Bringing a dog or cat to 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.
Which rules apply to you
Israel sorts arriving pets by where they travel from. Find your group, then follow its steps.
| Arriving from | Titer test | Wait after sample | Permit | Quarantine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia, Cyprus, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, UKPets arriving from these countries listed by Israel's Veterinary Services. | No | — | No | Only if rules not met |
| All other countriesEvery country not listed above. | Yes | — | No | Only if rules not met |
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.
Microchip, then vaccinate
ISO microchip first, then rabies vaccine at least 30 days and no more than 1 year before arrival.
Rabies titer test
Blood sample more than 30 days after the first rabies vaccine, tested at an EU- or WOAH-approved lab; result at least 0.5 IU/ml.
Official health certificate
Annex A veterinary certificate issued no more than 10 days before arrival and signed or endorsed by your official veterinary authority.
Notify the port vet office
Send Annex B and a copy of the certificate to the port's Veterinary Services office at least 2 working days before departure. Sign the 90-day ownership declaration (Annex C).
Arrive at an approved port
Ben Gurion Airport or Haifa, Ashdod or Eilat seaports. More than 2 pets need an import permit from the Director of Veterinary Services.
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.
- The owner must declare the pet has been in their possession for at least 90 days before arrival (Annex C).
- Exceptions to the breed ban are granted case by case by permit (vs-ie@moag.gov.il).
- The Hebrew version of the procedure on gov.il is the legally valid one.
What we could not confirm
- The main gov.il procedure page did not load. Rules come from the official Annex A certificate and the 2017 Veterinary Services information sheet.
- Annex A exempts the 8 listed countries from the vaccination window and serology timing, but does not clearly say whether they skip the titer test altogether. The older 2017 sheet listed only Oceania, Great Britain, Japan and Cyprus.
- Minimum age: the 2017 sheet and USDA give 4 months on arrival (3 months in an ambiguous exception). Annex A states no age.
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. Rules change: confirm with Veterinary Services and Animal Health (IVSAH), Ministry of Agriculture before booking.