North Macedonia follows the EU template closely, which makes it one of the more predictable entries in the western Balkans. Chip first, then the rabies vaccination, then a titre test with 90 days behind it, then a certificate valid for ten days. No import permit, no quarantine, no tapeworm treatment. The science here is simpler than it sounds.

Bringing a pet to North Macedonia 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 North Macedonia handles your pet

Official sources

  • 153/2015”)." The Food and Veterinary Agency (Агенција за храна и ветеринарство, fva.gov.mk/en/pets) publishes the conditions; the page was re-fetched on 2026-09-02 and still cites 153/2015, with no superseding instrument found
  • The list that DOES exist is the government's veterinary inspection posts for consignments of live animals and products (Decision, Official Gazette of RM 59/10, fva.gov.mk/en/border-crossings), which is a different regime; within it the two air posts admitting cats and dogs are "Меѓународен аеродром Скопје MKSKP4 А HC (2) (3) (4), NHC (6) O (9) (10) Меѓународен аеродром Охрид MKOHD4 А O (10 , само мачки и кучиња)" where legend entry "(10) = само мачки, кучиња, глодари, лагоморфи, жива риба и рептили" marks the species admitted
  • The FVA maintains a register of decisions banning import or transit of live animals from named countries on animal-health grounds — avian influenza, African swine fever and similar

Key points

  • GOVERNING INSTRUMENT
  • North Macedonia's non-commercial pet-movement rules are set by the Rulebook published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia No
  • 153/2015: "In order to import or transit across the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia the consignment of pet animals should comply with the conditions stated in the Rulebook for the manners and procedures for import and transit and the manners and procedures for performing control and examination of consignments not intended for trade or transfer of ownership and accompanied by their owner or a person responsible for them, as well as the form and contents of the veterinary health certificate and the form and content of the passport (“Official paper of the Republic of North Macedonia No
  • The model certificate states that the Rulebook "is equivalent to Article 5(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) No
  • 576/2013", so the regime mirrors the EU non-commercial movement rules
  • WHAT COUNTS AS A PET. "Pet animals are dogs, cats and ferrets which are not intended for trade or transfer of ownership, are accompanied by their owner or a person responsible for them and do not exceed the number of 5 animals or more only in cases of participation in tournaments, shows, sport competitions or training for any of the former." Birds, rodents, rabbits, reptiles, amphibians, ornamental tropical fish and invertebrates are covered by separate rules (Official Gazette 102/2008 and 10/2009) and are NOT described by the dog/cat leaves on this row
  • IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT — PASSPORT OR CERTIFICATE, BY ORIGIN. "2
  • Have an identification document in the form of: - A PET PASSPORT for countries from Annex II, part A of the Rulebook, or - A VETERINARY HEALTH CERTIFICAT E for countries from Annex II, part B od the Rulebook" A pet passport serves origins listed in Annex II part A of the Rulebook; a veterinary health certificate serves Annex II part B. RABIES TITRE — ONLY FOR UNLISTED ORIGINS. "* Additional requrements when the import of pet animals originates in countries that are not on the list published in Annex I , part A and part B in the Rulebook: 5
  • The pets should have confirmation of an antibody titration test for rabies performed at least 3 months prior to the movement of the pet." The titre requirement therefore does NOT apply to origins listed in Annex I parts A and B of the Rulebook
  • The stored titer_test.required = true holds the STRICTEST case, per the conditional-override invariant; this origin carve-out is a candidate for a conditional_overrides block keyed on origin
  • The model certificate adds the sampling window: "on the date indicated in the table below not less than 30 days after the preceding vaccination and at least three months prior to the date of issue" — i.e. at least 30 days after the vaccination AND at least three months before the certificate is issued
  • PUPPIES AND KITTENS UNDER 3 MONTHS. "Pet animals from the species dogs, cats and ferrets younger than 3 months of age which are not yet vaccinated against rabies, can be imported or allowed to transit across the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia if they have a passport and have resided only at their place of birth, during which time they were not in contact with wild animals that have been exposed or are susceptible to an infectious disease, or are accompanied by their mothers on whom they are still dependent and which have alredy been vaccinated against rabies." This derogation is not expressible in the age leaves and is recorded here
  • ECHINOCOCCOSIS AND TICK TREATMENT — RECOMMENDED, NOT REQUIRED. "4
  • Should, but are not required to, be clinically examined and treated for Echinococcosis and tick infestation by an official veterinarian followed by an appropriate confirmation noted in the passport or the veterinary health certificate." This is the native sentence that settles both tapeworm_treatment.required and tick_treatment.required as false
  • It also corrects a prior dogs = true, which had been taken from the model certificate's conditional field label "Echinococcus treatment (when required)" and contradicted cats = false drawn from this same sentence
  • CERTIFICATE VALIDITY — TWO FORMS IN CIRCULATION, READ THIS BEFORE CHANGING validity_days
  • The 576/2013-equivalent model certificate states: "This certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issue by the official veterinarian until the date of the documentary and identity checks at the designated travelers’ point of entry in Republic of North Macedonia." The older certificate form still hosted on the FVA site states instead: "Овој сертификат важи четири месеци по потпишувањето од овластени ветеринар или гарантиран од овластен орган или до датумот на истекување на вакцината, во зависност од тоа која дата е порано / The certificate is valid for four months after signature by the official veterinarian or endorsed by the competent authority, or until the date of expiry of the vaccination shown in Part IV, whichever is earlier." The stored value of 10 days follows the 576/2013-equivalent model, which is the form matching the Annex II regime described on the FVA page
  • Note that the previously stored 10 was cited to a USDA page sentence about APHIS endorsing certificates "within 10 days of travel" — a US-side export procedure that coincidentally carries the same number; it has been re-cited to the model certificate itself
  • POINTS OF ENTRY — WHY ports_list IS DELIBERATELY EMPTY
  • For pets the rule is a route, not a named list: "The import of pet animals takes place trough passenger travel terminals at the official border passes." No closed list of pet entry points is published, so approved_ports_of_entry.ports_list is left unanswered rather than filled with the wrong list
  • A traveller flying in should expect Skopje or Ohrid; a traveller arriving by road uses the passenger terminal at any official border crossing
  • DISEASE-BASED IMPORT BANS ARE SEPARATE AND CHANGE OFTEN
  • These are country-and-disease specific, are amended frequently, and sit outside the pet leaves on this row
  • That register contains no breed-based rule: the words "breed" and "раса" occur zero times in it, which together with the exhaustive entry conditions is the basis for breed_restrictions.has_restrictions = false

