Cyprus pairs the usual EU paperwork with two sharper edges: the microchip has to precede the rabies vaccine, and four specific breeds are banned outright regardless of origin. I keep a spreadsheet row just for breed bans like this one, because 'banned regardless of country of origin' means no loophole exists anywhere on earth, not even a transit stop.

Bringing a pet to Cyprus requires three documents in the right order: a microchip, a rabies vaccine within the destination's wait window, and a government-endorsed health certificate. The table below lays out exactly what's required, what's not, and where each rule comes from.

How Cyprus handles your pet

Key points

  • Cyprus applies the EU non-commercial pet movement rules through its own Veterinary Services, and publishes several national conditions on top of them
  • A pet may only enter from a designated point of entry — an airport, port or marina — and entry from any other point is prohibited
  • If your pet is coming from a country outside the EU you must tell the District Veterinary Office of that entry point at least 48 hours before you arrive, giving the date, the time and your flight number or ship name
  • Cyprus sets a hard minimum age: because a pet must be at least 12 weeks old to be vaccinated and then wait 21 days, no pet under 105 days old may enter, whatever its country of origin, and an unvaccinated pet may not enter at all
  • Four dog breeds are banned outright regardless of origin — Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull, Japanese Tosa or Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino or Argentinian Mastiff, and Fila Brasileiro or Brazilian Mastiff — and the ban extends to crosses of those breeds and to crosses where a registered veterinarian certifies that the dangerous-breed characteristics are dominant
  • On the cat side the rule is by species rather than by breed: only the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus, may enter, so Savannah, Bengal, Caracat and other hybrids are banned
  • Pets flown in must travel in a container meeting IATA specifications
  • Up to five pets may accompany one person on a single non-commercial movement; above five the movement is treated as commercial unless the pets are over six months old and registered for a competition, exhibition or sporting event
  • A rabies antibody titration test is only needed when the pet is coming from a country that is not listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 577/2013, and since 16 September 2024 it has also been required for pets moved from Belarus and Russia
  • Two country-specific bars apply as well: dogs and cats from Peninsular Malaysia need a Nipah disease declaration and a negative IgG capture ELISA test, and cats from Australia need a Hendra disease declaration, in both cases unless the animal stays within the perimeter of an international airport in transit
  • Quarantine is not part of the normal route: it is one of the outcomes, alongside return to the country of origin and euthanasia, when a pet arrives without meeting the requirements
  • Inspection fees are payable on entry from a third country and whenever the entry requirements are not met

Downloadable forms

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

Health & documents

Microchip · Required Yesverified 2026-09-14
Microchip · StandardISO 11784 (HDX or FDX-B), readable by an ISO 11785-compatible readerverified 2026-09-14
Microchip · Tattoo accepted Yesverified 2026-09-14
Microchip · Must be done before vaccination Yesverified 2026-09-14
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Required Yesverified 2026-09-14
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Minimum level iu ml0.5verified 2026-09-14
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved laboratory required Yesverified 2026-09-14
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Waiting period after test days90 daysverified 2026-09-14
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Test must follow vaccination days30 daysverified 2026-09-14
Import permit · Required Noverified 2026-09-14
Health certificate · Issuerauthorised veterinarianverified 2026-09-14
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-09-14
Health certificate · Endorsed byOfficial veterinarian appointed by the competent authorityverified 2026-09-14
Health certificate · Validity days10 daysverified 2026-09-14
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-09-14
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-09-14
Rabies vaccination · Booster required Yesverified 2026-09-14
Rabies vaccination · Approved vaccines list
  • Inactivated vaccine of at least one antigenic unit per dose (WHO standard)
  • Recombinant vaccine expressing the immunising glycoprotein of the rabies virus in a live virus vector
verified 2026-09-14
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination21 daysverified 2026-09-14
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-09-14

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-09-14
Carrier required Yesverified 2026-09-14

Timing chain

Day -90 microchip implant · Day -21 rabies vaccine deadline · Day -10 health certificate issued · Day 0 arrive at customs

Conditional requirements

These rules apply only to some travellers — where the pet is departing from, where it has been, or who is travelling with it. Most people can ignore them, but if one applies to you it can change what you need, or mean denied entry if you skip it.

Pet arriving from, or recently in, a third country or territory NOT listed in Annex I or II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 — If your pet has been in one of 154 higher-risk countries in the last 6 months:

  • Rabies titer (blood) test: Rabies antibody titration test >= 0,5 IU/ml, on a sample taken by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after the primary vaccination and not less than 90 days before the animal health certificate is issued, performed in a designated laboratory (Del. Reg. (EU) 2026/131; model certificate Annex III to Impl. Reg. (EU) 2026/705, point II.3.1).

Breed restrictions

Banned breeds: Pit Bull Terrier / American Pit Bull, Japanese Tosa / Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino / Argentinian Mastiff, Fila Brasileiro / Brazilian Mastiff verified 2026-09-14

Restricted breeds: Pit Bull Terrier / American Pit Bull, Japanese Tosa / Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino / Argentinian Mastiff, Fila Brasileiro / Brazilian Mastiff verified 2026-09-14

Cyprus requires that the date of the rabies vaccination not precede the date the microchip or tattoo is applied. A transponder placed after the vaccine does not satisfy the entry rule for Cyprus, regardless of how close together the two appointments happen to be. Confirm the chip or tattoo date comes first on the paperwork before scheduling the rabies shot.
Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos, and Fila Brasileiros are banned from entering Cyprus, regardless of the country they are traveling from. That prohibition applies to the breed itself, not to the origin country's own rules or exemptions. A dog of one of these four breeds cannot be imported to Cyprus under any circumstances at all.
Cyprus's official health certificate is valid for only 10 days from the date the official veterinarian issues it, no extensions available. A certificate dated 11 days before arrival has already expired for entry purposes. Schedule the certificate appointment to fall inside that 10-day window relative to the actual travel date, not earlier.
Luna disapproves of taxiing, but she'd really disapprove of a banned-breed surprise at Cypriot customs after a long flight. Whether a titer test also applies depends on your pet's travel history, not a blanket requirement for everyone. Get a personalized plan from Pawgo to confirm exactly which rules apply to your specific trip.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Cyprus →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.