Country entry guide · Africa (Indian Ocean)
Traveling to Mauritius with your dog
Mauritius welcomes dogs, but as a rabies-free Indian Ocean island it runs strict import controls managed by the Division of Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security. Every dog needs an import permit obtained before departure, a rabies neutralising antibody titer test (RNATT) followed by a waiting period, several disease tests, up-to-date core vaccinations, an International Veterinary Certificate endorsed by the exporting country's authorities, and a mandatory quarantine at the Reduit facility on arrival. What you must prepare depends heavily on where your dog is coming from and its rabies history. Plan on several months of veterinary preparation and apply for the permit at least three months before departure. This guide explains each official step so you know exactly what to prepare before you book.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes — with import permit |
| Import permit | Required — apply ≥3 months ahead |
| Microchip | Required |
| Rabies vaccination | Required |
| Rabies antibody test (RNATT) | Required — 3-month waiting period |
| Disease tests (Ehrlichia, Brucella) | Required |
| International Veterinary Certificate | Required |
| Quarantine (Reduit) | Required — minimum 5 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 and the Division of Veterinary Services (via your import permit) 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 steps depend on three things — Mauritius (your destination) sets a strict national scheme, but your dog's origin and history decide the detail.
- 1 Country of destination — Mauritius★★★★★
Mauritius applies its own scheme under the Animal Disease Act 1925: an import permit, ISO microchip, rabies protection, several disease tests and treatments, an International Veterinary Certificate and a mandatory quarantine at Reduit apply to every imported dog.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
Your dog's country of export must be certified by that country's Veterinary Authority, which endorses every test and the health certificate. The Division of Veterinary Services assesses the country's status at permit application and may refuse a permit in case of a sanitary threat.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
The rabies antibody test must be taken 3 to 12 months before shipment, followed by at least a 3-month waiting period, so your dog's recent residence and rabies history determine when it can travel. A stay in a higher-risk country can change what the permit requires.
So read the requirements below as the Mauritian framework, then confirm your dog's origin, history and exact conditions against your import permit and your vet.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Import permit | Required | Apply to the Division of Veterinary Services at least 3 months before departure; no dog may be embarked for Mauritius without a permit. Normal permit delivery is around two working days once all conditions are met. | Import permits may be refused in case of a sanitary threat to the country. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius; Animal Disease Act 1925 |
| Microchip | Required | A registered veterinarian must scan the dog's microchip before collecting the RNATT blood sample; the microchip number is recorded on the application form, the laboratory report and the health certificate. | The microchip is the identification linking your dog to every test and document. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius; Application form for pet import permits |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Vaccinated or revaccinated with a vaccine produced in accordance with the WOAH Terrestrial Manual, following the manufacturer's recommendations, before the antibody test. | Wait 4 weeks between the rabies vaccination and the blood sample for the RNAT test. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (import permit conditions) |
| Rabies antibody test (RNATT) | Required | Blood collected ≥4 weeks after vaccination and tested by FAVN or RFFIT in a laboratory approved by the exporting country's Veterinary Authority or a WOAH reference laboratory; result must be ≥0.5 IU/ml. Sample taken not less than 3 and not more than 12 months before shipment. | A waiting period of at least 3 months from the sampling date must be observed before travel. A result below 0.5 IU/ml means re-vaccinate and repeat the test. The laboratory must also send a copy of results directly to the DVS. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (RNAT test) |
| Ehrlichia canis test | Required | Tested for Ehrlichia canis by Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT) with a negative result at a dilution of 1:40, within 45 days before departure. | The laboratory must send a copy of the results directly to the DVS to confirm authenticity. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (Ehrlichia canis) |
| Brucella canis test | Required | Tested for Brucella canis by a rapid slide agglutination test or a tube agglutination test, with a negative result. | The laboratory must send a copy of the results directly to the DVS to confirm authenticity. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (Brucella canis) |
| Core vaccinations | Required | Vaccinated against distemper (maladie de Carre), infectious hepatitis, leptospirosis and canine parvovirus; up to date but not done less than two weeks before dispatch by air, and certified by a registered vet with vaccine make, batch number, expiry and date given. | None published. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (vaccination) |
| Sterilisation certificate | Required (except breeding dogs) | A sterilisation certificate signed and stamped by a registered veterinarian must accompany the application, except for animals imported for breeding. | Breeding dogs instead need a pedigree/equivalent certificate proving pure breed (with sire and dam), a valid breeder's licence registered by the Animal Welfare Unit. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (documents) |
| International Veterinary Certificate | Required | An International Veterinary Certificate issued and endorsed by the Competent Authority of the exporting country must accompany the dog; all test reports must also be endorsed by that authority. The dog must show no clinical signs of rabies or other infectious disease the day before or on the day of shipment. | Original documents (or certified true copies) must be produced at the animal's arrival. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (certificate) |
| Transport as manifest cargo | Required | All pets must arrive as manifest CARGO only — not in the cabin and not in the luggage hold as excess luggage. A local broker's coordinates must be provided for customs clearance. | Inform the DVS of the flight number and arrival time at least four days before arrival. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (import permit conditions) |
| Quarantine (Reduit) | Required — minimum 5 days | The dog undergoes a minimum quarantine of 5 days at the Quarantine Facility at Reduit; availability of a kennel must be confirmed before the permit is issued. Kennel rent is Rs 15 per day per animal. | The facility has no clinical vet or medication on site; a private vet may be called at the owner's cost. Owners provide the dog's food. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius (post arrival) |
| Minimum age / puppies | Effectively several months | No explicit minimum age is published, but rabies vaccination, the 4-week wait before the RNATT and the 3-month post-sampling waiting period push the earliest travel date to several months of age. | Confirm any age condition on your individual import permit. | DVS — Guidelines to bring dogs to Mauritius |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Standard route — rabies antibody test
Most travellers follow this path. Your dog is microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, then blood-tested (RNATT) at least 4 weeks later with a result of ≥0.5 IU/ml, taken 3 to 12 months before shipment. A minimum 3-month waiting period from the sampling date then applies before travel. Add the Ehrlichia canis and Brucella canis tests, core vaccinations, an endorsed International Veterinary Certificate, the import permit and the 5-day quarantine at Reduit.
