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🇹🇷Taking a dog or cat to Turkey: entry rules and flights

✓ Rules checked: September 16, 2026Official sources only

Preparing from scratch takes about 4 months, wherever you fly from.

Turkey requires a rabies titre test whichever country you fly from — even from the European Union. That makes preparation long: blood for the titre is drawn no earlier than 30 days after the vaccination, and entry is allowed no earlier than 90 days after the draw. Starting from zero today, the earliest departure is January 23, 2027.

The order matters more than it seems: microchip, then the vaccination, then the titre test. A vaccination given before the chip has to be repeated, and the clock starts again. The veterinary certificate and the pet passport are two different documents, and you need both.

Check your own route

Free, no signup: timings, documents and airlines for your pet

🐕 🐈 Same rules for dogs and cats

Airlines with direct flights

71 airlines in our directory fly direct to and from Turkey. 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.

AirlineCabinHoldCabin feeDirect flights
Turkish Airlines
no snub-nosed breeds in the hold
 ✓ up to 8 kg ✓ up to 50 kg 70 EUR
per flight
 from 211 cities in 108 countries
Pegasus Airlines
banned breeds: 7
 ✓ up to 8 kg no pets 65 EUR
per flight
 from 127 cities in 52 countries
SunExpress
banned breeds: 12
 ✓ up to 8 kg ✓ 89.99 EUR
per flight
 from 71 cities in 32 countries
AJet
no snub-nosed breeds in the hold · banned breeds: 17
 ✓ up to 8 kg no pets 65 EUR
per flight
 from 60 cities in 34 countries
Corendon Airlines
banned breeds: 12
 ✓ up to 8 kg
on 56 of 58 routes
 ✓
on 56 of 58 routes
 50 EUR
per flight
 from 58 cities in 17 countries
Freebird Airlines
no snub-nosed breeds in the hold
 ✓ up to 8 kg no pets — from 39 cities in 18 countries
Southwind Airlines
no snub-nosed breeds in the hold · banned breeds: 10
 ✓ up to 8 kg no pets — from 18 cities in 2 countries
Aeroflot
no snub-nosed breeds in the hold
 ✓ up to 8 kg ✓ up to 50 kg 3800 RUB
per flight
 from 15 cities in 1 country
Ural Airlines ✓ up to 8 kg no pets 5000 RUB
per flight
 from 14 cities in 1 country
TUI Airways
no snub-nosed breeds in the cabin
 no pets ✓ — from 13 cities in 1 country

Showing the 10 carriers serving the most cities out of 71 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.

Quarantine Yes, if the conditions are not met +

What the quarantine depends on:

  • Rabies antibody titre not done, or the result is below 0.5 IU/ml
  • Less than 3 months have passed since the blood was drawn for the titre
  • No Ek-2 veterinary certificate, or it is not endorsed by the departure country's veterinary service
  • No pet passport, or the rabies vaccination has expired
  • The animal is not identified by a microchip or a legible tattoo
Banned breeds 8 breeds +
  • American Pit Bull Terrier
  • Pit Bull Terrier
  • American Staffordshire Terrier
  • American Bully
  • American Bully XL
  • Dogo Argentino
  • Fila Brasileiro
  • Tosa Inu

Turkey prohibits IMPORT and transit of these breeds (Law 7332, amending 5199): American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa — and their crossbreeds. The ban covers entry and transit, not only ownership.

Pets per person up to 2 +

No more than 2 animals per passenger (e.g. 2 cats, or a cat and a dog). A separate set of documents is required for each animal. More than two must be processed as commercial cargo.

Minimum age 3 months+ +

Read this only if your pet is under 3 months old and not yet vaccinated against rabies — it does not apply to adult animals.

Entry is possible but NOT automatic: the regulation hands the decision to the Ministry, which looks at the rabies status of the country of departure and sets its own conditions. The Ministry publishes no country list, so nobody but the Ministry can say yes or no for your country in advance.

