Updated: April 2026
Before entering the destination country, your pet must have:
Your pet must be microchipped before, or at the same time as, their rabies vaccination. If not, they will need to be vaccinated again.
These must be administered no more than one year prior to departure and at least 30 days before travel.
Your dog must be tested by OIE-approved methods for the following diseases within 30 days prior to entering South Africa: Brucella canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Babesia gibsoni, Dirofilaria immitis, and Leishmania. Any dog testing positive for any of these diseases will not be eligible for export to South Africa.
Before entering the destination country, your pet should be treated for certain internal and external parasites by a licensed veterinarian. This is not mandatory, but is recommended by our team.
South Africa requires an import application to be submitted to the Director of Animal Health. Once the application form is complete, a Veterinary Import Permit will be issued. Our Pet Travel team will assist with and facilitate this process.
We highly recommend acclimating your pet to their travel crate in advance and practising crate training. This will help reduce stress during travel. During your Travel Consultation, we will measure and weigh your pet to determine the appropriate crate size. The carrier must be IATA-approved.
All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be registered as manifest cargo and cannot travel as excess baggage. Due to airline regulations, pets may only arrive as manifest air cargo or, on approved airlines, in the cabin with the owner. Each airline has its own requirements, so careful research is advised.
Upon arrival in South Africa, you must present the Veterinary Certificate and the approved Import Permit to the quarantine officer. Cats with correctly completed original documents will not be subject to quarantine.
Dogs will be subject to a minimum of 14 days of quarantine if arriving from certain countries, including Vietnam.