Pet travel route
Dog or cat from Israel to Panama: official requirements
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 4 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip, dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations and internal and external parasite treatments before boarding and 2 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 5 official pages
In short
- Dogs and cats differ on this route: choose Dog or Cat to see just yours.
- On this route: parasite treatment before travel and tell the authority in advance.
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 explain the export procedure on a gov.il service page whose details (by destination: the US; Canada, the EU and some other countries; all other countries) only load in a browser, and gov.il blocks automated readers, so we could read only its outline from a stored copy (June 2025). We know 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. We don't know how long before departure to apply, where to collect the signature, 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)
4 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip (30 days before the trip)
5 days
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Tell MINSA 3 to 5 business days before your pet arrives (3 to 5 business days before arrival: 7 to 5 calendar days is our conversion (always within that range on working weeks without holidays), not an official figure)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (dogs)
- Parasite treatment before travel
- Tell the authority in advance
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
How early to start (cats)
4 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip (30 days before the trip)
5 days
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Tell MINSA 3 to 5 business days before your pet arrives (3 to 5 business days before arrival: 7 to 5 calendar days is our conversion (always within that range on working weeks without holidays), not an official figure)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (cats)
- Parasite treatment before travel
- Tell the authority in advance
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
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Israel → Panama
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether Israel (leaving) or Panama (entering) asks for it.
Dogs
Taking a dog or cat out of Israel: we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
Get ready
VaccinationEntering Panama
Rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip
Your pet is vaccinated against rabies from 3 months of age, at least 30 days before the trip for a young animal; for an adult the vaccination must be within its validity. The vaccination card shows the dates, brand, batch and expiry.
Details and the official words
The page ties the 30 days to young animals ('cachorros'). We also apply it to an adult's first vaccination, to be safe: ask MIDA if your adult pet's first rabies vaccination was less than 30 days before the trip.
“La vacuna antirrábica para caninos, felinos y hurones ha sido aplicada a partir de los tres (3) meses de edad y con treinta (30) días previos al viaje (cachorros). Y en los animales adultos las vacunas estén dentro del periodo de vigencia.”
“Indicar las fechas de vacunación, marca, lote y fecha de expiración en su cartilla de vacunación.”
VaccinationEntering Panama
Dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations
Before the trip your dog must also be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus.
Details and the official words
“Caninos: RABIA, DISTEMPER, HEPATITIS, LEPTOSPIROSIS, PARVOVIRUS.”
In the days before you travel
TreatmentEntering Panama
Internal and external parasite treatments before boarding
Your pet is treated against internal and external parasites before boarding, and the treatments are stated in its documents. The pages give no time window: ask your vet.
Details and the official words
“Indicar los tratamientos endo y ectoparasitarios realizados previos al embarque.”
PaperworkIsrael and Panama
Official export health certificate, apostilled, at most 30 days old
The health authority of the country your pet comes from issues an official export health certificate stating that the pet was examined and is in good health. It must be legalised with an apostille (or by a Panamanian consulate) and be no more than 30 days old.
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.
“Documento oficial “Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación”, expedido por la Autoridad Sanitaria del país de procedencia, legalizados mediante “Apostillado” por Cancillería o Consularizado en oficinas diplomáticas panameñas con un máximo de treinta (30) días de emisión, donde conste que las mascotas (Perros, gatos y hurones) han sido examinados clínicamente presentando buen estado de salud.”
“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”
NoticeEntering Panama
Tell MINSA 3 to 5 business days before your pet arrives
Email cam@minsa.gob.pa 3 to 5 business days before arrival with the request for entry of dogs, cats and ferrets, the export health certificate and the vaccination card.
Details and the official words
The 2026 pages name a 'Solicitud de Ingreso de Perros, Gatos y Hurones' form that we couldn't find online: ask MINSA for it.
“Notificar de 3 a 5 días hábiles anticipadamente, la llegada de su mascota, enviando “la Solicitud de Ingreso de Perros, Gatos y Hurones, el Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación del país de procedencia y la cartilla de vacunación”.”
“Enviarlo a cam@minsa.gob.pa”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Panama
Checks at Tocumen airport: MIDA quarantine and MINSA zoonosis offices
At Tocumen International Airport, go to MIDA's agricultural quarantine office and then MINSA's zoonosis office with your pet and documents, and pay in cash: MIDA's import licence (10 per species) and inspection (15 per animal), and MINSA's entry and inspection fee (40 per animal).
Details and the official words
“Pasos a seguir en Panamá – Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, presentarse en:”
“B/. 10.00 (dólares) en efectivo por concepto de “Licencia Fito‐zoosanitaria de Importación”; (1) una licencia por especie.”
“B/. 15.00 (dólares) en efectivo por la Inspección Veterinaria por animal.”
“Ingreso de animales menores e inspección veterinaria: B/. 40 (dólares) en efectivo por animal.”
Good to know
- If strict home quarantine is required, MINSA charges 130 balboas (US dollars) instead of 40. The 2026 pages don't say when it is required or for how long (an older MINSA form from 2013 said 40 days). Ask MINSA (cam@minsa.gob.pa) when you send your advance notice.
- If any requirement isn't met, your pet will be held and/or sent back by the airline it arrived on.
- Your pet must not have fresh or healing wounds.
- All fees at Tocumen are paid in cash (balboas, at par with US dollars). MIDA's office is open 24 hours; MINSA's zoonosis office is open every day from 7 am to 10 pm.
