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Pawhopper

Pet travel route

Dog or cat from New Zealand to Israel: official requirements

Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 4 days ahead for a dog. The main steps: ISO microchip (134.2 kHz), before the rabies vaccination, Israel's veterinary certificate (Annex A), valid for 10 days, Owner's declaration (Annex B): your pet for at least 90 days and request flight approval at least 2 working days before you leave.

Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 9 official pages

In short

Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving New Zealand publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. MPI's own pages and its export requirements for each destination answer automated requests with a bot check, so these steps come from New Zealand Customs' page on moving pets overseas. It says what is needed in general: the exact contents of the export certificate depend on the destination, so ask MPI or a registered pet exporter before you book.

At a glance

How early to start (dogs)

4 days

whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: Request flight approval at least 2 working days before you leave (two working days before you leave; the 2 extra days are ours, not an official figure, because two working days can span Israel's Friday-Saturday weekend)

The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.

On this route (dogs)

  • No rabies blood test
  • No import permit
  • No quarantine
  • Tell the authority in advance
  • Arrive at a set entry point

How early to start (cats)

4 days

whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: Request flight approval at least 2 working days before you leave (two working days before you leave; the 2 extra days are ours, not an official figure, because two working days can span Israel's Friday-Saturday weekend)

The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.

On this route (cats)

  • No rabies blood test
  • No import permit
  • No quarantine
  • Tell the authority in advance
  • Arrive at a set entry point

Which rules apply to you

Israel puts New Zealand in the group “Country on Israel’s rabies-free list”. See every group

Official name: Listed in the notes to Israel's model certificate (Annex A): no rabies vaccination before travel and no blood test; from 3 months old; an unvaccinated dog is vaccinated within 5 days of arrival. Israel's service page adds that the pet must have been born there and stayed there continuously until arrival, or have stayed there continuously for more than a year.

Prefer a feed reader? New Zealand rule changes · Israel rule changes

New Zealand → Israel

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether New Zealand (leaving) or Israel (entering) asks for it.

Dogs

  1. Get ready

    1. Age ruleEntering Israel

      At least 4 months old on arrival (3 months from rabies-free countries)

      Your dog or cat must be over 4 months old on the day it arrives in Israel. Pets on Israel's rabies-free route (born and kept in, or more than a year in, Australia, Cyprus, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden or the UK) may come from 3 months old.

      Details and the official words
    2. IdentificationEntering Israel

      ISO microchip (134.2 kHz), before the rabies vaccination

      Your pet needs a microchip that transmits at 134.2 kHz and can be read by a reader meeting ISO 11784 and Annex A of ISO 11785. It must be implanted before the rabies vaccination and the blood test.

      Details and the official words

      “מסומן באמצעות סימון תת-עורי בשבב אלקטרוני: שמשדר בתדר 134.2 קילוהרץ.”

      “שבב זה יוחדר לבעל החיים לפני חיסון הכלבת ובדיקת הדם.”

      “All dogs and cats must be tagged with a subcutaneous electronic chip that transmits on a frequency of 134.2 kilohertz and can be read with a chip reader that conforms to the provisions of the ISO Standard No. 11784 and of Annex A of ISO Standard 11785.”

      “Please note that the pet's microchip must be implanted before or on the same date as the rabies vaccination documented on the health certificate.”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. PaperworkNew Zealand and Israel

      Israel's veterinary certificate (Annex A), valid for 10 days

      Your pet travels with Israel's 'Veterinary certificate for domestic dogs and cats entering Israel' (Annex A), issued no more than 10 days before arrival. An official veterinarian signs it, or a vet authorised by your country's veterinary authority signs it and that authority endorses it. It confirms the clinical examination (no signs of contagious or infectious disease), the microchip, the rabies vaccination and the blood test result.

      Details and the official words

      Export certificate signed by an MPI Official Veterinarian: The destination's export certificate is completed, signed off by an official veterinarian and travels with your pet. If you don't use a registered pet exporter, an MPI Official Veterinarian signs the export certificate before your pet leaves.

      If this is missed: Pets that don't meet the requirements in full are sent back, quarantined or destroyed, as the Director decides, at the owner's cost.

      “VETERINARY CERTIFICATE FOR DOMESTIC DOGS AND CATS ENTERING ISRAEL”

      “The certificate is valid for 10 days”

      “OFFICIAL VETERINARIAN OR VETERINARIAN AUTHORISED BY THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY (* ) (in the latter case, the competent authority must endorse the certificate)”

      “At the time of examination it did not exhibit any symptoms of contagious or infectious diseases”

      “תעודת הבריאות צריכה להיות מונפקת במהלך 10 ימים לפני מועד היבוא.”

