"Russia" → "European Union (general rules)"
Entering "European Union (general rules)": what you need
Russia is on the EU's "unlisted" rabies-risk list, so entering any EU country from Russia requires a rabies antibody titer test — without it, you will be turned back at the border.
Rabies titer test
Blood is drawn no earlier than 30 days after the rabies vaccination (at an accredited lab — e.g. ВГНКИ or ВНИИЗЖ), the titer must be ≥ 0.5 IU/ml, and EU entry is possible no earlier than 3 months after the blood draw date. With on-time boosters, the result stays valid indefinitely — no need to retest every year.
Documents
At the EU border you need a Евросправка (EU Animal Health Certificate), not a форма №5a certificate — make sure to specify this when arranging paperwork at the СББЖ or ВГНКИ/ВНИИЗЖ, since форма 5a is not valid for EU entry.
Leaving "Russia": the paperwork
This is the country's general departure procedure — it doesn't depend on where you are heading. For arrival requirements, see the destination country's card or the From → To section.
Documents
a veterinary certificate (форма №1) is issued at a state veterinary clinic (СББЖ) at your place of residence no more than 5 days before departure (exam + all vaccines up to date) — only the person who will actually travel with the pet can receive it, a power of attorney isn't accepted. In Moscow and St. Petersburg форма №1 can be exchanged for the international certificate in a single visit at one institution — ВГНКИ (Moscow) or ВНИИЗЖ (St. Petersburg); elsewhere the exchange happens at the departure airport's border veterinary checkpoint (Госветнадзор), usually on the day of or 1–3 days before the flight — budget time, the queue there can take several hours, especially before evening flights. EU countries get a Евросправка, most other countries a форма №5a certificate; EAEU countries need no exchange at all — форма №1 just gets an "export permitted" stamp (see the Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan pages). Only vaccines legally registered in Russia count.
Sources: European Commission — Travelling with your pet in the EU; ВГНКИ; ВНИИЗЖ
This information is for reference only and does not replace advice from an embassy, veterinary authority or airline. Rules change — always verify with official sources before you travel. Never give your pet a sedative or sleep medication before a flight without a veterinarian's prescription — pressure changes at altitude can make it fatal.
Choose a route
Hani Walk — walk tracking, a digital pet passport and vaccination reminders, always at hand in the app.