All of us who have pets understand each other in the desire to share all the beautiful moments with them, including traveling and vacationing.

Collecting documentation for your dog or cat in order to travel with you to Greece is not as complicated as it seems at first glance, but it takes time to gather all the documents before departure. Therefore, it is best to start preparing about 6 months before the planned trip.

In order to travel with you, your pet must first be vaccinated and microchipped. Of course, it is necessary for them to have a health record and a passport in which stamps are required to prove that vaccination and microchipping have been done. All of this can be obtained at any private veterinary clinic.

If you are traveling from a country that is not an EU member, as is the case with Serbia, a veterinarian’s certificate is required no later than 10 days before the trip stating that the pet is in good health, and the rabies vaccine should not be older than a year and should not be fresher than a month.

There is much speculation about the titer test and whether it is necessary or not. By law, it is necessary.

How to perform a titer test and how long it takes to get the results

The titer test can be done one month after the rabies vaccine, and 3 months after testing your pet, you can cross the border.

The titer test is done by taking your dog or cat to a veterinary clinic or, if you are in Belgrade, you can go to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine clinic. There, a blood sample will be taken for analysis and sent to the Pasteur Institute in Novi Sad, and after 7-10 days, you will receive a confirmation of the antibody titer level at your home address. With this confirmation and passport, you go to the veterinary inspection which issues a certificate required for entry into EU countries.

This procedure can take a month or more. The fee paid to the Pasteur Institute is 9500 dinars, and you also pay for the service of your veterinarian for taking the blood sample. The confirmation of the titer level is valid for a lifetime if the pet is regularly vaccinated against rabies (once a year), and the certificate is valid for about 6 months. In order for your titer test to always be valid, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the annual rabies vaccination. It is important to ensure that this vaccination is done literally every year to the day. Do not be late.

So to summarize, the following are needed:
1. Passport (with vaccination records)
2. The pet must be microchipped (visible on the passport)
3. Confirmation obtained from the veterinary inspection in the city where you live\, based on the titer level confirmation.

It is interesting to note that in Greece, household pets include cats, dogs, and ferrets, but not birds, so they are not allowed to enter Greece.

Traveling with a pet - by plane and ferry

Greek airlines and ferry companies have specific rules regarding traveling with pets to Greece. Pets are allowed in the passenger cabin if they weigh less than 8kg on airplanes, and if they weigh more than 8kg, they are placed in the cargo hold.

As for Greek ferries, small pets can be on the deck, provided they are on a leash. Larger pets are placed in cabins in a special part of the ferry. In practice, even large dogs can be taken on deck if they are on a leash and with a responsible owner.

Before traveling to your desired destination, make sure there is a veterinary clinic in the area, as some small resorts may not have veterinarians nearby. If your pet is on medication and you are traveling to an island or a small resort, it is best to bring all the necessary medications with you.

For our guests, we have compiled a list of veterinary clinics in Greece that you can check to see if it is close to the place where you are staying.

For emergencies in the absence of a veterinarian, you can also contact local pharmacists in Greece who are trained to handle emergencies in animals and humans.

Pet-friendly hotels and apartments in Greece - accommodation that accepts pets

In our offer, you can find a wide selection of hotels and apartments that accept pets (pet-friendly hotels). There are over five hundred of them. Just check the filter on the left side (allowed pets) to get such hotels as a search result.

Check out pet-friendly accommodation HERE.

If you really like a certain accommodation and it is not marked as pet-friendly, be sure to contact us so we can double-check with the owners. Sometimes exceptions are made.

Also, before booking pet-friendly accommodation, make sure to mention that you plan to bring your pet with you, as sometimes policies change due to bad experiences. It is important to find out if there are any restrictions regarding the weight of the pet, as some hotels only accept small pets or accept dogs but not cats, vice versa. Some owners do not allow pets to sleep on the bed, so it is necessary to bring a pet bed with you.

