Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from South Korea → Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. MEWA's permit page lists only the conditions below. It does not mention a rabies blood test, quarantine or which origin countries are allowed, and MEWA's older printed pet-import guide is no longer online. Those rules may still exist, so ask MEWA (call 939) what applies to your route before you travel.
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.
Headlines for Saudi Arabia
- Import permit needed
What your dog needs
Dogs
Identification
Microchip or other approved identification
Your pet must be identified with an electronic microchip or another approved method.
Details and the official words
“Pets must be identified with an electronic microchip or another approved identification method.”
Age rule
At least 4 months old
Your pet must be at least four months old.
Details and the official words
The page doesn't say on which date the age is counted; we count it on the day your pet leaves.
“The pet must be at least 4 months old”
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination
A rabies vaccination certificate must travel with your pet. The vaccination must still have at least 6 months of validity left.
Details and the official words
The page doesn't say on which date the 6 months are counted; we count them from the arrival date. It also doesn't say how long after the shot your pet may travel.
“The remaining validity period of the rabies vaccination must not be less than 6 months.”
Paperwork
Original veterinary health certificate
Your pet must travel with the original veterinary health certificate issued by the competent authorities in your country, plus the rabies vaccination certificate. You upload copies of both (and the vaccination record) with the permit application.
Details and the official words
The page gives no deadline for how recent the certificate must be.
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.
“The pet must be accompanied by the original veterinary health certificate issued by the competent authorities and a rabies vaccination certificate (or for any other required diseases).”
“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.”
Permit
Entry permit from MEWA (Naama platform)
Apply online on the Naama platform at least 15 days before the shipping date (it takes 5–7 days and is free). The permit is valid for 30 days from issue, and your pet must enter through the port named in it.
Details and the official words
“The request must be submitted at least 15 days before the shipping date”
“The permit is valid for 30 days from the issuance date”
Vet exam
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.”
Good to know
- The person applying for the permit must be at least 21 years old for a dog and at least 18 for a cat.
- Banned in Saudi Arabia, pure or mixed: Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Boxer, Mastiff, Tosa, Bulldog and Perro de Presa Canario. Dogs must belong to a breed that is allowed.
- 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.
What your cat needs
Cats
Identification
Microchip or other approved identification
Your pet must be identified with an electronic microchip or another approved method.
Details and the official words
“Pets must be identified with an electronic microchip or another approved identification method.”
Age rule
At least 4 months old
Your pet must be at least four months old.
Details and the official words
The page doesn't say on which date the age is counted; we count it on the day your pet leaves.
“The pet must be at least 4 months old”
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination
A rabies vaccination certificate must travel with your pet. The vaccination must still have at least 6 months of validity left.
Details and the official words
The page doesn't say on which date the 6 months are counted; we count them from the arrival date. It also doesn't say how long after the shot your pet may travel.
“The remaining validity period of the rabies vaccination must not be less than 6 months.”
Paperwork
Original veterinary health certificate
Your pet must travel with the original veterinary health certificate issued by the competent authorities in your country, plus the rabies vaccination certificate. You upload copies of both (and the vaccination record) with the permit application.
Details and the official words
The page gives no deadline for how recent the certificate must be.
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.
“The pet must be accompanied by the original veterinary health certificate issued by the competent authorities and a rabies vaccination certificate (or for any other required diseases).”
“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.”
Permit
Entry permit from MEWA (Naama platform)
Apply online on the Naama platform at least 15 days before the shipping date (it takes 5–7 days and is free). The permit is valid for 30 days from issue, and your pet must enter through the port named in it.
Details and the official words
“The request must be submitted at least 15 days before the shipping date”
“The permit is valid for 30 days from the issuance date”
Vet exam
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.”
Good to know
- The person applying for the permit must be at least 21 years old for a dog and at least 18 for a cat.
- 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.
Common questions
Does my dog need a rabies blood test to go from South Korea to Saudi Arabia?
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 Saudi Arabia?
Yes: Apply online on the Naama platform at least 15 days before the shipping date (it takes 5–7 days and is free).
Will my dog be quarantined in Saudi Arabia?
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 pet must be identified with an electronic microchip or another approved method.