Pet Shipping - Pet Import Requirements in Bulgaria

Pet Import Requirements in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, control over the import of live animals is implemented by the National Veterinary Medical Service at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests.

The Veterinary Medical Activities Act places a requirement on importers of pets, such as dogs, cats, horses, etc., to present to the border veterinary authorities:

1. An immunisation passport of the pet including its ID number, description and entries for the vaccinations and anti-parasite treatment it has had, issued by a licensed vet in the country of origin;

2. A medical certificate of the pet issued by an authorized vet, indicating its origin and health status, and verifying that:

- The pet’s last check has been made within 24 hours of its export and no clinical symptoms of a disease have been registered,

- if over three months old, the pet has received a rabies shot with an inactivated vaccine containing no less than 1 UI, measured by applying the activation method described in the existing European pharmacopoeia, no less than 30 days and no more than 12 months prior to the date of export, and that the certificate bears an indication of the vaccine’s brand name and serial number,

- in the location of the pet’s residence there have been no cases of rabies registered in the last six months,

- since the day of its birth, the pet has lived indoors and has been raised at the place where it was born (only applicable to pets under three months).

At the border, pets undergo an obligatory check of their health status, papers, and identity. Should the check establish that a pet’s documents are not valid or that it poses a risk to public health, this may result in its confiscation.