Where to write. The request goes to the veterinary border control post of the airport you are flying into: the directory of all posts, with addresses, phone numbers and e-mail, is at vskn.tarimorman.gov.tr. For Istanbul Airport it is the İstanbul Havalimanı Veteriner Sınır Kontrol Noktası Müdürlüğü, e-mail istanbul.vskn@tarimorman.gov.tr. Write BEFORE buying tickets: the answer decides whether the trip happens at all.

Points of entry 6 airports +
  • IST
  • SAW
  • ESB
  • AYT
  • ADB
  • ISL

A pet may only be brought in through entry points designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Your arrival airport is NOT among those with a confirmed veterinary border control point — there are six: Istanbul (IST), Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), Ankara Esenboğa (ESB), Antalya (AYT), Izmir (ADB), Istanbul Atatürk (ISL). The Ministry publishes no separate list for pets, so check acceptance with its provincial directorate in advance — or pick a flight to one of the six.

If the requirements are not met, the official veterinarian at the border decides: the animal is returned to the country of departure; or held in quarantine for as long as it takes to establish compliance; or — where neither return nor isolation is possible — euthanised without compensation. All costs of controls and quarantine fall on the owner.

What you need to enter Turkey

The full list of documents and procedures for entering Turkey. 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+

ISO 11784/11785 microchip readable by an HDX or FDX-B reader. A clearly legible tattoo is also accepted. The owner must supply a working reader at inspection. The chipping date cannot be later than the rabies vaccination date.

«Belirtilen hayvanların açıkça okunabilir bir dövme ya da elektronik kimliklendirme sistemi (mikroçip) sistemlerinden biri ile tanımlanmış olması gerekir. … ISO 11784 standartlarına uygun ve HDX veya FDX-B teknolojisine sahip bir okuyucu tarafından okunması gerekir. … Hayvanlardan sorumlu kimse denetim esnasında Trasponder okuyucusunu sağlamak zorundadır.»
Source ↗Rules checked: September 16, 2026government

Vaccination

Rabies vaccination+

Rabies vaccination with an inactivated vaccine (at least one antigenic unit per dose) or a recombinant one; a modified live vaccine is not accepted. The vaccine must be listed in the WOAH (OIE) manual. A booster given after the previous dose expired counts as a PRIMARY vaccination — the clock restarts.

Puppies and kittens under 3 MONTHS are a separate case, shown as a condition at the top of the answer.

«Modifiye edilmiş canlı bir aşı olamaz ve beher dozda en az bir antijenik ünite içeren inaktif bir aşı olmalıdır ya da canlı virüs vektöründe kuduz virüsünün bağışıklık glikoproteinini gösteren rekombine bir aşı olmalıdır. … Rapel aşılama önceki aşılamanın geçerlilik süresi içerisinde yapılmadığı takdirde 'ilk aşılama' olarak kabul edilir.»
Source ↗Rules checked: September 16, 2026government

Tests and treatments

Rabies antibody titre test+

Rabies antibody titre — required for EVERY country of departure, with no rabies-free exemption. Blood is drawn by an authorised vet no earlier than 30 days after vaccination; the test is done at an EU-approved laboratory; the result must be ≥0.5 IU/ml. Entry is possible no earlier than 3 months (90 days) after the blood draw. A repeat titre is not required if the passport confirms an acceptable titre and vaccinations have been kept up without lapses. For Turkish-origin pets returning home with a titre taken before departure, the 3-month wait does not apply.

«Hareketlerinden 3 ay önce ve son kuduz aşılamasından en az 30 gün sonra yetkili bir veteriner hekim tarafından alınan kan serumu örneklerinde antikor titrasyon testi, 7 nci madde hükümlerine uygun olarak yapılır ve hayvanın kabul edilebilir anti-kuduz antikor titresine sahip olduğunu gösterir sonuç raporu Türkiye giriş gümrüğüne sunulmak üzere temin edilir. … Nötralize edici antikor titresi en az »
Source ↗Rules checked: September 16, 2026government

Documents

Veterinary health certificate+

A veterinary certificate on the Turkish model. It is valid for 4 MONTHS from the date the official veterinarian signs it (or the competent authority endorses it) — or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first.