- 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
Taking a dog or cat out of Israel: we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
Get ready
VaccinationEntering Panama
Rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip
Your pet is vaccinated against rabies from 3 months of age, at least 30 days before the trip for a young animal; for an adult the vaccination must be within its validity. The vaccination card shows the dates, brand, batch and expiry.
Details and the official words
The page ties the 30 days to young animals ('cachorros'). We also apply it to an adult's first vaccination, to be safe: ask MIDA if your adult pet's first rabies vaccination was less than 30 days before the trip.
“La vacuna antirrábica para caninos, felinos y hurones ha sido aplicada a partir de los tres (3) meses de edad y con treinta (30) días previos al viaje (cachorros). Y en los animales adultos las vacunas estén dentro del periodo de vigencia.”
“Indicar las fechas de vacunación, marca, lote y fecha de expiración en su cartilla de vacunación.”
VaccinationEntering Panama
Cats: rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia vaccinations
Before the trip your cat must also be vaccinated against feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus and feline panleukopenia.
Details and the official words
“Felinos: RABIA, RINOTRAQUEITIS VIRAL FELINA, CALICIVIRUS FELINO, PANLEUCOPENIA FELINA.”
In the days before you travel
TreatmentEntering Panama
Internal and external parasite treatments before boarding
Your pet is treated against internal and external parasites before boarding, and the treatments are stated in its documents. The pages give no time window: ask your vet.
Details and the official words
“Indicar los tratamientos endo y ectoparasitarios realizados previos al embarque.”
PaperworkIsrael and Panama
Official export health certificate, apostilled, at most 30 days old
The health authority of the country your pet comes from issues an official export health certificate stating that the pet was examined and is in good health. It must be legalised with an apostille (or by a Panamanian consulate) and be no more than 30 days old.
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.
“Documento oficial “Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación”, expedido por la Autoridad Sanitaria del país de procedencia, legalizados mediante “Apostillado” por Cancillería o Consularizado en oficinas diplomáticas panameñas con un máximo de treinta (30) días de emisión, donde conste que las mascotas (Perros, gatos y hurones) han sido examinados clínicamente presentando buen estado de salud.”
“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”
NoticeEntering Panama
Tell MINSA 3 to 5 business days before your pet arrives
Email cam@minsa.gob.pa 3 to 5 business days before arrival with the request for entry of dogs, cats and ferrets, the export health certificate and the vaccination card.
Details and the official words
The 2026 pages name a 'Solicitud de Ingreso de Perros, Gatos y Hurones' form that we couldn't find online: ask MINSA for it.
“Notificar de 3 a 5 días hábiles anticipadamente, la llegada de su mascota, enviando “la Solicitud de Ingreso de Perros, Gatos y Hurones, el Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación del país de procedencia y la cartilla de vacunación”.”
“Enviarlo a cam@minsa.gob.pa”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Panama
Checks at Tocumen airport: MIDA quarantine and MINSA zoonosis offices
At Tocumen International Airport, go to MIDA's agricultural quarantine office and then MINSA's zoonosis office with your pet and documents, and pay in cash: MIDA's import licence (10 per species) and inspection (15 per animal), and MINSA's entry and inspection fee (40 per animal).
Details and the official words
“Pasos a seguir en Panamá – Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, presentarse en:”
“B/. 10.00 (dólares) en efectivo por concepto de “Licencia Fito‐zoosanitaria de Importación”; (1) una licencia por especie.”
“B/. 15.00 (dólares) en efectivo por la Inspección Veterinaria por animal.”
“Ingreso de animales menores e inspección veterinaria: B/. 40 (dólares) en efectivo por animal.”
Good to know
- If strict home quarantine is required, MINSA charges 130 balboas (US dollars) instead of 40. The 2026 pages don't say when it is required or for how long (an older MINSA form from 2013 said 40 days). Ask MINSA (cam@minsa.gob.pa) when you send your advance notice.
- If any requirement isn't met, your pet will be held and/or sent back by the airline it arrived on.
- Your pet must not have fresh or healing wounds.
- All fees at Tocumen are paid in cash (balboas, at par with US dollars). MIDA's office is open 24 hours; MINSA's zoonosis office is open every day from 7 am to 10 pm.
- 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
MIDA import licence (one per species, cash)Entering Panama10 USD
“B/. 10.00 (dólares) en efectivo por concepto de “Licencia Fito‐zoosanitaria de Importación”; (1) una licencia por especie.”
Introducción de animales menores a la República de Panamá (MIDA, DECA) · as of 2026-10-12
MIDA veterinary inspection (per animal, cash)Entering Panama · 15 USD for each extra pet15 USD
“B/. 15.00 (dólares) en efectivo por la Inspección Veterinaria por animal.”
Introducción de animales menores a la República de Panamá (MIDA, DECA) · as of 2026-10-12
MINSA entry and veterinary inspection (per animal, cash)Entering Panama · 40 USD for each extra pet40 USD
“Ingreso de animales menores e inspección veterinaria: B/. 40 (dólares) en efectivo por animal.”
Introducción de animales menores a la República de Panamá (MIDA, DECA) · as of 2026-10-12
Government fees in total: 65 USD (each currency separately)
What vets and labs charge Not official figures
We have no published vet or lab prices for Israel yet.
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 11 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 11 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
- Introducción de animales menores a la República de Panamá (MIDA, DECA)
- Requisitos para la introducción de animales menores al país (perros, gatos y hurones), Aeropuerto de Tocumen (MIDA/MINSA, March 2026)
- 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 Panama?
We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Panama?
We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Panama?
We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.
How early should I start preparing my pet for Israel to Panama?
With nothing done yet, start at least 4 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip, dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations and internal and external parasite treatments before boarding 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.