Pet travel route
Dog or cat from South Africa to Thailand: the rules
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: microchip, recorded on the vaccination record, rabies vaccination (first one at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before departure) and dogs: leptospirosis vaccination, or a negative test within 30 days before departure and 6 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 14 official pages
In short
- Dogs and cats differ on this route: choose Dog or Cat to see just yours.
- On this route: import permit needed and tell the authority in advance.
- No rabies blood test or quarantine on this route for a pet that meets the rules.
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving South Africa publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. In South Africa a state veterinarian of your province certifies your pet's export health certificate (the national Department of Agriculture's information pack confirms this is a provincial task). The only province whose pet guidance we could read is the Western Cape (its page, and info sheets from 2023 and 2024), so the booking time and fee here are the Western Cape's. Other provinces may book, charge and time things differently: ask your provincial state vet office, and check the destination's own requirements.
At a glance
How early to start (dogs)
3 weeks
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Rabies vaccination (first one at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before departure) (21 days after a primary (or lapsed) vaccination)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (dogs)
- No rabies blood test
- Import permit needed
- No quarantine
- Tell the authority in advance
How early to start (cats)
3 weeks
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Rabies vaccination (first one at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before departure) (21 days after a primary (or lapsed) vaccination)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (cats)
- No rabies blood test
- Import permit needed
- No quarantine
- Tell the authority in advance
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South Africa → Thailand
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether South Africa (leaving) or Thailand (entering) asks for it.
Dogs
Get ready
Age ruleEntering Thailand
At least 4 months old
Your pet must be at least 4 months old to be imported into Thailand.
Details and the official words
“Pets must be at least 4 months old to be able to import into Thailand.”
“Pet(s) must be at least 4 months old”
IdentificationEntering Thailand
Microchip, recorded on the vaccination record
Your pet's vaccination record gives its microchip number, and the import permit application includes a microchip certificate. On arrival the station checks that the number on the documents matches the pet.
Details and the official words
“Pet’s details (breed, sex, DOB, color, and microchip no.)”
“Microchip certificate”
“the microchip no. on the document must conform with the animal bears”
VaccinationEntering Thailand
Rabies vaccination (first one at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before departure)
Dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies, and the vaccination record must be in English and give the vet's full name, licence number and signature. A first (primary) rabies vaccination must be given at 12 weeks old or older. After a first vaccination, or one given after the previous one lapsed, wait 21 days before departure; a booster given while the previous vaccination was still valid needs no wait (attach the earlier records).
Details and the official words
DLD's older requirement sheet (2015) lets pets from a country free of rabies for the past 12 months skip the vaccination; the current Suvarnabhumi station guidance lists rabies for every dog and cat. If your pet comes from a rabies-free country, ask the station.
“Dog: Rabies**, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus, and Leptospirosis*** vaccines”
“Cat: Rabies** and Feline Panleukopenia vaccines”
“In case of primary Rabies vaccine: animal was at least 12 weeks old at the time of administration.”
“In case of primary or discontinuity vaccination, animal must wait for 21 days since vaccination before departure. However, animal has valid booster vaccination, a waiting period is not required and the previous vaccination records should be attached.”
“Veterinarian’s details who administrates vaccines (full name, license number, and signature)”
“The country has been free from Rabies for at least the past 12 (twelve) months OR the animals are vaccinated against Rabies with an official approved vaccine not less than 21 (twenty- one) days prior to the departure.”
VaccinationEntering Thailand
Dogs: leptospirosis vaccination, or a negative test within 30 days before departure
Your dog needs a valid leptospirosis vaccination. A first (or lapsed) vaccination must be at least 21 days before departure; a booster given while the last one was still valid needs no wait. A dog without a valid leptospirosis vaccination needs a negative leptospirosis test within the 30 days before departure instead.
Details and the official words
“In case of dogs that did not have a valid Leptospirosis vaccine: dogs must have a negative result for the Leptospirosis test within 30 days prior to departure”
“In case of primary or discontinuity vaccination, animal must wait for 21 days since vaccination before departure.”
VaccinationEntering Thailand
Other vaccinations: distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus (dogs); feline panleukopenia (cats)
Your dog needs valid canine distemper, canine hepatitis and canine parvovirus vaccinations. A first (or lapsed) vaccination must be at least 21 days before departure; a booster given while the last one was still valid needs no wait.