Alternative — six-month quarantine station
Instead of the rabies antibody test, the import permit conditions allow a dog that was kept in an approved quarantine station for six months prior to shipment, under the supervision of the exporting country's Veterinary Authority. All other requirements — permit, disease tests, core vaccinations, endorsed certificate and the 5-day quarantine at Reduit — still apply.
Permit refusal — sanitary threat
There is no published fixed list of approved or eligible countries; the Division of Veterinary Services assesses the country's status when you apply. An import permit may be refused in case of a sanitary threat to the country, and applications may take longer when the dog is imported from a new country. Confirm your country's eligibility with the DVS before making any arrangements.
🛬 Arrival
Every dog arrives the same way: as manifest cargo, then to the Reduit quarantine facility for a minimum of 5 days.
- Inform the Division of Veterinary Services of the flight number and arrival time by email at least four days before the dog arrives.
- Your local broker must be present at the airport for customs formalities; if no representative is present, the animal risks being put back on the plane at the owner's cost.
- The dog must arrive with all original documents endorsed by the exporting country's Competent Authority, including the International Veterinary Certificate; consignments without an import permit and certificate are not cleared.
- The dog is taken to the Quarantine Facility at Reduit for a minimum of 5 days; kennel rent is Rs 15 per day and the owner provides the dog's food.
- The facility has no clinical veterinarian or medication on site; if treatment is needed, a private vet can be called or the dog taken to a clinic, at the owner's cost and under DVS supervision.
- The dog must be collected by the owner or a person authorised in writing at the end of the quarantine period; a veterinary clearance fee of Rs 500 applies.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Mauritius restricts certain dog breeds under the Animal Welfare Act 2013. Some breeds are banned from import outright (Fourth Schedule), while breeds classed as 'dangerous' (First Schedule) may only be imported as pure breeds, excluding those on the banned list.
Banned from import (Fourth Schedule, Animal Welfare Act 2013): American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, Blue Nose Pit Bull, Red Nose Pit Bull, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Boerboel. These breeds cannot be imported into Mauritius.
'Dangerous dogs' (First Schedule) include Alaskan Malamute, Bull Mastiff, Cane Corso, Dobermann, Kangal, Mastino Napoletano, Presa Canario, Rhodesian Ridgeback and Rottweiler, among others. Only a pure breed from this list — excluding the Fourth Schedule banned breeds — may be imported, which in practice requires a pedigree certificate.
Confirm your dog's breed eligibility with the Division of Veterinary Services and the Animal Welfare Unit before making any travel arrangements, as the schedules are set by national law and conditions may change without notice.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Mauritius
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Confirm your dog's breed is not banned (Fourth Schedule) and, if a 'dangerous' breed, that it is pure breed with a pedigree
- ☐Microchip implanted and scanned before the rabies blood sample
- ☐Rabies vaccination, then RNATT ≥0.5 IU/ml (blood ≥4 weeks after vaccine), taken 3–12 months before shipment
- ☐Observe the minimum 3-month waiting period from the sampling date before travel
- ☐Ehrlichia canis (IFAT, within 45 days) and Brucella canis tests, both negative
- ☐Core vaccinations up to date (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus), not within 2 weeks of dispatch
- ☐Sterilisation certificate (or pedigree + breeder's licence for breeding dogs)
- ☐Apply for the import permit at least 3 months before departure, with motivation letter and required documents
- ☐Endorsed International Veterinary Certificate and all original test reports travelling with the dog
- ☐Fly the dog as manifest cargo, arrange a local broker, notify the DVS ≥4 days before arrival, and book the Reduit quarantine