Fuerteventura Forum

Has anybody imported their dog(s) from the UK with pet passport and rabies that is valid for 3 years?

We are soon to come over and our dogs' rabies is marked as being valid for 3 years on their passport.  The MINISTERIO
DE AGRICULTURA, ALIMENTACIÓN Y MEDIO AMBIENTE states:

Quote
- En el pasaporte debe comprobarse que se realizó la vacunación contra la rabia y que está en vigor, (según recomendación del laboratorio de fabricación), no pudiendo desplazarse el animal hasta 21 días después de la vacunación en caso de ser la primera vacuna. // The passport must certify that the vaccination against rabies has been administered and that the vaccination is valid (in accordance with the recommendations of the manufacturing laboratory), and if it is the first vaccination the animal must wait 21 days after the injection, before the movement.

So, by law our dogs should be ok for importing.

However, a number of people are saying that the police and customs do NOT accept a 3 year vaccination, even if it is shown as valid by pet passport.

So, I am now concerned.  We think we will probably be bringing the dogs over around about a year after they were vaccinated, might be just after a year.   I do not want to over-vaccinate as that can lead to health issues, especially as my dogs are old.

Is it really likely that the customs officials would create a problem if it were just longer than a year?  Would they really go against what the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture state?   What if we get there and they say their pet passport is not valid because rabies is just over a year old?   If they did and I showed them the Spanish MoA requirements, would they allow my dogs in?

Have sent an email to someone on the island who has dogs, pointing them to your post in the hope they may be able to answer your query.

Quote from: Windermeregolfer on January 12, 2017, 09:39:10 AM
Have sent an email to someone on the island who has dogs, pointing them to your post in the hope they may be able to answer your query.

Thanks John

its a chihuahua)

Quote from: Holierspark on January 12, 2017, 17:14:16 PM
its a chihuahua)

Do not under estimate Chihuahua small dogs like small men are aggressive little bas*ards :D Better get a steel cage :D

Contact us at Woodside Cargo for correct & up to date procedures to import pets...
www.woodsidecargosl.com

When we brought our cat over she came off the plane and went into the cargo - buildings where we had to collect her from.  Which is a separate building from the terminal and you need a car to get to it as though virtually next door to the airport buildings you actually have to come right out the airport and head towards el Mattarol then double back on yourself so back within the airport grounds.  We also had to pay an additional sum of around 30 euros to the cargo place.

Erik-Tonny
The poster said importing dogs from the UK. I'm pretty sure I remember you saying you came from mainland Europe where the procedures are different. From mainland Europe you can even bring small dogs on your lap in the cabin - unheard of to/from the UK!

We flew our dog from the UK using an (expensive!) specialist service, also limited airports/flights available, it was the most nerve-wracking part of our move. As Snowdrop says, you collect from the cargo depot next door - avoid siesta time flight arrivals!!

Nowadays I would use Woodside to arrange it/do it for me, no hesitation.

Thanks folks.   I am aware of procedures and that the dogs should be collected from Cargo.  I am experienced in exporting dogs from the UK, but never to Fuerteventura. 

As per my original post, my ONLY concern is if the customs officials may not adhere to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture requirements.

@Woodside thank you but if you have the answer to my query I'd be grateful if you could reply here or by PM.   I am using you for shipping items, but not my dogs.  :D

Sorry Sir  :D
Yes, a 3 year UK Rabies vaccine is acceptable to Customs here.
Hope this clarifies.

Thanks Woodside :)

Now a friend in Fuerteventura who looked into it for me tells me that all certificates need to be translated by a legal agency!   This is not shown as a requirement anywhere, so does anybody know if this is correct?  If so what is a legal agency?!

What certificates? To do with your pets?  Or other certificates?

We were just talking about importing the dogs and she said "you have to translate al certificates and to make them legal. After visit your veterinarian you have to visit some legal agency to translate them."   I don't know where she found that information from.

Rest assured this is not correct!