Country entry guide · Central Asia
Traveling to Kazakhstan with your dog
Kazakhstan is not part of the EU: it is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and applies the Union's common veterinary requirements, enforced by the Veterinary Control and Surveillance Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture. A dog travelling for personal use — up to two animals per owner — can enter without an import permit and without quarantine, provided it carries a valid rabies vaccination, the other vaccinations required for dogs, and an official veterinary certificate from the state veterinary service of the country of departure, issued after a clinical examination within five days of travel. What you must prepare still depends on your dog's country of departure and how many animals you bring. This guide explains the standard EAEU path and the cases where an import permit and quarantine apply, so you know what to organise before you fly.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes |
| Pets per traveller (no permit) | Up to 2 |
| Microchip | Recommended, not required by EAEU |
| Rabies vaccination | Required (dogs over 3 months) |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required in general |
| Other vaccinations (distemper, hepatitis, parvo…) | Required |
| Veterinary certificate | Required (EAEU / international) |
| Quarantine | Not required for up to 2 pets |
⏱️ 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 can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
- 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.
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🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Kazakhstan (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Kazakhstan★★★★★
Kazakhstan applies the EAEU common veterinary requirements: a valid rabies vaccination and a set of other vaccinations for dogs (distemper, hepatitis/adenovirus, parvovirus, adenovirus type 2, leptospirosis), recorded and certified by the state veterinary service, with a clinical examination within 5 days of departure.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
Coming from another EAEU country lets your dog move on its veterinary passport with valid vaccinations. From any other country the same core rules apply for up to two pets; more than two animals, or a commercial movement, trigger an import permit and a 21-day pre-export quarantine.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
Kazakhstan does not run an EU-style listed/non-listed system, but the rabies situation of your dog's real origin matters: keep proof of an in-date vaccination and, where a multi-year vaccine is used, evidence that immunity is still maintained.
So read the requirements below as Kazakhstan's EAEU framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin, number of animals and history with your vet.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microchip / identification | Recommended | The EAEU does not define an identification requirement for personal pets; an ISO microchip or a legible tattoo, cross-referenced by the vet, is advised. | Resident dogs in Kazakhstan must be registered (chip/bolus) in the single identification database from 3 months of age under national law. | EAEU common veterinary requirements, ch.15 (Decision No.317); CFIA export note, art.2.4 |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Dogs over 3 months must be vaccinated against rabies within the last 12 months. If the vaccine's validity has lapsed, revaccinate and wait more than 20 days before travel. | Dogs under 3 months are not required to be vaccinated against rabies. A multi-year vaccine whose validity has not lapsed does not need repeating. | EAEU common veterinary requirements, ch.15 (Decision No.317), sec.2.2 |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required in general | No blood titration is required for a standard, in-date rabies vaccination. | It serves only as an alternative when the vaccine's validity has lapsed: a laboratory result of at least 0.5 IU/ml within 12 months of travel is then accepted instead of revaccination. | EAEU common veterinary requirements, ch.15 (Decision No.317), sec.2.2 |
| Other vaccinations (dogs) | Required | Dogs must be vaccinated more than 20 days and less than 12 months before travel against distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus type 1), parvovirus, adenovirus type 2 and leptospirosis. | Leptospirosis vaccination may be replaced by a registered prophylactic treatment (e.g. dihydrostreptomycin). A valid multi-year record does not need repeating. | EAEU common veterinary requirements, ch.15 (Decision No.317), sec.2.2 |
| Veterinary certificate (EAEU / international) | Required | An official veterinary health certificate issued by the state veterinary service of the country of departure, after a clinical examination within 5 days of travel. At the Kazakh border it is re-registered into an EAEU veterinary certificate. | A separate certificate is drawn up for each animal; movements within the EAEU rely on the veterinary passport with valid vaccinations. | EAEU common veterinary requirements, ch.15 (Decision No.317); Rules on veterinary documents (adilet V1500011898) |
| Parasite treatment | Not mandatory | Deworming and other treatments are not a mandatory EAEU import condition, but any treatment given before export must be recorded on the certificate. | Resident dogs in Kazakhstan must be treated against skin parasites and helminths at least once per quarter under national keeping rules. | EAEU common veterinary requirements, ch.15; CFIA export note, art.2.3; egov.kz keeping rules |
| Import permit / advance notification | Conditional | Not required when importing up to 2 dogs and cats in total for personal needs. An import permit is required for more than 2 animals or a commercial consignment. | US authorities (APHIS) state that up to 5 pets in total may travel without an import permit or quarantine when accompanied by an endorsed certificate. | EAEU veterinary certificate, art.1.4 (CFIA export note); APHIS US–Kazakhstan pet travel |
| Border veterinary control | Required | Enter through a checkpoint operating state veterinary control; present the certificate, which is checked and re-registered into an EAEU veterinary certificate. | Kazakhstan enforces the checks through the Veterinary Control and Surveillance Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture. | Veterinary Control and Surveillance Committee (gov.kz); EAEU common veterinary requirements |
| Puppies / minimum age | Conditional | Dogs under 3 months are not required to be vaccinated against rabies under the EAEU rules and may travel with the other conditions met. | Once a dog is over 3 months, the rabies shot (more than 20 days before departure if newly given) governs the earliest travel date. Any airline age minimum applies separately. | EAEU common veterinary requirements, ch.15 (Decision No.317), sec.2.2 |
| Quarantine | Not required | No import quarantine for up to 2 dogs and cats in total travelling with the owner for personal needs. | For more than 2 animals, a commercial import or other fur-bearing animals, a 21-day quarantine and a clinical exam within 5 days of departure are required. | EAEU veterinary certificate, art.1.4 (CFIA export note) |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
From another EAEU country
A dog coming from another Eurasian Economic Union country (Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan) moves on its veterinary passport showing valid rabies and other required vaccinations. No import permit and no quarantine for up to two pets travelling with the owner for personal needs.