Details and the official words
“Dog: Rabies**, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus, and Leptospirosis*** vaccines”
“Cat: Rabies** and Feline Panleukopenia vaccines”
“In case of primary or discontinuity vaccination, animal must wait for 21 days since vaccination before departure.”
PermitEntering Thailand
Import permit from the animal quarantine station at your arrival airport
Email the animal quarantine station at the airport where you will arrive (for Suvarnabhumi, qsap_bkk_import@dld.go.th) at least 7 working days before arrival: the application form R1/1, a copy of your passport, a photo of your pet with its face clearly shown, and its vaccination record in English, as one PDF per animal. The station emails the import permit within 7 working days; it is valid for 60 days. (A pet travelling with you may instead get the permit on arrival: see the note below. Airlines may ask for the permit before boarding.)
Details and the official words
“must be submit at least 7 working days before arrival only”
“An applicant importing pets by air cargo to Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport needs to obtain an import permit in advance by submitting the relevant documents below at least 7 working days prior to importation;”
“An application R1/1 form”
“Copy of passenger’s passport”
“Pet’s photo with its face clearly shown”
“Vaccination record* (must be in English) which includes”
“For the importation of more than one pet, the documents should be attached separately, one animal for one pdf file.”
“The staff will review the documents and send an import permit by email within 7 working days.”
“An import permit is valid for 60 days. If a flight, date, and time are rescheduled within 60 days, it can be used without applying for a new one.”
In the days before you travel
Vet examLeaving South Africa
Health check and health certificate from your private vet
Take your pet to your private vet for a health check. The vet completes a standard veterinary health certificate (blank forms from the state vet office, and Western Cape templates for many destinations) and must have done all the tests, treatments and vaccinations the destination asks for: ones not done by the vet are not accepted for certification. The province's general guide asks for the health check within 7 days of travel, depending on what the destination's import permit says.
Details and the official words
“Your pet should be taken to your local private veterinarian for a health check.”
“Your veterinarian should complete a standard Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC).”
“Your veterinarian must have completed all the tests, treatments and vaccinations indicated on the import permit.”
“A health check within 7 days of travel depending on what is specified on the import permit”
PaperworkSouth Africa and Thailand
Official health certificate, endorsed by the exporting country's government (valid 10 days)
Before departure, get an official health certificate stating Thailand's health requirements from the veterinary authorities of the country your pet leaves from. It must be in English, endorsed and stamped by the government, legible, accurate and complete. The certificate for dogs and cats is valid for 10 days after endorsement, so your pet must arrive within that time. Bring the original: stations have said that digitally signed or stamped copies are not accepted.
Details and the official words
State vet certifies the health certificate: Bring the signed health certificate, the destination's import permit (some destinations, such as EU countries and Namibia, don't issue one), your pet's vaccination booklet, supporting documents and your ID or driver's licence to the state vet office. The state vet certifies the certificate. You pay the application fee at the appointment (R200 per application in 2023 in the Western Cape).
Fee: R200 per application in 2023 (Western Cape general info sheet; its EU info sheet says R209). It is set by the province's tariff list and may have changed.
“Before departure, please contact the Veterinary authorities in exporting country to obtain an official health certificate which stating the health requirement.”
“The health certificate must have endorsement and stamped from the government.”
“The health certificate must be legible, accurate and complete.”
“A health certificate in English, signed or further endorsed by a full-time authorized veterinary official of the government of the exporting country”
“The certificate for dogs and cats is valid for 10 days after endorsement”
“The AQS won’t accept any digitally signed/stamped copy of the health certificate.”
“Pets travelling out of South Africa generally require a Veterinary Health Certificate certified by a state veterinarian.”
“An import permit from the country you are going to (some countries such as EU countries and Namibia do not issue these, for further information contact your local State Vet)”
“The signed VHC, import permit as well as your pet’s vaccination booklet and supporting documents should be brought to the SV office for certification.”
“Cost for application in 2023 is R200 each”
NoticeLeaving South Africa
Book an appointment with the state vet office
State vet offices certify pets by appointment only. In Cape Town, email vetexport@westerncape.gov.za with the time slot you want, the number of pets and their destination, at least 2 days ahead; other offices ask you to book in good time because the state vet is not always available.
Details and the official words
“To make an appointment, clients are required to send an e-mail to vetexport@westerncape.gov.za with their required time slot.”
