Country entry guide · Asia
Traveling to Indonesia with your dog
Indonesia is one of the hardest countries in the world to bring a dog to, and where in the country you are heading matters more than anything else. To protect its rabies-free provinces, Indonesia prohibits importing dogs from rabies-affected countries into those areas — and Bali, the destination most travellers have in mind, does not accept the direct entry of dogs at all. Where import is allowed (in practice the mainland via Jakarta), you must first obtain an import permit from the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services (Ditjen PKH), then an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody test, and a government health certificate, followed by quarantine on arrival. This guide explains what is possible, what is forbidden, and why you should never assume you can simply fly a dog into Bali.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Restricted — permit + designated entry points only |
| Entry to Bali & rabies-free provinces | Prohibited |
| Import permit (Ditjen PKH, in advance) | Required |
| Microchip (ISO) | Required |
| Rabies vaccination | Required |
| Rabies antibody test | Required (≥0.5 IU/ml) |
| Government veterinary health certificate | Required |
| Quarantine | Required (at least 14 days) |
⏱️ Estimated preparation time
Times are indicative. The rabies antibody test alone adds a fixed 3-month wait.
⚠️ Important
- MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
- Only a veterinarian, the Directorate General of Livestock Services (Ditjen PKH) and the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
- Bali and Indonesia's rabies-free provinces do not accept the entry of dogs — do not book a flight assuming you can bring a dog to Bali.
- Requirements depend on: the country of origin, previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.
Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.
Find a flight to Indonesia
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact outcome depends on three things — and for Indonesia the destination area within the country is decisive.
- 1 Country of destination — Indonesia (and where within it)★★★★★
Indonesia runs its own scheme: an advance import permit (Ditjen PKH), microchip, rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody test, a government health certificate and quarantine. Crucially, import is only allowed into rabies-endemic areas through designated entry points; Bali and the rabies-free provinces prohibit the entry of dogs entirely.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
The exporting country's official veterinary authority endorses the health certificate. A dog coming from a rabies-affected country cannot be imported into any rabies-free area of Indonesia — the prohibition is tied to the rabies status of both the origin and the destination area.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
A recent stay in a rabies-risk country shapes how the vaccination, antibody test and quarantine are assessed, and the quarantine officer may detain any animal that raises a disease concern regardless of the last airport.
So read the requirements below as Indonesia's framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin, history and destination area with your vet, Ditjen PKH and Barantin before you book.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Import permit (Ditjen PKH) | Required | Issued in advance by the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services (Ditjen PKH), Ministry of Agriculture, applied for through the SIMREK PKH portal before shipment. No dog may be imported without it. | A permit is never issued for the entry of dogs into a rabies-free province or into Bali. | Ditjen PKH — pet import permit (SIMREK PKH); pertanian.go.id |
| ISO microchip | Required | ISO 11784/11785 microchip (15-digit code); the number must match the vaccination records, the antibody-test report and the health certificate. | If the microchip cannot be read or does not match the documents, entry can be refused at quarantine. | Badan Karantina Indonesia (Barantin) — pet import requirements |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Certificate issued by a government or licensed veterinarian; the vaccination must have been performed at least 30 days and not more than 1 year before shipment/export. | A dog from a rabies-affected country still cannot enter any rabies-free area of Indonesia even when fully vaccinated. | Embassy of Indonesia — Animal Quarantine requirements; Barantin |
| Rabies antibody test | Required | A rabies antibody test (serological titration) with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, from an approved laboratory, is required for dogs imported where import is allowed. | Confirm the exact validity window and approved laboratory with Barantin/Ditjen PKH before travel; the antibody test does not lift the ban on entering rabies-free provinces or Bali. | Badan Karantina Indonesia (Barantin) — pet import requirements |
| Government veterinary health certificate | Required | Animal health certificate (or pet passport) issued by an authorised government veterinarian in the exporting country, presented on arrival with the rabies documents. | Copies are not accepted in place of the original endorsed certificate. | Embassy of Indonesia — Animal Quarantine requirements; USDA APHIS (Indonesia) |
| Minimum age / condition | ≥90 days; not pregnant/lactating | The pet must be at least 90 days old at the time of export/shipment and must not be pregnant or in lactation. | A dog too young for a valid rabies vaccination cannot meet the entry conditions. | Embassy of Indonesia — Animal Quarantine requirements |
| Advance notification to quarantine | Required | The pet must be reported to the Animal Quarantine (Barantin) officer at the point of entry at least 2 days before arrival, in addition to the pre-arrival Prior Notice. | — | Badan Karantina Indonesia (Barantin) — Prior Notice / arrival reporting |
| Designated points of entry | Mandatory routing | Dogs may only be imported through designated animal-quarantine entry points into areas where import is allowed — in practice the mainland via Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta), with Surabaya and Medan also used for pets. | Denpasar (Bali) is not an entry point for the direct import of dogs. | Badan Karantina Indonesia (Barantin) — entry points for pets |
| Prohibited destinations (Bali & rabies-free provinces) | Entry prohibited | Importing dogs from rabies-affected countries/zones into Indonesia's rabies-free areas is prohibited by law; Bali does not accept the direct entry of dogs. Rabies-free areas cited by the authorities include Kepulauan Riau, Bangka Belitung, West Nusa Tenggara, Papua and West Papua. | Onward movement of a dog into these areas after mainland quarantine is also restricted — confirm current rules with Ditjen PKH/Barantin. | Badan Karantina Indonesia (Barantin); Embassy of Indonesia — prohibitions |
| Quarantine on arrival | Required | After the quarantine veterinarian verifies the documents and finds the dog healthy, the animal is held in a quarantine facility at the airport for at least 14 days of observation. | If documents are incomplete or the dog is not healthy, it may be refused, returned or held; all costs fall on the owner. | Embassy of Indonesia — Animal Quarantine; Min. of Agriculture Decree 422/1988, Art. 16 |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Where import is possible — a permitted (rabies-endemic) entry area
Import is only possible into areas where dogs are allowed — in practice the Indonesian mainland via Jakarta. You must first obtain an import permit from Ditjen PKH (SIMREK PKH portal), then present an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination performed 30 days to 1 year before shipment, a rabies antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml and a government health certificate. The dog must be at least 90 days old and not pregnant or lactating.
