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Pet travel route

Dog or cat from Kenya to Mexico: official requirements

Possible. There is no official waiting period, but you still need: rabies vaccination (recorded on the certificate), health certificate from a vet registered with the Kenya Veterinary Board, internal and external deworming and certificate of Good Health (issued within 15 days).

Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 3 official pages

Make my dated plan Reverse: Mexico → Kenya

In short

We’re re-checking these rules. An official source they rely on has changed since we last verified them, so something here may be out of date. Before you book or travel, confirm the details with the official authority.

Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving Kenya publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Kenya's Directorate of Veterinary Services doesn't publish its export procedure for pets on its own website. We use KenTrade's InfoTrade description of the international veterinary certificate for dogs and cats (VS16), last updated in 2022. It gives no processing time, doesn't say how long before departure to apply, and lists a copy of the destination's import permit for every export. Confirm with the Directorate (infodvs@kilimo.go.ke) before you travel.

At a glance

The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.

How early to start

No official wait

whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated

No official wait still means appointments: rabies vaccination (recorded on the certificate), health certificate from a vet registered with the Kenya Veterinary Board, internal and external deworming and certificate of Good Health (issued within 15 days). Book them early; lab and paperwork times are not counted.

On this route

  • Import permit needed
  • Parasite treatment before travel

Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.

Which rules apply to you

Mexico puts Kenya in the group “Any other country”. See every group

Official name: Any other country — Certificate of Good Health (15 days)

Prefer a feed reader? Kenya rule changes · Mexico rule changes

Kenya → Mexico

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether Kenya (leaving) or Mexico (entering) asks for it.

Taking a dog or cat out of Kenya (DVS international veterinary certificate): we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.

  1. Get ready

    1. VaccinationEntering Mexico

      Rabies vaccination (recorded on the certificate)

      Your pet's rabies vaccination date and its validity must be on the Certificate of Good Health. Pets under 3 months old are exempt.

      Details and the official words

      “Date of administration of the rabies vaccine and its period of validity (animals under 3 months of age are exempt).”

    2. PermitEntering Mexico

      Zoosanitary Import Certificate (CZI) on arrival

      On arrival, ask SENASICA staff at the airport, port or border for the CZI application form for your dog or cat (you can also download it beforehand).

      Details and the official words

      “you must request the Zoosanitary Import Certificate (CZI) at our offices located at all points of entry into the country (ports, airports, and borders).”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. Vet examLeaving Kenya

      Health certificate from a vet registered with the Kenya Veterinary Board

      A vet registered with the Kenya Veterinary Board examines your pet and issues a veterinary health certificate. You upload a copy of it, with a copy of your pet's vaccination certificate, when you apply for the export certificate.

      Details and the official words

      “Issued by registered veterinarians with Kenya Veterinary Board.”

    2. TreatmentEntering Mexico

      Internal and external deworming

      Your pet must be dewormed internally and externally within the 6 months before travel and be free of external parasites — this goes on the Certificate of Good Health.

      Details and the official words

      “That the animal(s) have been dewormed internally and externally within the six months prior to travel and are free of ectoparasites.”

    3. PaperworkKenya and Mexico

      Certificate of Good Health (issued within 15 days)

      Bring the original and a copy of a Certificate of Good Health issued no more than 15 days before you arrive, by an official vet or a private vet on letterhead with their licence number. It must show your pet's rabies vaccination (date and validity), that it was healthy at the pre-travel exam, and that it was dewormed inside and out in the last 6 months and is free of external parasites.

      Details and the official words

      International veterinary certificate (VS16) from the Directorate of Veterinary Services: Apply online on KenTrade's Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) for the international veterinary certificate for dogs and cats (VS16), issued per consignment. You need a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) number and copies of the vet's health certificate, the vaccination certificate and the import permit from the destination country; for the European Union, also a copy of the EU health certificate. Pay the processing fee (up to KES 500 per pet) by M-PESA or at the bank, then receive the certificate on the platform.

      Processing fee: KES 0 to 500 per pet (KenTrade's estimate). M-PESA paybill 522522, account 1106972791.

      InfoTrade lists a copy of the destination's import permit for every export. If your destination doesn't issue one (EU countries and the UK, for example), ask DVS what to upload instead.

      If this is missed: You must use a private vet in Mexico to treat your pet and issue the certificate, at your cost.

      “you must present a Certificate of Good Health with a maximum validity of 15 days from its date of issuance”

      “The certificate is processed through the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP), and is issued per consignment.”

      “Unique consignment reference (UCR) number”

      “From the country of destination.”

      “EU export health certificate (copy)”

      “For MPESA payments, the paybill number is 522522 and the account number is 1106972791.”

      “KES 0 - KES 500 per pet”

  3. Travel day and arrival

    1. On arrivalEntering Mexico

      Physical inspection on arrival

      SENASICA inspects your pet on arrival to check its health. Pets with recent wounds or parasites need treatment first.

      Details and the official words

      “a physical inspection of your animal will be carried out to verify its health status”

Good to know

  • Mexico removes and destroys crate bedding, diapers, newspaper, sawdust, rags, toys and treats made with ruminant ingredients. Travel with a clean crate — it will be sprayed on arrival. Collar and leash are fine.
  • If parasites such as ticks are found at the inspection, you must pay a vet in Mexico to treat your pet before it's released.
  • The Directorate of Veterinary Services issues the certificate only once the destination's conditions are met and your pet is healthy and free of disease, so find out your destination's requirements first.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in Kenya 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

We have no published vet or lab prices for Kenya 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 Kenya

Do before your pet leaves Kenya

  • Rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment
  • Rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment

Their timing rules put them before the outbound trip, for a three-month stay.

The trip back asks for 11 steps: import permit (VS01) from the Directorate of Veterinary Services, 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 more.

Every step from Mexico to Kenya

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-13.

Entering MexicoLeaving KenyaReport a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Kenya to Mexico?

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 Mexico?

Yes: On arrival, ask SENASICA staff at the airport, port or border for the CZI application form for your dog or cat (you can also download it beforehand).

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Mexico?

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 Kenya to Mexico?

There is no official waiting period, but you still need: rabies vaccination (recorded on the certificate), health certificate from a vet registered with the Kenya Veterinary Board, internal and external deworming and certificate of Good Health (issued within 15 days).

Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake

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