“Clients are required to make an appointment at least 2 days in advance.”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Thailand
Veterinary inspection at the animal quarantine station on arrival
On arrival, take your pet to the animal quarantine station with the original health certificate, the original pet passport or vaccination record, your passport and the printed import permit. The station checks the documents and the microchip, issues the notice of import approval (form R-6) and the import licence (form R-7), and charges 500 baht per pet and 10 baht per shipment. If everything is in order the pet is released the same day. At Suvarnabhumi, pets in the cabin or checked baggage go to the station next to baggage carousel 8 (open 24 hours); pets sent as cargo are cleared at the cargo terminal station.
Details and the official words
“Original Official Health Certificate which stating the health requirement”
“Original pet passport or vaccination record (must be in English) which includes”
“If the documents are complete, the animal will be released on arrival date and a processing fee of 500 baht/pet and 10 baht/shipment will be charged and a receipt provided.”
“A Notice of Import Approval (Form R-6) and Import License (Form R-7) will be issued.”
“A print out of the Import Permit”
“The Animal Quarantine Station at Suvarnabhumi Airport is located next to baggage carousel #8.”
“If the animals do not meet the import requirements upon arrival or any document is not in order, the violator shall be fined or the animal shall be returned to the country of export, at the owner's expense.”
Good to know
- A pet travelling with you in the cabin or as checked baggage may get its import permit on arrival instead of in advance, if you bring the original endorsed health certificate, the vaccination records and the application form R1/1. Airlines may still want to see a Thai import permit before boarding, and the stations advise against this with a short connection, so we show the permit as a step before you travel.
- A pet that shows no sign of illness is not quarantined, but the quarantine officer may hold any animal at the quarantine station. (DLD's older requirement sheet for dogs and cats, which Thai embassies still link, mentions at least 30 days of quarantine on arrival; the embassies' current guidance says healthy pets are not quarantined. Ask the quarantine station if you are unsure.)
- Your pet must travel in a nose-and-paw-proof crate designed to avoid any risk of injury or unnecessary suffering.
- Thailand bans no dog breeds, but airlines may have their own restrictions.
- Export certification is done by the veterinary services of your province, so contact the state vet office where you live. In the Western Cape: the Cape Town Veterinary Export Certification Office (34 Roeland Street, vetexport@westerncape.gov.za, by appointment Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 12:00) or the regional state vet offices.
- The destination sets the rules, and you are responsible for getting its import requirements. Check them with the destination's veterinary authority (or its representatives in South Africa) before each trip; the province's info sheets are only a guide.
- Coming back to South Africa later? Dogs and cats entering South Africa need a veterinary import permit from the national Department of Agriculture (VetPermits@nda.gov.za).
Cats
Get ready
Age ruleEntering Thailand
At least 4 months old
Your pet must be at least 4 months old to be imported into Thailand.
Details and the official words
“Pets must be at least 4 months old to be able to import into Thailand.”
“Pet(s) must be at least 4 months old”
IdentificationEntering Thailand
Microchip, recorded on the vaccination record
Your pet's vaccination record gives its microchip number, and the import permit application includes a microchip certificate. On arrival the station checks that the number on the documents matches the pet.
Details and the official words
“Pet’s details (breed, sex, DOB, color, and microchip no.)”
“Microchip certificate”
“the microchip no. on the document must conform with the animal bears”
VaccinationEntering Thailand
Rabies vaccination (first one at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before departure)
Dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies, and the vaccination record must be in English and give the vet's full name, licence number and signature. A first (primary) rabies vaccination must be given at 12 weeks old or older. After a first vaccination, or one given after the previous one lapsed, wait 21 days before departure; a booster given while the previous vaccination was still valid needs no wait (attach the earlier records).
Details and the official words
DLD's older requirement sheet (2015) lets pets from a country free of rabies for the past 12 months skip the vaccination; the current Suvarnabhumi station guidance lists rabies for every dog and cat. If your pet comes from a rabies-free country, ask the station.
“Dog: Rabies**, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus, and Leptospirosis*** vaccines”
“Cat: Rabies** and Feline Panleukopenia vaccines”
“In case of primary Rabies vaccine: animal was at least 12 weeks old at the time of administration.”
“In case of primary or discontinuity vaccination, animal must wait for 21 days since vaccination before departure. However, animal has valid booster vaccination, a waiting period is not required and the previous vaccination records should be attached.”
“Veterinarian’s details who administrates vaccines (full name, license number, and signature)”
“The country has been free from Rabies for at least the past 12 (twelve) months OR the animals are vaccinated against Rabies with an official approved vaccine not less than 21 (twenty- one) days prior to the departure.”
