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Country entry guide · Middle East

Traveling to Saudi Arabia with your dog

Difficulty: Moderate — advance MEWA permit, dogs admitted only for specific uses ⏱ Several weeks to a few months

Saudi Arabia does not run the EU pet-travel framework — it applies its own scheme through the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) and its Anaam electronic platform. Importantly, dogs are not freely admitted: MEWA's guidance limits dog import to hunting, guarding and guide dogs for people with disabilities, and pets cannot be brought in on a tourist visa. Every dog needs an import permit obtained in advance through Anaam before it travels, plus an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination (with at least six months of validity remaining), other vaccinations and an official government veterinary health certificate. Several dangerous breeds are barred. This guide explains the permit, the documents, the age and quantity limits, and the breed rules so you know exactly what to prepare — and whether import is possible at all — before you book.

📋 At a glance

Dogs allowed	Restricted — hunting, guarding, guide dogs only
Import permit (MEWA / Anaam)	Required in advance
Microchip	Required
Rabies vaccination	Required (≥6 months validity left)
Rabies antibody test	Not published by MEWA — may depend on origin
Veterinary health certificate	Required (plus certificate of origin)
Quarantine	Possible — MEWA schedules per capacity
Banned breeds	Several breeds prohibited

⚠️ 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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Find a flight to Saudi Arabia

Compare the airlines that accept dogs and check their conditions.

🔎 Find a flight to Saudi Arabia

🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided

1
Country of destination — Saudi Arabia★★★★★
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Country of departure★★★★★
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Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆

✅ Entry requirements

Requirement	Required?	Exceptions	Official reference
MEWA import permit (Anaam)	Required	No dog may enter without a valid permit; pets cannot be imported on a tourist visa.	MEWA — Pets importing procedures; my.gov.sa
ISO microchip	Required	MEWA accepts an electronic chip or other approved identification means.	MEWA — Pets importing procedures
Rabies vaccination	Required	The microchip must already be in place for the vaccination to be recognised.	MEWA — Pets importing procedures
Rabies antibody test	Not published	The origin country's own export rules may still impose one — confirm before travel.	MEWA — Pets importing procedures
Other vaccinations	Required	The animal must be free of external diseases and parasites.	MEWA — Pets importing procedures
Government veterinary health certificate	Required	If original documents are missing, the consignment is rejected.	MEWA — Pets importing procedures
Minimum age / puppies	Required	Younger animals may not be exported to Saudi Arabia.	MEWA — Revised pets import requirements
Importer conditions & quota	Limited	Companies and institutions may import for security-guarding purposes under commercial rules.	MEWA — Revised pets import requirements
Border check / port examination	Required	None — every imported dog is checked at the entry port.	MEWA — Pets importing procedures
Quarantine	Possible	Non-compliant animals may be held, refused or returned at the owner's expense.	MEWA — Pets importing procedures

🗓 In what order, and when

Some steps only count once the previous one is done — check each deadline against the official reference above.

MEWA import permit (Anaam)Applied for via the Anaam platform (anaam.mewa.sa) before the dog travels; valid 30 days from issue. Entry must be through the port named on the permit.
ISO microchipThe dog must be identified by an electronic microchip; the chip number must match the passport and health certificate.
Rabies vaccinationMust be valid, with at least six months of validity remaining at the time of import; validity is checked when the permit and the entry/return permit are issued.
Rabies antibody testMEWA's published import rules do not require a rabies antibody test; the health certificate has a field where any origin-country test can be recorded.
Other vaccinationsPets must be vaccinated against rabies and other diseases according to the vaccination programme approved in the exporting country, recorded in the passport or vaccination record.
Government veterinary health certificateOriginal government health certificate approved by the exporting country's veterinary authority, plus the original certificate of origin and the passport or vaccination record.
Minimum age / puppiesPets must be at least 4 months old to be imported.
Importer conditions & quotaAn individual importer must be at least 30 years old (diplomats exempt with proof), and may import a maximum of 2 dogs (or 2 cats) every six months. Dogs cannot be imported commercially.
Border check / port examinationAnimals are examined at the specified port of entry against the permit, microchip, certificates and vaccination record.
QuarantineMEWA may schedule the arrival date and hold consignments according to quarantine capacity at the entry ports; the exact duration is not published.

🌍 The different cases

Eligible origin — full document set

If your dog leaves a country MEWA shows as permitted on Anaam and it is being imported for an allowed purpose (hunting, guarding or as a guide dog), you need the advance Anaam import permit, an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination with at least six months of validity left, other vaccinations per the exporting country's programme, an original government health certificate and a certificate of origin. The dog must be at least 4 months old.

⏱ Once the microchip, an in-date rabies vaccination (≥6 months validity left) and the health certificate are ready, the Anaam import permit is issued for a 30-day window — plan several weeks overall.