This is not «issue it N days before entry»: the term runs FORWARD from the signature, so the document may be obtained well in advance. Our earlier «10 days» was supported neither by the Ek-2 form, nor by the regulation, nor by the border-post leaflet.

«Sertifika, resmî veteriner hekimin imzalaması ya da yetkili otoritenin onayı sonrasındaki 4 ay süreyle, veya Bölüm IV'te belirtilen aşının geçerlilik tarihine kadar geçerlidir, en önce olan esas alınır.»
Source ↗Rules checked: September 16, 2026government
Pet passport+

A pet veterinary passport issued by an authorised vet — a separate mandatory document IN ADDITION to the Ek-2 certificate. It must confirm that the rabies vaccination meets the requirements and has NOT expired, and that vaccinations and treatments against other species-specific diseases have been given. Unbroken vaccination matters in practice too: with an acceptable titre recorded in the passport and regular boosters, a repeat titre is not required.

«Ev ve süs hayvanlarına, yetkili bir veteriner hekimce verilen pasaport eşlik eder. Bu pasaportun, yetkili bir veteriner hekim tarafından uygulanmış olan kuduz aşısının 6 ncı madde hükümlerine uygunluğunu ve geçerlilik süresinin halen devam ettiğini, ayrıca türe özgü diğer hastalıklara karşı da aşı ve ilaç uygulamalarının yapıldığını doğrulaması gerekir.»
Source ↗Rules checked: September 16, 2026government

The order of preparation

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.

  1. Microchip
    before the rabies vaccination
  2. Rabies vaccination
    pet at least 12 weeks oldvalid after 21 days
  3. Rabies antibody titre test
    no earlier than 30 days after the vaccinationentry 90 days after the blood draw
  4. Veterinary health certificate
  5. Pet passport

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.

FromMicrochipRabies jabTitre testHealth certificateEU pet passportEarliest departurepreparing from scratch
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ✓✓✓✓✓ January 23, 2027 Plan →
🇫🇷 France ✓✓✓✓✓ January 23, 2027 Plan →
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates ✓✓✓✓✓ January 23, 2027 Plan →
🇨🇳 China ✓✓✓✓✓ January 23, 2027 Plan →
🇺🇸 United States ✓✓✓✓✓ January 23, 2027 Plan →

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 points6

AYTAntalya ISTIstanbul SAWPendik, Istanbul ADBGaziemir ESBAnkara ISL

Not on the list of entry points6

BJVBodrum DLMDalaman TZXTrabzon ASRKayseri COVTarsus GZTGaziantep

Leaving Turkey

How to take a pet out of Turkey: what is arranged at home before the flight.

How to take a dog or cat out of Turkey when the owner travels with the pet (non-commercial movement, 'yolcu beraberi'). Steps run in order; some (antibody titer, pre-permit) depend on the destination country. All vet documents are issued by state vets; the procedure is governed by the Ministry's 'Application Instruction on the movement of cats and dogs abroad with a passenger and commercially' (No

1. Microchip (ISO 11784) + PETVET registration+

The pet must carry an ISO 11784 microchip (HDX or FDX-B technology, 15-digit code), be registered in the state pet registry PETVET, and have a pet passport (Ev Hayvanı Pasaportu) of the Ministry-approved format. The chip is implanted at a private vet clinic/polyclinic/animal hospital or at the district directorate (İlçe Tarım ve Orman Müdürlüğü). Important: the rabies vaccination date must equal or follow the chipping date — if vaccinated before chipping, the vaccine must be repeated. An animal previously imported into Turkey with an international-standard chip and passport continues on its existing chip and passport.