VaccinationEntering Thailand
Other vaccinations: distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus (dogs); feline panleukopenia (cats)
Your cat needs a valid feline panleukopenia vaccination. A first (or lapsed) vaccination must be at least 21 days before departure; a booster given while the last one was still valid needs no wait.
Details and the official words
“Dog: Rabies**, Canine Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus, and Leptospirosis*** vaccines”
“Cat: Rabies** and Feline Panleukopenia vaccines”
“In case of primary or discontinuity vaccination, animal must wait for 21 days since vaccination before departure.”
PermitEntering Thailand
Import permit from the animal quarantine station at your arrival airport
Email the animal quarantine station at the airport where you will arrive (for Suvarnabhumi, qsap_bkk_import@dld.go.th) at least 7 working days before arrival: the application form R1/1, a copy of your passport, a photo of your pet with its face clearly shown, and its vaccination record in English, as one PDF per animal. The station emails the import permit within 7 working days; it is valid for 60 days. (A pet travelling with you may instead get the permit on arrival: see the note below. Airlines may ask for the permit before boarding.)
Details and the official words
“must be submit at least 7 working days before arrival only”
“An applicant importing pets by air cargo to Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport needs to obtain an import permit in advance by submitting the relevant documents below at least 7 working days prior to importation;”
“An application R1/1 form”
“Copy of passenger’s passport”
“Pet’s photo with its face clearly shown”
“Vaccination record* (must be in English) which includes”
“For the importation of more than one pet, the documents should be attached separately, one animal for one pdf file.”
“The staff will review the documents and send an import permit by email within 7 working days.”
“An import permit is valid for 60 days. If a flight, date, and time are rescheduled within 60 days, it can be used without applying for a new one.”
In the days before you travel
Vet examLeaving South Africa
Health check and health certificate from your private vet
Take your pet to your private vet for a health check. The vet completes a standard veterinary health certificate (blank forms from the state vet office, and Western Cape templates for many destinations) and must have done all the tests, treatments and vaccinations the destination asks for: ones not done by the vet are not accepted for certification. The province's general guide asks for the health check within 7 days of travel, depending on what the destination's import permit says.
Details and the official words
“Your pet should be taken to your local private veterinarian for a health check.”
“Your veterinarian should complete a standard Veterinary Health Certificate (VHC).”
“Your veterinarian must have completed all the tests, treatments and vaccinations indicated on the import permit.”
“A health check within 7 days of travel depending on what is specified on the import permit”
PaperworkSouth Africa and Thailand
Official health certificate, endorsed by the exporting country's government (valid 10 days)
Before departure, get an official health certificate stating Thailand's health requirements from the veterinary authorities of the country your pet leaves from. It must be in English, endorsed and stamped by the government, legible, accurate and complete. The certificate for dogs and cats is valid for 10 days after endorsement, so your pet must arrive within that time. Bring the original: stations have said that digitally signed or stamped copies are not accepted.
Details and the official words
State vet certifies the health certificate: Bring the signed health certificate, the destination's import permit (some destinations, such as EU countries and Namibia, don't issue one), your pet's vaccination booklet, supporting documents and your ID or driver's licence to the state vet office. The state vet certifies the certificate. You pay the application fee at the appointment (R200 per application in 2023 in the Western Cape).
Fee: R200 per application in 2023 (Western Cape general info sheet; its EU info sheet says R209). It is set by the province's tariff list and may have changed.
“Before departure, please contact the Veterinary authorities in exporting country to obtain an official health certificate which stating the health requirement.”
“The health certificate must have endorsement and stamped from the government.”
“The health certificate must be legible, accurate and complete.”
“A health certificate in English, signed or further endorsed by a full-time authorized veterinary official of the government of the exporting country”
“The certificate for dogs and cats is valid for 10 days after endorsement”
“The AQS won’t accept any digitally signed/stamped copy of the health certificate.”
“Pets travelling out of South Africa generally require a Veterinary Health Certificate certified by a state veterinarian.”
“An import permit from the country you are going to (some countries such as EU countries and Namibia do not issue these, for further information contact your local State Vet)”
“The signed VHC, import permit as well as your pet’s vaccination booklet and supporting documents should be brought to the SV office for certification.”
“Cost for application in 2023 is R200 each”
NoticeLeaving South Africa
Book an appointment with the state vet office
State vet offices certify pets by appointment only. In Cape Town, email vetexport@westerncape.gov.za with the time slot you want, the number of pets and their destination, at least 2 days ahead; other offices ask you to book in good time because the state vet is not always available.
