Travelling with a pet between Armenia and Russia: documents and the route through Georgia

There is rarely time at the border to work out which stamp is missing. Start with the route. A direct flight stays within the Eurasian Economic Union, while an overland journey crosses Georgia, a third country. Georgian entry rules apply even if you do not stay there. When the pet re-enters the EAEU, the authorities check the documents for import from a third country.

Write down the whole route first

List the countries in order, the dates, border crossings and carrier. An Armenia → Georgia → Russia journey needs one complete set of documents for entering Georgia and another for entering Russia. Check the rules again for the return trip. Airlines and bus companies may add their own limits for carrier size, weight, advance booking and the number of animals on one service.

What to prepare for every route

• A veterinary passport containing the owner's and animal's details, microchip number, vaccine labels, dates, and the vet's signatures and stamps.
• A readable microchip whose number matches the passport. For Georgia, the current rabies vaccination must not predate implantation or reading of the chip.
• A valid rabies vaccination. At least 21 days must pass after a first vaccination or a break in cover before entry into Georgia.
• The required core vaccines. EAEU rules specify protection against canine distemper, viral hepatitis, parvovirus and adenovirus infections and leptospirosis for dogs, and panleukopenia for cats.
• A clinical examination and veterinary entry made no more than 14 days before travel begins. For movement within the EAEU, this entry allows travel for up to 120 days, provided the rabies vaccination does not expire during that period.
• The official veterinary document for the exact route. Before leaving Armenia, confirm its format and place of issue with the Food Safety Inspection Body. Bring the pet's passport, the owner's passport and copies.

If a vaccination is close to expiry, do not leave the booster until the final day. A break may cause the next dose to be treated as a primary vaccination and restart the mandatory waiting period. Our guide to why vaccination timing matters explains how to read the passport record and what to do when a dose is overdue.

When travelling through Georgia

1. Check the chip and its record. Georgia accepts a standard microchip; a readable tattoo is accepted only in the older cases covered by the rules.
2. Check the rabies vaccination and the 21-day wait after a primary vaccination. A booster must be given before the previous vaccination expires.
3. Ask the vet to record treatment against internal and external parasites. Georgian rules expressly require these treatments.
4. Obtain a state health certificate issued or endorsed by the competent authority in the country of departure, and sign the declaration that the movement is non-commercial.
5. Save the official Georgian list of countries exempt from the titre requirement on your phone and print it. The list includes the code AM for Armenia. At the border, present the complete document pack, not only the list.
6. Before leaving Georgia for Russia or Armenia, ask Georgia's National Food Agency where to obtain the export veterinary certificate. The animal must be presented to a state veterinarian for the certificate to be issued.

Entering Russia

The EAEU's common rules allow up to two dogs or cats for personal use to enter without an import permit or quarantine. An international passport may serve as the veterinary certificate when a competent veterinarian has recorded a clinical examination within 14 days before departure. For an overland route through Georgia, confirm the document pack with Russian border veterinary control in advance. The animal is re-entering the EAEU from a third country, and an earlier passport entry may no longer be enough if its validity changes during the journey.

Returning from Russia to Armenia

• For a direct flight, check the current entries in the veterinary passport, the rabies vaccination's validity, core vaccines and a recent clinical examination entry.
• For an overland journey, prepare the Georgian entry documents. Under Georgia's current list, no titre test is required for direct entry from Russia, but all the other conditions still apply.
• Arrange the documents for entry into Armenia before leaving Georgia. A new examination and export certificate may be needed if the journey has taken longer.
• Do not assume that the document used on the outward journey automatically covers the return. Vaccination, examination and certificate validity are checked on the date of each border crossing.

When to start preparing

• 4–6 weeks before travel: settle the route, contact the carrier, and check the chip and passport. This may not be enough time after a first or overdue vaccination.
• At least 3 weeks before travel: make sure the 21-day wait after a primary rabies vaccination will be complete for Georgia.
• Within 14 days before departure: have the clinical examination and obtain the required entry. Confirm the validity period of the state certificate for your crossing at the same time.
• Before departure: check the veterinary control opening hours and any temporary restrictions again. Save the official pages and documents for offline access.

Where to check the latest rules

For each route, we recommend checking the “Увожу кроликов” (Rabbits Leaving Russia) guide. The team maintains and regularly updates the resource. The page brings together country requirements, links to official rules and practical explanations of the documents. Start there once you know the destination and transit points, then confirm the requirements with the competent authorities and carrier before departure.

Helping your pet cope with the journey

• Accustom your pet to the carrier or car harness in advance. In a moving car, cats and small dogs should travel in a secured carrier.
• Pack water, familiar food, a bowl, absorbent pads, waste bags, wipes, a spare lead and a photograph of the pet with its microchip number.
• Do not open the carrier beside a road or at the border. Put a well-fitted harness and lead on a dog before opening the car door.
• Do not give sedatives recommended by friends or taken from a human medicine cabinet. If your pet becomes carsick or struggles with travel, discuss a safe plan with a vet beforehand.

Who to contact before travel

• Armenia's Food Safety Inspection Body: hotline 118. For an overland route, contact the relevant border division in advance, such as Ayrum-Bagratashen or Bavra-Gyumri.
• Georgia's Revenue Service and National Food Agency: confirm the entry documents and where the export certificate is issued.
• Russian border veterinary control at the chosen crossing: confirm the document pack for re-entry into the EAEU through Upper Lars.
• The carrier: book the pet's place and obtain its carrier and document requirements in writing.

At Shunn u Katun, we can check the veterinary passport, read or implant a microchip, give vaccinations and parasite treatments, calculate the dates and prepare the records for state certification. The official state certificate is issued by the competent authority. Bring the pet's passport and the complete itinerary, including the return journey.

Shunn u Katun veterinary clinic: 7 Tumanyan Street, Vanadzor, opposite Milagro restaurant. Book through Telegram or call +374 55 895 495. We are open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00.