Filming with Animals

No registration and thus no authorization are required for filming with animals without an audience. Provisions concerning transport and health (immunizations) as well as those concerning animal protection are to be observed; laws differ from province to province. Cases of cruelty to animals include e.g. using an animal for training, filming, displaying, advertising, etc., if such use entails obvious pain, suffering, injury or unnecessarily great anxiety for the animal.

Importation of animals

In accordance with the Epizootic Diseases Act applicable in Austria and/or the 1998 Ordinance on Official Veterinary Import and Internal Market Ordinance, Fed. Law Gaz. II 355/2001, animals in general. are subject to a border inspection by a government veterinarian.

Simplified import from EEA countries

Up to three animals of one specific species (e.g. dogs, domestic cats, etc.) can be imported into Austria, as long as they are not intended for sale within the country and the risk of importing epizootic diseases is precluded. Animals used in circus-type entertainer professions may also be imported without further formality. In the case of dogs and domestic cats it must be evidenced that the animals have received a rabies vaccination within no fewer than 30 days and no more than 12 months prior to crossing the border. Booster vaccinations must have been administered no more than 12 months following the previous rabies vaccination and no more than 12 months before crossing the border.

Bundeskanzleramt/Federal Chancellory
Veterinärverwaltung/Verterinary Administration
Elfriede Österreicher
Radetzkystraße 2
A-1030 Wien/Vienna
T: (+43) (0)1 711 000-4356, -4820
E: elfriede.oesterreicher@bmgf.gv.at

Simplified import from non-EEA countries

Veterinary border inspections can also be dispensed in case of the import of up to three animals of one specific species from non-EEA countries, such as dogs, domestic cats and other domestic animals, including decorative birds such as cockatoos and parrots (but not birds of the ostrich family, nor primates, bears or birds of prey), provided that they are not intended for further sale in Austria.

In the case of dogs and domestic cats older than twelve weeks a veterinary certificate must be presented to the Customs officials when crossing the border. The document has to be in German or in the form of a certified German translation and must contain the name and address of the animal’s owner, description of the animal, and evidence that the animal has been vaccinated against rabies, whereby the vaccination must have been administered no less than 30 days prior to the border-crossing and no longer than one year before. A booster vaccination must also have been administered no longer than one year following the previous rabies vaccination and no longer than one year before the border-crossing. This is not required in the case of dogs and cats less than 12 months old.

Bundeskanzleramt/Federal Chancellory
Veterinärverwaltung/Verterinary Administration
Anton Bartl
Radetzkystraße 2
T: (+43) (0)1 71172-4833
A-1030 Wien/Vienna
F: (+43) (0)1 710 4151

In order to avoid complicated import provisions, it is recommended that the transport is carried out by a forwarding agent. At the Vienna airport, the forwarder Exel, specializes in the transport of animals of all types.

Exel GmbH 
Helmut Bogner
Concordepark 1/E2/Top E 14
A-2320 Schwechat
T: (+43) (0)1 707 9870-10
F: (+43) (0)1 707 9870-50
E: helmut.bogner@exel.com
http://www.exel.com

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