USA to Saudi Arabia
Pet Shipping from the USA to Saudi Arabia
We provide international pet transport from the USA to Saudi Arabia, planned around its import rules, the season and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The export and import paperwork
- Check-in at your US airport
- Pickup in Saudi Arabia with delivery to your new address
Saudi Arabia at a glance
Full requirementsEvery cat or dog needs an import permit from the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture, applied for on the ministry’s Naama platform, and APHIS says a certificate of origin from that ministry travels with the pet.
- Microchip
- Electronic microchip, its number shown on the pet passport or vaccination record
- Rabies vaccination
- At least 6 months of validity left, under MEWA’s February 2025 guide
- Other vaccinations
- Rabies and other diseases, under approved vaccination programs
- Import permit
- Applied for on MEWA’s Naama platform 15 days before shipping and valid 30 days from issue; the certificate of origin also comes from the ministry
- Health certificate
- APHIS’s form for this route, endorsed by USDA and valid 30 days after issuance
Pet Shipping from the USA to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) supplied its pet import requirements to APHIS, which publishes them on its Saudi page as an unofficial translation dated April 2021. What this page says about eligibility comes from that document unless another source is named. If you would like a simple overview of international moves first, start with our guide to international pet shipping destinations. Bringing a pet the other way, into the United States? See our US import guide.
Which route does a pet take into Saudi Arabia?
Into the port named on its import permit: the ministry’s requirements say the consignment must enter there, and that arrivals may be timed to fit the quarantine capacity at the entry ports. By air, the crate has to be compatible with IATA’s container standards and hold one kind of animal.
Route details: USA to Saudi Arabia
- Route
- USA to Saudi Arabia
- Arrival airports
- The entry port named on the MEWA permit; MEWA may cap numbers and set the arrival date to the quarantine capacity at the port
- How the pet flies
- By air, MEWA says, in a cage that meets IATA’s live animal rules, one kind of animal per cage, with water and food; the papers travel with the pet
- Import permit
- MEWA permit on naama.sa, applied for 15 days before shipping and valid 30 days; the rabies shot needs 6 months of validity left
- Health certificate
- APHIS form signed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA, valid 30 days after issuance; MEWA certificate of origin goes too
- Quarantine on arrival
- MEWA applies the Gulf states’ veterinary quarantine law and may time the arrival to quarantine capacity at the port; its guides give no length
- Time to get ready
- At least 15 days: MEWA asks for the permit application 15 days before shipping; the pet must be at least 4 months old
Work out your pet’s dates for this route
From official sources, read October 29, 2026: MEWA, pet import requirements of April 2021, as APHIS hosts them; MEWA, Naama guide to the pet entry permit (Arabic); MEWA, Naama guide to the dog import permit (Arabic); USDA APHIS, Pet Travel From the United States to Saudi Arabia; Naama, pet entry permit service; Naama, cat import permit service; Naama, dog import permit service; USDA APHIS, Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs and Cats from the United States of America to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to Saudi Arabia?
The short answer
For a pet from the United States, APHIS lists three documents obtained before travel: the Saudi import permit, the USDA-endorsed health certificate and the certificate of origin, and only the health certificate goes to USDA for endorsement.
In short, from APHIS’s Saudi Arabia page and the requirements Saudi Arabia’s ministry supplied to APHIS, read October 11, 2026: cats can be imported, and APHIS says dogs are “not generally allowed to be imported to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) except for hunting, guarding and guides for the disabled.” MEWA’s Naama user guides, dated February 2025 and read October 29, 2026, have the import permit applied for on its Naama platform 15 days before shipping, and the permit is valid 30 days from issue. Your pet needs an electronic microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a health certificate signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA, valid 30 days after issuance; neither APHIS’s certificate nor the ministry’s requirements ask for a rabies titer test. Pets must be at least 4 months old, the ministry refuses a list of dog breeds and their crosses, and its requirements set no quarantine period.
Which pets can enter Saudi Arabia?
