Pet travel route
Dog or cat from Israel to Northern Ireland (UK): the rules
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least about 4 months ahead for a dog. The main steps: microchip, rabies vaccination and rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait and 2 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 8 official pages
In short
- Dogs and cats differ on this route: choose Dog or Cat to see just yours.
- Northern Ireland (UK) puts Israel in the group “Unlisted country”, which decides part of the rules.
- On this route: rabies blood test needed, tapeworm treatment before arrival and arrive at a set entry point.
- No import permit or quarantine on this route for a pet that meets the rules.
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving Israel publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Israel's Veterinary Services publish the export procedure on a gov.il service page (last updated June 2025), read from a stored copy because gov.il blocks automated readers. It says that the international health certificate must be signed by the Veterinary Services before your pet leaves and that your private vet applies online through the 'Ye'ela' system. The page's details by destination (the US; Canada, the EU and some other countries; all other countries) load only by script, and no stored copy of them exists, so we don't know how long before departure to apply, where the certificate is signed, or the fee. Ask your vet or the Veterinary Services' import-export unit (03-9688986) before you plan the dates.
At a glance
How early to start (dogs)
about 4 months
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait (3 calendar months after the blood test)
about 3 months
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait (3 calendar months after the blood test)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (dogs)
- Rabies blood test needed
- No import permit
- No quarantine
- Tapeworm treatment before arrival
- Arrive at a set entry point
How early to start (cats)
about 4 months
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait (3 calendar months after the blood test)
about 3 months
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait (3 calendar months after the blood test)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (cats)
- Rabies blood test needed
- No import permit
- No quarantine
- Arrive at a set entry point
Which rules apply to you
Northern Ireland (UK) puts Israel in the group “Unlisted country”. See every group
Official name: Not listed — rabies antibody titration test needed
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Israel → Northern Ireland (UK)
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether Israel (leaving) or Northern Ireland (UK) (entering) asks for it.
Dogs
Get ready
IdentificationEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Microchip
Your pet must be microchipped (or, for travel under the EU rules, tattooed before 3 July 2011 with a legible number). Under the EU rules the chip is implanted or read before the rabies vaccination. If the chip isn't ISO standard, bring your own reader.
Details and the official words
“Prior to the rabies vaccination, the pet animal (dog, cat, or ferret) must be marked by the implantation of a microchip.”
“You must bring your own microchip reader when you travel if your pet’s microchip does not meet ISO standards.”
“Your pet must be microchipped. They do not need rabies vaccinations or tapeworm treatment if you have a PTD.”
VaccinationEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Rabies vaccination
An authorised vet vaccinates your pet against rabies when it is at least 12 weeks old, after the microchip. Wait at least 21 days after the first vaccination before travelling (30 if the vaccine's datasheet says so); a booster given before the previous vaccination expires needs no wait.
Details and the official words
“the pet must be at least 12 weeks old at the date the vaccine is administered,”
“This must be at least 21 days after the primary vaccination is given.”
“(This wait does not apply to an annual or 3 yearly booster vaccination, provided the booster is administered before the original vaccination expires),”
Blood testEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait
From a country that isn't listed (Category 3), a blood sample is taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and must show the vaccination worked. Your pet then waits 3 calendar months before travelling (not needed if it was vaccinated, tested and given a pet passport in the EU or Northern Ireland before it left).
Details and the official words
“a blood test taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and the blood test must show the vaccination was successful. (the date of the vaccination counts as day zero not day 1)”
“to wait 3 calendar months after the blood test shows the vaccination was successful before travelling.”
In the days before you travel
TreatmentEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Tapeworm treatment (dogs)
A vet treats your dog against tapeworm between 120 and 24 hours before it enters Northern Ireland, and records it. Not needed coming directly from Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway, or from Great Britain with a pet travel document.
Details and the official words
The window is in hours: check the treatment time against your arrival time.
