Moving to the Costa Blanca with your pet: papers, bans, plane and train

You have found the flat, booked the flight and already spotted the terrace for your first caña. One family member is left to prepare: your dog or cat. Good news, the Costa Blanca is very pet-friendly: the province has around ten dog beaches (from Agua Amarga in Alicante to the Punta del Riu in El Campello, taking in Dénia, Santa Pola, Altea and Calpe), dog parks, and bars that let the four-legged in. Less good news: between the European paperwork, Spain's animal-welfare law and the airlines' rules, there are a few boxes to tick. Here is the full guide, updated for 2026.

The basics: microchip, rabies, passport

Three things govern everything else, wherever you set off from:

• An ISO-standard microchip (11784/11785), fitted before vaccination.
• A valid rabies vaccination. The first jab can be given from 12 weeks, and you then have to wait 21 days before travelling.
• A health document: the European pet passport if you come from the EU, an official health certificate if you come from elsewhere.

A small trap: an animal under 15 weeks cannot enter (the time needed to vaccinate it and then wait 21 days). And on a non-commercial trip, you may bring five animals maximum.

From another EU country

This is the simplest case, and the one that applies to arrivals from Ireland. The European pet passport, issued by your vet, is enough: it proves microchip identification and an up-to-date rabies vaccination. No extra paperwork on entry to Spain.

From a non-EU country (UK, US, Canada...)

This is the section that applies if you are moving from Britain (which counts as non-EU since Brexit), the United States or Canada, and it is where things get more involved. You need an official health certificate (Animal Health Certificate), completed by an official vet and then validated by the competent authority, valid for 10 days to enter the EU.

If you are leaving a country classed as rabies-risk (not on the EU's listed countries), add a rabies titre test: a blood sample taken at least 30 days after vaccination, with a result equal to or above 0.5 IU/ml, then a three-month wait before entering the EU. In plain terms, this has to be planned months ahead, and the animal must be at least 7 months old. Once the protocol is followed, that test stays valid for life as long as the boosters are kept up. Great Britain and the United States are currently listed countries, so the titre test is not normally required from there, but always confirm your country's current status before you book.

Once on the Costa Blanca: your obligations

Welcome. On the Spanish and Valencian side, a few habits:

• Compulsory identification. In the Comunitat Valenciana (which includes the province of Alicante), the microchip has long been compulsory for dogs, and since 2023 also for cats and ferrets. Your animal must be registered with RIVIA, the Valencian animal identification register.
• Registration at the town hall (the censo): your animal must be declared there.
• Law 7/2023 on animal welfare adds national rules: a dog may not be left alone for more than 24 hours, animals must be under control in public, and so on.

Two much-discussed obligations, the free training course for every dog owner and the compulsory third-party liability insurance for all dogs, are set out in the law but not yet actually enforceable in 2026, for want of an implementing decree. Keep an eye out: they could take effect at any time.

Daily life: lead, mess and wee

This is where a good owner's reputation is made, and the coastal town halls take it seriously. The municipal by-laws, like Alicante's, are clear:

• A lead is compulsory in public spaces, with the ID tag on the collar.
• Mess must be picked up, always. You must even be able to show at least two bags per animal if an officer asks, then bin the lot.
• Wee gets rinsed. Yes, really: more and more towns, Alicante among them, require you to carry a small bottle of water to dilute urine on pavements, street furniture or building fronts. Many people add a dash of vinegar to neutralise the smell.
• A muzzle is only required in specific cases (a dog that has already bitten, or foreseeable dangerousness) or for breeds classed as PPP.

Good manners pay off, literally: the council can inspect and fine. A roll of bags and a small bottle of water in your pocket, and your walk is trouble-free.

Dogs classed as potentially dangerous (PPP)

If your dog is one of the breeds classed as PPP (American Staffordshire, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Pit Bull, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa, Akita Inu and a few others), the regime is stricter, and very real today: a municipal licence, compulsory third-party liability insurance, a muzzle and a short lead (under 2 m) in public, and registration. For the licence: be of age, provide a compatible criminal record and a certificate of fitness. There is a debate about replacing the breed list with a behaviour assessment, but in 2026 the list remains the rule.