Cats, and dogs on narrower terms. APHIS’s Saudi page says dogs are not generally allowed into the Kingdom except for hunting, guarding and guiding people with disabilities. The ministry’s April 2021 requirements rule out bringing dogs in commercially, with diplomats exempt on official papers. MEWA’s Naama user guides of February 2025, read October 29, 2026, set the applicant’s age at 21 or older for a dog and 18 or older for a cat, where the 2021 text said 30 for a dog. APHIS and the ministry differ on dogs, so the dog’s purpose is settled before anything is booked.
APHIS’s page covers dogs and cats. For any other pet, it says it has not been officially told what the Kingdom requires, and it recommends contacting a Saudi government official. Ready to start? Request a quote.
Three more limits in the ministry’s requirements can stop a permit before any paperwork starts. The ministry's February 2025 guide to the dog import permit refuses these breeds, purebred or crossed: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Boxer, any Mastiff including the Fila Brasileiro and Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Bulldog and Perro de Presa Canario. Pets must be 4 months old or older. And each individual may import two cats or two dogs every six months.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for Saudi Arabia?
An electronic microchip, a rabies shot that is still valid, and a health certificate endorsed by USDA. The ministry’s requirements also ask for vaccination against other diseases “according to the vaccination programs approved in the country”, and for a pet free of external parasites. MEWA’s Naama guide to the pet entry and exit permit, dated February 2025 and read October 29, 2026, adds that the rabies vaccination must have at least 6 months of validity left. The permit, the health certificate, the certificate of origin and the pet passport or vaccination record all go with the animal.
| Requirement | Saudi Arabia, from the United States |
|---|---|
| Microchip | Electronic microchip, its number shown on the pet passport or vaccination record |
| Rabies vaccination | At least 6 months of validity left, under MEWA’s February 2025 guide |
| Other vaccinations | Rabies and other diseases, under approved vaccination programs |
| Import permit | Applied for on MEWA’s Naama platform 15 days before shipping and valid 30 days from issue; the certificate of origin also comes from the ministry |
| Health certificate | APHIS’s form for this route, endorsed by USDA and valid 30 days after issuance |
| Quarantine | No period in the ministry’s requirements; it may time the arrival to fit quarantine capacity at the port |
For what those steps add up to, work through our USA to Saudi Arabia pet shipping cost breakdown.
Three sources were read for this page on September 25, 2026, and the ministry’s requirements again on October 11, 2026. From APHIS: its Saudi Arabia pet travel instructions, last modified July 30, 2025, and the veterinary health certificate for dogs and cats it issues for the route. From the ministry: its requirements, as hosted by USDA APHIS, in that April 2021 translation. MEWA’s Naama user guides, dated February 2025, were read on October 29, 2026: the pet entry and exit permit guide and the dog import permit guide, both pointing applicants to naama.sa.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to Saudi Arabia
Eligibility is settled first, then the rabies shot, since the ministry checks that it is valid when the permit is sought. The permit and APHIS’s certificate each run 30 days, so both are timed to the flight rather than obtained early.
Every Pet Travels
Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Destination-Focused Planning
Eligibility comes first here: a dog’s purpose and breed, the pet’s age, and the applicant’s own age can each stop a permit.
Smart Routing and Logistics
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Personalized Support
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Questions about moving a pet to Saudi Arabia
Request a QuoteWhat does it cost to ship a pet from the USA to Saudi Arabia?
Costs depend on your pet’s size and crate, the route and airline, vet and document fees, and whether the move is door to door. The fastest way to get a real number is a quote based on your origin city and travel date. Request a quote here.
Does my pet have to go into quarantine in Saudi Arabia?
The ministry’s April 2021 requirements, read September 25, 2026, give no quarantine period. They say the ministry may set the arrival date to fit the quarantine capacity at the entry ports, so the arrival date is settled before a flight is booked.
How long does the process take?
At least 15 days for a pet that already meets the rules: MEWA’s Naama user guides, dated February 2025 and read October 29, 2026, say the permit application goes in 15 days before shipping.
How does Pet Travel Advisors help with a move to Saudi Arabia?
Each service can be taken alone: airline booking, a travel crate, the US export certificate along with the papers for the Saudi import permit, check-in at the departure airport, and pickup on arrival with the drive to the new address. Take the whole door-to-door relocation, or only the parts needed.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.