Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from Saudi Arabia → New Zealand
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
Limited official guidance. The authority for entering New Zealand publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. This follows the 2026 Import Health Standard (in force from 1 July 2026). It sends many details to MPI's separate list of approved vaccines, tests and treatments, which we don't reproduce: your vet needs it. Pets coming from Australia are not covered yet. Until 1 April 2027 the 2021 standard can still be used instead, which we have not read.
Which rules apply to you
Saudi Arabia is in the group “Not on MPI's lists: cats and dogs cannot be imported from this country” in New Zealand’s published list.See every group
Headlines for New Zealand
- Rabies blood test for some origins
- Import permit for some pets
- Quarantine possible
- Extra disease test for some origins
- Some origins not allowed
What your dog needs
Dogs
New Zealand only accepts cats and dogs from countries MPI has approved (Categories 1, 2 and 3), and this country is not on those lists. Your pet would have to live in an approved country first, or the exporting country's veterinary authority would have to ask MPI to approve it.
Permit
Import permit and conditions from the destination
Attach a copy of the import permit issued by the importing country. It must state the animal health conditions required, and come from the competent authority responsible for livestock in the importing country.
Details and the official words
“A copy of the import permit issued by the importing country must be attached, indicating the required animal health conditions.”
Permit
MEWA export permit (Naama platform)
Request the export permit on the Naama platform at least 15 days before the shipment date. It is valid for 30 days from issue, and your pet must leave through the port named in it.
Details and the official words
“The export permit request must be submitted at least 15 days before the shipment date”
“The export permit is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance”
“The shipment must depart through the port specified in the export permit”
Official stamp
Health requirements applied through MEWA and endorsed in the export health certificate
The importing country's veterinary health requirements must be carried out through the Ministry's clinics or offices, then verified and endorsed in the export health certificate.
Details and the official words
“must be verified and endorsed in the export health certificate”
Good to know
- Banned in New Zealand: Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario and American Pit Bull Terrier-type dogs (any dog that belongs wholly or predominantly to them).
- Bengal cats can be imported. Other hybrid cats and dogs are likely to be treated as 'new organisms' and need approval from the Environmental Protection Authority before they come.
- The Ministry can set and schedule your pet's departure date according to the capacity of the quarantine facility at the exit port.
- All quarantine procedures follow the Veterinary Quarantine Law and the Animal Welfare Law of the GCC states, and their executive regulations as enforced in Saudi Arabia.
What your cat needs
Cats
New Zealand only accepts cats and dogs from countries MPI has approved (Categories 1, 2 and 3), and this country is not on those lists. Your pet would have to live in an approved country first, or the exporting country's veterinary authority would have to ask MPI to approve it.
Permit
Import permit and conditions from the destination
Attach a copy of the import permit issued by the importing country. It must state the animal health conditions required, and come from the competent authority responsible for livestock in the importing country.
Details and the official words
“A copy of the import permit issued by the importing country must be attached, indicating the required animal health conditions.”
Permit
MEWA export permit (Naama platform)
Request the export permit on the Naama platform at least 15 days before the shipment date. It is valid for 30 days from issue, and your pet must leave through the port named in it.
Details and the official words
“The export permit request must be submitted at least 15 days before the shipment date”
“The export permit is valid for 30 days from the date of issuance”
“The shipment must depart through the port specified in the export permit”
Official stamp
Health requirements applied through MEWA and endorsed in the export health certificate
The importing country's veterinary health requirements must be carried out through the Ministry's clinics or offices, then verified and endorsed in the export health certificate.
Details and the official words
“must be verified and endorsed in the export health certificate”
Good to know
- Bengal cats can be imported. Other hybrid cats and dogs are likely to be treated as 'new organisms' and need approval from the Environmental Protection Authority before they come.
- The Ministry can set and schedule your pet's departure date according to the capacity of the quarantine facility at the exit port.
- All quarantine procedures follow the Veterinary Quarantine Law and the Animal Welfare Law of the GCC states, and their executive regulations as enforced in Saudi Arabia.
Common questions
Does my dog need a rabies blood test to go from Saudi Arabia to New Zealand?
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 into New Zealand?
Yes: Attach a copy of the import permit issued by the importing country.
Will my dog be quarantined in New Zealand?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog need a microchip?
The official rules we have verified for this route don't list a microchip requirement.