Travel with your dog from the EU to a Mercosur country
- Jun 5, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 9
Getting the paperwork ready for your dog to travel anywhere could be a stressful experience; if you are like us, you probably worry about the whole process and have sleepless nights fearing that they would not be allowed in, or even worse, taken into quarantine.
We read many blogs, spoke to our vet and even rang the authorities of our destination and even though we went super prepared, the doubt of whether everything was in order accompanied us all the way.
This is the first thing to understand if you are travelling to South America:
Mercosur is a South American trade bloc that establishes free trade amongst member nations and can allow the member nations to act as a single entity for international trade. Its full members are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuela is a full member but has been suspended since 1 December 2016. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru, and Suriname are associate countries.
With that in mind, Mercosur countries are trying to keep a consistent legislation across their member countries. (there are some exceptions which will be explained below).
You can follow our step guide for more support on how to travel with your dog to a Mercosur country from the EU; we flew from Spain to Uruguay and Valeron (our dog) was warmly welcome on his arrival at Montevideo.
So the good news is that getting our dog from Europe to Uruguay was actually a straight forward process.
Our tip - Bear in mind any bank holidays when planning your vet days as the legislation refers to calendar days!
When we decided to travel through South America, from the EU, we started going through all the legislation country by country and we got a bit deflated with the amount planning and paperwork we thought it was required.
Having now gone through it all, and having our dog arrived sound and safe at Uruguay, we would like to break it down in easy to follow steps; it shouldn't be a stressful process if planned with time.
These are the requirements to fly from the EU to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay (these countries hold the same set of requisites). Go to our post on Uruguay - Argentina border crossing to read about the requirements from the authorities at border crossings.
You will be pleased to know that South Americans love dogs! Valeron is getting no end of compliments and strokes!
1 - International Veterinary Certificate (CVI)
This is the most important document!
You will be asked to show your CVI upon entry and this will be the document that will allow your dog in.
This is a document produced and signed by the Animal Authority of your country of departure. (i.e. for Spain this will be issued by Sanidad Animal).
What do you need to provide the Authorities with?
Note: Check whether your country's submissions must be done by you directly or by your vet.
Your vet will be more familiar with this type of applications and it would make the process more stress-free if you could count on your vet to submit the data to your Authority Officer on your behalf.
Our advice: If your dog holds a EU passport, record every treatment and vaccine on it; this way you will keep your dog's clinical history together which will help with both submitting your CVI request but also with your further travels.
Another advice: Even though you are likely to receive your CVI approval confirmation in electronic format, it is advisable to take a printed copy with you as you could be asked to hand it over on arrival.
It happened to us and we didn't have a paper copy with us. Luckily, the officer was happy taking a photo of our document on the phone.
The electronic signature becomes invalid once the document is printed, but authorities may still request a paper copy after reviewing the electronic version.
2 - Rabies vaccination
Dogs must be vaccinated against rabies with vaccines authorised by the veterinary authority of the country of origin.
You shouldn't have an issue with any EU vaccines, but it must be worth checking with your vet that the vaccine they use is in Mercosur's approved list.
In the case of dogs vaccinated for the first time, or when the vaccine has expired, the vaccine must have been applied at least 21 days prior to entry.
3 - Deparasitation
Your dog will need to be treated for both internal and external parasites within 15 days prior to the issue of the CVI.
We would recommend to allow 1-2 days for unexpected delays from the authority office.
Don't assume that the day you submit your data for the CVI it will be assed and approved immediately.
4 - Clinical exam by a vet
A clinical exam must be carried out by an authorised veterinarian in the country of origin within 10 days prior to the date of issuance of the CVI certifying that the animal is clinically healthy.
Again, we would recommend some leeway for potential delays; don't assume that your application will be reviewed on the date of submission.
5 - Serology for Leishmaniasis
A blood test to check that the dog is free from Leishmaniaisis must be carried out 60 days prior to entry into Uruguay.
Note: This is a just Uruguay requirement.
6 - EU passport
Despite not being a valid document for travel, it is recommended to take your dog's passport with you, as it will be where you have recorded all your dog's vaccination history.
The passport will also include your personal details, as well as the dog's date of birth and microchip number.
Our BEST TIP! Before you leave, think of your return
We are sure that your dog will love life in South America, but just in case they need to return at some point, you should think about the EU requirements to accept your dog back before you leave.
It is advisable to carry out the rabies serology in the EU as having this done will facilitate the return of the dog into the EU.
This document doesn’t expire and as long as your dog doesn't miss the rabies vaccine booster it will be indefinitely valid.
Make sure you set an alarm and you don't let the vaccine expire during your travels!
