🇿🇦Taking a dog or cat to South Africa: entry rules and flights
✓ Rules checked: September 17, 2026Official sources only
Preparing from scratch takes about 4 weeks, wherever you fly from.
South Africa sets its own requirements for bringing in dogs and cats. From any departure country your pet needs import permit, microchip, rabies vaccination, veterinary health certificate and parasite treatment. The rules are the same for dogs and cats.
Pets may not enter through just any airport: there are 3 designated points. Order matters more than the list: the microchip goes in before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination does not count. 7 carriers in our directory fly direct to South Africa, and their pet conditions differ.
Check your own route
Free, no signup: timings, documents and airlines for your pet
🐕 🐈 Same rules for dogs and cats
Airlines with direct flights
7 airlines in our directory fly direct to and from South Africa. Their conditions differ — the cabin weight limit, whether they carry pets in the hold, the fee and breed restrictions — so it is worth choosing the carrier before buying the ticket.
no snub-nosed breeds in the hold · no snub-nosed breeds in the cabin
no pets
✓
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from 1 city in 1 country
Showing the 7 carriers serving the most cities out of 7 with direct flights. Schedules: AeroDataBox, AirLabs, Travelpayouts; pet conditions come from our airline directory.
Restrictions
The limits people find out about last: how many animals one person may bring, the minimum age and which breeds are turned away at the border.
QuarantineNot stated in the rules
Banned breedsNo bans+
These are the country's rules. Airlines refuse some breeds on their own — their limits are in the carrier table above.
Pets per personNot stated
Minimum ageno limit; vaccination from 12 weeks
Points of entry3 airports+
CPT
DUR
JNB
The DALRRD veterinary import permit names the port of entry: dogs subject to quarantine may use Johannesburg or Cape Town only; cats and dogs not subject to quarantine may also use Durban. Any other airport or land border post is closed.
Any dog that arrives in South Africa with the test results that do NOT comply with South African requirements stands a very high chance of being returned to the country of origin or euthanized.
What you need to enter South Africa
The full list of documents and procedures for entering South Africa. Every item carries its official source and last-checked date, and is marked as always required or required only from some departure countries.
Identification
Microchip+
Every dog MUST have a microchip. The animal's microchip number MUST be recorded accurately on ALL laboratory reports.
«Every dog MUST have a microchip. The animal's microchip number MUST be recorded accurately on ALL laboratory reports.»
Rabies vaccination is required: the primary one at least 30 days and no more than 12 months before import; a booster no more than 12 months before. Animals from Australia, New Zealand and the UK are exempt, but vaccination is strongly advised.
«Dogs and cats must have a valid vaccination against Rabies. In the case of the primary (first) Rabies vaccination, the vaccination must be administered not less than 30 days and not more than 12 months before the date of import.»
Source ↗Rules checked: September 17, 2026government
Tests and treatments
Parasite treatment+
U.S. origin dogs entering South Africa are required to be test negative for Trypanosoma evansi (surra) on both the CATT and Giemsa blood smear tests. All surra testing must occur at one of the two internationally recognized OIE Reference La
«ALL tests must be performed within 30 days of import (no exceptions are permitted without a dispensation issued by South Africa). All test results must be NEGATIVE; any dog testing POSITIVE for any of the five mentioned diseases will not be eligible for export to South Africa.»
If South Africa approves the import application, they will issue an import permit and provide the required veterinary health certificate which will detail the entry requirements.
«If South Africa approves the import application, they will issue an import permit and provide the required veterinary health certificate which will detail the entry requirements.»
APHIS endorsement of the health certificate is required after it has been issued by a USDA Accredited Veterinarian. Final veterinary inspection, health certificate issuance, and certificate endorsement must occur within 10 days of the pet's
«APHIS endorsement of the health certificate is required after it has been issued by a USDA Accredited Veterinarian. Final veterinary inspection, health certificate issuance, and certificate endorsement must occur within 10 days of the pet's travel.»
The order matters more than the list: a step done too early has to be repeated. The intervals come from the same rule fields the engine uses for the earliest departure date.
Microchip
before the rabies vaccination
Rabies vaccination
pet at least 12 weeks oldvalid after 30 days
Parasite treatment
Import permit
Veterinary health certificate
no earlier than 10 days before entry
Steps marked “depends on origin” are not needed by everyone — see the table above or check your own route.
Compared by departure country
The requirements are the same whichever country you fly from — this country draws no distinction between departure countries. Below is the same engine answer on six examples, counted from zero: no microchip and no vaccination yet, preparation starting today.
If the microchip and vaccination are already done, the wait is shorter: the clock runs from the vaccination date, not from today. Breed, weight and connections change the answer too — check your own route with the form above.
Arrival airports
Pets may not enter through just any airport. Below: where direct flights go and whether animals are accepted.
On the list of entry points3
JNBJohannesburgCPTCape TownDURDurban
Not on the list of entry points1
MQPMbombela
FAQ
What documents do I need to enter South Africa?+
From any country: microchip, rabies vaccination, parasite treatment, import permit, veterinary health certificate.
Is a rabies titre test required for South Africa?+
No, a titre test is not required for entry.
Which breeds are banned from entry?+
The country's rules list no breed bans. Individual airlines have their own restrictions — see the carrier table.
Which airlines take pets in the cabin?+
For example: Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, United Airlines. The full list with conditions is in the table above.
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