Malta is part of the EU Pet Travel Scheme. Bringing a dog, cat or ferret from another member state is a routine process.
There is one requirement specific to Malta that people often miss. It concerns dogs.
Getting an animal here
Microchip, rabies, passport
The microchip comes first and the rabies vaccination second. That order matters. A vaccination given before the chip does not count and has to be repeated.
An EU pet passport documents all of it. Arrivals from outside the EU need more, including a health certificate.
Visiting with a dog
Most pets arrive by air
Most animals arrive by air, either in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo, depending on size and airline. Rules differ by carrier.
Book the animal on the flight when you book yourself. Places are limited and they go.
Shipping your things
Heat is the biggest adjustment
Limestone and paving reach temperatures that burn paws. There is almost no shade. Summer here is harder on an animal than most owners expect.
Walk at dawn and after dark from June to September, and never leave an animal in a car.
Dogs in Malta
The core requirements
In the order they have to happen
- 1. Microchip
- Implanted first, and meeting ISO standard 11784 or Annex A of ISO 11785. If your chip predates the standard or is not readable, bring your own scanner or have the animal re-chipped.
- 2. Rabies vaccination
- Given at the same time as, or after, the microchip. A vaccination recorded before the chip does not count and has to be repeated. The animal must be at least 12 weeks old at vaccination.
- 3. Wait 21 days
- After a primary rabies vaccination, the animal cannot travel for 21 days. A booster given while the previous vaccination is still valid does not restart the clock.
- 4. Documentation
- An EU pet passport for movement within the Union, recording the animal’s identification, the rabies record and the issuing vet. From outside the EU, an animal health certificate and, for some countries, a rabies antibody titre test.
Malta is one of a small group of countries that remains free of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. It protects that status. Dogs entering Malta must be treated against tapeworm by a vet within a set window before arrival. The treatment must be recorded in the passport or certificate with the date and time. Missing this is the most common reason a dog is turned back or held. It is not something that can be fixed at the airport.
Getting the animal here
Malta is an island, so the animal arrives by air or by ferry from Sicily. Airline policies on cabin, hold and cargo differ a lot. Many carriers operate summer heat embargoes, which can rule out travel in July and August. Check the airline’s live animal policy before you book anything else, and be aware that snub-nosed breeds are refused by several carriers.
Arrivals with animals must be presented to the veterinary authorities. There are designated points of entry for that. Turning up at an unstaffed hour or the wrong terminal causes delays.
Malta is hot and largely unshaded, and paving reaches temperatures that burn paws. Walking happens at dawn and after dark from June to September. Which beaches allow dogs, and when, is covered under Malta with dogs.
Import conditions, the exact treatment window, listed and unlisted third countries and the designated points of entry are set by Malta’s veterinary authorities. Confirm the current position with them, and with your vet, well before you travel. Requirements differ substantially depending on the country you are coming from.