“Tapeworm treatment must be administered not more than 120 hours and not less than 24 hours before scheduled entry into the territory.”
“However please note when travelling between NI and the ROI tapeworm treatment is not required.”
“Dogs moving directly between any EU country listed in Annex XIX to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620, (Finland, Ireland, Malta, and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) or Norway are exempted from the treatment against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis”
PaperworkIsrael and Northern Ireland (UK)
Animal health certificate
An official vet in the country you travel from issues an animal health certificate. It is valid for 10 days from issue for entering Northern Ireland, then for 6 months of onward travel within the EU (after the endorsement on arrival).
The official wording is ambiguous. Confirm this point with the authority.
Details and the official words
Health certificate signed by Israel's Veterinary Services: Before your pet leaves Israel, its international health certificate must be signed by Israel's Veterinary Services. Your private vet fills in and signs the certificate your destination asks for and submits it online in the Veterinary Services' 'Ye'ela' system; a government veterinarian then signs it. Its dates follow the destination's rules for the certificate.
The service page's details by destination and the list of offices that sign pet export certificates didn't load from the stored copy. Ask your vet how far ahead to submit the request and where the certificate is signed.
“Animal Health Certificate (valid for 10 days from date of issue for entry into an EU Member State (including NI) and for 6 months onward travel within the EU)”
“שירות זה מספק מידע לאזרחים ולווטרינרים על הנפקת תעודות בריאות בינלאומיות שיש להחתים לפני שמוציאים חיות מחמד לחו"ל.”
“הגשת בקשה מקוונת לווטרינרים במערכת "יעלה" - יצוא חיות מחמד”
“יום החתימה הקובע הוא יום החתימה על ידי הרופא הווטרינר הפרטי”
Travel day and arrival
RouteEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Enter through a travellers' point of entry
From a Part 2 listed or unlisted country, enter Northern Ireland through a travellers' point of entry: Belfast or Larne port, or Belfast International, Belfast City or City of Derry airport. Contact it before you arrive.
Details and the official words
“to enter EU (including NI) through a Travellers Point of Entry”
“Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport and City of Derry Airport can be contacted at daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk .”
Only in some cases
Notice · only in some casesEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Flying in: tell DAERA in advance
Only if you arrive by air: email DAERA (daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk) before you travel: at least 10 working days ahead from Great Britain, at least 10 days ahead from elsewhere.
Details and the official words
“You must tell the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) at least 10 working days before you travel.”
“If you will be arriving into Northern Ireland via air, you must contact daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk at least 10 days in advance of your intended date of travel to pre-notify your arrival.”
Good to know
- The wait after a first rabies vaccination is at least 21 days, but if the vaccine's datasheet says immunity only starts on day 30, you wait 30 days. Your vet records the date the vaccination is valid from.
- Arriving on an animal health certificate and travelling on to Ireland or another EU country? Report to the travellers' point of entry when you arrive so DAERA officials endorse the certificate. Without the endorsement it isn't valid for onward travel.
- Until further notice, the Veterinary Services offer no pet-export service at Ashdod port: signed health certificates can't be sent to or collected at Ashdod through the Ye'ela system, and certificates aren't signed by hand there.
- If your destination needs a rabies blood test, an Israeli vet takes the sample, fills in the Veterinary Institute's online form (with the exact sampling date and the microchip number), pays in the ministry's online shop and delivers the printed form and the sample to the Veterinary Institute's reception. The result is emailed to the vet and to you; the cost depends on the number of tests.
- Planning to come back to Israel soon? If no more than 30 days have passed since your private vet signed the export health certificate, Israel accepts that certificate, signed by an Israeli government vet, for the return trip instead of a certificate from the country you're coming from (for a dog, also bring its valid dog licence).
Cats
Get ready
IdentificationEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Microchip
Your pet must be microchipped (or, for travel under the EU rules, tattooed before 3 July 2011 with a legible number). Under the EU rules the chip is implanted or read before the rabies vaccination. If the chip isn't ISO standard, bring your own reader.
