Saudi Arabia is a real-deal import — it's not the quick paperwork trip. What matters up front: rabies vaccine, endorsed health certificate, import permit, and a quarantine expectation on arrival. Nala's file for KSA took Sam and I about six weeks to line up — most of that was waiting on the import-permit turnaround at the Saudi Ministry, not vet visits. Start early and treat every step as sequential.

Pet import to Saudi Arabia is overseen by the national veterinary authority. Confirmed against an official source so far: a rabies vaccination, a health certificate, an import permit and quarantine. Anything else — commonly a microchip, rabies vaccination and health certificate — is not yet confirmed for Saudi Arabia against an official source, so it's flagged in the table below rather than assumed.

How Saudi Arabia handles your pet

Shipments may not transit through any country or region from which import into Saudi Arabia is banned, or that is affected by a reportable animal disease per the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH/OIE). The Ministry may also reject import applications from countries entirely based on their declared animal-health status.

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 2026-10-26
Quarantine · Required Yesverified 2026-10-26
Import permit · Required Yesverified 2026-10-26
Import permit · Issuing authorityMinistry of Environment, Water and Agricultureverified 2026-10-26
Import permit · Permit validity30 daysverified 2026-07-15
Import permit · Documents required to obtainCopy of the health certificate from an accredited veterinary clinic; copy of the pet's passport or vaccination record and the electronic chip number or identification means; copy of the national ID / passport / residence of the owner; a picture of the pet.verified 2026-10-26
Health certificate · Issueraccredited_vetverified 2026-10-26
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-10-26
Health certificate · Endorsed byMinistry of Environment, Water and Agricultureverified 2026-10-26
Health certificate · Original required Yesverified 2026-10-26
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-10-26
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-07-15

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-26
Minimum age17 weeksverified 2026-10-26

Timing chain

Day -90 microchip implant · 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.

Trained service dog — recognized with proof of training

  • Import permit: Service dogs still require standard import documentation.
  • Carrier required: Trained service/assistance dogs generally travel in cabin without carrier or weight restriction.

Breed restrictions

Banned breeds: Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Boxer, Mastiff, Tosa, Bulldog, Perro de Presa Canario verified 2026-10-26

Saudi Arabia requires the health certificate to be government-endorsed on the origin side before travel. For flights leaving the United States, USDA APHIS endorses digitally via the VEHCS system; the endorsed certificate is printed and must accompany the pet on the plane. Origins outside the States have to route the certificate through their own competent authority — an unstamped certificate is refused at the Saudi port of entry.
Saudi Arabia is doable, but it rewards planning weeks ahead of the flight — the import-permit turnaround at the Saudi Ministry is the bottleneck, not your vet. Book the rabies visit early, get the health certificate endorsed on the origin side, and submit the permit request the moment your travel date is fixed. Pawgo's plan-builder maps this out with the actual Ministry turnaround baked in so nothing runs late.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Saudi Arabia →

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.