Which animals are you allowed to keep?

Law 7/2023 introduced a listado positivo (positive list) of permitted pets. Dogs, cats and ferrets obviously remain allowed. For the rest, the logic has flipped: whatever is not on the list is banned.

Excluded or banned in particular: venomous reptiles and all reptiles over 2 kg as adults (except tortoises), primates, wild mammals over 5 kg as adults, and dangerous, protected or invasive species. Many exotic animals (snakes, iguanas, chameleons, geckos, certain parrots) fall off the list. If you already keep one of these, transitional periods are planned, but check before crossing a border with it.

Travelling by air

To and from Alicante-Elche airport, the two most useful airlines:

• Iberia: in the cabin, a carrier of 45 x 35 x 25 cm maximum and 8 kg all in (animal plus bag). In the hold for larger animals, except brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds and dangerous breeds, which are refused. Iberia in fact accepts, neither in cabin nor in hold, several breeds such as the Pit Bull, Staffordshire, American Staffordshire, Rottweiler, Doberman, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa and Akita.
• Vueling: cabin only (no hold), one animal per person and five maximum per flight. An approved soft carrier of 45 x 39 x 21 cm and 10 kg maximum including the animal.

In every case: microchip, passport or certificate, and a rabies jab done at least 21 days before. And in summer, beware of the heat: the hold is inadvisable, even banned, for short-nosed breeds.

Travelling by train (Renfe)

A pleasant surprise: Renfe has opened up to large dogs.

• Small animals up to 10 kg (dogs, cats, ferrets): accepted on all trains, in a closed carrier, with a pet ticket.
• Large dogs up to 40 kg: this is the Transporte Amigable service, extended notably to the Alicante-Valencia line. The dog travels on the neighbouring seat (which you book), without a carrier, on a short non-extendable 1.5 m lead, and muzzled when moving through the station.

The conditions: limited places (one large dog per person, two per train), a fare of around 35 euros, and check-in 40 minutes before at the Centro de Servicios Renfe with the responsible declaration, the vaccination record and the insurance. Excluded: dogs under a year old and PPP breeds. For the rest of your journeys once you are here, we have prepared the full guide to getting around the Costa Blanca.

The quick memo: ISO microchip and rabies jab (21 days before), plus an EU passport or a health certificate. In Spain: microchip for dog, cat and ferret, registration with RIVIA and the town hall. Day to day: lead, picking up mess (two bags) and rinsing wee with water. Air: 8 kg in cabin with Iberia, 10 kg with Vueling. Train: up to 10 kg everywhere, up to 40 kg on certain trains including the Alicante-Valencia line.

Sources

• European Commission: bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
• Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA): travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets
• BOE: Law 7/2023 on animal protection and welfare
• RIVIA: Valencian animal identification register
• Ayuntamiento de Alicante: by-law on pets and dog beaches
• Renfe: travelling with a pet (up to 40 kg)

Frequently asked questions

What papers do I need to come to the Costa Blanca with my dog?

From the EU: an ISO microchip, an up-to-date rabies vaccination (21 days before travel) and a European passport are enough. From a non-EU country such as the UK or US, you need an official health certificate, and sometimes a rabies titre test to plan several months ahead.

Do I have to register my pet once settled?

Yes: registration with RIVIA (the Comunitat Valenciana register, which covers the province of Alicante) and the town-hall census. The microchip is compulsory for dogs, cats and ferrets.

Are there dog-friendly beaches?

Yes, around ten in the province of Alicante, including Agua Amarga in Alicante, the Punta del Riu in El Campello (with showers and a dog park), and areas in Dénia, Santa Pola, Altea and Calpe. The official lists change each season.

Information verified in July 2026. Rules, taxes and procedures change fast: always check with the official sources before you travel. The Daily Costa Blanca is an AI-assisted publication with human review. Spotted a mistake? Write to hello@thedailycostablanca.com or visit thedailycostablanca.com.