Details and the official words
“Prior to the rabies vaccination, the pet animal (dog, cat, or ferret) must be marked by the implantation of a microchip.”
“You must bring your own microchip reader when you travel if your pet’s microchip does not meet ISO standards.”
“Your pet must be microchipped. They do not need rabies vaccinations or tapeworm treatment if you have a PTD.”
VaccinationEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Rabies vaccination
An authorised vet vaccinates your pet against rabies when it is at least 12 weeks old, after the microchip. Wait at least 21 days after the first vaccination before travelling (30 if the vaccine's datasheet says so); a booster given before the previous vaccination expires needs no wait.
Details and the official words
“the pet must be at least 12 weeks old at the date the vaccine is administered,”
“This must be at least 21 days after the primary vaccination is given.”
“(This wait does not apply to an annual or 3 yearly booster vaccination, provided the booster is administered before the original vaccination expires),”
Blood testEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait
From a country that isn't listed (Category 3), a blood sample is taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and must show the vaccination worked. Your pet then waits 3 calendar months before travelling (not needed if it was vaccinated, tested and given a pet passport in the EU or Northern Ireland before it left).
Details and the official words
“a blood test taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and the blood test must show the vaccination was successful. (the date of the vaccination counts as day zero not day 1)”
“to wait 3 calendar months after the blood test shows the vaccination was successful before travelling.”
In the days before you travel
PaperworkIsrael and Northern Ireland (UK)
Animal health certificate
An official vet in the country you travel from issues an animal health certificate. It is valid for 10 days from issue for entering Northern Ireland, then for 6 months of onward travel within the EU (after the endorsement on arrival).
The official wording is ambiguous. Confirm this point with the authority.
Details and the official words
Health certificate signed by Israel's Veterinary Services: Before your pet leaves Israel, its international health certificate must be signed by Israel's Veterinary Services. Your private vet fills in and signs the certificate your destination asks for and submits it online in the Veterinary Services' 'Ye'ela' system; a government veterinarian then signs it. Its dates follow the destination's rules for the certificate.
The service page's details by destination and the list of offices that sign pet export certificates didn't load from the stored copy. Ask your vet how far ahead to submit the request and where the certificate is signed.
“Animal Health Certificate (valid for 10 days from date of issue for entry into an EU Member State (including NI) and for 6 months onward travel within the EU)”
“שירות זה מספק מידע לאזרחים ולווטרינרים על הנפקת תעודות בריאות בינלאומיות שיש להחתים לפני שמוציאים חיות מחמד לחו"ל.”
“הגשת בקשה מקוונת לווטרינרים במערכת "יעלה" - יצוא חיות מחמד”
“יום החתימה הקובע הוא יום החתימה על ידי הרופא הווטרינר הפרטי”
Travel day and arrival
RouteEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Enter through a travellers' point of entry
From a Part 2 listed or unlisted country, enter Northern Ireland through a travellers' point of entry: Belfast or Larne port, or Belfast International, Belfast City or City of Derry airport. Contact it before you arrive.
Details and the official words
“to enter EU (including NI) through a Travellers Point of Entry”
“Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport and City of Derry Airport can be contacted at daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk .”
Only in some cases
Notice · only in some casesEntering Northern Ireland (UK)
Flying in: tell DAERA in advance
Only if you arrive by air: email DAERA (daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk) before you travel: at least 10 working days ahead from Great Britain, at least 10 days ahead from elsewhere.
Details and the official words
“You must tell the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) at least 10 working days before you travel.”
“If you will be arriving into Northern Ireland via air, you must contact daeratradeimports@daera-ni.gov.uk at least 10 days in advance of your intended date of travel to pre-notify your arrival.”
Good to know
- The wait after a first rabies vaccination is at least 21 days, but if the vaccine's datasheet says immunity only starts on day 30, you wait 30 days. Your vet records the date the vaccination is valid from.