Downloadable forms

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 2026-10-27
Microchip · Tattoo accepted Yesverified 2026-10-27
Microchip · Must be done before vaccination Yesverified 2026-10-27
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Required Yesverified 2026-10-27
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Minimum level iu ml0.5verified 2026-10-27
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved laboratory required Yesverified 2026-10-27
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Waiting period after test days90 daysverified 2026-10-27
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Test must follow vaccination days30 daysverified 2026-10-27
Tick treatment · Required Noverified 2026-10-27
Health certificate · Issuerofficial_vetverified 2026-10-27
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-10-27
Health certificate · Endorsed byOfficial veterinarian, or a veterinarian authorised by the competent authority whose certificate the competent authority must then endorseverified 2026-10-27
Health certificate · Validity days10 daysverified 2026-10-27
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-10-27
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-10-27
Rabies vaccination · Booster required Yesverified 2026-10-27
Rabies vaccination · Approved vaccines list
  • inactivated vaccine produced in accordance with OIE standards
verified 2026-10-27
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination21 daysverified 2026-10-27
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-10-27
Tapeworm treatment · Required Noverified 2026-10-27

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-27

Timing chain

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

The marking of the animal, by transponder or by a clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011, must be verified before any entry is made in the certificate, and must always precede any vaccination or test. Verification happens first, then the certificate is filled in. Ask the official veterinarian to scan and record the chip at the start of the appointment.
The certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issue by the official veterinarian until the documentary and identity checks at the designated travellers' point of entry in North Macedonia. The window closes at that border post, not at departure. An overland approach through a neighbouring country still counts the days to the North Macedonian entry point.
Nothing here is unusual, but two things are ordered and one is slow: the chip before the vaccination, the vaccination before the titre draw, and then 90 days of waiting. The ten-day certificate is the easy part at the end. Put your arrival date into the plan builder and it will count backwards to the latest safe date for each step.
Get YOUR personalized plan for North Macedonia →

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.