Compulsory vaccines in Belgium: dogs, cats and EU pet passport

"Does my dog need to be vaccinated to go to kennels?", "Does my indoor cat need boosters?", "Can I take my three-month-old puppy to France?" These questions come up every summer in Belgian veterinary practices. In short: on Belgian territory, no vaccine is required by law, but as soon as your pet crosses the border, rabies vaccination and the European pet passport become compulsory. In between, the so-called core vaccines protect your companion from serious diseases that are still present here.

What Belgian law says

Belgium has been officially rabies-free since 2001 and, since 1 March 2016, rabies vaccination is no longer compulsory for dogs, cats and ferrets that stay in the country. The AFSCA (Belgian food safety agency) requires it only for departure to another country and for the arrival in Belgium of an animal from abroad.

No other vaccine is legally compulsory. Microchip identification and registration, on the other hand, are compulsory for both dogs and cats in Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels. Our article on microchipping and DogID / CatID registration explains the steps.

Core vaccines for dogs

The 2024 WSAVA guidelines, the global reference for veterinarians, define core vaccines as those that all dogs should receive, whatever their lifestyle:

• canine distemper, often fatal, which attacks the respiratory, digestive and nervous systems;
• infectious canine hepatitis (Rubarth's disease, canine adenovirus type 1);
• parvovirus, a dreaded haemorrhagic gastroenteritis in puppies.

The WSAVA adds that leptospirosis should be considered a core vaccine in regions where the disease is present. That is the case in Belgium, where rodents and standing water spread it, and where it also affects humans. Your vet will therefore offer it systematically. Depending on lifestyle, they may add kennel cough, useful for boarding and shows, and rabies for travel. The dog vaccination record describes each vaccine in detail.

Core vaccines for cats

For cats, the core vaccines according to the WSAVA are:

• feline panleukopenia (feline infectious enteritis), a very resistant parvovirus you can bring home on your shoes;
• cat flu, which covers feline herpesvirus and calicivirus, responsible for sneezing, mouth ulcers and conjunctivitis.

Feline leukaemia (FeLV) is recommended for cats under one year old and for adults that go outdoors or live with a cat that does. A strictly indoor cat living alone can skip it after discussion with the vet; rabies only concerns cats that travel. The details are in our cat vaccination schedule.

Puppy and kitten schedule, then boosters

Maternal antibodies protect the young animal, but they also block the effect of vaccines. The WSAVA therefore recommends several injections for puppies and kittens, every 2 to 4 weeks, the last at 16 weeks of age or later, followed by a booster from 26 weeks. In practice:

The WSAVA is clear: core vaccines should not be given more often than necessary in adults, because the immunity they confer lasts several years. Your vet adapts the protocol to the animal: a hunting dog in the Ardennes does not get the same boosters as an indoor cat in Brussels.

In the free Zoolinko health record, each registered vaccine generates a reminder before it falls due, as it does for parasite treatments, and the pet's file stays linked to its microchip number.

The European pet passport for travel

To leave Belgium with a dog, cat or ferret, even for a weekend, three conditions apply throughout the Union:

1. Microchip identification, implanted before the rabies vaccination, otherwise the vaccination is not recognised. A legible tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 is still accepted, except for Ireland and Malta.
2. Rabies vaccination, possible from 12 weeks of age. The primary vaccination only takes effect after at least 21 days: an animal therefore cannot travel before 15 weeks. A booster given while the previous vaccine is still valid is valid immediately; if late, it counts as a primary vaccination and the 21-day period starts again.
3. The European pet passport, issued and completed by your vet, with the identification, your details, your signature and the vaccinations. It remains valid for the animal's whole life.

Ireland, Northern Ireland, Finland, Norway and Malta additionally require dogs to be treated against the fox tapeworm, administered by a vet between 120 hours and 24 hours before arrival. Above 5 animals, commercial rules apply, unless you are taking part in a show or competition with animals over 6 months old. Outside the European Union, check with the embassy: an antibody titre test, a health certificate or quarantine may be required. Our guide to the European pet passport summarises the steps.

Kennels, shows and other situations

No law sets the list of vaccines a boarding kennel may require, but every approved establishment may impose one in its rules. In Flanders, the animal welfare department points out that staff check vaccinations in the dog's passport or the cat's vaccination booklet and keep it for the duration of the stay. Expect, for dogs, the core vaccines, leptospirosis and kennel cough, and for cats, panleukopenia and cat flu; the same logic applies to shows and dog clubs. Plan boosters well before the stay.

Rabbits are not forgotten: myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease are also vaccinated against, see our article on rabbits.