Country entry guide · Middle East
Traveling to Saudi Arabia with your dog
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 |
⏱️ 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.
Find a flight to Saudi Arabia
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Saudi Arabia (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Saudi Arabia★★★★★
Saudi Arabia runs its own MEWA scheme: an advance Anaam import permit, an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, an official government health certificate and a certificate of origin are always required. Dogs are admitted only for hunting, guarding or as guide dogs, and several breeds are banned.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
Import is only allowed from countries MEWA shows as permitted on the Anaam platform. If your dog leaves a country that is not on that list, import is refused, whatever the paperwork.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
A recent stay in a country MEWA does not permit, or one flagged by the World Organisation for Animal Health, can block import even if you fly in from an eligible country. Your dog's real origin and history count — not only the last airport.
So read the requirements below as Saudi Arabia's framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin, eligibility and history with your vet before applying for the Anaam permit.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEWA import permit (Anaam) | Required | 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. | 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 | The dog must be identified by an electronic microchip; the chip number must match the passport and health certificate. | MEWA accepts an electronic chip or other approved identification means. | MEWA — Pets importing procedures |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Must 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. | The microchip must already be in place for the vaccination to be recognised. | MEWA — Pets importing procedures |
| 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. | The origin country's own export rules may still impose one — confirm before travel. | MEWA — Pets importing procedures |
| Other vaccinations | Required | Pets 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. | The animal must be free of external diseases and parasites. | MEWA — Pets importing procedures |
| Government veterinary health certificate | Required | Original government health certificate approved by the exporting country's veterinary authority, plus the original certificate of origin and the passport or vaccination record. | If original documents are missing, the consignment is rejected. | MEWA — Pets importing procedures |
| Minimum age / puppies | Required | Pets must be at least 4 months old to be imported. | Younger animals may not be exported to Saudi Arabia. | MEWA — Revised pets import requirements |
| Importer conditions & quota | Limited | An 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. | Companies and institutions may import for security-guarding purposes under commercial rules. | MEWA — Revised pets import requirements |
| Border check / port examination | Required | Animals are examined at the specified port of entry against the permit, microchip, certificates and vaccination record. | None — every imported dog is checked at the entry port. | MEWA — Pets importing procedures |
| Quarantine | Possible | MEWA may schedule the arrival date and hold consignments according to quarantine capacity at the entry ports; the exact duration is not published. | Non-compliant animals may be held, refused or returned at the owner's expense. | MEWA — Pets importing procedures |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
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.
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.
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.
🛬 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.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 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.
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.
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.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Saudi Arabia
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Confirm your dog is eligible (hunting, guarding or guide dog) and not on a tourist visa
- ☐Anaam import permit obtained before travel (valid 30 days), entry via the named port
- ☐Microchip (ISO) implanted before the rabies vaccination
- ☐Valid rabies vaccination with at least 6 months of validity remaining
- ☐Other vaccinations current per the exporting country's programme
- ☐Original government veterinary health certificate + certificate of origin + passport
- ☐Dog at least 4 months old and within the 2-per-6-months quota
- ☐Confirm your dog is not a banned breed (Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Boxer, Mastiff, Tosa, Bulldog, Presa Canario)