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Pet travel route

Dog or cat from Kenya to South Korea: official requirements

Possible. There is no official waiting period, but you still need: ISO microchip, rabies blood test (antibody titer), health certificate from a vet registered with the Kenya Veterinary Board and health certificate from the exporting country's government.

Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 5 official pages

Make my dated plan Reverse: South Korea → Kenya

In short

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: ISO microchip, rabies blood test (antibody titer), health certificate from a vet registered with the Kenya Veterinary Board and health certificate from the exporting country's government. Book them early; lab and paperwork times are not counted.

On this route

  • Rabies blood test needed

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

Which rules apply to you

South Korea puts Kenya in the group “Country not on South Korea’s rabies-free list”. See every group

Official name: Not on APQA's rabies-free list — rabies antibody test needed (pets aged 90 days or older)

Prefer a feed reader? Kenya rule changes · South Korea rule changes

Kenya → South Korea

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether Kenya (leaving) or South Korea (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. IdentificationEntering South Korea

      ISO microchip

      Every dog and cat must have a microchip. It should be ISO-compliant (ISO 11784 and 11785); with any other chip you must bring your own scanner. Its number must match the one on the health certificate.

      Details and the official words

      If this is missed: An animal without a microchip, or whose chip number doesn't match the certificate, may be quarantined longer so one can be implanted at the owner's expense.

      “Microchips implanted in cats and dogs must be ISO-compliant (ISO11784 and 11785 standards). For any other chips, importers must bring their own microchip scanners.”

      “it is mandatory that they have microchips implanted in them.”

    2. Blood testEntering South Korea

      Rabies blood test (antibody titer)

      Dogs and cats aged 90 days or older that come from a country not on APQA's rabies-free list need a rabies-neutralizing antibody test at an internationally approved laboratory (or by the exporting country's competent authority). The result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml and is listed on the health certificate. Pets under 90 days old, or from a rabies-free country, do not need it.

      The official wording is ambiguous. Confirm this point with the authority.

      Details and the official words

      Our age cut-off is 3 calendar months at arrival (APQA says 90 days): a pet whose 90th day falls just before its 3-month birthday in a long month is treated as under 90 days. If your pet is that close, ask APQA.

      Labs: APQA points to the EU's list of designated laboratories and Taiwan's list of approved laboratories.

      If this is missed: An animal that has not had the antibody test, or whose titer is below 0.5 IU/ml, may be quarantined for an extended period (average about 10 days, longer in some cases) to have the test done, at the owner's expense.

      “The rabies-neutralizing antibody test must be administered by an internationally approved laboratory or by the competent authority of the exporting country within 24 months after collecting blood samples.”

      “whose rabies-neutralizing antibody titer is below 0.5IU/㎖”

  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. PaperworkKenya and South Korea

      Health certificate from the exporting country's government

      A health certificate issued by the government agency of the country your pet is leaving. It must show the microchip number and birth date, and for pets aged 90 days or older not from a rabies-free country, also the rabies antibody test result. You hand it to the animal quarantine officer on arrival.

      Details and the official words

      APQA's pet page doesn't say how many days before arrival the certificate must be issued. Ask the exporting country's authority and APQA.

      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.

      “a health certificate issued by the government agency of the exporting country confirming the animal's microchip number and the result of the rabies antibody test must be submitted to the animal quarantine officer.”

      “a health certificate issued by the government agency of the exporting country which states the animal's microchip number and birth date.”

      “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 South Korea

      Quarantine inspection at the port of entry

      On arrival the quarantine officer checks your documents and your pet's health with a clinical exam. If all is in order your pet may be released the same day.

      Details and the official words

      If this is missed: Animals with missing or mismatched microchip, missing antibody test or low titer may be quarantined for an extended period at the owner's expense.

      “may be released on the day of arrival.”

Good to know

  • Whether your pet needs a rabies antibody test depends on APQA's list of rabies-free countries. The only version we could read is dated 4 April 2023, and APQA changes the list as countries report rabies or declare themselves free. Ask APQA (or check its current list) before you rely on the 'no blood test' route.
  • If you arrive without the government health certificate, your pet has to go back to the country it came from, at your cost.
  • APQA's pet page does not set a rabies vaccination schedule or a waiting period; it asks for the antibody test (pets aged 90 days or older, not from a rabies-free country). Your vet will need to vaccinate before that test.
  • 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 fee applies to every trip; these may, depending on your case

  • APQA health certificate when quarantine is extendedEntering South Korea10,000 KRW

    Per case. APQA states it in its answer on the costs of an extended quarantine (when a pet doesn’t meet the requirements); it doesn’t say whether it is charged on a normal clearance.

    “The government agency charges 110,000 KRW/animal for titration test for rabies antibody and 10,000 KRW/case for issuing a health certificate.”

    Bring a dog or a cat to Korea (FAQ) · as of 2026-10-13

  • Rabies blood test done by APQA on arrivalEntering South Korea · 110,000 KRW for each extra pet110,000 KRW

    Per animal, only if your pet arrives without a valid test; quarantine is extended, at your cost, until the result is in.

    “The government agency charges 110,000 KRW/animal for titration test for rabies antibody and 10,000 KRW/case for issuing a health certificate.”

    Bring a dog or a cat to Korea (FAQ) · as of 2026-10-13

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

No published prices yet for Kenya: microchip, health certificate (vet’s fee), vet examination.

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 9 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 South Korea to Kenya

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

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

Entering South KoreaLeaving KenyaReport a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

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

Yes: Dogs and cats aged 90 days or older that come from a country not on APQA's rabies-free list need a rabies-neutralizing antibody test at an internationally approved laboratory (or by the exporting country's competent authority).

Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into South Korea?

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 South Korea?

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 South Korea?

There is no official waiting period, but you still need: ISO microchip, rabies blood test (antibody titer), health certificate from a vet registered with the Kenya Veterinary Board and health certificate from the exporting country's government.

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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