From any other country — up to 2 pets
From a non-EAEU country, up to two dogs and cats in total for personal use enter without an import permit and without quarantine, accompanied by the owner and an official veterinary certificate from the country of departure's state veterinary service, issued after a clinical exam within 5 days of travel, with valid vaccinations. Present yourself to veterinary control at the checkpoint, where the certificate is re-registered into an EAEU certificate.
More than 2 animals / commercial import
For more than two animals in total, or a commercial import, you must obtain an import permit in advance and a 21-day quarantine applies, with a clinical examination performed within 5 days of departure. The same core vaccination requirements and the veterinary certificate remain mandatory for each animal.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Kazakhstan depends on where you flew from and how many animals you bring.
- Enter through a border checkpoint that operates state veterinary control, run by the Veterinary Control and Surveillance Committee.
- Present the veterinary certificate and vaccination records; the exporting country's certificate is re-registered into an EAEU veterinary certificate.
- For up to 2 pets in total travelling with you for personal needs, no import permit and no quarantine are required.
- For more than 2 animals or a commercial import, the import permit must be shown and a 21-day quarantine applies.
- Carry original documents; where they are not in Russian or Kazakh, an official translation is recommended.
- If vaccinations or documents are missing or invalid, entry can be refused, or the animal quarantined or returned at the owner's expense.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Kazakhstan does not impose a breed-specific import ban. Under the Law 'On responsible treatment of animals' (No. 97-VII of 30 December 2021), the authorised body approves a list of domestic animals 'requiring special responsibility of the owner', and cities set local keeping and walking rules. These are handling obligations inside the country, not a customs ban.
Dogs 'requiring special responsibility of the owner' — as listed in Astana's municipal keeping rules — include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Rottweiler and their half-breeds. Exact lists are set locally and may vary by region.
This list does not prohibit entry: such a dog can be imported like any other under the standard EAEU procedure. In public these dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled regardless of location (unless in a fenced area belonging to the owner, marked with a warning sign); self-walking is prohibited and the walker must be old enough under national and local rules.
Only the official law and the applicable local rules are authoritative, and lists differ between cities. Confirm your dog's status for your destination city before you travel.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Veterinary passport or record identifying the dog and its vaccinations
- ☐Valid rabies vaccination (dogs over 3 months; revaccinate and wait >20 days if lapsed)
- ☐Other required dog vaccinations: distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, adenovirus type 2, leptospirosis
- ☐Official veterinary certificate from the country of departure, after a clinical exam within 5 days of travel
- ☐ISO microchip or legible tattoo recommended (identification not required by the EAEU)
- ☐Import permit if bringing more than 2 animals in total (21-day quarantine then applies)
- ☐Documents in Russian or Kazakh, or with an official translation
- ☐Enter via a checkpoint with veterinary control; suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold
📚 Official sources
- Ministry of Agriculture — Veterinary Control and Surveillance Committee (official page)
- e-Government of Kazakhstan — Keeping and walking a dog (national/local rules, breed list)
- Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'On responsible treatment of animals' No. 97-VII (30.12.2021), Adilet LIS
- Rules on issuing veterinary documents and their forms (Adilet, V1500011898)
- USDA APHIS — Pet Travel from the United States to Kazakhstan (EAEU certificate & rules)
- CFIA — Export of dogs and cats to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU certificate notes, art.1.4/2.3/2.4)