Pet travel route
Dog or cat from Ireland to Kenya: official requirements
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least about 6 months ahead. The main steps: microchip (or other permanent identification), rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment and rabies vaccination within the last year and 4 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 17 official pages
In short
- On this route: rabies blood test needed, import permit needed and tell the authority in advance.
- No quarantine on this route for a pet that meets the rules.
- Coming back to Ireland? 2 steps have to happen before your pet leaves.
Limited official guidance. The authority for entering Kenya publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Kenya's Directorate of Veterinary Services doesn't currently publish its import conditions on its own website (its 2016 conditions were on kilimo.go.ke until 2024). We follow the conditions printed on its import permits (permits of September 2017 and October 2020, as quoted by Australia's export database), which match the Directorate's own 2016 conditions except that they add the rabies blood test, KenTrade's permit procedure (2024) and Kenya's Animal Diseases Rules. Kenya publishes no list of rabies-free countries, and some Kenyan embassy pages still describe older rules. Your permit lists the conditions for your pet: follow it, and ask the Directorate (infodvs@kilimo.go.ke) if in doubt.
At a glance
The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.
How early to start
about 6 months
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment (primary vaccination at least 6 months before shipment)
about 3 months
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment (not less than 3 months and not more than 24 months before shipment)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route
- Rabies blood test needed
- Import permit needed
- No quarantine
- Tell the authority in advance
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Rule change for pets travelling from Ireland to Kenya
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Ireland → Kenya
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether Ireland (leaving) or Kenya (entering) asks for it.
Get ready
IdentificationEntering Kenya
Microchip (or other permanent identification)
Your pet must be identified by a permanent mark such as a microchip, and its number must be on the veterinary certificate. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).
Details and the official words
“Were identified by a permanent mark (such as a microchip) and their identification number shall be stated in the certificate or had any other adequate identification; and”
“Were identified by a permanent mark (such as a microchip) and their identification number shall be stated in the certificate or had any other adequate identification; and”
VaccinationEntering Kenya
Rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment
Your pet's first (primary) rabies vaccination must be given when it is at least 3 months old, and at least 6 months (and at most 1 year) before shipment; a booster must be given at most 1 year before shipment. Use an inactivated vaccine or a recombinant vaccine. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).
Details and the official words
The 6-month wait is in all the Directorate's own texts (2016 conditions, permits of 2017 and 2020) and in Kenya's Animal Diseases Rules (vaccination certificate dated at least 6 months before import). Some embassy pages instead accept a certificate that there has been no rabies nearby: that is an older rule.
“Not less than 6 months and not more than one year prior to shipment in the case of a primary vaccination which, should have been carried out when the animals were at least 3 months old;”
“With an inactivated virus vaccine or with a recombinant vaccine expressing the rabies virus glycoprotein; and”
“Not less than 6 months and not more than one year prior to shipment in the case of a primary vaccination, which should have been carried out when the animals were at least 3 months old;”
“canine animals and feline animals: a certificate signed by a veterinary surgeon certifying that the animals have been vaccinated against rabies, such certificate being dated not earlier than three years and not later than six months before the date of importation:”
VaccinationEntering Kenya
Rabies vaccination within the last year
The latest rabies vaccination (the first one, or the last booster) must be at most 1 year before shipment. If it will be older on the day your pet leaves, give a booster before then.
Details and the official words
Add the date of your pet's most recent rabies shot to check this.
“Not more than one year prior to shipment in the case of a booster vaccination;”
“Not more than one year prior to shipment in the case of a booster vaccination;”
Blood testEntering Kenya
Rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment
Your pet needs a rabies antibody test (as set out in the World Organisation for Animal Health manual) with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken between 24 months and 3 months before shipment. The Directorate of Veterinary Services checks the laboratory certificate on arrival. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).
Details and the official words
The Directorate's 2016 conditions left the blood test out, but the conditions printed on its permits of September 2017 (cats) and October 2020 (dogs) include it, and the documents its office at Nairobi airport checks include a rabies laboratory test certificate. The plan follows the newer texts; the embassy pages, the UK's 1998 certificate and the US certificate don't mention it.
