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Country entry guide · Africa

Traveling to Tunisia with your dog

Difficulty: Moderate — official veterinary certificate required ⏱ Several weeks to a few months

Tunisia welcomes pet dogs, but entry runs through the country's own scheme managed by the Ministry of Agriculture's veterinary authority (Direction Générale des Services Vétérinaires, DGSV), not the EU framework. A dog travelling with its owner as a personal pet needs a valid rabies vaccination and an original official veterinary health certificate (certificat sanitaire) issued shortly before departure by a government vet of the country of origin, plus the animal's health booklet. On arrival, your dog is checked by the border veterinary services alongside customs. A short list of dangerous breeds is banned outright. This guide explains the certificate, the rabies rule, the border check and the banned breeds so you know exactly what to prepare before you book your flight.

📋 At a glance

Dogs allowed	Yes (non-banned breeds)
Identification (microchip)	Recommended — confirm with DGSV
Rabies vaccination	Required
Rabies antibody test	Not part of published rules
Veterinary health certificate	Required (original)
Border veterinary check	Required
Quarantine	Not required if compliant
Banned breeds	Pit-bull, Rottweiler, Tosa, Mastiff/Boerbull

⚠️ 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 Tunisia

Compare the airlines that accept dogs and check their conditions.

🔎 Find a flight to Tunisia

🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided

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Country of destination — Tunisia★★★★★
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Country of departure★★★★★
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Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆

✅ Entry requirements

Requirement	Required?	Exceptions	Official reference
Identification (microchip)	Recommended	The Tunisian customs portal lists the certificate and health booklet but does not publish a separate microchip rule — confirm with the DGSV.	Douane Tunisienne — Animaux de compagnie
Rabies vaccination	Required	If the dog is under 3 months old, its mother must have been vaccinated against rabies.	Douane Tunisienne — Animaux de compagnie
Rabies antibody test	Not published	Unknown for specific cases — confirm with the DGSV, as requirements can differ by the dog's origin and rabies history.	Douane Tunisienne — Animaux de compagnie; DGSV
Veterinary health certificate (certificat sanitaire)	Required (original)	None — an original official certificate must accompany every dog (copies are not accepted).	Douane Tunisienne — Animaux de compagnie
Animal health booklet	Required	None.	Douane Tunisienne — Animaux de compagnie
Non-commercial (personal pet) movement	Applies to a limited number of pets	The exact non-commercial pet limit is not published on the customs portal — confirm with the DGSV / customs.	Douane Tunisienne — Animaux de compagnie; Loi n° 99-24
Advance notification / import permit	Not required (personal pet)	Transit and commercial movements require prior approval from the Ministry of Agriculture.	Idaraty / SICAD — contrôle sanitaire vétérinaire à l'importation
Border veterinary inspection & customs check	Required	None for a live dog entering the territory.	Loi n° 99-24 (1999); Décret n° 2002-668 (2002)
Minimum age / puppies	Linked to rabies vaccination	No separate stand-alone minimum age is published beyond the rabies rule — confirm with the DGSV.	Douane Tunisienne — Animaux de compagnie
Quarantine	Not required if compliant	Non-compliant animals may be refused, returned or held under veterinary control at the owner's expense.	Loi n° 99-24 (1999); Décret n° 2002-668 (2002)
Banned / dangerous breeds	Prohibited	None published — the ban is set by the Ministry of Agriculture (DGSV) and applies at the border.	Ministère de l'Agriculture / DGSV — races de chiens interdites à l'importation

🗓 In what order, and when

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

Identification (microchip)An ISO microchip is the standard way to identify the animal on the health certificate and is needed for a later return to the EU; place it before the rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccinationThe dog must be vaccinated against rabies; the vaccination is recorded in the health booklet and referenced on the certificate. It is commonly applied as valid from at least 30 days and less than 12 months after the injection — confirm the exact window with the DGSV.
Rabies antibody testTunisia's published pet-import rules do not mention a rabies antibody test for personal pets, and it is generally not requested from listed origins.
Veterinary health certificate (certificat sanitaire)The original certificate must be issued by the official veterinary services of the country of origin and presented at the Tunisian point of entry; it is issued shortly before travel.
Animal health bookletCarry the animal's health booklet (livret / carnet sanitaire) recording identification and vaccinations, including rabies.
Non-commercial (personal pet) movementA traveller's own dog accompanying them counts as a non-commercial personal pet. A larger number of animals is treated as a commercial import with heavier requirements and prior authorisation from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Advance notification / import permitA traveller's pet dog needs no prior import permit, but it is subject to veterinary sanitary inspection at the border.
Border veterinary inspection & customs checkOn arrival, present your dog and its documents to the border veterinary services alongside customs; a sanitary check is carried out at the point of entry.
Minimum age / puppiesA puppy is expected to be vaccinated against rabies; a dog under 3 months old is admitted only if its mother was vaccinated against rabies.
Banned / dangerous breedsImport of dangerous, fierce dogs is prohibited for the pit-bull, Rottweiler, Tosa and Mastiff (Boerbull) types, and generally their crossbreeds.

🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin

From the EU

From the European Union

For a dog leaving the EU, an official EU vet issues the veterinary health certificate for Tunisia shortly before departure. Your dog needs a valid rabies vaccination (recorded in the passport / health booklet) and, in practice, an ISO microchip. No rabies antibody test is published as a requirement. On arrival in Tunisia, the border veterinary services check the dog and its documents with customs.

⏱ From the EU: a few days if the rabies vaccination is already valid — the veterinary health certificate is issued by an official vet shortly before departure.

From any other country

From a non-EU country, the core requirements are the same: a valid rabies vaccination and an original official veterinary health certificate issued by the government veterinary services of the country of origin, plus the animal's health booklet. Use your country's official export certificate model and have it signed by an official vet close to departure.

⏱ From any other country: similar timing; allow about 3 weeks if the first rabies shot is still needed, since the vaccination must be given before the certificate.

Rabies history & special cases

Tunisia does not publish a separate at-risk-country track or a rabies antibody test for personal pets, but the border veterinary services take the dog's rabies history and recent residence into account. If your dog has stayed in a high-risk country, confirm directly with the DGSV what evidence the border will require before you travel.

⏱ Whatever the origin, the certificate is issued close to departure, so most of the time is the rabies vaccination itself — plan around it rather than around Tunisian paperwork.

🛬 Arrival

What happens when your dog reaches Tunisia depends on your documents and your dog's breed.

At the Tunisian point of entry, your dog is checked by the border veterinary services together with customs.
Present the originals: the official veterinary health certificate, the animal's health booklet and proof of the rabies vaccination.
Copies are not accepted in place of the original certificate.
If documents are missing or invalid, or the breed is banned, the animal may be refused entry, returned or held under veterinary control — at the owner's expense.
Pit-bull, Rottweiler, Tosa and Mastiff (Boerbull) type dogs are refused entry.

🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)

Tunisia is non-listed, so a valid rabies antibody titer is mandatory to return to the EU — plus an official export health certificate endorsed by a government veterinarian.

⚠️ 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 An international health certificate is drawn up by a practising vet and must be endorsed by an official government veterinarian shortly before the flight.

⚠️ 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: DGSV

🚫 Restricted dogs

Tunisia prohibits the import of dogs considered dangerous and fierce. The list is set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries — Direction Générale des Services Vétérinaires (DGSV) — and applies at the border; it does not depend on an individual behavioural assessment.

Category 1

Banned from import: pit-bull, Rottweiler, Tosa and Mastiff (Boerbull) types. The customs portal describes each type by its morphology (build, chest girth, weight and height at the withers) to identify prohibited dogs at the border.

Category 2

There is no lighter 'permitted with conditions' category for these breeds at the border: their import is refused outright, and crossbreeds involving a banned type are generally affected too.

Because a dog that resembles a listed type risks refusal on morphology alone, confirm your dog's breed and any cross before you travel, and check the current DGSV notice.

✈️ Airlines flying to Tunisia 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.

Tunisair🇹🇳 2 airports Cabin Luxair 3 airports Cabin Transavia 2 airports Cabin ≤8 kg Air Algérie 2 airports Cabin ≤6 kg Neos 2 airports Cabin Smartwings 2 airports Cabin ≤8 kg

+21 more documented airlines accept dogs to this country. 1 carrier serving this country is not listed here: refusal or undocumented pet policy. See all airlines →

🛂 Airports in Tunisia

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

Djerba DJE Enfidha NBE Tunis TUN

Tunisia with a dog: common questions

Tunisia: What does my dog need to enter?

Tunisia requires: Rabies vaccination, Veterinary health certificate (certificat sanitaire), Animal health booklet, Border veterinary inspection & customs check.

Tunisia: Is a rabies antibody test required?

Tunisia — Rabies antibody test: Not published. Tunisia's published pet-import rules do not mention a rabies antibody test for personal pets, and it is generally not requested from listed origins.

Tunisia: Are any dog breeds banned?

Tunisia: How long does it take to prepare a dog?

From the EU: a few days if the rabies vaccination is already valid — the veterinary health certificate is issued by an official vet shortly before departure. Whatever the origin, the certificate is issued close to departure, so most of the time is the rabies vaccination itself…

Tunisia: Do domestic flights have the same requirements?

Domestic flight in Tunisia: no travel formality is published — the vaccination booklet is asked for by the carrier. Rabies vaccination is described by the ministry as free and compulsory as a public-health measure, but nothing ties it to travel, and the administrative services list no domestic pet certificate.…

Tunisia: What is needed to leave with a dog?