Bringing a dog or cat from Ireland to Israel
Under Israel's rules, pets from Ireland are in the group “Australia, Cyprus, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, UK”. A dog from Ireland needs a microchip, a rabies vaccine and an official health certificate. There is no quarantine if every rule is met. There is no long waiting period, so a few weeks of preparation is usually enough.
About Israel: Up to 2 pets can come as accompanied baggage without an import permit, but you must notify the port vet office 2 working days ahead and have a titer of 0.5 IU/ml or higher. No waiting period after the titer test; several pit bull-type breeds and Rottweilers are banned.
Australia, Cyprus, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, UK Paperwork only
- Titer test
- Not required
- Wait after blood test
- —
- Import permit
- Not required
- Quarantine
- None if rules are met
No long wait: Unvaccinated pets from these countries must be vaccinated against rabies within 5 days of arrival in Israel.
Step by step
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 microchip (134.2 kHz). If it is not ISO, bring your own reader.
Official health certificate
Israel's Annex A veterinary certificate signed by an official vet (or endorsed by your authority), issued no more than 10 days before arrival.
Notify the port vet office
Email the Notification of Pet Arrival (Annex B) and a copy of the certificate to the Veterinary Services office at your entry port at least 2 working days before departure.
Vaccinate after arrival if needed
If the pet has no rabies vaccine, vaccinate it in Israel within 5 days of arrival.
No quarantine stated for compliant pets.
Good to know
- Cats
- Same as dogs. The breed ban applies only to dogs.
- Banned breeds
- American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Rottweiler, Crosses with these breeds or dogs with similar features
- How many pets
- Up to 2 dogs/cats as accompanied baggage without an import permit; more need a permit from the Director of Veterinary Services.
- Parasite treatment
- None required.
- Arrival
- Ben Gurion Airport, Haifa seaport, Ashdod seaport, Eilat seaport.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to bring a dog from Ireland to Israel?
Ireland counts as "Australia, Cyprus, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, UK" for Israel. There is no rabies blood test or long wait. Unvaccinated pets from these countries must be vaccinated against rabies within 5 days of arrival in Israel. Allow a few weeks for the vet visits and the health certificate.
Does my pet need a rabies titer test to travel from Ireland to Israel?
No. Pets from Ireland do not need a titer test for Israel if the other rules are met.
Will my pet be quarantined in Israel?
Not if every rule is met. No quarantine stated for compliant pets.
Do I need an import permit?
No import permit is needed for pets from Ireland.
Are the rules the same for cats?
Same as dogs. The breed ban applies only to dogs.
Sources
- gov.il - Procedure for the Import of Dogs and Cats into Israel (official; page failed to load during research)
- gov.il - Annex A veterinary certificate for domestic dogs and cats (official)
- Israeli Veterinary Services - Import of dogs and cats to Israel, effective 1 Aug 2017 (official, mirrored by Tarom)
- USDA APHIS - Guidance for pets to Israel, Dec 2020 (government, secondary)
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-28. Full rules: Israel pet import rules.