Pet passport & rabies record
Passaporte de Animal de Companhia (PAC)
What it is
The EU pet passport, recording the microchip and rabies vaccination that allow an animal to travel. Issued under Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and its delegated and implementing regulations, including the 2026 updates. The microchip must be in place before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination does not count and the sequence begins again. A first vaccination requires 21 days before travel; a booster given before the previous one lapsed requires no wait.
Who needs it
Anyone travelling or moving with a dog, cat or ferret, up to five animals, for non-commercial movement. Separately, an animal remaining in Portugal beyond 120 days must be registered in the national SIAC database, which is a distinct obligation and not part of the passport. Keeping a dog of a breed classified as potentially dangerous requires the owner to hold a criminal record certificate, under Decreto-Lei n.o 315/2009.
Where to get it
Any authorised veterinarian. DGAV is the competent authority.
Does it expire?
The passport is valid for life provided the animal's health information remains in date. A border refusal follows from an expired or invalid rabies entry. A booster given after the previous vaccination had lapsed counts as a first vaccination and triggers a fresh 21-day wait.
Where this comes from
Checked 11 August 2026.