Pet travel and export paperwork
The paperwork is national. The problems are coastal: heat embargoes at loading, fewer long-haul options, and breeds airlines simply will not carry.
- Typical visit
- Several appointments over weeks or months
- Home visit
- Clinic only
- Suitable for
- Dogs and cats
Three documents underpin every pet export from Kenya: a current rabies certificate, a veterinary health certificate issued close to travel, and a DVS export permit. Your destination then adds its own requirements, and those decide the timeline.
The one that ruins plans is the rabies antibody titre test, required by the EU, the UK and others. Vaccination, then a blood sample after a set interval, then an approved laboratory, then a waiting period of up to three months. It cannot be compressed or backdated.
What is different about leaving from the coast
Heat embargoes. Airlines set maximum temperatures for live animal cargo and enforce them. A Mombasa departure in the middle of the day can breach them and the animal is offloaded. Book around it.
Snub-nosed breeds. Pugs, French bulldogs, Persians and similar are refused outright by many carriers. This is airline policy and no veterinary certificate overrides it.
The Nairobi leg. Moi International has fewer long-haul options than Jomo Kenyatta, so many coastal pets travel to Nairobi first. That adds a domestic flight or a road transfer, and a road transfer means hours in coastal heat. Do it overnight or early.
Crate acclimatisation. Get the crate weeks ahead and let the animal sleep in it at home with the door open. An animal meeting its crate for the first time at the airport spends the flight panicking, and stress plus heat is what kills animals in transit.
Start early. The worst case is that you paid for a rabies vaccination your pet was legally required to have anyway.
What is included
- Rabies vaccination and a certificate that will be accepted
- Veterinary health certificate issued in your destination's required window
- Guidance on the Directorate of Veterinary Services export permit
- An honest timeline for your route before you book flights
What this costs in Kenya
| Treatment | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies vaccination, 1 year | KES 800–KES 1,500 | The foundation of every export file |
| Routine consultation | KES 1,000–KES 3,000 |
Indicative market ranges for Kenya, reviewed 2026-08-29. This is not a quotation. Prices vary with your pet’s weight, the brand of vaccine or drug used, and whether the visit is at a clinic or at your home. Ask for a figure before treatment starts, any vet should give you one. Titre testing, permits and government fees vary by destination and are charged at cost. Ask for a written estimate for your route before booking.
Common questions
Can my French bulldog fly?
Possibly not. Many airlines refuse snub-nosed breeds in cargo because of the death rate, and those that accept them enforce temperature limits a Mombasa departure often breaches. Settle this before anything else, because if the answer is no the whole plan changes.
How early should I start?
The day the move looks likely. A rabies titre test plus its waiting period can run to three months and cannot be shortened by anyone.
Read the full guide first
Book a vet in Mombasa
Clinic appointments, or a vet at your door across Mombasa and the coast. Tell us what is wrong and we will say how soon your pet needs to be seen.