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Pet travel route

Dog or cat from the United Arab Emirates to Kenya: the rules

Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least about 6 months ahead. The main steps: microchip (or other permanent identification), rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment and rabies vaccination within the last year and 3 more.

Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 8 official pages

Make my dated plan Reverse: Kenya → United Arab Emirates

In short

Limited official guidance. The authority for entering Kenya publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Kenya's Directorate of Veterinary Services doesn't publish its import conditions on its own website. We follow the permit conditions published by the Embassy of Kenya in Spain (the same document is on the High Commission in Pretoria's site) and KenTrade's permit procedure. Other official texts say something different: the certificate Kenya agreed with the United States (2026) asks for no blood test and is valid for 30 days, while the Embassy of Kenya in Angola and the UK's certificate ask for a vet's certificate within 5 days of departure. The texts also disagree on how long the permit is valid (30 or 90 days), and none lists the rabies-free countries. The plan follows the strictest reading: confirm with the Directorate (infodvs@kilimo.go.ke) before you travel.

At a glance

The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.

How early to start

about 6 months

if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet

Set by: Rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment (primary vaccination at least 6 months before shipment)

about 3 months

if it is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: Rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment (not less than 3 months and not more than 24 months before shipment)

The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.

On this route

  • Rabies blood test needed
  • Import permit needed

Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.

Prefer a feed reader? United Arab Emirates rule changes · Kenya rule changes

United Arab Emirates → Kenya

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether the United Arab Emirates (leaving) or Kenya (entering) asks for it.

Bringing a dog or cat into Kenya: we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.

  1. Get ready

    1. IdentificationEntering Kenya

      Microchip (or other permanent identification)

      Your pet must be identified by a permanent mark such as a microchip, and its number must be on the veterinary certificate. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).

      Details and the official words

      “Were identified by a permanent mark (such as a microchip) and their identification number shall be stated in the certificate or had any other adequate identification; and”

    2. VaccinationEntering Kenya

      Rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment

      Your pet's first (primary) rabies vaccination must be given when it is at least 3 months old, and at least 6 months (and at most 1 year) before shipment; a booster must be given at most 1 year before shipment. Use an inactivated vaccine or a recombinant vaccine. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).

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

      Details and the official words

      The 6-month wait is in the permit conditions only. The Embassy of Kenya in Angola instead asks, for a pet vaccinated less than 6 months before departure, for a government vet's certificate that there has been no rabies within 50 km in the last 6 months, and the US certificate has no wait. The plan follows the permit conditions.

      “Not less than 6 months and not more than one year prior to shipment in the case of a primary vaccination, which should have been carried out when the animals were at least 3 months old;”

      “With an inactivated virus vaccine or with a recombinant vaccine expressing the rabies virus glycoprotein; and”

    3. VaccinationEntering Kenya

      Rabies vaccination within the last year

      The latest rabies vaccination (the first one, or the last booster) must be at most 1 year before shipment. If it will be older on the day your pet leaves, give a booster before then.

      Details and the official words

      Add the date of your pet's most recent rabies shot to check this.

      “Not more than one year prior to shipment in the case of a booster vaccination;”

    4. Blood testEntering Kenya

      Rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment

      Your pet needs a rabies antibody test (as set out in the World Organisation for Animal Health manual) with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken between 24 months and 3 months before shipment. Not needed for a pet from a rabies-free country (see the warning).

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

      Details and the official words

      The blood test is in the permit conditions only: the Embassy of Kenya in Angola's list, the UK's certificate and the US certificate don't mention it. The plan keeps it; ask the Directorate of Veterinary Services whether your pet needs it.

      “Were subjected not less than 3 months and not more than 24 months prior to shipment to an antibody test as prescribed in the OIE Terrestrial Manual with a positive result equivalent to at least 0.5 IU/ml;”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. PermitEntering Kenya

      Import permit (VS01) from the Directorate of Veterinary Services

      Apply online on KenTrade's Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) for the import permit for dogs and cats (VS01), with a copy of your pet's vaccination certificate from its country of origin, and pay the processing fee (up to KES 500 per animal). The permit covers one consignment and travels with your pet. The permit conditions and the Embassy of Kenya in Angola say it is valid for at most 30 days; KenTrade's page says 90 days. The plan uses 30 days.

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

      Details and the official words

      Processing fee: KES 0 to 500 per animal (KenTrade's estimate), paid by M-PESA or at a bank.

      The application also asks for a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) number.

      “This import permit shall be valid for a maximum of thirty (30) days and shall only be for one consignment.”

      “The permit is valid for thirty (30) days from the date of the issue and is only valid for one consignment.”