Permitted-countries list on Anaam

MEWA only authorises imports from the countries shown as permitted on the Anaam platform, and it may reject applications from countries flagged by the World Organisation for Animal Health. The list changes with the global animal-health situation, so confirm your dog's origin is currently accepted before you plan the move.

⏱ Import is allowed only from the countries shown as permitted on the Anaam platform; check your dog's origin against that list before making any plans.

Not eligible — import refused

If your dog travels from a country not permitted on Anaam, is a banned breed, is under 4 months old, or you are entering on a tourist visa, import is refused. Dogs are not freely admitted to Saudi Arabia — MEWA restricts them to hunting, guarding and guide dogs for people with disabilities — so confirm eligibility before anything else.

⏱ From a country not permitted on Anaam, or on a tourist visa, import is refused — timing cannot be assumed and eligibility must be confirmed first.

🛬 Arrival

What happens when your dog reaches Saudi Arabia depends on your Anaam permit and the port named on it.

The import permit must be issued by MEWA through Anaam before travel and still be valid (30 days) on the day of entry.
Entry must be through the specific port shown on the permit; the animal is examined there against the permit, microchip and certificates.
Carry the originals: the government veterinary health certificate, the certificate of origin and the passport or vaccination record — copies alone are rejected.
MEWA may hold or schedule the consignment according to quarantine capacity at the port.
If documents are missing or invalid, the breed is banned, or the dog is ineligible, the animal may be held, refused entry or returned — at the owner's expense.

🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)

Saudi Arabia is non-listed, so a valid rabies antibody titer is mandatory to return to the EU — plus a MEWA export health certificate.

⚠️ Start before you leave Anticipate the rabies antibody titer: blood test in an EU-approved lab, at least 30 days after vaccination — a valid result is essential to re-enter the EU and cannot be arranged at the last minute.
On site, before the flight Apply through MEWA's online platform Anaam; a certificate from a MEWA-accredited clinic is approved at the MEWA branch after clinical and lab examination, and the export permission is valid 30 days.

⚠️ If your dog already had a valid EU rabies titer before leaving, it stays valid for life as long as the rabies vaccination is kept up — check this before you travel.

🔗 Authority: MEWA

🚫 Restricted dogs

Saudi Arabia's MEWA import rules ban a list of dangerous dog breeds and any crossbreeds of them. Beyond breed rules, dogs are not freely admitted at all: import is limited to hunting, guarding and guide dogs for people with disabilities, and social attitudes to pet dogs are more reserved than in Europe.

Category 1

Banned from import (breeds and their crossbreeds): Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Boxer, Mastiff, Tosa, Bulldog and Perro de Presa Canario. A dog of, or crossed with, any of these breeds is refused import under MEWA's requirements.

Category 2

A separate 'Import fierce animals permit (dogs)' service exists on the national portal listing similar breeds, so treatment of these breeds is not fully consistent across official sources. Guide dogs for people with disabilities are a recognised exception to the general restriction on dogs.

Because the breed rules and the 'fierce animals' permit appear to conflict, confirm your dog's breed and eligibility directly with MEWA before applying for a permit or booking travel.

✈️ Airlines flying to Saudi Arabia with a dog

Carriers we document that serve this country and accept dogs. The verdict is the airline's general policy — it does not prejudge your breed, your crate or your exact route.

Saudia🇸🇦 3 airports Cabin ≤5 kg Turkish Airlines 3 airports Cabin ≤8 kg Emirates 3 airports Hold Qatar Airways 3 airports Hold Pegasus Airlines 3 airports Cabin Etihad Airways 3 airports Cabin ≤8 kg

+26 more documented airlines accept dogs to this country. 3 carriers serving this country are not listed here: refusal or undocumented pet policy. See all airlines →

🛂 Airports in Saudi Arabia

Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.

Dammam DMM Jeddah JED Riyadh RUH

Saudi Arabia with a dog: common questions

Saudi Arabia: What does my dog need to enter?

Saudi Arabia requires: MEWA import permit (Anaam), ISO microchip, Rabies vaccination, Other vaccinations, Government veterinary health certificate.

Saudi Arabia: Is a rabies antibody test required?

Saudi Arabia — Rabies antibody test: Not published. MEWA's published import rules do not require a rabies antibody test; the health certificate has a field where any origin-country test can be recorded.

Saudi Arabia: Are any dog breeds banned?

Saudi Arabia: How long does it take to prepare a dog?

Once the microchip, an in-date rabies vaccination (≥6 months validity left) and the health certificate are ready, the Anaam import permit is issued for a 30-day window — plan several weeks overall. From a country not permitted on Anaam, or on a tourist visa, import is refused…

Saudi Arabia: Do domestic flights have the same requirements?

Domestic flight in Saudi Arabia: no domestic movement rule is published — the quarantine framework covers import, export and transit only. No document is required by the State for a domestic flight. Aviation regulation only obliges carriers to publish their animal rules; acceptance is left entirely to them.…

Saudi Arabia: What is needed to leave with a dog?