Greece runs on the standard EU pet-entry playbook, and the one that trips people up most is quarantine. Get the sequence wrong and your dog waits, not walks. The science here is simpler than it sounds: microchip, rabies, health certificate, in that order. Pixel has cleared EU borders on exactly this checklist, tail wagging. Work through the four decisions below and you land ready, not scrambling at the counter.

Bringing a pet to Greece 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.

How Greece handles your pet

Key points

  • Young animals cannot enter Greece
  • For arrivals from OUTSIDE the EU the bar is absolute: "Young dogs, cats and ferrets cannot be moved into the EU from a non-EU country or territory for whatever purposes." For intra-EU movement each Member State decides, and Greece has notified "No" under both Article 9 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 and Articles 54/56 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688 ("Greece No No" on the Commission's table), where "No" means "I refuse the introduction of young dogs, cats and ferrets into my territory"
  • A "young" animal is one under 12 weeks and unvaccinated, or 12-16 weeks old and vaccinated but not yet fully protected
  • Separately, animal health certificates drawn up under the old Annex IV of Implementing Regulation (EU) 577/2013 remain valid for entry only if they were ISSUED before 1 October 2026

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

Health & documents

Health certificate validity10 daysverified 2026-09-03
Microchip · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Microchip · StandardISO standard 11784verified 2026-09-03
Microchip · Tattoo accepted Yesverified 2026-09-03
Microchip · Must be done before vaccination Yesverified 2026-09-03
Quarantine · Required Noverified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Minimum level iu ml0.5verified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved laboratory required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Waiting period after test days90 daysverified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Test must follow vaccination days30 daysverified 2026-09-03
Import permit · Required Noverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Endorsed bythe competent authorityverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Validity days10 daysverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Original required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Booster required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination21 daysverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-09-03
Tapeworm treatment · Required Noverified 2026-09-03
Internal parasite treatment · Required Noverified 2026-09-03

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-09-03

Timing chain

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

Ports of entry (23)

  • Athens International Airport (Spata)
  • Piraeus Port (N. Ikonio - Perama)
  • Thessaloniki Port
  • Thessaloniki Airport (Macedonia)
  • Eyzoni (road - North Macedonia border)
  • Eidomeni (railway - North Macedonia border)
  • Neos Kafcasos (North Macedonia border)
  • Kakavia (road - Albania border)
  • Peplos (road - Kipi Bridge - Turkey border)
  • Ormenio (road - Dikaia - Bulgaria border)
  • Promachonas (road/railway - Bulgaria border)
  • Rhodes port and airport
  • Kos port and airport
  • Kalimnos
  • Mitilini port and airport
  • Mirina (Limnos) port and airport
  • Chios port and airport
  • Samos port and airport
  • Ermoupolis (Syros)
  • Argostoli port
  • Iraklio (Crete) port and airport
  • Chania (Crete) port and airport
  • Corfu port and airport

verified 2026-09-03

Order matters for the microchip. It must be implanted and readable before the rabies vaccination is given; a shot recorded before a working chip does not count for Greek entry. Have the veterinarian scan the chip and confirm it reads at the same visit as the vaccine. Book the chip appointment first, then schedule rabies afterward, never the reverse.
Greece applies no breed ban for dogs or cats. Entry is not blocked on the basis of a specific breed, so paperwork requirements stay identical across breeds. Prepare the same microchip, rabies, and health certificate documents regardless of breed. Skip any search for breed-specific exemptions or bans; focus effort entirely on completing the standard entry documentation on time.
The import permit carries a 30-day lead time. Requesting it days before departure leaves no room for processing. Submit the permit application at least 30 days ahead of the travel date. Mark that 30-day point on the calendar the moment travel dates are fixed, and gather microchip and rabies records early so the permit request is not delayed.
Greece rewards travelers who respect the timeline: chip, then rabies, then certificate, with the permit lodged a month out. Pixel and I have run this exact route, and the calm at the border comes entirely from front-loading the paperwork. Build your dates into a personalized plan so nothing slips. Try Pawgo's plan-builder with your real departure day and destination, and let it map every deadline to your trip.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Greece →

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.