      “All U.S. pet dogs and cats must be accompanied by the Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Pet Dogs and Cats from the United States of America to the State of Israel, issued by a USDA accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA-APHIS, no more than 10 days prior to arrival.”

      “Any health certificate without APHIS endorsement is not valid for dogs or cats entrance to Israel.”

      “Certificates are forms that need to be completed, signed off by an official veterinarian, and travel with your pet.”

      “If you are not using a pet exporter, you will need an MPI Official Veterinarian to sign the export certificate and AWEC prior to export.”

    2. PaperworkEntering Israel

      Owner's declaration (Annex B): your pet for at least 90 days

      Sign Israel's owner declaration (Annex B): your pet travels with the person responsible for it, it isn't for trade, and it has been in your possession for at least 90 days before you bring it to Israel. It goes with your request for flight approval. A pet you've had for less than 90 days can't use the no-licence route.

      Details and the official words
    3. NoticeEntering Israel

      Request flight approval at least 2 working days before you leave

      At least two working days before you leave for Israel, send the Veterinary Services the owner declaration and arrival notice (Annexes B and C), the health certificate and the rabies blood-test report: for Ben Gurion Airport through the online form, for the ports of Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat by email to the port's veterinary office. The service is free. Your pet may only board once you have the written flight approval from the Veterinary Services at the port of arrival.

      Details and the official words

      If this is missed: Your pet may not board without the written flight approval.

      “בעלי חיות מחמד שעומדים בדרישות לפטור מרישיון יבוא יעבירו, לפחות 2 ימי עבודה לפני היציאה ממדינת המוצא, את הטופס ואת המסמכים הנדרשים באופן הבא:”

      “הצהרת בעלים והודעה על הגעת בעל חיים”

      “דוח מעבדה של בדיקת דם לנוגדני כלבת כמפורט בתנאי הבריאות”

      “השירות ניתן ללא עלות.”

      “ניתן להעלות את בעלי החיים על הטיסה, רק לאחר קבלת אישור בכתב מהשירות הווטרינרי בנמל הייבוא בישראל (אישור הטסה).”

      “Notification on Pet Arrival”

      “e-mail: vs-airport@moag.gov.il”

  3. Travel day and arrival

    1. RouteEntering Israel

      Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport or the ports of Haifa, Ashdod or Eilat

      Pets can only be brought into Israel through Ben Gurion Airport or the seaports of Haifa, Ashdod and Eilat.

      Details and the official words

Only in some cases

  1. Official stamp · only in some casesLeaving New Zealand

    Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC), if needed

    Pets leaving New Zealand may also need an Animal Welfare Export Certificate from MPI, which ensures animals travel and arrive in good health. Without a pet exporter, an MPI Official Veterinarian signs it before export.

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

    Details and the official words

    The Customs page doesn't say which trips need an AWEC. Ask MPI or a registered pet exporter for your destination.

    Cats and dogs exported to Australia are exempt (New Zealand Gazette notice No. 1195, 2001), so this step isn't shown for Australia.

    “Pets being taken out of New Zealand may also need an Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC) from MPI.”

    “AWECs ensure that animals travel and arrive in good health.”

    “Cats and dogs exported to Australia.”

Good to know

  • The no-licence route is only for owners over 18 who fly on the same plane as their pet.
  • Israel exempts pets from Australia, Cyprus, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden and the UK from the rabies vaccination before travel and the blood test, and lets them come from 3 months old. This only applies if your pet was born in one of these countries and has stayed there continuously until it travels, or has stayed in one of them continuously for more than a year; otherwise follow the standard rules (vaccination at least 30 days before arrival, blood test, 4 months old). A dog that isn't vaccinated against rabies must be vaccinated within 5 days of arriving in Israel.
  • Dogs of dangerous breeds, and crosses of them that look and behave like them, need an import licence and can't use the no-licence route: American Staffordshire Terrier (Amstaff), Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, Fila Brasileiro and Rottweiler. Breeding lines based on them (such as the American Bully and Shorty Bull) count as dangerous dogs too, and a Miniature Bull Terrier also needs an import licence. The licence for a dangerous dog has further conditions (owner over 18, dog neutered, owned for at least 18 months).
  • Israel does not let in pets whose tail or ears were docked, or that were tattooed or coloured for looks: they are sent back. A tattoo for pedigree or neutering marks is allowed. A dog or cat of a naturally short-tailed breed needs the vet's declaration (Annex D) with tail X-rays or a genetic test, sent with the request for flight approval (French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs and Boston Terriers with screw tails don't need it).
  • Pets on the no-licence route arrive through the passenger terminal. Go through the red channel, declare your pet to customs and show the flight approval.
  • If the Veterinary Services' requirements aren't fully met, the pet is sent back, put in quarantine or destroyed, as the Director of the Veterinary Services decides, and you pay all the costs (return, quarantine, tests, vaccinations and treatment). Keep your documents to hand: you must show them at the inspection.
  • Within five working days of your dog arriving in Israel, apply to the local authority where you will live for a dog licence (Dog Supervision Law, 2002).
  • Every pet leaving New Zealand must meet the destination country's requirements. MPI has agreed export requirements and certificates with most countries; the requirements set what the export certificate must say.
  • Customs advises contacting a registered pet exporter to organise the export. Some airlines only take animal bookings through a pet exporter, not from the public.

