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Pawhopper

Pet travel route

Dog or cat from South Korea to Bahrain: the rules

Possible. There is no official waiting period for a dog, but you still need: vaccinations, including rabies, complete before the permit, rabies blood test (RANAT) certificate and cat or dog import permit from the Veterinary Quarantine Section and 3 more.

Rules checked up to 12 October 2026From 5 official pages

In short

Limited official guidance. The authority for entering Bahrain publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Bahrain publishes only a short description of its cat and dog import permits (in the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture's 2024 services guide, in Arabic) and a list of documents on the Customs Affairs website. Neither says whether a microchip is needed, which vaccinations are required or how long before travel, the minimum result, laboratory or timing of the rabies blood test, how recent the health certificate must be, how long the permit is valid, or which countries pets may come from. Ask the Veterinary Quarantine Section (vetquarantine@mun.gov.bh, +973 17987039) before you book anything.

At a glance

How early to start (dogs)

No official wait

whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated

No official wait still means appointments: vaccinations, including rabies, complete before the permit, rabies blood test (RANAT) certificate and cat or dog import permit from the Veterinary Quarantine Section and 3 more. Book them early; lab and paperwork times are not counted.

On this route (dogs)

  • Rabies blood test needed
  • Import permit needed
  • No quarantine
  • Tell the authority in advance

How early to start (cats)

No official wait

whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated

No official wait still means appointments: vaccinations, including rabies, complete before the permit, rabies blood test (RANAT) certificate and cat or dog import permit from the Veterinary Quarantine Section and 3 more. Book them early; lab and paperwork times are not counted.

On this route (cats)

  • Rabies blood test needed
  • Import permit needed
  • No quarantine
  • Tell the authority in advance

Prefer a feed reader? South Korea rule changes · Bahrain rule changes

South Korea → Bahrain

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether South Korea (leaving) or Bahrain (entering) asks for it.

Dogs

  1. Get ready

    1. VaccinationEntering Bahrain

      Vaccinations, including rabies, complete before the permit

      Before it issues the permit, the Veterinary Quarantine Section checks your pet's vaccination booklet and that all required vaccinations are complete. The guide doesn't list the vaccinations or say how long before travel they must be given. Bahrain also asks for a rabies blood test, which is only meaningful for a pet vaccinated against rabies, so have your pet vaccinated against rabies and ask the section which other vaccinations it wants.

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

      Details and the official words

      Neither the ministry's guide nor Customs names rabies vaccination as such. We list it because the rabies blood test is asked for, and we mark it for confirmation.

      “والتأكد من دفتر التطعيمات”

      “وإكمال كافة التطعيمات المطلوبة”

    2. Blood testEntering Bahrain

      Rabies blood test (RANAT) certificate

      Your pet needs a rabies blood test (a rabies antibody neutralisation test, RANAT), and its certificate is shown on arrival with the health certificate. Neither the ministry nor Customs says what result is needed, which laboratory to use or how long before travel the blood sample must be taken: ask the Veterinary Quarantine Section before you book the test.

      Details and the official words
    3. PermitEntering Bahrain

      Cat or dog import permit from the Veterinary Quarantine Section

      Apply in person at the Veterinary Quarantine Section of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture (you, or someone holding your power of attorney if you aren't in Bahrain). Bring a copy of your pet's vaccination booklet and a copy of your ID card. The section checks the booklet and that all required vaccinations are complete, then issues the permit. The fee is 5 Bahraini dinars for a personal import. The guide gives no processing time or validity period, so apply well before you travel.

      Details and the official words

      Cats and dogs are separate permits (services 112 and 113 in the ministry's guide). The guide doesn't say whether one permit covers several animals.

      Bahrain Customs says to contact the Veterinary Quarantine Section before importing a dog or cat. Email vetquarantine@mun.gov.bh or call +973 17987039 or 17987364.

      “تصريح إستيراد قطط”

      “تصريح إستيراد كلب”

      “يجب على صاحب الطلب الحضور إلى قسم المحاجر البيطرية لطلب إصدار تصريح إستيراد كلب”

      “نسخة من دفتر التطعيمات”

      “صورة من بطاقة الهوية وصورة من السجل التجاري أو توكيل عن الشخص المستورد في حال عدم تواجده”

      “5 دينار للشخصي”

      “To contact the Veterinary Quarries Department before importing”

      “vetquarantine@MUN.GOV.BH”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. Vet examLeaving South Korea

      Vaccination and health certificate from a Korean animal clinic

      Get the vaccination certificate and the health certificate from the clinic that vaccinated and treated your pet. Even if a rabies vaccination given abroad is accepted, you must also get a vaccination and health certificate from a domestic clinic within 10 days before departure.

      Details and the official words

      “you must get a vaccination and health certificate from a domestic animal clinic within 10 days before departure and submit it along with the foreign certificate.”

    2. PaperworkSouth Korea and Bahrain

      Original government health certificate and certificate of origin

      Your pet arrives with an original government health certificate from the country it comes from and an original certificate of origin, together with the rabies blood test certificate. The pages don't say how recent the health certificate must be or what it must state.

