The Expat Pet Handbook: 2025 Netherlands Edition
Bringing your pet to the Netherlands? This essential guide takes the stress out of international pet relocation with clear, up-to-date info on import rules, airline requirements, housing, vet care, and daily life with animals in the Netherlands. It also features detailed checklists covering every stage—from nine months before your move to settling in—so you and your furry (or feathered) friend can make a smooth transition abroad.
Save hours of research and avoid costly mistakes with this 42-page comprehensive handbook for relocating to the Netherlands with your pets.
Written by fellow expats and devoted pet parents who moved to the Netherlands two years ago with THREE cats!
What You'll Get
- A comprehensive guide to bringing pets to the Netherlands, including laws, breed restrictions, and exotic animal regulations
- Dedicated sections on dogs, cats, farm animals, service animals, and emotional support animals
- Step-by-step relocation checklists starting 9 months before your move through your first few weeks in the Netherlands
- Veterinary requirements, packing lists, and tips for every stage of the journey
- Real-world insights from our own move day experience
- Transportation guidance for flying, driving, or taking the ferry
- Advice on settling in, keeping your pet safe, and finding veterinary care
- Emergency contacts and end-of-life care resources
- Helpful links, expert tips, and a reassuring voice from someone who’s been there
📖 Chapter Breakdown
About Us: Meet the creators of the guide—an expat couple who moved to the Netherlands with three cats and want to help others avoid common pitfalls.
Introduction: An overview of Dutch pet laws, entry requirements, and what to expect when moving with pets.
Pets & The Law – Dogs: Covers dog-specific regulations, including mandatory registration, microchipping, and how to stay compliant with Dutch law.
Pets & The Law – Cats and Other Pets: Guidance on microchipping, outdoor cat rules, and changing regulations for feline registration.
Breed Restrictions & Exotic Pets: Explains current rules for dog breeds and the legalities of keeping exotic pets.
Farm Animals: A primer on keeping chickens and other small livestock in urban areas, including local restrictions and animal welfare laws.
Service Animals: Outlines the rights of certified service animals in public spaces, travel, and housing under Dutch law.
Emotional Support Animals: Clarifies the limited legal protections for ESAs and how they differ from service animals in the Netherlands.
Preparing to Move: Essential tips for getting your pet—and yourself—ready for international relocation, from housing to airline policies.
Veterinary Requirements: Details the microchip, vaccination, and documentation requirements needed before entering the Netherlands.
Prep Checklist – 3–6 Months Out: Vaccines, microchips, carrier choices, and early planning milestones to avoid last-minute stress.
Prep Checklist – 1 Month Out: A shopping and planning checklist to ensure you’re ready for departure day.
Prep Checklist – 2–3 Weeks Out: Final travel training tips, organizing documents, and pre-departure tasks.
Prep Checklist – Final Vet Appointment: What to ask your vet, USDA paperwork, anxiety planning, and motion sickness precautions.
Prep Checklist – Moving Day: How to prep your pet and carrier, manage their needs, and avoid travel day chaos.
Packing List: Everything your pet will need for the flight, arrival, and the first few days in their new home.
Our Experience on Moving Day: A candid story of the authors’ real-life journey—including surprises, mistakes, and life-saving tips.
Transportation & Arrival – Air Travel: Guidance on flying with pets, including crate rules, customs, and arrival steps at Schiphol.
Transportation & Arrival – Driving: Cross-border travel with pets by car, including documents, safety, and accommodation tips.
Transportation & Arrival – Ferry Travel: Pet travel tips for ferries, kennel vs. cabin options, and safety for sea-sick or anxious pets.
Prep Checklist – Your First Few Weeks: Steps to take right after arrival, including registering your pet, finding a vet, and getting an EU passport.
Settling In: Tips for helping your pet adjust to Dutch life, routines, local parks, and getting comfortable in a new home.
Pet Safety: Important safety info on wildlife, toxic plants, canals, and tick prevention.
First Dutch Veterinary Appointment: What to expect at your first vet visit, including optional vaccines and getting a pet passport.
Resources: Links to official agencies, pet relocation companies, housing platforms, and vet tools.
Emergency Resources: Emergency numbers, after-hours vets, animal ambulances, and how to report abuse or injuries.
End of Life Care: A compassionate guide to euthanasia, cremation, pet cemeteries, and grief support in the Netherlands.
Conclusion: Final reflections on moving with pets, encouragement, and a call to help build a supportive pet-loving community.
Thank You: A message of gratitude from the authors—and how your support helps our small business.