Details and the official words
“To make an appointment, clients are required to send an e-mail to vetexport@westerncape.gov.za with their required time slot.”
“Clients are required to make an appointment at least 2 days in advance.”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Thailand
Veterinary inspection at the animal quarantine station on arrival
On arrival, take your pet to the animal quarantine station with the original health certificate, the original pet passport or vaccination record, your passport and the printed import permit. The station checks the documents and the microchip, issues the notice of import approval (form R-6) and the import licence (form R-7), and charges 500 baht per pet and 10 baht per shipment. If everything is in order the pet is released the same day. At Suvarnabhumi, pets in the cabin or checked baggage go to the station next to baggage carousel 8 (open 24 hours); pets sent as cargo are cleared at the cargo terminal station.
Details and the official words
“Original Official Health Certificate which stating the health requirement”
“Original pet passport or vaccination record (must be in English) which includes”
“If the documents are complete, the animal will be released on arrival date and a processing fee of 500 baht/pet and 10 baht/shipment will be charged and a receipt provided.”
“A Notice of Import Approval (Form R-6) and Import License (Form R-7) will be issued.”
“A print out of the Import Permit”
“The Animal Quarantine Station at Suvarnabhumi Airport is located next to baggage carousel #8.”
“If the animals do not meet the import requirements upon arrival or any document is not in order, the violator shall be fined or the animal shall be returned to the country of export, at the owner's expense.”
Good to know
- A pet travelling with you in the cabin or as checked baggage may get its import permit on arrival instead of in advance, if you bring the original endorsed health certificate, the vaccination records and the application form R1/1. Airlines may still want to see a Thai import permit before boarding, and the stations advise against this with a short connection, so we show the permit as a step before you travel.
- A pet that shows no sign of illness is not quarantined, but the quarantine officer may hold any animal at the quarantine station. (DLD's older requirement sheet for dogs and cats, which Thai embassies still link, mentions at least 30 days of quarantine on arrival; the embassies' current guidance says healthy pets are not quarantined. Ask the quarantine station if you are unsure.)
- Your pet must travel in a nose-and-paw-proof crate designed to avoid any risk of injury or unnecessary suffering.
- Export certification is done by the veterinary services of your province, so contact the state vet office where you live. In the Western Cape: the Cape Town Veterinary Export Certification Office (34 Roeland Street, vetexport@westerncape.gov.za, by appointment Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 12:00) or the regional state vet offices.
- The destination sets the rules, and you are responsible for getting its import requirements. Check them with the destination's veterinary authority (or its representatives in South Africa) before each trip; the province's info sheets are only a guide.
- Coming back to South Africa later? Dogs and cats entering South Africa need a veterinary import permit from the national Department of Agriculture (VetPermits@nda.gov.za).
Money
What it costs
Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in South Africa publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.
Government fees on this route
DLD entry fee at the animal quarantine station (500 baht per pet and 10 baht per shipment, cash)Entering Thailand · 500 THB for each extra pet500 THB
Per pet; plus 10 baht per shipment (not included in the total).
“a processing fee of 500 baht/pet and 10 baht/shipment will be charged”
C. Pet in cabin/Checked baggage (would like to apply an import permit on arrival): DLD Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine Station (file dated 8 September 2023) · as of 2026-10-13
Government fees in total: 500 THB (each currency separately)
May also apply, depending on your case
State vet’s certificate application (Western Cape)Leaving South Africa200 ZAR
The Western Cape’s 2023 figure; its EU info sheet gives R209 for 2023. Each province sets its own tariff: ask your state vet office for the current amount.
“Certificate application cost can be found on the departments tariff register (Cost for application in 2023 is R200 each) each payable on appointment.”
