Cats follow the EU baseline into Portugal: ISO microchip before rabies vaccination, vaccination at 12 weeks or older, the 21-day wait, and a USDA-endorsed EU certificate with arrival within 10 days. Portugal then adds its aviso de chegada — written arrival notice at least 48 hours before landing.
Minimum lead time: about 0.7 months (21 days). Portugal is achievable in under a month; the 21-day wait is the floor. The extra step — Portugal's 48-hour arrival notice — applies to cats too, and it's easy to forget.
The requirements, in order
Order matters — several steps are only valid if the earlier ones were done first. This is the same sequence the planner above turns into dated deadlines.
- ISO microchip implantedISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip, implanted and scanned BEFORE the rabies vaccination. Under EU rules a rabies shot given before the chip — or without scanning the chip first — simply does not count and must be redone.
- Rabies vaccination (then a 21-day wait)Given at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older, after the microchip. For a primary vaccination the EU counts the vaccination day as day 0: validity starts 21 days later, and your pet cannot enter the EU before that. A booster given before the previous shot expired needs no new wait — but one day of lapsed coverage makes the next shot a 'primary' again.US primary rabies vaccinations count for 1 year in the EU regardless of the label. APHIS suggests vaccinating 3–6 months before travel to keep paperwork simple.
- File Portugal's 48-hour advance arrival noticePortugal requires written notice of your pet's arrival to the authorities (DGAV's 'aviso de chegada' form) at least 48 hours before arrival, to organise the port-of-entry checks.
- EU health certificate issued & endorsed by USDA APHISA USDA-accredited veterinarian completes the EU non-commercial animal health certificate (submitted via VEHCS); USDA APHIS ink-signs and embosses it. Your pet must arrive in the EU within 10 days of the endorsement. The certificate then covers onward EU travel for 4 months (6 months for certificates under the new EU rules from 1 Oct 2026) or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever is first.Book the vet appointment and USDA endorsement inside the same 10-day pre-travel window — cutting it close on day 10 leaves no room for a delayed flight.
What's the same and what's simpler
The 48-hour arrival notice applies to cats exactly as to dogs — the planner dates it. What cats skip: tapeworm treatment (never required for cats) and Portugal's dog-focused breed rules. Otherwise the chip → vaccine → 21-day wait → certificate → arrival-notice sequence is as shown.
Official sources
These are the only authorities on this route. If anything here disagrees with them, they win — and please tell us.
- European Commission — Non-commercial movement of pets from non-EU countries
- USDA APHIS — Pet travel from the US to Portugal
- DGAV — arrival notice for pets entering Portugal
Rather have a professional handle the whole move? Pet relocation companies manage the vet visits, paperwork, and bookings end-to-end. (Referral placement — link to relocation partner here.)
Traveling internationally with a pet? Vet visits abroad are out-of-network by definition. (Pet insurance affiliate placement here.)
FAQ
- How long does it take to bring a cat from the US to Portugal?
- About 3–4 weeks: microchip and rabies vaccination, a 21-day wait, the endorsed certificate within 10 days of arrival, and the arrival notice at least 48 hours out.
- Does the 48-hour arrival notice apply to cats?
- Yes — Portugal's aviso de chegada is required for cats as well as dogs. The planner includes it as a dated step.
- Can I bring a kitten to Portugal?
- Not under 16 weeks. Portugal refuses unvaccinated young animals and vaccinated ones still inside the 21-day wait.
Other cat routes
- USA → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- USA → Australia~7 months lead · 10–30 days quarantine
- USA → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · no quarantine
- USA → France (EU)3–4 weeks lead · category-1 breed ban
- USA → Germany (EU)3–4 weeks lead · breed import ban
- USA → Italy (EU)3–4 weeks lead · no breed bans
- USA → New Zealand~6 months lead · 10-day quarantine
- USA → United Kingdom~3 weeks lead · no quarantine if compliant
- UK → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- UK → Australia~7 months lead · 10–30 days quarantine
- UK → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · AHC, not a passport
- Canada → USANo waiting period · just the CDC form + 6-month age
- Canada → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- Canada → Australia~7 months lead · 10–30 days quarantine
- Canada → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · AHC, not a passport
- USA → MexicoNo waiting period · screwworm cert for dogs (Aug 2026)
- USA → Dominican Republic~1 month lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Brazil~3 weeks lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Colombia~3 weeks lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Argentina~3 weeks lead · no permit, no quarantine
- USA → Cayman Islands~3 months lead · titer test, no quarantine option