexos ... debe cumplir los requisitos del apartado 1, y además: Debe realizar a su mascota un test serológico". EU origins are exempt; listed third countries are not enumerated here and keep the strict base.

Breed restrictions

Restricted breeds: Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu, Akita Inu verified 2026-10-02

The microchip must be read before the rabies vaccine is given, so the identity of the animal is confirmed at the moment of vaccination. A vaccination recorded before the chip does not count, which means revaccinating, and for arrivals from countries that require a serology test it also restarts the blood sample and the 90-day wait that follow it.
Spain lists potentially dangerous breeds, including the Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu and Akita Inu. These dogs are not banned, but owning one brings additional legal obligations under Spanish law, so an owner moving to the Canary Islands should check what applies before arrival rather than after.
For the Canary Islands, begin with where the pet is coming from. Within the EU, confirm the microchip preceded the rabies vaccine and the pet passport is current, and check the breed list. From outside the EU, start months earlier to fit the serology test and its 90-day wait. Cooper and I planned both routes on different moves. Build the plan around your origin.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Canary Islands →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.