Therefore, before making a reservation, it is essential to thoroughly inquire about all the conditions for the pet’s stay in the accommodation.

Can a dog swim in the sea?

When you arrive at a seaside resort with your dog, you will surely want to take them with you to the beach or swimming. By law, dogs are only allowed on unorganized (wild) beaches. In practice, most tourists, as well as locals, take dogs to organized beaches, but choose those with fewer crowds. Here’s what the law says:
“Based on the new framework for the welfare of pets, especially Law No. 4830⁄2021, Article 19 “Access to beaches” states the following:

  • Access for dogs is allowed on unorganized beaches, as well as in the sea. Outside the sea, the use of a leash is always mandatory.
  • On organized beaches, Article 1, paragraph 71⁄2020 (A’166), access for dogs is allowed only if they are assistance dogs or if there is a clear mark set by the legally responsible company for beach exploitation. Outside the sea, the use of a leash is always mandatory. (This means that some beach bars or a municipality that leases the beach can put up a notice that dogs are allowed regardless of whether the beach is organized)
  • Taking into account Article 21, access for dogs on Blue Flag beaches is prohibited.

Tourists and locals often do not strictly follow the legal provisions but adhere to some informal rules.
This means that if you decide to go to an organized and very crowded beach, make sure your dog does not bother other visitors. This means that your dog does not bark excessively, does not defecate on the sand, and does not walk unsupervised on the beach. Keep in mind that some people are afraid of dogs, especially larger ones.

Regarding dogs swimming in the sea, it is often seen that dogs swim despite the large number of people in the water. Although it is rare for someone to call the police because of this, other swimmers may draw your attention or give you “critical” looks.

To avoid unpleasant situations, I advise you that if your dog enjoys swimming, choose less frequented beaches. There you and your pet will have more freedom and enjoyment. There, you can let your dog enjoy running, swimming, and playing in the sand without worry. You can throw them a frisbee or a ball.

Alternatively, you can inquire in advance if the beach bar you plan to visit allows dogs and if they are allowed to swim in the sea.

Safety of dogs on the beach

As a dog owner, you are responsible for their well-being during the vacation, so it is necessary to take care of their health and conditions during the vacation.

It is necessary to avoid excessive sun exposure. Dogs with white fur are particularly sensitive to the sun. Ideally, dogs should be in the shade all the time, and fresh water should be available to them at all times.

Some dogs tend to eat sand directly or if they play with a toy in the sand, so this should be taken into account.

Also, dogs should not be allowed to drink sea water because sea water in dogs causes nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Not all dogs can swim, so if they do not want to, they should not be forced to swim.

After swimming in the sea, it is advisable to rinse your dog with fresh water.

And now a few words for those who do not like animals, especially not on the beach.

Dogs never urinate in the water (unlike many people), so there is no fear of spreading infections.

Dogs have the right to the sea and to enjoy it just like people.

Dogs are not dirtier than people, but if for some reason their presence on the beach or in the sea bothers you, or if you are concerned about your safety or the safety of your children, before contacting the police, it is best to talk to the owner to find a common and good solution.

Stray dogs on the way to Greece

And one request. As pet owners, you are certainly animal lovers in general. You have probably noticed that there are many stray dogs on the way to Greece. They are most often seen along the highway, at gas stations, and toll booths.

These dogs did not appear out of nowhere; they have been abandoned by their owners to fend for themselves and survive if they can. Therefore, please think of them before traveling, put a bag of any dry food and water in the trunk of your car. Some passers-by and travelers give them some food, but rarely does anyone think to give them water, which is very important for them in hot summer days when the temperature is 40 degrees, just like for us. Pour water into a bowl for them (bring a few plastic bowls with you), and you will see gratitude in their eyes, you will feel good because you have really done a good deed.

Check out the list of veterinary clinics in Greece and see where the nearest one is located.

Check out over 900 pet-friendly accommodations HERE.

Read a truly excellent and detailed text on preparing documentation for your pet before traveling HERE.

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