      Details and the official words

      APQA quarantine certificate: The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency issues the quarantine certificate within the 10 days before departure (some destinations want it closer, for example within 7 days or 48 hours). Offices are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00 (lunch 12:00 to 13:00); the offices at Incheon Airport Terminals 1 and 2 also open on weekends and public holidays. You can get it at the airport on the day of departure: arrive at least two hours before check-in, with every document ready, and call ahead because same-day issue isn't guaranteed.

      The certificate has a validity period set by the destination, typically counted from issue (for example 10 or 30 days). A certificate can be corrected and reissued at the issuing office or another one.

      “عند الوصول شهادة صحية حكومية وشهادة منشأ وشهادة فحص دم عن مرض السعار”

      “Importing live animals (dogs and cats)”

      “An original government health certificate”

      “An original certificate of origin”

      “A quarantine certificate issued by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency can be obtained within 10 days before departure.”

      “Quarantine certificates are issued on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00, except for weekends and public holidays.”

      “visit the airport quarantine office at least two hours before check-in.”

    3. NoticeEntering Bahrain

      Tell the Veterinary Quarantine Section when your pet arrives

      Pets arriving with a traveller are controlled by the ministry's Veterinary Quarantine. Contact the section in advance and tell it the date and time of arrival, so the checks aren't delayed. No deadline is given.

      Details and the official words

      The Customs page still uses the ministry's older name (Ministry of Municipalities Affairs, Works and Urban Planning). Today it is the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture.

      If this is missed: If you haven't arranged it, Customs contacts the Veterinary Quarantine and you must wait until its representative arrives and completes the procedures.

      “Domestic animals accompanying the traveler are restricted and subject to the control of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs, Works and Urban Planning - Veterinary Quarantine.”

      “The matter requires that the traveler or the importer coordinate in advance with the concerned parties in the regulatory authority and inform them of the date and time of arrival to prevent any delay in completing the necessary procedures.”

      “In the event that the traveler or the importer does not coordinate, the customs will contact the regulatory authority, and the traveler or importer must wait until the representative of the control authority arrives and finish the necessary procedures.”

Good to know

  • Bahrain Customs lists dog breeds that may not be imported, 'such as' Pit Bull, Mastiff, Tosa and Presa (Presa Canario). The list is given as examples, so check your dog's breed with the Veterinary Quarantine Section.
  • The Veterinary Quarantine Section only issues a cat or dog import permit for pets from countries that Bahrain allows them to be imported from. The list of countries isn't published: ask the section before you plan the trip.
  • Pets arriving with a traveller are controlled by the ministry's Veterinary Quarantine. Once its checks are done, Customs prepares a simplified customs declaration to finish clearance.
  • APQA says the deadlines for the quarantine certificate, and its validity, depend on the destination country's own rules, so check the importing country's requirements first.
  • APQA calls travelling or moving abroad with a pet 'non-commercial'. Sales, exhibitions, competitions and adoption are 'commercial' and usually face stricter rules, which we don't cover.
  • If your pet fails the destination's quarantine check it may be denied entry, quarantined or sent back.

Cats

  1. Get ready

    1. VaccinationEntering Bahrain

      Vaccinations, including rabies, complete before the permit

      Before it issues the permit, the Veterinary Quarantine Section checks your pet's vaccination booklet and that all required vaccinations are complete. The guide doesn't list the vaccinations or say how long before travel they must be given. Bahrain also asks for a rabies blood test, which is only meaningful for a pet vaccinated against rabies, so have your pet vaccinated against rabies and ask the section which other vaccinations it wants.

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

      Details and the official words

      Neither the ministry's guide nor Customs names rabies vaccination as such. We list it because the rabies blood test is asked for, and we mark it for confirmation.

      “والتأكد من دفتر التطعيمات”

      “وإكمال كافة التطعيمات المطلوبة”

    2. Blood testEntering Bahrain

      Rabies blood test (RANAT) certificate

      Your pet needs a rabies blood test (a rabies antibody neutralisation test, RANAT), and its certificate is shown on arrival with the health certificate. Neither the ministry nor Customs says what result is needed, which laboratory to use or how long before travel the blood sample must be taken: ask the Veterinary Quarantine Section before you book the test.

      Details and the official words
    3. PermitEntering Bahrain

      Cat or dog import permit from the Veterinary Quarantine Section

      Apply in person at the Veterinary Quarantine Section of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture (you, or someone holding your power of attorney if you aren't in Bahrain). Bring a copy of your pet's vaccination booklet and a copy of your ID card. The section checks the booklet and that all required vaccinations are complete, then issues the permit. The fee is 5 Bahraini dinars for a personal import. The guide gives no processing time or validity period, so apply well before you travel.

      Details and the official words

      Cats and dogs are separate permits (services 112 and 113 in the ministry's guide). The guide doesn't say whether one permit covers several animals.

      Bahrain Customs says to contact the Veterinary Quarantine Section before importing a dog or cat. Email vetquarantine@mun.gov.bh or call +973 17987039 or 17987364.