“Were subjected not less than 3 months and not more than 24 months prior to shipment to an antibody test as prescribed in the OIE Terrestrial Manual with a positive result equivalent to at least 0.5 IU/mL”
“Were subjected not less than 3 months and not more than 24 months prior to shipment to an antibody test as prescribed in the OIE Terrestrial Manual with a positive result equivalent to at least 0.5 IU/mL;”
“Rabies laboratory test certificate”
“Were subjected not less than 3 months and not more than 24 months prior to shipment to an antibody test as prescribed in the OIE Terrestrial Manual with a positive result equivalent to at least 0.5 IU/ml;”
PermitEntering Kenya
Import permit (VS01) from the Directorate of Veterinary Services
Apply online on KenTrade's Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) for the Directorate of Veterinary Services' import permit for dogs and cats (VS01), with a copy of your pet's vaccination certificate, and pay the processing fee (up to KES 500 per animal). The permit lists the conditions your pet must meet, covers one consignment, is valid for at most 90 days and travels with your pet. Some Kenyan embassies also issue a pet import licence: the High Commission in London's is valid for 30 days.
Details and the official words
Processing fee: KES 0 to 500 per animal (KenTrade's estimate), paid by M-PESA or at a bank. Kenya's 1998 fee schedule sets KES 500 per dog or cat for an import permit, and USD 50 for one issued at an embassy.
The application also asks for a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) number.
Getting a licence from a Kenyan embassy instead? The High Commission in London's licence is valid for 30 days from issue (two working days to issue, GBP 30 per pet), so apply for it within 30 days of arrival.
Older permit wording (still on some embassy sites) gave 30 days; the Directorate's 2016 conditions, its permits of 2017 and 2020 and KenTrade's page (2024) all say 90 days.
“All cats and dogs entering Kenya are required to have an import certificate issued by the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), Kenya.”
“Applications for the import certificate are to be submitted through the Kenya TradeNet Agency Trade Facilitation Platform.”
“The import permit shall be valid for a maximum of ninety days and shall be for one consignment only.”
“The import permit shall accompany the animal during importation.”
“This import permit shall be valid for a maximum of ninety days and shall only be for one consignment.”
“The import permit is processed through the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP), and is issued per consignment. The permit is valid for a period of ninety (90) days.”
“Vaccination certificate (copy)”
“KES 0 - KES 500 per animal”
“Import permits for all pets (dogs, cats, etc.) issued at embassies each”
“The pet licence is valid for 30 days from the date of issue and takes two working days to issue the licence upon submission of the documents.”
In the days before you travel
PaperworkIreland and Kenya
International veterinary certificate, dated at most 48 hours before departure
Your pet travels with an international veterinary certificate, dated no more than 48 hours before it boards, stating that it showed no sign of rabies (on the day of shipment and in the 48 hours before) and is clinically free of other contagious and infectious diseases and of internal and external parasites. It also states the microchip number, the rabies vaccination and the blood test.
Details and the official words
48 hours is in all the Directorate's own texts (2016 conditions, permits of 2017 and 2020). Kenya's Animal Diseases Rules (1968) allow 10 days, some embassy pages and the UK's 1998 certificate 5 days, and the US certificate is valid for 30 days; the plan follows the Directorate's newest texts.
Government stamp and signature from your Regional Veterinary Office: The most likely scenario: you and your private vet prepare the pet (vaccinations, blood tests and so on) and fill in the health certificate the destination asks for, then you bring it to your local Regional Veterinary Office for a government stamp and signature.
DAFM's page gives no deadline for how recent the certificate must be: the destination's own requirements decide.
“No canine or feline animal shall be imported into Kenya from any country unless accompanied by an international veterinary certificate attesting that the animal:”
“Showed no clinical signs of rabies on the day of shipment;”
“Showed no clinical signs of rabies within 48 hours of shipment;”
“Is clinically free of symptoms of any other contagious and infectious disease and internal and external parasites, the certificate being dated not more than 48 hours before embarkation;”
“Is clinically free of symptoms of any other contagious and infectious disease and internal and external parasites, the certificate being dated not more than 48 hours before embarkation;”
“which must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate from the country of origin to ascertain that the animals are healthy and disease free.”