Cats

  1. Get ready

    1. Age ruleEntering Israel

      At least 4 months old on arrival (3 months from rabies-free countries)

      Your dog or cat must be over 4 months old on the day it arrives in Israel. Pets on Israel's rabies-free route (born and kept in, or more than a year in, Australia, Cyprus, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden or the UK) may come from 3 months old.

      Details and the official words
    2. IdentificationEntering Israel

      ISO microchip (134.2 kHz), before the rabies vaccination

      Your pet needs a microchip that transmits at 134.2 kHz and can be read by a reader meeting ISO 11784 and Annex A of ISO 11785. It must be implanted before the rabies vaccination and the blood test.

      Details and the official words

      “מסומן באמצעות סימון תת-עורי בשבב אלקטרוני: שמשדר בתדר 134.2 קילוהרץ.”

      “שבב זה יוחדר לבעל החיים לפני חיסון הכלבת ובדיקת הדם.”

      “All dogs and cats must be tagged with a subcutaneous electronic chip that transmits on a frequency of 134.2 kilohertz and can be read with a chip reader that conforms to the provisions of the ISO Standard No. 11784 and of Annex A of ISO Standard 11785.”

      “Please note that the pet's microchip must be implanted before or on the same date as the rabies vaccination documented on the health certificate.”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. PaperworkNew Zealand and Israel

      Israel's veterinary certificate (Annex A), valid for 10 days

      Your pet travels with Israel's 'Veterinary certificate for domestic dogs and cats entering Israel' (Annex A), issued no more than 10 days before arrival. An official veterinarian signs it, or a vet authorised by your country's veterinary authority signs it and that authority endorses it. It confirms the clinical examination (no signs of contagious or infectious disease), the microchip, the rabies vaccination and the blood test result.

      Details and the official words

      Export certificate signed by an MPI Official Veterinarian: The destination's export certificate is completed, signed off by an official veterinarian and travels with your pet. If you don't use a registered pet exporter, an MPI Official Veterinarian signs the export certificate before your pet leaves.

      If this is missed: Pets that don't meet the requirements in full are sent back, quarantined or destroyed, as the Director decides, at the owner's cost.

      “VETERINARY CERTIFICATE FOR DOMESTIC DOGS AND CATS ENTERING ISRAEL”

      “The certificate is valid for 10 days”

      “OFFICIAL VETERINARIAN OR VETERINARIAN AUTHORISED BY THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY (* ) (in the latter case, the competent authority must endorse the certificate)”

      “At the time of examination it did not exhibit any symptoms of contagious or infectious diseases”

      “תעודת הבריאות צריכה להיות מונפקת במהלך 10 ימים לפני מועד היבוא.”

      “All U.S. pet dogs and cats must be accompanied by the Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Pet Dogs and Cats from the United States of America to the State of Israel, issued by a USDA accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA-APHIS, no more than 10 days prior to arrival.”

      “Any health certificate without APHIS endorsement is not valid for dogs or cats entrance to Israel.”

      “Certificates are forms that need to be completed, signed off by an official veterinarian, and travel with your pet.”

      “If you are not using a pet exporter, you will need an MPI Official Veterinarian to sign the export certificate and AWEC prior to export.”

    2. PaperworkEntering Israel

      Owner's declaration (Annex B): your pet for at least 90 days

      Sign Israel's owner declaration (Annex B): your pet travels with the person responsible for it, it isn't for trade, and it has been in your possession for at least 90 days before you bring it to Israel. It goes with your request for flight approval. A pet you've had for less than 90 days can't use the no-licence route.

      Details and the official words
    3. NoticeEntering Israel

      Request flight approval at least 2 working days before you leave

      At least two working days before you leave for Israel, send the Veterinary Services the owner declaration and arrival notice (Annexes B and C), the health certificate and the rabies blood-test report: for Ben Gurion Airport through the online form, for the ports of Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat by email to the port's veterinary office. The service is free. Your pet may only board once you have the written flight approval from the Veterinary Services at the port of arrival.

      Details and the official words

      If this is missed: Your pet may not board without the written flight approval.