On arrival — reporting, inspection and 14-day quarantine
Report the pet to the quarantine (Barantin) officer at the point of entry at least 2 days before arrival. On arrival the quarantine veterinarian inspects the dog and verifies every document; if all is in order the dog is held in a quarantine facility for at least 14 days of observation before release. Moving the dog on to another province is separately controlled.
Bali and rabies-free provinces — entry prohibited
This is the case most travellers get wrong. Bali does not accept the direct entry of dogs, and the law prohibits importing dogs from rabies-affected countries into any of Indonesia's rabies-free provinces. No import permit is issued for these destinations, and no vaccination or antibody test lifts the ban. Do not book travel assuming you can bring a dog to Bali — directly or by moving it on from the mainland.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Indonesia depends entirely on whether it is heading to a permitted area and whether every condition was completed before departure.
- Dogs may only arrive at a designated animal-quarantine entry point into an area where import is allowed — in practice the mainland via Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta); Surabaya and Medan are also used for pets.
- Denpasar (Bali) is not an entry point for the direct import of dogs — a dog flown towards Bali will be refused.
- Present the import permit, the endorsed health certificate, the rabies vaccination certificate and the antibody-test report to the Barantin quarantine veterinarian, who checks the documents and the microchip.
- If the dog is healthy and the documents complete, it is taken into a quarantine facility for at least 14 days of observation; quarantine and related fees are payable by the owner.
- If documents are missing or invalid, or the dog is bound for a prohibited area, quarantine may refuse entry and order return or, in the worst case, other measures — all at the owner's expense.
- Bringing an animal in against these rules is an offence under Indonesia's quarantine law and can carry heavy fines and imprisonment.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Indonesia's controls on dogs are built around rabies geography, not dog breeds. The official import rules reviewed do not publish a national dangerous-breed import ban; the decisive restriction is the destination area, not the breed.
No national breed-specific import ban is published in the sources reviewed: breeds restricted in some other countries (pit-bull types, Tosa, Rottweiler and similar) are not named as prohibited from importation by Ditjen PKH or Barantin. The absolute prohibitions concern destination areas (Bali and the rabies-free provinces), not breeds.
Any additional breed limits are most likely to come from airlines and local government rules rather than national import law. Many carriers refuse or restrict snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds in the hold, and some local authorities regulate dog keeping. These are not import bans and are outside the quarantine scheme.
Because breed status is not the barrier here — the destination area is — confirm your dog's breed is accepted by your airline, and confirm current rules directly with Ditjen PKH and Barantin before booking.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Indonesia
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Confirm your destination area allows dogs — Bali and the rabies-free provinces do not
- ☐Import permit obtained in advance from Ditjen PKH (SIMREK PKH portal)
- ☐ISO 11784/11785 microchip; number matches every document
- ☐Rabies vaccination performed 30 days to 1 year before shipment
- ☐Rabies antibody test result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from an approved laboratory
- ☐Original government-endorsed health certificate; dog ≥90 days old, not pregnant/lactating
- ☐Report the pet to Barantin quarantine at least 2 days before arrival; plan for ≥14 days quarantine
- ☐IATA-compliant crate; confirm your dog's breed is accepted by the airline
📚 Official sources
- Badan Karantina Indonesia (Barantin) — official website
- Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services (Ditjen PKH), Ministry of Agriculture
- Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia (Kementerian Pertanian)
- Embassy of Indonesia (Washington DC) — Animal Quarantine Requirements and Procedure
- USDA APHIS — Pet Travel from the United States to Indonesia