“The most likely scenario is that you and your private vet will prepare the pet (vaccinations, blood tests etc.) and provide a health certificate, that you can then bring to your local Regional Veterinary Office to get a government stamp and signature”
NoticeLeaving Ireland
Contact your Regional Veterinary Office at least 2 months before you travel
Contact your Regional Veterinary Office at least 2 months before the trip so it can certify the documents. The department may not be able to sign your pet's documents if you contact it later.
Details and the official words
“make sure you plan well in advance and contact the Regional Veterinary Office at least 2 months in advance of travel to ensure that necessary documentation can be certified by department officials”
“The department may not be able to sign documentation for your pet to travel if you have not contacted your Regional Veterinary Office at least two months in advance of travel with your pet.”
Travel day and arrival
TransportEntering Kenya
Fly as manifest cargo (in the cabin only if the airline agrees)
Your pet should travel to Kenya as manifest cargo in the aircraft's freight compartment. Travel in the passenger cabin is up to the airline, and your pet must then still pass through the animal holding station at the airport for inspection. Book this with your airline.
Details and the official words
The Directorate's 2016 conditions left cabin travel to the veterinary authority, to be told 12 hours before arrival; its 2020 permit leaves it to the airline. If your pet flies in the cabin, telling the Directorate's office at Nairobi airport (dvsjkia@kilimo.go.ke) ahead does no harm (our advice, not an official rule).
“Animals entering Kenya should travel as Manifest Cargo and use the Freight Compartment of the aircraft. Arrangements to have the animal travel in the passenger cabin shall be at the discretion of the airline provided that it passes through the animal holding station for inspection.”
TransportEntering Kenya
Certificate from the captain that your pet stayed on board and apart
Your pet needs a certificate signed by the captain of the aircraft (or ship, or the driver) stating that it didn't leave the craft between boarding and arrival in Kenya and was kept apart from other animals throughout the journey. Ask your airline's cargo office to provide it.
Details and the official words
“were not during the journey either in contact with an animal which would be likely to spread disease or exposed to any other infection and, in the case of canine animals or feline animals, the inspecting officer shall require a certificate to this effect signed by the officer in charge of the aircraft, vessel or any other carriage.”
“The animal shall be accompanied by a certificate from the captain of the ship or aircraft or driver of a vessel in which the animal traveled to Kenya certifying that the animal has not left the vessel between the place of embarkation and the place of entry into Kenya, and has been isolated from all other canine and feline animals throughout the journey.”
Good to know
- A pet that has lived since birth, or for the 6 months before shipment, in a rabies-free country (as defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health) doesn't need the microchip, rabies vaccination and blood test steps below. Kenya's Animal Diseases Rules also let the Director of Veterinary Services waive or change the vaccination requirement for pets from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. Kenya doesn't publish a list of rabies-free countries, so the plan keeps the steps: check your permit, or ask the Directorate of Veterinary Services.
- A pet that isn't vaccinated against rabies, or doesn't meet the microchip, vaccination and blood test conditions, may be placed in a quarantine station in Kenya for up to 6 months, at the owner's cost.
- Some Kenyan embassy pages, and the UK's certificate for Kenya (1998), still describe older rules: a vet's certificate signed up to 5 days before departure, no blood test, and, for a pet vaccinated less than 6 months before departure, a government vet's certificate that there has been no rabies nearby. The plan follows the conditions printed on the Directorate of Veterinary Services' permits (2017 and 2020), its newest texts: blood test, first vaccination at least 6 months before shipment, certificate dated at most 48 hours before boarding. Your permit lists the conditions that apply: follow it.
- Arriving by land (or anywhere other than Nairobi by air or Mombasa by sea)? Report your pet to the nearest veterinary office within 3 days of arrival.
- By sea, animals may enter Kenya only through the ports of Mombasa or Lamu; by air, only through the airports of Mombasa, Nairobi or Kisumu.
- Ireland does not keep the entry (certification) requirements of other countries: contact the destination country for them, then follow its instructions for the health certificate. Allow enough time for any required tests.
