Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from Saudi Arabia → the United States
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.
How early to start
2 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)
2 weeks
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Counted only from the officially fixed waiting periods. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times are on top, so start earlier.
Which rules apply to you
Saudi Arabia is in the group “Dog rabies-free or low-risk” in the United States’s published list.See every group
Headlines for the United States
- Rabies blood test for some origins
- Designated entry point for some trips
What your dog needs
Dogs
Paperwork
CDC Dog Import Form
Fill in the free CDC Dog Import Form online (one per dog) and keep the emailed receipt to show on arrival. You can submit it up to the day of travel; the receipt is valid for 6 months unless your dog visits another country in that time.
Details and the official words
The receipt stops being valid if your dog visits a high-risk country, or a different low-risk country, during those 6 months — then you need a new form.
If your travel date or port of entry changes, submit a new form.
“the receipt is valid for 6 months from when it's issued unless the dog visits a high-risk country or a different dog rabies-free or low-risk country during that time”
Age rule
Dog at least 6 months old
Dogs must be at least 6 months old when they enter or return to the U.S.
Details and the official words
“Dogs must be at least 6 months old at time of entry or return to the U.S.”
Identification
Microchip
Your dog must have a microchip that a universal scanner can detect. If it has been in a high-risk country, the chip must have been implanted before the rabies vaccine.
Details and the official words
“Dogs must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them.”
“The microchip must be implanted before getting the rabies vaccine, or else the vaccine will be invalid.”
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
- Your destination state may have its own rules (for example a rabies vaccination or health certificate). Check with the state veterinarian before you travel.
- If your dog comes from a region affected by screwworm, USDA requires a certificate from a full-time salaried government vet confirming a screwworm inspection within 5 days before shipment. Check USDA's list of affected regions.
- 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
On arrival
Cat appears healthy on arrival
Cats must appear healthy on arrival and may be inspected. No federal proof of rabies vaccination is required, but CDC recommends it and your destination state may require it.
Details and the official words
“Cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination for importation into the United States.”
“APHIS Veterinary Services does not have any animal health requirements related to bringing (importing) a pet cat”
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
- Your destination state may have its own rules (for example a rabies vaccination or health certificate). Check with the state veterinarian before you travel.
- 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 the United States?
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 the United States?
Yes: Attach a copy of the import permit issued by the importing country.
Will my dog be quarantined in the United States?
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?
Yes: Your dog must have a microchip that a universal scanner can detect.