Best Time of Year to Visit Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bringing a Dog to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Microchipping
Vaccinations
Rabies Vaccination
A rabies vaccination is mandatory for travelling with your dog to Bosnia and Herzegovina. You need to make sure that your dog is vaccinated against rabies at least 3 weeks before your scheduled travel time. You don’t have to wait for the full 21 days if your pet has had yearly booster shots. Your dog needs to get a rabies vaccination every 12 months in Europe. If they have a 3-year vaccination, you will need to get them a rabies booster if the vaccination is older than a year.
Important Notes:
Tapeworm (Echinococcus) Treatment
EU Pet Passport
The easiest way to travel through Europe with your dog is with an EU pet passport. Please note that this is also a requirement as listed on the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina website.
EU Pet Passports can only be issued by an authorized veterinarian in the EU. When we initially travelled to Europe with our dog Pedro in April of 2023, we entered the EU with an Animal Health Certificate issued by our veterinarian in Canada. As Josef is an EU citizen we were able to register Pedro in the EU and get him and EU Pet Passport.
Animal Health Certificate
If you are travelling from a non-EU country or territory, your dog must have an Animal Health Certificate issued by an official State vet in the country of departure not more than 10 days before your dog arrives in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the case of a transport by sea, that period of 10 days is extended by an additional period corresponding to the duration of the journey by sea.
For more information on bringing your dog to Bosnia and Herzegovina, please see:
Returning to the EU with a Dog from Bosnia and Herzegovina
IMPORTANT UPDATE: as of November 30, 2024 Bosnia and Herzegovina is no longer listed by the EU as a high risk rabies country and a Rabies titer test is no longer required to return to the EU.
Travelling with pets and other animals in the EU
Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain
High Risk Rabies Countries in Europe
- Albania
- Montenegro
- Serbia
Movement of Pets > Listing of territories and non-EU Countries
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
For more information please checkout the posts below or leave us a comment.
Rabies Titer Test: Travelling Through Europe with a Dog
If you’re planning a trip to Europe or relocating with your dog, it’s important to plan ahead to ensure they have all the required documentation
EU Pet Passport, Required Vaccinations, and Documents Needed to Travel with Your Dog
If you’re planning to travel with your dog to the EU, you need to plan ahead and make sure that they have all of the
12 Responses
Hello, I’m traveling from Canada to Italy with my guiding assistance dog. We would like to do trips to various other countries including Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We would only be there for a few days in each country. Although I would have all the required health certificates and vaccination certificates including parasite deworming and the rabies tighter test, they would be from Canada. With your knowledge, would I be able to visit Bosnia for a day or two and then travel back to italy? Do you think the paperwork I would have would be accepted?
Hi Karen
How exciting that you are visiting Italy with your dog. We have a house in the region of Marche, Italy and love Italy as it is one of the most dog-friendly countries that I have ever travelled to!
In regards to your question, I am assuming that you would be renting a car and driving? Just FYI, there are no international trains to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Your only option is to drive or fly as I doubt that you want to take a bus that far. When you arrive in Italy from Canada you will be in the EU and the Schengen area and will not need to show any documentation while you travel until you exit the EU. The only border crossing would be when you go to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Slovenia and Croatia are both in the Schengen area). Bosnia and Herzegovina is considered a high-risk rabies country so the only concern would be returning to the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina only requires a titer test when you are arriving from a high-risk rabies country such as Montenegro or Albania. If you are driving then you would be crossing the border in Croatia to return to Italy.
I am in the processing of writing a post about reentering the EU as we are currently travelling in Bosnia. Here is an article that I have found in the meantime from the Ministry of Agriculture | Croatia.
Ministry of Agriculture | Croatia
The article states the following:
The rabies antibody titration test shall be performed in an approved laboratory in a Member State of the European Union. The list of approved laboratories in the Member States of the European Union is available on the following website of the European Commission.
Everything that I can find references that the titer test must be from the EU which is not possible for you due to the timelines. If you really want to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina I would write or call the Embassies of the Republic of Croatia in Canada. Here is the link:
https://mvep.gov.hr/embassies-and-consulates/embassies-of-the-republic-of-croatia-in-the-world/244601?country=62
Our dog is not a service/guide dog buy my understanding is that all of the same rules in regards to documentation, vaccinations, etc apply for service/guide dogs as they do for domestic dogs. Please see my blog post for more details on what you need to fly:
Flying with a Dog from Canada or the USA | Pedro the Westie
Safe travels!