- No tapeworm treatment is needed to leave Ireland. A dog needs the treatment from a vet abroad before it returns to Ireland.
- Make sure your pet qualifies to return to Ireland: the same rules apply to re-enter from a non-EU country whether the pet usually lives there or is an Irish pet that was there briefly on holiday.
- Planning to bring your pet back to the EU? After a short stay in a non-EU country you can skip the 3-month wait after the rabies blood test, but only if, before you leave the EU, your pet was vaccinated against rabies, passed a successful titer test, and your vet recorded both in its EU pet passport. So do the blood test before you go.
Money
What it costs
Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in Ireland publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.
Government fees on this route
No government fee is published on the official pages we use for this trip. That doesn’t always mean it’s free: ask the authority.
What vets and labs charge Not official figures
Microchipyour vet · for: microchip (or other permanent identification)38–55 EUR
Ireland: 3 published prices
- Value Vets (Sunbeam, Cork): Microchip (standard price)38 EUR · per pet · read 2026-10-13
- Donnybrook Vet's (Dublin 4): Microchip40 EUR · per pet · read 2026-10-13
- Cara Vet Group (Dublin 7 and Blanchardstown): Microchipping (free for members of the practice's Pet Healthcare Plan)55 EUR · per pet · read 2026-10-13
Rabies vaccinationyour vet · for: rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment, rabies vaccination within the last year90 EUR
Ireland: 1 published price
- Donnybrook Vet's (Dublin 4): Rabies vaccination (3-year vaccine)90 EUR · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
Rabies blood test: the lab’s own pricean approved laboratory; your vet adds the blood draw and the courier · for: rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipmentPrices from 8 countries
Austria: 1 published price
- AGES (Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety), Institute for Veterinary Investigations Mödling: Lab price for the rabies antibody titre test for pets (EU-recognised lab), samples sent from EU countries, 20% VAT included; transport to the lab paid by the sender97.26 EUR · per sample · read 2026-10-13
France: 2 published prices
- Laboratoire départemental de la Haute-Garonne (LD31 EVA): Lab price for the FAVN (WOAH/OMSA method) rabies antibody test, VAT included, price guaranteed until 31/12/2026 (from the lab's order form)99 EUR · per test · read 2026-10-13
- Inovalys (laboratory): Lab price only: rabies antibody titration (COFRAC accredited), ordered online by the owner; the page says the blood sample is taken by your vet and sending it to the lab is the owner's responsibility (no amounts given for those)99.18 EUR · per test · read 2026-10-13
the United Kingdom: 2 published prices
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge: Lab price for the FAVN rabies antibody test for dogs and cats for pet travel (test code TC0712), single sample, excluding VAT72.30 GBP · per test · read 2026-10-13
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Weybridge: Lab price for the FAVN rabies antibody test for dogs and cats, extended method (test code TC0570), single sample, excluding VAT106 GBP · per test · read 2026-10-13
Japan: 1 published price
- Research Institute for Animal Science in Biochemistry and Toxicology (RIAS, 一般財団法人生物科学安全研究所): Lab fee only: rabies antibody test at RIAS (a MAFF-designated lab), tax included, paid in advance by bank transfer; vet's blood draw and shipping not included15,000 JPY · per sample · read 2026-10-13
Poland: 1 published price
- National Veterinary Research Institute (PIWet-PIB), Puławy: Lab price for the FAVN rabies antibody test, standard service (max 21 calendar days), electronic report only, gross (VAT included)280 PLN · per test · read 2026-10-13
Sweden: 1 published price
- Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA): Lab price for the FAVN rabies vaccination-check antibody test (article D142410), excluding VAT (exkl. moms)1,365 SEK · per test · read 2026-10-13
the United States: 1 published price
- University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory: Lab price for the FAVN rabies antibody test for pet travel/export (University of Missouri VMDL One Health-Rabies Laboratory); shipping not stated79 USD · per test · read 2026-10-13
South Africa: 1 published price
- Agricultural Research Council – Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (ARC-OVR): Lab price for the rabies neutralization (antibody) test per clear serum sample, VAT included; the price list does not name FAVN or RFFIT (ARC-Onderstepoort diagnostic price list, PDF created May 2026)2,030 ZAR · per clear serum sample · read 2026-10-13
No published prices yet for Ireland: health certificate (vet’s fee).