Taking pet dogs and cats overseas: info sheet 'Dogs and cats general 2023' (Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Veterinary International Trade Facilitation) · as of 2023-03-20
What vets and labs charge Not official figures
Microchipyour vet · for: microchip, recorded on the vaccination record200–315 ZAR
South Africa: 2 published prices
- Vet House (Pietermaritzburg, KZN): Identipet microchip, supply and insertion200 ZAR · per animal · read 2026-10-13
- The Corner Vet (Bryanston, Johannesburg): Microchipping315 ZAR · per animal · read 2026-10-13
Rabies vaccinationyour vet · for: rabies vaccination (first one at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before departure)250–412 ZAR
South Africa: 3 published prices
- Vet House (Pietermaritzburg, KZN): Rabies vaccine (Nobivac Rabies); the list does not say whether a consultation is included250 ZAR · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
- Vitalvet (George / Mossel Bay, Western Cape): Rabies-only vaccination (the same price is shown in two of the three branch price tables on the page; the page does not label which table is which branch)300 ZAR · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
- The Corner Vet (Bryanston, Johannesburg): Rabies-only vaccination for an adult dog (vaccinations section is headed 'Wellness exam and vaccination')412 ZAR · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
Other vaccinationsyour vet · for: dogs: leptospirosis vaccination, or a negative test within 30 days before departure, other vaccinations: distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus (dogs); feline panleukopenia (cats)520–879 ZAR
South Africa: 2 published prices
- Vet House (Pietermaritzburg, KZN): Annual dog/cat core vaccination together with rabies (vaccine prices exclude dewormer)520 ZAR · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
- The Corner Vet (Bryanston, Johannesburg): Adult dog annual vaccination: 5-in-1 (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza) plus rabies879 ZAR · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
Vet examinationyour vet · for: health check and health certificate from your private vet590 ZAR
South Africa: 2 published prices
- Vet House (Pietermaritzburg, KZN): Normal consultation (routine care price list)590 ZAR · per consultation · read 2026-10-13
- The Corner Vet (Bryanston, Johannesburg): Wellness exam (nose-to-tail consultation)590 ZAR · per consultation · read 2026-10-13
No published prices yet for South Africa: 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 South Africa
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves South Africa (dogs).
The trip back asks for 13 steps: veterinary import permit (before the animal leaves), ISO microchip (tattoos are not accepted), lived in the exporting country since birth or for the last 6 months and rabies vaccination at least 30 days before export (not needed from Australia, New Zealand and the UK) and more.
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves South Africa (cats).
The trip back asks for 9 steps: veterinary import permit (before the animal leaves), ISO microchip (tattoos are not accepted), lived in the exporting country since birth or for the last 6 months and rabies vaccination at least 30 days before export (not needed from Australia, New Zealand and the UK) and more.
Nearby routes
Other routes
Where this comes from
Official sources
- B. Pet in cabin/Checked baggage (would like to apply an import permit in advance): DLD Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine Station (file dated 20 December 2023)
- A. Cargo manifested: DLD Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine Station (file dated 24 May 2023)
- C. Pet in cabin/Checked baggage (would like to apply an import permit on arrival): DLD Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine Station (file dated 8 September 2023)
- Requirements for the importation of dogs and cats into the Kingdom of Thailand (DLD; file dated 15 January 2015, linked in 2025 by the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Chicago and the Royal Thai Embassy in The Hague)
- Bringing Pets to Thailand (Royal Thai Embassy, The Hague; updated 19 March 2025)
- Bringing Pets to Thailand (Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago; updated 11 February 2025)
- Bringing Pets into Thailand: instructions for dogs, cats and rabbits from the USA (Office of Agricultural Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy, Washington, D.C.; revised 30 January 2025, page updated 21 February 2025)
- Pet travel from the United States to Thailand (USDA APHIS, last modified 2 October 2026)
- Exporting pets and products (Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Veterinary Services)
- Taking pet dogs and cats overseas: info sheet 'Dogs and cats general 2023' (Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Veterinary International Trade Facilitation)
- Non-commercial export of dogs and cats to the European Union: info sheet (Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Veterinary International Trade Facilitation, 2024)
- South African policy on export certification for animals and animal products (Department of Agriculture, Government Notice 1325, Government Gazette 31680, 12 December 2008; gov.za copy)
- Export certification: information pack (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, file of 2 March 2016, listed in the department's information packs of 18 August 2021; read from Common Crawl CC-MAIN-2026-39, captured 11 September 2026)
- Veterinary import permit office: application reference numbers and proof of payment (Department of Agriculture, 5 September 2025; read from Common Crawl CC-MAIN-2026-39, captured 15 September 2026)
Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-13.
Questions owners ask
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from South Africa to Thailand?
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 Thailand?
Yes: Email the animal quarantine station at the airport where you will arrive (for Suvarnabhumi, qsap_bkk_import@dld.go.th) at least 7 working days before arrival: the application form R1/1, a copy of your passport, a photo of your pet with its face clearly shown, and its vaccination record in English, as one PDF per animal.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Thailand?
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 South Africa to Thailand?
With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: microchip, recorded on the vaccination record, rabies vaccination (first one at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before departure) and dogs: leptospirosis vaccination, or a negative test within 30 days before departure and 6 more.
Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake
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