      “تصريح إستيراد قطط”

      “تصريح إستيراد كلب”

      “يجب على صاحب الطلب الحضور إلى قسم المحاجر البيطرية لطلب إصدار تصريح إستيراد كلب”

      “نسخة من دفتر التطعيمات”

      “صورة من بطاقة الهوية وصورة من السجل التجاري أو توكيل عن الشخص المستورد في حال عدم تواجده”

      “5 دينار للشخصي”

      “To contact the Veterinary Quarries Department before importing”

      “vetquarantine@MUN.GOV.BH”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. Vet examLeaving South Korea

      Vaccination and health certificate from a Korean animal clinic

      Get the vaccination certificate and the health certificate from the clinic that vaccinated and treated your pet. Even if a rabies vaccination given abroad is accepted, you must also get a vaccination and health certificate from a domestic clinic within 10 days before departure.

      Details and the official words

      “you must get a vaccination and health certificate from a domestic animal clinic within 10 days before departure and submit it along with the foreign certificate.”

    2. PaperworkSouth Korea and Bahrain

      Original government health certificate and certificate of origin

      Your pet arrives with an original government health certificate from the country it comes from and an original certificate of origin, together with the rabies blood test certificate. The pages don't say how recent the health certificate must be or what it must state.

      Details and the official words

      APQA quarantine certificate: The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency issues the quarantine certificate within the 10 days before departure (some destinations want it closer, for example within 7 days or 48 hours). Offices are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00 (lunch 12:00 to 13:00); the offices at Incheon Airport Terminals 1 and 2 also open on weekends and public holidays. You can get it at the airport on the day of departure: arrive at least two hours before check-in, with every document ready, and call ahead because same-day issue isn't guaranteed.

      The certificate has a validity period set by the destination, typically counted from issue (for example 10 or 30 days). A certificate can be corrected and reissued at the issuing office or another one.

      “عند الوصول شهادة صحية حكومية وشهادة منشأ وشهادة فحص دم عن مرض السعار”

      “Importing live animals (dogs and cats)”

      “An original government health certificate”

      “An original certificate of origin”

      “A quarantine certificate issued by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency can be obtained within 10 days before departure.”

      “Quarantine certificates are issued on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00, except for weekends and public holidays.”

      “visit the airport quarantine office at least two hours before check-in.”

    3. NoticeEntering Bahrain

      Tell the Veterinary Quarantine Section when your pet arrives

      Pets arriving with a traveller are controlled by the ministry's Veterinary Quarantine. Contact the section in advance and tell it the date and time of arrival, so the checks aren't delayed. No deadline is given.

      Details and the official words

      The Customs page still uses the ministry's older name (Ministry of Municipalities Affairs, Works and Urban Planning). Today it is the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture.

      If this is missed: If you haven't arranged it, Customs contacts the Veterinary Quarantine and you must wait until its representative arrives and completes the procedures.

      “Domestic animals accompanying the traveler are restricted and subject to the control of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs, Works and Urban Planning - Veterinary Quarantine.”

      “The matter requires that the traveler or the importer coordinate in advance with the concerned parties in the regulatory authority and inform them of the date and time of arrival to prevent any delay in completing the necessary procedures.”

      “In the event that the traveler or the importer does not coordinate, the customs will contact the regulatory authority, and the traveler or importer must wait until the representative of the control authority arrives and finish the necessary procedures.”

Good to know

  • The Veterinary Quarantine Section only issues a cat or dog import permit for pets from countries that Bahrain allows them to be imported from. The list of countries isn't published: ask the section before you plan the trip.
  • Pets arriving with a traveller are controlled by the ministry's Veterinary Quarantine. Once its checks are done, Customs prepares a simplified customs declaration to finish clearance.
  • APQA says the deadlines for the quarantine certificate, and its validity, depend on the destination country's own rules, so check the importing country's requirements first.
  • APQA calls travelling or moving abroad with a pet 'non-commercial'. Sales, exhibitions, competitions and adoption are 'commercial' and usually face stricter rules, which we don't cover.
  • If your pet fails the destination's quarantine check it may be denied entry, quarantined or sent back.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in South Korea publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.

Government fees on this route

Government fees in total: 10,000 KRW + 5 BHD (each currency separately)

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

No published prices yet for South Korea: rabies vaccination, health certificate (vet’s fee), vet examination.

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 Korea

Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves South Korea.

The trip back asks for 3 steps: ISO microchip, health certificate from the exporting country's government and quarantine inspection at the port of entry.

Every step from Bahrain to South Korea

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 South Korea to Bahrain?

Yes: Your pet needs a rabies blood test (a rabies antibody neutralisation test, RANAT), and its certificate is shown on arrival with the health certificate.

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

Yes: Apply in person at the Veterinary Quarantine Section of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture (you, or someone holding your power of attorney if you aren't in Bahrain).

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Bahrain?

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 Korea to Bahrain?

There is no official waiting period for a dog, but you still need: vaccinations, including rabies, complete before the permit, rabies blood test (RANAT) certificate and cat or dog import permit from the Veterinary Quarantine Section and 3 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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Where from, where to, when. You get every step with its deadline and the official page it comes from.

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