Moving to Cyprus with a pet involves more than a flight booking. Dogs and cats must be microchipped and vaccinated against rabies before travel, and the paperwork required depends on whether the animal is arriving from the European Union, the United Kingdom or a third country. Once in Cyprus, owners face a separate set of local obligations: dogs must be centrally registered and licensed, while cats, for now, fall outside that system.
Microchipping and vaccination before you travel
Every dog or cat entering Cyprus must carry an ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccine is given. The order matters: a vaccination administered before the microchip is fitted is not recognised, and owners are usually asked to start the process again. The rabies vaccine can only be given once the animal is at least 12 weeks old, and protection is considered valid from 21 days after the dose.
Entry documents: EU, UK and third-country pets
Pets travelling from an EU member state can generally use an EU Pet Passport. Since the UK's departure from the EU pet travel scheme, Great Britain-resident animals instead require an Animal Health Certificate (AHC), issued by an official veterinarian no more than ten days before arrival.
Under EU Regulation 2016/429, now fully in effect, animals from outside the EU also need an AHC rather than a third-country pet passport, and in most cases a rabies antibody titre test carried out at an EU-approved laboratory, using a blood sample taken at least 30 days after vaccination.
Owners are advised to confirm the exact documents with the Cyprus Veterinary Services well before booking non-refundable flights, since certificate validity windows are short and vaccination timelines cannot be compressed.
Arrival and inspection
Cyprus requires pets to enter through a designated Border Inspection Post, generally Larnaca International Airport or Paphos International Airport, with advance notice of the flight given to the authorities. On arrival, a veterinary officer checks the paperwork and scans the microchip, and owners typically pay a modest import fee. If the documents or vaccination status do not meet the requirements, the animal can face quarantine, if space is available, or return to its country of origin, at the owner's expense.
Registering your dog with the Veterinary Services
Within days of arrival, dog owners must register the animal in the Central Dog Register held by the Cyprus Veterinary Services, part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment. This registration has been free of charge since 2009. It results in a registration certificate confirming the microchip number, which owners then need for the next step.
Getting the annual municipal dog licence
Separately from central registration, the Dog Law 184(I)/2002, as amended, requires every dog owner to hold an annual dog ownership licence, issued by the local Municipality or Community Council. Applicants present the registration certificate and the animal's health record booklet, and pay a fee. The standard rate has been around €20.50 a year, with a substantially higher fee, reported at roughly €170, for breeds classed as dangerous. Licences are generally renewed by the end of January each year, and owners must display a "Beware of Dog" sign at the property.
Breeds that are not allowed
Cyprus bans the import and ownership of several breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Japanese Tosa. Owners planning to relocate with a dog should check current guidance from the Veterinary Services before making arrangements, since breed-specific rules can be amended.
The rules for cats, for now
Cyprus's Dog Law applies only to dogs. Cats currently face no domestic requirement to be microchipped or centrally registered, although they still need the same microchip, vaccination and travel documents to enter the country. This is expected to change: a new EU regulation on the welfare, breeding and traceability of companion animals, agreed after negotiations between the European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament, will make microchipping and registration compulsory for cats as well, with transition periods for member states to prepare. Cyprus, with a large stray and community cat population, is expected to face a significant administrative adjustment once the rule applies.
Source: Cyprus Veterinary Services; Dog Law 184(I)/2002; Regulation (EU) 2016/429