      “This import permit shall accompany the animal during importation.”

      “The import permit is processed through the Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP), and is issued per consignment. The permit is valid for a period of ninety (90) days.”

      “Vaccination certificate (copy)”

      “KES 0 - KES 500 per animal”

    2. PaperworkThe United Arab Emirates and Kenya

      International veterinary certificate, dated at most 48 hours before departure

      Your pet travels with an international veterinary certificate, dated no more than 48 hours before it boards, stating that it showed no sign of rabies (on the day of shipment and in the 48 hours before) and is clinically free of other contagious and infectious diseases and of internal and external parasites. It also states the microchip number and the rabies vaccination and blood test.

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

      Details and the official words

      48 hours is the permit conditions' limit. The Embassy of Kenya in Angola and the UK's certificate say 5 days before departure, and the US certificate is valid for 30 days. The plan uses the shortest.

      MOCCAE veterinary health certificate: Register in MOCCAE's digital services system, fill in the electronic form, pay (AED 100 for up to 2 pets for personal use), then your pet has a physical examination (and lab tests if the destination needs them). The certificate is issued electronically, usually in 1 working day, and is valid for 30 days from the date of issue.

      “No canine or feline animal shall be imported into Kenya from any country unless accompanied by an international veterinary certificate attesting that the animal:”

      “Showed no clinical sign of rabies on the day of shipment;”

      “Showed no clinical sign of rabies within 48 hours of shipment;”

      “Is clinically free of symptoms of any other contagious and infectious disease and internal and external parasites, the certificate being dated not more than 48 hours before embarkation;”

      “which must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate from the country of origin to ascertain that the animals are healthy and disease free.”

      “valid for 30 days from the date of issuance”

      “The time to obtain the service : 1 working days”

  3. Travel day and arrival

    1. TransportEntering Kenya

      Fly as manifest cargo, not in the cabin or as checked baggage

      Your pet must travel to Kenya as manifest cargo in the aircraft's freight compartment, not in the passenger cabin or as excess baggage. Book this with your airline.

      Details and the official words

      “Animals entering Kenya should travel as Manifest Cargo and use the Freight Compartment of the aircraft. They should not travel as baggage-cargo or in passenger cabins.”

    2. TransportEntering Kenya

      Certificate from the captain that your pet stayed on board and apart

      Your pet needs a certificate from the captain of the aircraft (or ship, or the driver) stating that it didn't leave the craft between boarding and arrival in Kenya and was kept apart from other dogs and cats throughout the journey. Ask your airline's cargo office to provide it.

      Details and the official words

      “The animal shall be accompanied by a certificate from the captain of the ship or aircraft or driver of a vessel in which the animal traveled to Kenya certifying that the animal has not left the vessel between the place of embarkation and the place of entry into Kenya, and has been isolated from all other canine and feline animals throughout the journey.”

Good to know

  • A pet that has lived since birth, or for the 6 months before shipment, in a rabies-free country (as defined by the World Organisation for Animal Health) doesn't need the microchip, rabies vaccination and blood test steps below. Kenya doesn't publish a list of these countries, so the plan keeps the steps: ask the Directorate of Veterinary Services if your country counts.
  • A pet that isn't vaccinated against rabies, or doesn't meet the microchip, vaccination and blood test conditions, may be placed in a quarantine station in Kenya for up to 6 months, at the owner's cost.
  • Kenya's official texts don't agree. The permit conditions (followed here) ask for a blood test, a first vaccination at least 6 months before shipment and a certificate dated at most 48 hours before boarding. The Embassy of Kenya in Angola asks instead for a vet's certificate signed at most 5 days before departure and, for a pet vaccinated less than 6 months before departure, a government vet's certificate that there has been no rabies within 50 km of its home in the last 6 months; the UK's certificate for Kenya also uses 5 days. Follow what your permit says, and ask the Directorate of Veterinary Services if in doubt.
  • Arriving by land (or anywhere other than Nairobi by air or Mombasa by sea)? Report your pet to the nearest veterinary office within 3 days of arrival.
  • The UAE certificate only covers the UAE side. The importing country sets its own rules (tests, permits, timing): get them from its veterinary authority. MOCCAE asks for a copy of the importing country's import permit, except for companion animals, and for any extra test reports the importing country wants.
  • This service is governed by Federal Law No. 6 of 2025 on Veterinary Quarantine. For questions, MOCCAE's call centre is 8003050.

Money

What it costs

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

Government fees on this route

  • MOCCAE veterinary health certificate (export, personal pets)Leaving United Arab Emirates100 AED

    For up to 2 pets for personal purposes; MOCCAE’s general certificate fee is AED 400.

