Rabies vaccination for dogs and cats: where to get it free and how often to repeat it

Rabies vaccination usually comes to mind in two situations: when you need to travel abroad, and when somebody has already been bitten. Yet this is the rare case where the state does the procedure free of charge – and that is precisely what the fewest owners know.

Below: who needs it and how often, where it is free, what happens without it, and what to do if your animal bites someone.

Is rabies vaccination mandatory in Ukraine

Yes. Annual rabies vaccination of cats and dogs is an owner's obligation, not a recommendation. It is set out in the Law "On Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare" and in the sectoral Instruction on measures to control animal rabies.

• vaccination starts from three months of age
• then every year, with an interval no longer than a calendar year
• the vaccine must be given by a veterinary specialist, state or private, with an entry in the pet passport

Without a valid vaccination an animal will not be allowed across the border, will not be admitted to a show or competition, a hunting dog will not be taken hunting, and most boarding facilities will refuse it.

Where to get vaccinated for free

Here is the thing worth knowing: at the state veterinary clinics of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection the rabies vaccine is free. Not "as a benefit", not "as part of a campaign" – permanently.

The scale is real: according to the service, around 5 million pets receive free rabies vaccination every year. Separately, in 2026 Ukraine received 250,000 doses of rabies vaccine free of charge under international assistance.

So it is enough to go to the state veterinary clinic in your district. What is free is the vaccine itself; if you need related services – microchipping, examination, issuing a passport – ask about their cost on the spot.

At a private clinic the rabies shot is usually part of a combination vaccination: 950-1600 UAH for a dog and 350-1550 UAH for a cat. The difference is that you are paying for the service and a convenient time slot, not for the vaccine.

Is there a vaccine shortage

No. In June 2026 the State Service for Food Safety specifically denied rumours of a rabies vaccine shortage and gave details: procurement runs through Prozorro, the price per dose remains stable, and the volumes are sufficient for preventive vaccination of pets.

What has genuinely changed during the war is the fox population, the main natural reservoir of rabies, which has grown. That is exactly why the annual vaccination of a pet matters more now than it did before 2022.

What happens if you skip it

Rabies is not an outdated scare story. Once symptoms appear the disease is fatal in virtually 100% of cases, for the animal and for a human alike. There is no cure – only prevention works.

Practical consequences for the owner of an unvaccinated animal:

• travelling abroad is impossible in principle
• if the animal bites someone, the procedure will be considerably harsher
• if your animal is bitten by a wild or stray animal, an unvaccinated pet falls under strict anti-epizootic measures

Your animal bit someone: what to do

The sequence is written into the instruction, and it does not care that "she is a house pet".

1. Immediately take the animal to the nearest state veterinary institution for examination.
2. The animal is quarantined and observed for 10 days. With the veterinary service's permission a dog may be kept at home – leashed or in an isolated room, with access for a vet to examine it.
3. The person who was bitten must see a doctor immediately: the decision on rabies post-exposure shots is a medical one, and delay is not an option here.

If the animal is healthy after 10 days, the person's preventive course may be stopped. If the animal cannot be found and checked, the full course is given.

Your animal was bitten by a wild or stray animal

One rule applies here: notify a veterinary specialist immediately and isolate the animal. This covers bites from foxes, hedgehogs, bats, stray dogs and cats – even if the wound looks minor.

Saliva transmits the virus through any break in the skin or through mucous membranes. "Let us see how it goes" is the worst possible strategy, because once symptoms appear nothing can be done.

Rabies vaccination for travel abroad

For a trip to the EU the vaccination alone is not enough. The order is strict and long: first the microchip, then the rabies vaccination, then an antibody titre test no earlier than 30 days later, and about three more months of waiting before the border crossing.

The reason is that Ukraine is not on the EU list of favourable third countries. We covered the full procedure and paperwork in the article on the veterinary passport.

Vaccination and pet insurance

Two things are worth separating here. To take out a PetPolis policy a vaccination certificate is not required – only the pet passport and a microchip. But vaccination is the basic prevention that protects against something insurance cannot cover in principle: an infectious disease with a 100% fatality rate.

The logic is simple. The vaccine closes the disease risk, the policy closes the injury risk – a fall, a bite, a road accident, a household mishap. One does not replace the other: a vaccine will not mend a broken leg, and a policy will not cure rabies.

The short version

• Annual rabies vaccination is an obligation for cat and dog owners, from three months of age
• At the state veterinary clinics of the State Service for Food Safety the vaccine is free; around 5 million animals are vaccinated this way each year
• There is no shortage – in 2026 Ukraine received 250,000 doses free of charge, and procurement runs through Prozorro
• At a private clinic the shot is part of a combination vaccination: 350-1600 UAH
• If your animal bites someone, go to a state veterinary institution immediately: quarantine and 10 days of observation
• For the EU the vaccination is only the first step: an antibody titre test and about three months of waiting follow

Sources

1. Law of Ukraine "On Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare" No. 1206-IX
2. Instruction on measures to control animal rabies
3. State Service for Food Safety: the rabies vaccine is free at state veterinary clinics
4. State Service for Food Safety, clarification of 8 June 2026 on vaccine procurement
5. State Service for Food Safety: annual vaccination is an obligation of dog and cat owners
6. WHO: rabies fact sheet

This material is for information only and does not replace a consultation with a veterinarian. If your animal has been in contact with a wild or stray animal, contact the veterinary service immediately.

Frequently asked questions