2. Rabies vaccination+

Rabies vaccination is mandatory. It is recognised as valid only if: the vaccination date is recorded in the passport, the administering vet's stamp and signature are present, the first dose was given no earlier than 12 weeks of age (unless the product label states otherwise), and the vaccination was done on or after the chipping date. Revaccinate per the product label; if a booster is given after the previous dose's validity expired, it counts as a 'first vaccination' — the clock restarts and a fresh titer is required.

3. Rabies antibody titer (FAVN test)+

A rabies antibody serology test (FAVN) is needed only if the destination country requires it. A vet draws blood no sooner than 30 days after the vaccine (at least 1 ml of serum in a 1.5–2 ml microtube) and ships it in a cold chain within 5 days to the state institute — Etlik Veteriner Kontrol Merkez Araştırma Enstitüsü (VKMAEM) in Ankara; samples arriving after 5 days are destroyed. Before the draw, the private vet notifies the designated official vet at the İl/İlçe Müdürlüğü in writing or by e-mail. Samples may not be sent abroad for analysis (only with Ministry permission). If regular boosters then continue without lapse, a prior FAVN result is valid for the animal's lifetime. For the EU: after the vaccine and chip, wait 30 days before drawing blood, then a further 3 months after the draw before the certificate is issued. Turkey accepts results from EU- and WOAH-listed laboratories.

4. Pet passport (Ev Hayvanı Pasaportu)+

Turkey has no separate 'internal Form No. 1' — the base vet document is the pet passport (Ev Hayvanı Pasaportu) of the Ministry-approved format. It records the owner and animal details, markings, chip, vaccinations (with the vet's stamp and signature) and treatments. The passport is issued at chipping in a private vet clinic or the district directorate and linked to the PETVET record. It is the core document on which the international export certificate is later issued. If the owner will depart from a different province and not within 48 hours, a special accompanying form EK-2 is issued, valid up to the province of departure.

5. International export vet certificate (Veteriner Sağlık Sertifikası)+

No cat or dog may leave without a veterinary health certificate (Veteriner Sağlık Sertifikası) issued by a state (official) vet. It is issued by the Ministry's district/provincial directorate (İl/İlçe Tarım ve Orman Müdürlüğü) at the place of residence — since 01.02.2024 specifically by the district directorates (İlçe Müdürlüğü). The certificate is issued no earlier than 48 hours before leaving the country. Its form matches the destination's requirements; if a titer is required, the VELBİS-verified FAVN report is attached (the official vet checks it, signs and stamps the reverse). The owner attends in person with the pet, passport, application and (if needed) the lab report; the official vet checks the documents and the animal. At the end the owner receives: the vet certificate, the titer report (if any) and other annexes. The instruction provides for no separate vet control at the airport — the certificate is the final exit document.

6. Pre-permit for protected breeds+

For native breeds whose gene pool is protected (dogs: Kangal, Akbaş, Kars, Çatal Burun, Zağar; cats: Angora (Ankara Kedisi), Van), export abroad is possible only with a pre-permit — the procedure is set by the Local Animal Genetic Resources Regulation (YEHGK). Dangerous dog breeds may be exported only if the destination accepts them, with an owner and registration, but their re-entry into Turkey is prohibited. For these breeds, contact the district directorate (İlçe Müdürlüğü) in advance.

Source ↗

More detail

Pets can only enter through airports with a veterinary border post: IST, SAW, ESB, AYT, ADB and ISL. Check this before buying a ticket.

FAQ

What documents do I need to enter Turkey?+

From any country: microchip, rabies vaccination, rabies antibody titre test, veterinary health certificate, pet passport.

Is a rabies titre test required for Turkey?+

Yes, from any departure country. Entry is allowed no earlier than 90 days after the blood draw.

How many pets can one person bring?+

No more than 2.

How old must the pet be?+

At least 3 months old on the day of entry.

Which breeds are banned from entry?+

American Pit Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, American Bully XL, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu.

Which airlines take pets in the cabin?+

For example: Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, SunExpress, AJet, Corendon Airlines, Freebird Airlines. The full list with conditions is in the table above.

Which airports can pets enter through?+

IST, SAW, ESB, AYT, ADB, ISL.

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