How To Get an EU Pet Passport in France

Getting an EU pet passport in France can make repeat travel within Europe easier, but the rules are more specific than a normal travel document. An EU pet passport is issued by an authorized veterinarian in an EU Member State and records your pet’s microchip, rabies vaccination, owner details, and official veterinary entries.

This post explains the process we used in France with our French Bulldog, Gus. It also flags the current official guidance to check before you rely on an EU pet passport for cross-border travel, especially if you are entering the EU from the United States, the United Kingdom, or another non-EU country.

Rules checked: June 2026. Pet-travel rules can change, so confirm current requirements with your veterinarian, USDA APHIS, the European Commission, and the official rules for your destination country before travel.

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Before trying to get an EU pet passport in France, confirm whether you and your pet are eligible under current rules. The European Commission states that the European pet passport is issued to pet owners who are resident in the EU. In practice, veterinary offices may also ask for a French address, French phone number, I-CAD registration, proof of residence, or other documentation before issuing one.

For U.S. travelers, USDA APHIS says an EU pet passport cannot be obtained in the United States. If your pet does not already have a valid EU pet passport with a valid rabies vaccination recorded by an EU veterinarian, you should expect to use the correct EU health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS before travel.

A valid EU pet passport may simplify return travel to the EU only for non-commercial movement, when the pet is not being sold or transferred, no more than five pets are traveling, the pet moves within five days of the owner or authorized person, and the rabies vaccination recorded in the passport remains valid.

Start with these official sources before making travel plans:

• USDA APHIS pet travel from the United States to France
• USDA APHIS guidance on EU pet passports
• European Commission rules for bringing pets into the EU from non-EU countries

An EU pet passport can simplify travel between EU countries and some return trips to the EU when the passport is valid and the movement qualifies as non-commercial. For frequent travelers, the main benefit is avoiding repeated health-certificate paperwork for every eligible EU movement.

The passport does not remove every requirement. Your pet’s rabies vaccination must remain valid, entries must be made in the correct sections by the correct type of veterinarian, and some countries require tapeworm treatment for dogs before entry. If rabies expires or the passport entries are not valid for the trip, you may need a new official health certificate before traveling.

For our travel pattern, an EU pet passport helped reduce repeat paperwork while moving around Europe with Gus. Before relying on the same approach, confirm the current rules for your pet, your residence status, your route, and your destination country.

Requirements can vary by veterinary office, but you should be prepared to provide documents that prove your identity, your pet’s identity, rabies status, and contact details in France.

When we went through the process, the veterinary office asked for the following:

• Your passport
• A French address
• A French phone number
• Your pet’s microchip information
• Your pet’s rabies vaccination record
• Your pet’s existing international health certificate or official travel paperwork
• I-CAD registration details, if the microchip must be registered in France

Some veterinarians may also ask for proof that you live in France or the EU. Contact the veterinary office before you go, explain your situation, and ask exactly what documents they require.

Based on our experience, the process in France had two parts: registering the microchip information with I-CAD and returning to the veterinarian for passport issuance. Your process may differ depending on the veterinary office, your paperwork, your pet’s rabies record, and whether the office requires proof of residence.

Call the veterinarian before going. Ask whether they issue EU pet passports, whether they work with non-French clients, whether proof of residence is required, whether your pet must be present, and which documents they need to see.

Your pet’s microchip must be registered in the French I-CAD database. The cost for registration was $15. To do this, you must have a passport, French address, French phone number, and microchip information (this is found on your International Health Certificate).

Because it does not require a visit with the doctor, the veterinarian’s office we went to in France did not require a formal appointment to get the microchip registered. Even though you probably won’t need an appointment, make sure you call your veterinary office in advance and confirm their requirements.

You will bring your pet to the vet, where their microchip will be scanned and recorded on the I-CAD registration form.

When completing the I-CAD registration form, be sure to include your email address. If an email is provided, I-CAD will send you both an email and a mailed confirmation. You will need the I-CAD confirmation to show your veterinary office that the registration is complete. The vet does not receive notice of registration from I-CAD. This is only sent by I-CAD to you.

Receiving mail can be challenging in Europe, especially if you travel and live in an Airbnb. Our I-CAD email confirmation helped move the process forward and allowed us to move to step two quickly.

The vet will give you a copy of the completed I-CAD registration form. Make sure it has been accurately completed.

It takes 1-2 weeks for I-CAD to register the microchip and send you a confirmation email. Once you receive the I-CAD confirmation email, you can call your vet to set an appointment for the EU Pet Passport.

Update: We were not required to show proof of France residency to get an EU Pet Passport in France. But, we received feedback that some vets require it. Be sure to contact the veterinary office in advance. You should confirm that they speak English if you don't speak French (the vet office we used only had one English speaking employee) and that they don't require proof of residency (if you are not a resident).

You will return to the vet’s office for EU Pet Passport issuance. This cost was $15.

Ask your vet if they require your pet’s presence. Gus was required to be there for the first visit to scan his microchip but was not involved in the issuance of the passport and ended up being there only for moral support. But every vet is different and yours might require a quick exam.

You will present your I-CAD email microchip registration confirmation, an international health certificate (which has your rabies information), and I-CAD registration form (which has your France phone number and France address). They will use all this information to complete the EU Pet Passport.

We also provided a passport photo of Gus. If you can get one, I recommend it. It isn’t required but can’t hurt. We got Gus’s passport photo made at a CVS in the United States before we arrived in Europe. The CVS lady didn’t want to do it, but I insisted.

The vet will issue you your EU Pet Passport, and you will be ready to travel Europe with your best friend.