- Arriving on an animal health certificate and travelling on to Ireland or another EU country? Report to the travellers' point of entry when you arrive so DAERA officials endorse the certificate. Without the endorsement it isn't valid for onward travel.
- Until further notice, the Veterinary Services offer no pet-export service at Ashdod port: signed health certificates can't be sent to or collected at Ashdod through the Ye'ela system, and certificates aren't signed by hand there.
- If your destination needs a rabies blood test, an Israeli vet takes the sample, fills in the Veterinary Institute's online form (with the exact sampling date and the microchip number), pays in the ministry's online shop and delivers the printed form and the sample to the Veterinary Institute's reception. The result is emailed to the vet and to you; the cost depends on the number of tests.
- Planning to come back to Israel soon? If no more than 30 days have passed since your private vet signed the export health certificate, Israel accepts that certificate, signed by an Israeli government vet, for the return trip instead of a certificate from the country you're coming from (for a dog, also bring its valid dog licence).
Money
What it costs
Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in Israel publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.
Government fees on this route
No fee applies to every trip; these may, depending on your case
Northern Ireland Pet Travel DocumentEntering Northern Ireland (UK)Free
Lasts as long as you own the pet.
“It’s free to apply and will last as long as you own the pet.”
Apply for a Northern Ireland pet travel document · as of 2026-10-13
What vets and labs charge Not official figures
Rabies blood test: the lab’s own pricean approved laboratory; your vet adds the blood draw and the courier · for: rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month waitPrices 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 Israel: microchip, rabies vaccination, health certificate (vet’s fee), parasite treatment.
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 Israel
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves Israel (dogs).
The trip back asks for 10 steps: arrive at Ben Gurion Airport or the ports of Haifa, Ashdod or Eilat, at least 4 months old on arrival (3 months from rabies-free countries), ISO microchip (134.2 kHz), before the rabies vaccination and rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before arrival and more.
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves Israel (cats).
The trip back asks for 10 steps: arrive at Ben Gurion Airport or the ports of Haifa, Ashdod or Eilat, at least 4 months old on arrival (3 months from rabies-free countries), ISO microchip (134.2 kHz), before the rabies vaccination and rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before arrival and more.
Nearby routes
Other routes
Where this comes from
Official sources
- Travelling with Pets
- Great Britain to Northern Ireland Pet Travel Guidance
- Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad
- Apply for a Northern Ireland pet travel document
- Travelling with a pet within the EU
- הנפקת תעודת בריאות לחיות מחמד היוצאות לחו״ל (Issuing a health certificate for pets going abroad), Veterinary Services service page on gov.il, last updated 26 Jun 2025; read from Common Crawl's copy captured 12 Jul 2025 (CC-MAIN-2025-30)
- תהליך יבוא כלבים וחתולים לישראל (Process for importing dogs and cats into Israel), Veterinary Services service page on gov.il, last updated 19 Feb 2025; read from Common Crawl's copy captured 15 Mar 2025 (CC-MAIN-2025-13)
- בדיקה לנוגדני כלבת ובדיקות אחרות עבור בעלי חיים היוצאים מישראל (Rabies antibody test for animals leaving Israel), Veterinary Services service page on gov.il, last updated 11 May 2025; read from Common Crawl's copy captured 20 May 2025 (CC-MAIN-2025-21)
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 Israel to Northern Ireland (UK)?
Yes: From a country that isn't listed (Category 3), a blood sample is taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and must show the vaccination worked.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Northern Ireland (UK)?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Northern Ireland (UK)?
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 Israel to Northern Ireland (UK)?
With nothing done yet, start at least about 4 months ahead for a dog. The main steps: microchip, rabies vaccination and rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait and 2 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
Turn this into dates for your pet
Where from, where to, when. You get every step with its deadline and the official page it comes from.