GREECE
Pets
Shipping Pets to and From Greece
Bringing Pets to Greece:
In compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) requirements, pets (dogs and cats) entering or departing Greece must have a health certificate that the pet is in good health, free from infectious disease, and has had a rabies inoculation. The certificate must be validated by the appropriate medical authority in the country, where travel begins. Animals entering should bear:
(a) either a clearly readable tattoo; or
(b) an electronic identification system (transponder).
In the U.S. validation is performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (DOA). In Washington, D.C., take papers to the Greek Consulate for validation. Health clearance will be given at the port of entry. Parrots may not be imported, unless they are coming from a country free from psittacosis, in which case no more than two may be imported and must have the same health certification as for dogs and cats. Greece has few boarding kennels available. Those available are not of Western standards, and bookings must be made in advance.
Shipping pets from Greece:
The following are the rules and regulations for bringing your pet into the U.S.:
In shipping a pet to the United States the owner must ensure that the animal meets three basic requirements levied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
1. The animal must have been vaccinated against rabies within the last year but no less than 30 days before shipment.
2. The animal must be examined by a qualified veterinarian and issued a good health certificate within 10 days of departing Greece.
3. Pets must be micro-chipped.
You must apply to the Ministry of Agriculture of Greece for a Certificate of Health and Transportation that must be presented to the Greek authorities when leaving the country. The application for the certificate must include proof of rabies vaccination and good health verification. The fee for this service is 30 Euro.
Shipment of pets to countries other than the United States must be in keeping with the import regulations of that country. Many nations require quarantine of the animal for as long as six months. This can be expensive for the owner and traumatic for the animal. Great care must be taken to ensure that all import regulations are adhered to.
General Information
Greece is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. The country has borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and south of mainland Greece, while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. Both parts of the Eastern Mediterranean basin feature a vast number of islands, islets and rock islands.
Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of ancient Greece, generally considered to be the cradle of Western civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy.