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Pet travel route

Dog or cat from Northern Ireland (UK) to Kenya: the rules

Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least about 6 months ahead. The main steps: 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 4 more.

Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 9 official pages

Make my dated plan Reverse: Kenya → Northern Ireland (UK)

In short

Limited official guidance. The authority for entering 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 import conditions on its own website. We follow the permit conditions published by the Embassy of Kenya in Spain (the same document is on the High Commission in Pretoria's site) and KenTrade's permit procedure. Other official texts say something different: the certificate Kenya agreed with the United States (2026) asks for no blood test and is valid for 30 days, while the Embassy of Kenya in Angola and the UK's certificate ask for a vet's certificate within 5 days of departure. The texts also disagree on how long the permit is valid (30 or 90 days), and none lists the rabies-free countries. The plan follows the strictest reading: 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

about 6 months

if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet

Set by: Rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment (primary vaccination at least 6 months before shipment)

about 3 months

if it is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: Rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment (not less than 3 months and not more than 24 months before shipment)

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

On this route

  • Rabies blood test needed
  • Import permit needed
  • Official stamp on the certificate

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

Prefer a feed reader? Northern Ireland (UK) rule changes · Kenya rule changes

Northern Ireland (UK) → Kenya

What your pet needs

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

Bringing a dog or cat into Kenya: 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 Kenya

      Microchip (or other permanent identification)

      Your pet must be identified by a permanent mark such as a microchip, and its number must be on the veterinary certificate. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).

      Details and the official words

      “Were identified by a permanent mark (such as a microchip) and their identification number shall be stated in the certificate or had any other adequate identification; and”

    2. VaccinationEntering Kenya

      Rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment

      Your pet's first (primary) rabies vaccination must be given when it is at least 3 months old, and at least 6 months (and at most 1 year) before shipment; a booster must be given at most 1 year before shipment. Use an inactivated vaccine or a recombinant vaccine. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).

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

      Details and the official words

      The 6-month wait is in the permit conditions only. The Embassy of Kenya in Angola instead asks, for a pet vaccinated less than 6 months before departure, for a government vet's certificate that there has been no rabies within 50 km in the last 6 months, and the US certificate has no wait. The plan follows the permit conditions.

      “Not less than 6 months and not more than one year prior to shipment in the case of a primary vaccination, which should have been carried out when the animals were at least 3 months old;”

      “With an inactivated virus vaccine or with a recombinant vaccine expressing the rabies virus glycoprotein; and”

    3. VaccinationEntering Kenya

      Rabies vaccination within the last year

      The latest rabies vaccination (the first one, or the last booster) must be at most 1 year before shipment. If it will be older on the day your pet leaves, give a booster before then.

      Details and the official words

      Add the date of your pet's most recent rabies shot to check this.

      “Not more than one year prior to shipment in the case of a booster vaccination;”

    4. Blood testEntering Kenya

      Rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment

      Your pet needs a rabies antibody test (as set out in the World Organisation for Animal Health manual) with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken between 24 months and 3 months before shipment. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).

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

      Details and the official words

      The blood test is in the permit conditions only: the Embassy of Kenya in Angola's list, the UK's certificate and the US certificate don't mention it. The plan keeps it; ask the Directorate of Veterinary Services whether your pet needs it.

      “Were subjected not less than 3 months and not more than 24 months prior to shipment to an antibody test as prescribed in the OIE Terrestrial Manual with a positive result equivalent to at least 0.5 IU/ml;”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. PermitEntering Kenya

      Import permit (VS01) from the Directorate of Veterinary Services

      Apply online on KenTrade's Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) for the import permit for dogs and cats (VS01), with a copy of your pet's vaccination certificate from its country of origin, and pay the processing fee (up to KES 500 per animal). The permit covers one consignment and travels with your pet. The permit conditions and the Embassy of Kenya in Angola say it is valid for at most 30 days; KenTrade's page says 90 days. The plan uses 30 days.

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

      Details and the official words

      Processing fee: KES 0 to 500 per animal (KenTrade's estimate), paid by M-PESA or at a bank.

      The application also asks for a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) number.

      “This import permit shall be valid for a maximum of thirty (30) days and shall only be for one consignment.”

      “The permit is valid for thirty (30) days from the date of the issue and is only valid for one consignment.”

      “This import permit shall accompany the animal during importation.”

      “The import permit is processed through the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP), and is issued per consignment. The permit is valid for a period of ninety (90) days.”

      “Vaccination certificate (copy)”

      “KES 0 - KES 500 per animal”

    2. PaperworkNorthern Ireland (UK) and Kenya

      International veterinary certificate, dated at most 48 hours before departure

      Your pet travels with an international veterinary certificate, dated no more than 48 hours before it boards, stating that it showed no sign of rabies (on the day of shipment and in the 48 hours before) and is clinically free of other contagious and infectious diseases and of internal and external parasites. It also states the microchip number and the rabies vaccination and blood test.

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

      Details and the official words

      48 hours is the permit conditions' limit. The Embassy of Kenya in Angola and the UK's certificate say 5 days before departure, and the US certificate is valid for 30 days. The plan uses the shortest.

      Export health certificate from your authorised private vet practice: The authorised private vet practice (aPVP) you chose in DECS issues the final certificate. Its dates follow the destination's rules for the certificate.

      “No canine or feline animal shall be imported into Kenya from any country unless accompanied by an international veterinary certificate attesting that the animal:”

      “Showed no clinical sign of rabies on the day of shipment;”

      “Showed no clinical sign of rabies within 48 hours of shipment;”

      “Is clinically free of symptoms of any other contagious and infectious disease and internal and external parasites, the certificate being dated not more than 48 hours before embarkation;”

      “which must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate from the country of origin to ascertain that the animals are healthy and disease free.”

      “You will also be asked to select your chosen authorised private veterinary practice (aPVP) from a drop down menu within the application, who will be responsible for issuing the final EHC”

      Pets Exports · Completing an Export Health Certificate (EHC) application for a Third Country i.e. non-EU countries

    3. Official stampLeaving Northern Ireland (UK)

      Apply for the export health certificate in DAERA's DECS

      For a non-EU destination you usually need an export health certificate (EHC). You apply yourself in the DAERA Export Certification System (DECS), filling in the certificate for your destination and choosing an authorised private vet practice (aPVP). Apply no earlier than 10 days before export; DAERA advises applying at the latest 2 days before.

      Details and the official words

      “An Export Health Certificate (EHC) is usually required if the final destination of the animals is a non-EU country, whether the export is commercial or non-commercial.”

      Pets Exports · Completing an Export Health Certificate (EHC) application for a Third Country i.e. non-EU countries

      “EHC applications for the export of pets to Third Country destinations are made by the pet owner using the DAERA Export Certification system (DECS).”

      Pets Exports · Completing an Export Health Certificate (EHC) application for a Third Country i.e. non-EU countries

      “NOTE: The earliest you can apply is 10 days before the planned date of export. However, we also advise applying at latest 2 days before planned date of export.”

      Pets Exports · Completing an Export Health Certificate (EHC) application for a Third Country i.e. non-EU countries

  3. Travel day and arrival

    1. TransportEntering Kenya

      Fly as manifest cargo, not in the cabin or as checked baggage

      Your pet must travel to Kenya as manifest cargo in the aircraft's freight compartment, not in the passenger cabin or as excess baggage. Book this with your airline.

      Details and the official words

      “Animals entering Kenya should travel as Manifest Cargo and use the Freight Compartment of the aircraft. They should not travel as baggage-cargo or in passenger cabins.”

    2. TransportEntering Kenya

      Certificate from the captain that your pet stayed on board and apart

      Your pet needs a certificate from the captain of the aircraft (or ship, or the driver) stating that it didn't leave the craft between boarding and arrival in Kenya and was kept apart from other dogs and cats throughout the journey. Ask your airline's cargo office to provide it.

      Details and the official words

      “The animal shall be accompanied by a certificate from the captain of the ship or aircraft or driver of a vessel in which the animal traveled to Kenya certifying that the animal has not left the vessel between the place of embarkation and the place of entry into Kenya, and has been isolated from all other canine and feline animals throughout the journey.”

Good to know

  • A pet that has lived since birth, or for the 6 months before shipment, in a rabies-free country (as defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health) doesn't need the microchip, rabies vaccination and blood test steps below. Kenya doesn't publish a list of these countries, so the plan keeps the steps: ask the Directorate of Veterinary Services if your country counts.
  • A pet that isn't vaccinated against rabies, or doesn't meet the microchip, vaccination and blood test conditions, may be placed in a quarantine station in Kenya for up to 6 months, at the owner's cost.
  • Kenya's official texts don't agree. The permit conditions (followed here) ask for a blood test, a first vaccination at least 6 months before shipment and a certificate dated at most 48 hours before boarding. The Embassy of Kenya in Angola asks instead for a vet's certificate signed at most 5 days before departure and, for a pet vaccinated less than 6 months before departure, a government vet's certificate that there has been no rabies within 50 km of its home in the last 6 months; the UK's certificate for Kenya also uses 5 days. Follow what your permit says, and ask the Directorate of Veterinary Services if in doubt.
  • Arriving by land (or anywhere other than Nairobi by air or Mombasa by sea)? Report your pet to the nearest veterinary office within 3 days of arrival.
  • Check that an export health certificate exists for your destination on DEFRA's 'Find an export health certificate'; if there is none, email DAERA (Daeratradeexports@daera-ni.gov.uk). Its notes for guidance say whether you also need an import permit or approval from the destination, which you get before applying.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in Northern Ireland (UK) 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: microchip (or other permanent identification)20–34.39 GBP

    the United Kingdom: 4 published prices

    • Station House Vets: Microchip implantation (price list updated August 2026, prices include VAT)20 GBP · per pet · read 2026-10-13
    • The Animal Health Centre (Shrewsbury): Microchipping20.50 GBP · per pet · read 2026-10-13
    • Green Vets (York): ID chip (microchip) (price list updated August 2026)27 GBP · per pet · read 2026-10-13
    • Donaldsons Vets: Microchip (prices stated as correct as of January 2026)34.39 GBP · per pet · read 2026-10-13
  • Rabies vaccinationyour vet · for: rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment, rabies vaccination within the last year62.50–140 GBP

    the United Kingdom: 4 published prices

  • Rabies blood testan approved laboratory, through your vet · for: rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment180 GBP

    the United Kingdom: 1 published price

    • Export Vets (Bodmin, Cornwall): Rabies titre blood test, vet's published price (the page does not say whether the lab fee is included)180 GBP · per test · read 2026-10-13
  • Rabies blood test: the lab’s own pricean approved laboratory; your vet adds the blood draw and the courier · for: rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipmentPrices from 8 countries

    Austria: 1 published price

    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

    Japan: 1 published price

    Poland: 1 published price

    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

    South Africa: 1 published price

  • Health certificate (vet’s fee)your vet · for: international veterinary certificate, dated at most 48 hours before departure99–315 GBP

    the United Kingdom: 8 published prices

    • Export Vets (Bodmin, Cornwall): Animal Health Certificate for one pet (two pets £149; urgent AHC within 2 working days £180)99 GBP · 1 pet · read 2026-10-13
    • Two Rivers Veterinary Practice: Animal Health Certificate for the EU (additional pet £48.00)156 GBP · per certificate · read 2026-10-13
    • The Travelling Vet for Travelling Pets (Kirin): Animal Health Certificate for EU travel with one telephone advice consult and one home visit (mobile vet); £40 per additional animal on the same AHC180 GBP · first animal (additional animals £40, up to 4) · read 2026-10-13
    • Donaldsons Vets: Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for a registered client; additional pet supplement £68.11; non-registered clients £262.63186.92 GBP · per certificate (registered client) · read 2026-10-13
    • Station House Vets: Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for a single pet (multiple-pet prices on request)195 GBP · single pet · read 2026-10-13
    • The Animal Health Centre (Shrewsbury): Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for the first pet, including a travel consultation; £115 for each additional pet215 GBP · first pet (additional pet £115) · read 2026-10-13
    • Station House Vets: Export Health Certificate (EHC) for travel outside the EU; the page says the price varies by destination country315 GBP · per certificate · read 2026-10-13
    • Langford Vet Practice: Issuing an Animal Health Certificate315 GBP · per certificate · read 2026-10-13

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

If you need them Not official figures

  • Travel cratea pet shop or the airline73.99 GBP
    • Pets Corner: Ferplast Atlas 30 pet carrier (plastic travel carrier; the page says it meets IATA international standards for air travel; no dimensions or pet weight given on the page)73.99 GBP · read 2026-10-13

Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.

Round trip

Coming back to Northern Ireland (UK)

Do before your pet leaves Northern Ireland (UK) (dogs)

  • Microchip
  • Rabies vaccination
  • Rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait

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

The trip back asks for 7 steps: microchip, rabies vaccination, rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait and animal health certificate and more.

Do before your pet leaves Northern Ireland (UK) (cats)

  • Microchip
  • Rabies vaccination
  • Rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait

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

The trip back asks for 6 steps: microchip, rabies vaccination, rabies antibody blood test, then a 3-month wait and animal health certificate and more.

Every step from Kenya to Northern Ireland (UK)

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

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

Entering KenyaLeaving Northern Ireland (UK)Report a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Northern Ireland (UK) to Kenya?

Yes: Your pet needs a rabies antibody test (as set out in the World Organisation for Animal Health manual) with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken between 24 months and 3 months before shipment.

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

Yes: Apply online on KenTrade's Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) for the import permit for dogs and cats (VS01), with a copy of your pet's vaccination certificate from its country of origin, and pay the processing fee (up to KES 500 per animal).

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Kenya?

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 Northern Ireland (UK) to Kenya?

With nothing done yet, start at least about 6 months ahead. The main steps: 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 4 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

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