    “Issue a veterinary health certificate for an animal consignment not exceeding 2 animals for personal purposes (sheep / camels / cows / pets) 100”

    Request for a veterinary health certificate for exporting or re-exporting live animals · as of 2026-10-09

Government fees in total: 100 AED (each currency separately)

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

  • Microchipyour vet · for: microchip (or other permanent identification)210 AED

    the United Arab Emirates: 1 published price

  • Rabies vaccinationyour vet · for: rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment, rabies vaccination within the last year135–575 AED

    the United Arab Emirates: 5 published prices

    • VET Veterinary Clinic: Rabies vaccination on its own (Dubai, Al Barsha)135 AED · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
    • Vienna Veterinary Clinic: Annual vaccination package for adult dogs: consultation, DHPPIL and rabies vaccines, exam, deworming, Municipality tag (excl. VAT)299 AED · per package (excl. VAT) · read 2026-10-13
    • Modern Veterinary Clinic (ModernVet): Vaccination package: consultation, core vaccines, physical exam, deworming and Municipality tag (page says it protects against rabies among others); starting price, VAT not included349 AED · per package (from, excl. VAT) · read 2026-10-13
    • Noble Veterinary Clinics: Rabies visit and yearly booster: full exam, core vaccine (PCH or DHPPiL), rabies vaccine and Dubai Municipality tag510 AED · per visit · read 2026-10-13
    • Al Barsha Veterinary Clinic: Annual dog vaccination package incl. VAT: consultation, physical exam, rabies vaccine, DA2PPL/LCI, municipality tag, deworming575 AED · per package (incl. VAT) · read 2026-10-13
  • Rabies blood testan approved laboratory, through your vet · for: rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipment2,205 AED

    the United Arab Emirates: 1 published price

    • VET Veterinary Clinic: Vet clinic's price for an anti-rabies titer test (RNATT/FAVN) for travel; page does not say whether blood draw and courier to the lab are included2,205 AED · per test · read 2026-10-13
  • Rabies blood test: the lab’s own pricean approved laboratory; your vet adds the blood draw and the courier · for: rabies blood test, 3 to 24 months before shipmentPrices from 8 countries

    Austria: 1 published price

    France: 2 published prices

    • Laboratoire départemental de la Haute-Garonne (LD31 EVA): Lab price for the FAVN (WOAH/OMSA method) rabies antibody test, VAT included, price guaranteed until 31/12/2026 (from the lab's order form)99 EUR · per test · read 2026-10-13
    • Inovalys (laboratory): Lab price only: rabies antibody titration (COFRAC accredited), ordered online by the owner; the page says the blood sample is taken by your vet and sending it to the lab is the owner's responsibility (no amounts given for those)99.18 EUR · per test · read 2026-10-13

    the United Kingdom: 2 published prices

    Japan: 1 published price

    Poland: 1 published price

    Sweden: 1 published price

    • Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA): Lab price for the FAVN rabies vaccination-check antibody test (article D142410), excluding VAT (exkl. moms)1,365 SEK · per test · read 2026-10-13

    the United States: 1 published price

    South Africa: 1 published price

  • Health certificate (vet’s fee)your vet · for: international veterinary certificate, dated at most 48 hours before departure499 AED

    the United Arab Emirates: 1 published price

    • VET Veterinary Clinic: Health travel certificate ('Fit to Fly' report / pet export documents) issued by the clinic (Dubai, Al Barsha)499 AED · per certificate · read 2026-10-13

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 the United Arab Emirates

Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves the United Arab Emirates (dogs).

The trip back asks for 10 steps: UAE import permit, permanent microchip, minimum age and rabies vaccination and more.

Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves the United Arab Emirates (cats).

The trip back asks for 10 steps: UAE import permit, permanent microchip, minimum age and rabies vaccination and more.

Every step from Kenya to the United Arab Emirates

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-13.

Entering KenyaLeaving the United Arab EmiratesReport a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from the United Arab Emirates to Kenya?

Yes: Your pet needs a rabies antibody test (as set out in the World Organisation for Animal Health manual) with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken between 24 months and 3 months before shipment.

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

Yes: Apply online on KenTrade's Trade Facilitation Platform (TFP) for the import permit for dogs and cats (VS01), with a copy of your pet's vaccination certificate from its country of origin, and pay the processing fee (up to KES 500 per animal).

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Kenya?

We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.

How early should I start preparing my pet for the United Arab Emirates to Kenya?

With nothing done yet, start at least about 6 months ahead. The main steps: microchip (or other permanent identification), rabies vaccination: first one at 3 months or older, at least 6 months before shipment and rabies vaccination within the last year 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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