Hello,
We are currently in Montenegro with our dog, we have the EU passport with a rabies titer test that was done in the EU, but it was done less than three months ago. We are planning to go to Bosnia and Herzegovina but we are getting some conflicting information about how long after the titer test we need to wait, or if we even need it at all. Do you have a source that have the correct information?
Hi Heather
From all of the information that I have it states that you must wait for 3 months from the date of the rabies titer test before returning to the EU from any high risk rabies countries. We drove from the EU to Bosnia and then to Montenegro and then back to the EU so unfortunately I can not speak to going from Montenegro to Bosnia. In regards to returning to the EU, we have travelled multiple times and no one checked when we returned to the EU but if they do check this is the requirement. I am assuming that you are driving and returning to the EU via Croatia?
In regards to travelling to Bosnia, here is the information from the official website:
Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations VETERINARY OFFICE OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
In order to be moved into BiH from countries not listed in Annex IV – see List of countries
The pet animal (dog, cat or ferret) must undergo a rabies antibody titration test, as follows:
The test must be carried out on a sample collected by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after the date of vaccination and not less than three months before the date of movement;
I checked the list and Montenegro is not on the list so it would appear that YES you do need a titer test to enter Bosnia from Montenegro and the test needs to be 3 months old.
Again, no one seems to check at the border but I always travel with the required documentation.
I hope this helps!
Hi, we are currently in Austria with our 2 dogs. We are planning to extend our 90 days by going to Montenegro, we have purchased pet passports and our dogs have had rabies vaccine in the UK which lasts 3 years. Now we are told they have to have a total test ,will this have to be done in the EU now they have EU passports or the UK?
Hi
The rabies titer test is required in order to return to the EU from high risk rabies countries such as Montenegro and Albania. Can you please confirm your country of residence (I am not sure if you are from the EU or from the UK). To enter the EU from the UK you would normally need an animal health certificate (AHC). EU pet passports are for EU residents. As you indicated that the rabies vaccine was given in the UK I am assuming that it is not recorded in the EU pet passport as only the vet administering the vaccine can record and document in the EU pet passport. Since you are in Austria, the rabies titer test needs to be completed in the EU by an EU vet. It takes approximately 10 days for the laboratory to mail out the certification letter. You must wait for 3 months from the date of the rabies titer test before returning to the EU and UK. The EU will consider your pet’s titer test valid for the life of your pet as long as its rabies vaccination does not expire.
If you get the titer test done in Austria it will take approximately 10 days to get the results and the certification letter. You can then go to Montenegro (it is not a requirement to enter Montenegro) but you can not return to the EU for 3 months from the date of titer test.
Let me know if this makes sense.
Thanks
Hi guys!
We are looking to plan a trip in Feb of 2026 with our dog. We live in the UK. I know we will get 90 days of travel in the Schengen area, but we are looking at ways to extend this another 30 days, by going to non- Schengen countries. We are thinking of Andorra, Montenegro and the surrounding countries.
From what I understand- my dog has a rabies jab that is 3 years. For the AHC, we get 4 months of travel with the dog. Would we need to get a booster of rabies again before coming? If we wanted to go to Bosnia/Montenegro, would we need to get a titer test done in say France/Croatia or somewhere, or could we do this in the UK before we leave for our tri[ and have it valid? Are we also able to travel into Bosnia with our AHC as we would any Schengen country or would we need other documents too?
Thanks!
Jen
Hi Jen
Good news, effective November 30, 2024 Bosnia is no longer on the EU list for high risk rabies countries. Unfortunately, Montenegro is still on the list which means that in order to return to the EU your dog must have a titer test. The titer test should be done in the UK and is valid for your dog’s entire life provided that you are always current on their rabies shot. If the rabies shot is set to expire while you are away on vacation then you should get this done before you leave. Remember that an animal health certificate is only valid for 4 months and must be issued in the UK before you leave. An EU pet passport is only available to EU citizens for pets registered in the EU. I would get the titer test done as soon as possible and then you have that out of the way. Stay tuned for more blog posts on Montenegro as we have purchased a home there and will be living there when we are not in Italy or travelling. Keep in touch and let me know if you make it to Kotor, Montenegro! All the best, Natascha
Really like the post and the blog in general. I would just like to point out that Bosnia is not a high risk rabies country according to the latest EU regulations:
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/carry/pets-and-other-animals/index_en.htm
Thanks so much for your feedback! Great news that Bosnia is no longer listed on the EU high risk rabies countries. I will update the post. Thanks again for your feedback!
Which border crossing did you use? I saw that not all are equipped to allow crossing with pets but couldn’t find any official list
Hi
We crossed into Bosnia via the Gradiška border crossing near Banja Luka.
Thanks