      “בעלי חיות מחמד שעומדים בדרישות לפטור מרישיון יבוא יעבירו, לפחות 2 ימי עבודה לפני היציאה ממדינת המוצא, את הטופס ואת המסמכים הנדרשים באופן הבא:”

      “הצהרת בעלים והודעה על הגעת בעל חיים”

      “דוח מעבדה של בדיקת דם לנוגדני כלבת כמפורט בתנאי הבריאות”

      “השירות ניתן ללא עלות.”

      “ניתן להעלות את בעלי החיים על הטיסה, רק לאחר קבלת אישור בכתב מהשירות הווטרינרי בנמל הייבוא בישראל (אישור הטסה).”

      “Notification on Pet Arrival”

      “e-mail: vs-airport@moag.gov.il”

  3. Travel day and arrival

    1. RouteEntering Israel

      Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport or the ports of Haifa, Ashdod or Eilat

      Pets can only be brought into Israel through Ben Gurion Airport or the seaports of Haifa, Ashdod and Eilat.

      Details and the official words

Only in some cases

  1. Official stamp · only in some casesLeaving New Zealand

    Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC), if needed

    Pets leaving New Zealand may also need an Animal Welfare Export Certificate from MPI, which ensures animals travel and arrive in good health. Without a pet exporter, an MPI Official Veterinarian signs it before export.

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

    Details and the official words

    The Customs page doesn't say which trips need an AWEC. Ask MPI or a registered pet exporter for your destination.

    Cats and dogs exported to Australia are exempt (New Zealand Gazette notice No. 1195, 2001), so this step isn't shown for Australia.

    “Pets being taken out of New Zealand may also need an Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC) from MPI.”

    “AWECs ensure that animals travel and arrive in good health.”

    “Cats and dogs exported to Australia.”

Good to know

  • The no-licence route is only for owners over 18 who fly on the same plane as their pet.
  • Israel exempts pets from Australia, Cyprus, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden and the UK from the rabies vaccination before travel and the blood test, and lets them come from 3 months old. This only applies if your pet was born in one of these countries and has stayed there continuously until it travels, or has stayed in one of them continuously for more than a year; otherwise follow the standard rules (vaccination at least 30 days before arrival, blood test, 4 months old). A dog that isn't vaccinated against rabies must be vaccinated within 5 days of arriving in Israel.
  • Wild cats (Bengal, Savannah), crosses with wild cats and their offspring can't be imported without written permission from Israel's Nature and Parks Authority, and then only with an import licence (not the no-licence route).
  • Israel does not let in pets whose tail or ears were docked, or that were tattooed or coloured for looks: they are sent back. A tattoo for pedigree or neutering marks is allowed. A dog or cat of a naturally short-tailed breed needs the vet's declaration (Annex D) with tail X-rays or a genetic test, sent with the request for flight approval (French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs and Boston Terriers with screw tails don't need it).
  • Pets on the no-licence route arrive through the passenger terminal. Go through the red channel, declare your pet to customs and show the flight approval.
  • If the Veterinary Services' requirements aren't fully met, the pet is sent back, put in quarantine or destroyed, as the Director of the Veterinary Services decides, and you pay all the costs (return, quarantine, tests, vaccinations and treatment). Keep your documents to hand: you must show them at the inspection.
  • Every pet leaving New Zealand must meet the destination country's requirements. MPI has agreed export requirements and certificates with most countries; the requirements set what the export certificate must say.
  • Customs advises contacting a registered pet exporter to organise the export. Some airlines only take animal bookings through a pet exporter, not from the public.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in New Zealand 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: ISO microchip (134.2 kHz), before the rabies vaccination47.30–156.75 NZD

    New Zealand: 3 published prices

No published prices yet for New Zealand: 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 New Zealand

Do before your pet leaves New Zealand (dogs)

  • Pre-export identification check by an official vet
  • Rabies vaccination (Category 3 countries)
  • Rabies antibody blood test, RNATT (Category 3 countries)

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

The trip back asks for 22 steps: permanent microchip, pre-export identification check by an official vet, rabies vaccination (Category 3 countries) and rabies antibody blood test, RNATT (Category 3 countries) and more.

Do before your pet leaves New Zealand (cats)

  • Pre-export identification check by an official vet
  • Rabies vaccination (Category 3 countries)
  • Rabies antibody blood test, RNATT (Category 3 countries)

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

The trip back asks for 12 steps: permanent microchip, pre-export identification check by an official vet, rabies vaccination (Category 3 countries) and rabies antibody blood test, RNATT (Category 3 countries) and more.

Every step from Israel to New Zealand

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from New Zealand to Israel?

No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.

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

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 Israel?

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 New Zealand to Israel?

With nothing done yet, start at least 4 days ahead for a dog. The main steps: ISO microchip (134.2 kHz), before the rabies vaccination, Israel's veterinary certificate (Annex A), valid for 10 days, Owner's declaration (Annex B): your pet for at least 90 days and request flight approval at least 2 working days before you leave.

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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