Arriving in France with a pet

Registration with I-CAD

If your pet is a dog, cat, or ferret, you must register them with their microchip information within 8 days of their arrival on I-CAD (Identification des Carnivores Domestiques), France’s pet database which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. 

This is a legal requirement and must be done by a veterinarian – for animals having arrived from the US, the vet checks the animal and the paperwork, then puts together a file (dossier) application with all the component paperwork and a check for €11, to send to I-CAD who will then process and confirm the application. 

Once your pet is registered with I-CAD, you can then request an EU pet passport from your vet, should you wish. This simplifies travel within the EU in the future and replaces the need to repeat the import process from the US if you plan to make return trips. All information is available on the I-CAD website.

Finding a vet

The official list of vets is held by the Ordre National des Vétérinaires (French Veterinary Council), where you can search by region, city, or specialty. There is no centralized official way to search for an English-speaking vet – recommendations are often the best way to find one, whether from word of mouth or from online expat forums and Facebook groups. 

It is worth knowing that while vet charges vary across France (unlike medical care for humans, these are not state-regulated), few owners take out pet insurance and there is far less market demand for doing so. While there is an ethical expectation to avoid excess, vets in France are free to determine their fees based on costs, expertise, local context, and the specifics of each animal’s case.

Be aware also that there is no regulation on the pricing of pet pharmaceuticals for the public, meaning there can be discrepancies in medication costs. If you choose to stock up and bring a supply with you, check beforehand that the medication is approved for use in the EU, and know that you will have to comply with customs regulations governing private individuals carrying medicinal products.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are not compulsory but if you want to travel around France with your pet (to Corsica or to campsites, for example) or to board your animal while you are away, you will need an up-to-date pet passport and vaccinations.

There are several recommended shots:

For dogs – canine distemper, contagious canine hepatitis, canine parvovirus, leptospirosis, kennel cough and rabies (required for pet passport and for boarding).

For cats – rabies, leucosis (FeLV), feline typhus, coryza, rabies (required for pet passport and for boarding).

Spaying and neutering

It is considered responsible pet ownership to have your pet sterilized – while it is not compulsory, if you adopt from a shelter (see overleaf), most will require sterilization of the animal before adoption, or as a condition of the adoption contract.

For stray or free-roaming cats, municipalities may coordinate with animal welfare associations to capture, sterilize, and then release them back into their environment in order to limit stray populations.

Housing – rentals

The law in France says that everyone has the right to keep a pet. According to France’s animal welfare charity SPA (Société Protectrice des Animaux), a landlord is therefore not allowed to ban the keeping of pets. 

This, of course, does not remove the tenant’s responsibility for preventing damage to the property or nuisance to neighbors, and does not necessarily apply to dangerous breeds dogs. However, some landlords who do not want animals may find an excuse not to take on tenants who have them, so it is preferable to find out their views first. 

Reader question

Q. Are there any dog breeds that are restricted in France?

A. Yes, some breeds are considered to be dangerous – under the 1999 law, they are either banned, or restricted with certain conditions. 

Category 1 is for ‘chiens d’attaque’ and covers dogs without official pedigree that are deemed to resemble certain breeds (notably pit bull-type dogs, boerbull-type dogs and Tosa-type dogs). These animals are effectively banned: their importation, sale, acquisition and transfer are prohibited in France.

Category 2 is for ‘chiens de garde et de défense’ and includes recognized pedigree dogs such as the American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler and Tosa, as well as dogs resembling them. These dogs are legal, but ownership is restricted with certain conditions including but not limited to proof of pedigree, possession permit, muzzling, leashing, adult owner aged over 18 with liability insurance.

If a dog is a mixed-breed that looks like or appears to include one of the above breeds, owners are required to show full proof of pedigree for the parent breeds. 

The French government’s Ministry of Agriculture outlines the list online.