Many thousands of citizens and residents of Ukraine have to leave their homes and seek refuge in other countries in Europe.

The European Commission asked all its Member States to allow entry to refugees travelling with their pets, even without a valid pet passport and microchip. In order to support people evacuating with their pets, we have set up a collaboration with our local partners in the neighbouring countries to support Ukrainian refugees with their pets should they need anything in the upcoming days and weeks.

Please find more info here: 

• Polish border, also here
• Slovakian border
• Hungarian border
• Romanian border
• Moldova: Moldova is taking companion animals in. Instructions are provided upon arrival! 

Please contact our local programmes/partners here: 

• Romania:  Animal Society. Tel: +40730339020
• Moldova:  DoctorVet. Tel: +37361014422
• Bulgaria: FOUR PAWS Stray Animal Care Clinic. Tel: +359888404447

Through these partnerships, FOUR PAWS is supporting with:

• Vaccinations and microchipping
• Medical treatments
• Pet food
• Safe carriers for cats and other small pets
• Leashes & harnesses
• Temporary housing

For all people from Ukraine who would like to continue their route to other countries, there are specific provisions that people coming from Ukraine must follow when entering with their pets. These differ depending on the country, but may include registration with the official authorities, quarantining of pets, and isolation. Although current companion animal import legislation serves to protect human and animal health in Europe, exceptions have already been made by the EU Commission and Member States to ease the entry procedure for refugees coming from Ukraine with their dogs, cats, or other pet animals. 

Countries that have eased the procedures are: (status 07.03.2022) 

• Austria :
  • Main contact: petsukraine@gesundheitsministerium.gv.at
  • The submission of a clearance certificate (Common Health Entry Document – CHED) from a border inspection post at the external border of the EU, which was not issued as a refusal, counts as a fulfilment of the conditions.
• Belgium (information available in FR, NL, EN)
• Czech Republic  (information in UA, CZ, EN)
• Denmark (information in DK, EN)
• Finland (information available in FI, SE, EN)
• France: Is taking in companion animals. If they do not meet the general requirements owners should contact a veterinarian or the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations of the department of destination, in charge of the health monitoring of these animals.
• Germany (information in DE)
• Hungary (information in UA, HU, EN)
• Ireland (information in EN)
• Italy (information available in IT)
• Latvia (information in LV, EN)
• The Netherlands (information in NL)
• Switzerland (Information in DE, EN, IT, FR) contact: petsukraine@blv.admin.ch
• United Kingdom (information in EN)