Prices that businesses publish on their own pages, quoted as we read them; yours can differ. Ranges are the lowest to highest of these examples, never our estimate. How we collect prices
Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.
Round trip
Coming back to Ireland
Do before your pet leaves Ireland (dogs)
- Microchip
- Rabies vaccination
Their timing rules put them before the outbound trip, for a three-month stay.
The trip back asks for 8 steps: microchip, rabies vaccination, rabies antibody blood test (titer) and EU animal health certificate and more.
Do before your pet leaves Ireland (cats)
- Microchip
- Rabies vaccination
Their timing rules put them before the outbound trip, for a three-month stay.
The trip back asks for 7 steps: microchip, rabies vaccination, rabies antibody blood test (titer) and EU animal health certificate and more.
Nearby routes
Other routes
Where this comes from
Official sources
- Micor: Kenya, dogs (Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; quotes the terms of a Kenyan import permit issued in October 2020, entry last reviewed 19 May 2021; read from the Internet Archive's copy captured 10 March 2026)
- Micor: Kenya, cats (Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; quotes the terms of a Kenyan import permit issued in September 2017, entry last reviewed 19 May 2021; read from the Internet Archive's copy captured 16 May 2026)
- Import conditions for dogs and cats into Kenya (Directorate of Veterinary Services, document of 17 May 2016 posted on kilimo.go.ke in April 2022, no longer online in September 2026; read from the Internet Archive's copy captured 1 July 2024)
- Conditions for importing dogs and cats into Kenya (Ministry of Livestock Development, for the Director of Veterinary Services), published by the Embassy of Kenya in Spain (PDF, modified 24 October 2024)
- Import permit for dogs & cats (VS01): procedure (InfoTrade Kenya, KenTrade)
- Import permit for dogs & cats (VS01), step 1: apply, generate an e-slip and pay (InfoTrade Kenya, last modified 10/03/2024)
- Import dogs and cats through JKIA, step 13: submit documents to the DVS office at the airport for verification (InfoTrade Kenya, last modified 04/08/2021)
- Animal Diseases Act (Cap. 364): subsidiary legislation, including the Animal Diseases Rules, 1968 (Revised Edition 2015; copy on the Kenya Investment Authority's eProcedures portal)
- Legal Notices No. 97 and 98 of 1998: Animal Diseases Act, prohibition and fees and payments (Kenya Subsidiary Legislation, 1998; copy on the Kenya Investment Authority's eProcedures portal)
- Pet import license (Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Brasília, modified 26 August 2025; the site answers 403 to scripts: read from Common Crawl CC-MAIN-2026-17, captured 13 April 2026)
- Issuance of Pet Import Licenses (Kenya High Commission in London)
- Import of Pets: requirements to import cats/dogs as pets (Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Angola, modified 19 February 2025)
- Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dog(s) and Cat(s) from the United States of America to Kenya (USDA APHIS, file of 24 July 2026)
- Export of dogs and cats from Great Britain to Kenya: notes for guidance 2913NFG (APHA, revised 10 November 2023)
- Export of a dog/cat from Great Britain to Kenya: health certificate 2913EHC, version 3 (cleared 21 August 1998)
- Pet Travel (DAFM, gov.ie)
- EU rules on travelling with pets and other animals in the EU (Your Europe)
Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-13.
Questions owners ask
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Ireland to Kenya?
Yes: Your pet needs a rabies antibody test (as set out in the World Organisation for Animal Health manual) with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken between 24 months and 3 months before shipment.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Kenya?
Yes: Apply online on KenTrade's Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) for the Directorate of Veterinary Services' import permit for dogs and cats (VS01), with a copy of your pet's vaccination certificate, and pay the processing fee (up to KES 500 per animal).
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Kenya?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
How early should I start preparing my pet for Ireland to Kenya?
With nothing done yet, start at least about 6 months ahead. The main steps: microchip (or other permanent identification), rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment and rabies vaccination within the last year and 4 more.
Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake
Read next
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