Israel has strict, specific rules for importing pets, and the process rewards early preparation. Most relocations from the United States to Israel take four to six months and vary in cost depending on your pet’s size, route, and whether they travel as cargo or in-cabin. The centerpiece of Israel’s requirements is the rabies titer test (a blood test proving your pet has adequate rabies antibodies), which must be done at a WOAH-approved lab at least 30 days after vaccination. Israel also restricts nine dog breeds, enforces a 90-day ownership rule, and requires pre-notification to airport veterinary authorities before your pet arrives. None of this is unmanageable when you know the sequence. Here’s exactly how it works.
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Your pet’s titer test timeline, crate requirements, and travel route all depend on their vaccination history, breed, and where you are departing from. We build every Israel plan from scratch.
Israel requires a rabies titer test with results of 0.5 IU/ml or higher, processed at a WOAH-approved laboratory. The blood draw must happen at least 30 days after vaccination, and lab processing takes three to six weeks. We start every Israel relocation by confirming your pet's vaccination timeline and scheduling the titer test early enough that the results are back well before travel. Your plan is built around Israel's specific requirements from day one.
Direct flights from JFK, Newark (EWR), and Los Angeles (LAX) to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) are available on El Al, Delta, and United. These carriers each have different live-animal policies, seasonal restrictions, and crate requirements. We evaluate every option against your pet's size, your departure city, and your travel window to find the safest, most practical route.
One coordinator manages your file from the initial consultation through your pet's arrival and registration in Israel. They track titer test results, document validity windows, pre-notification deadlines, and airline booking timelines so you always know exactly where things stand.
Moving a pet from the United States to Israel involves more steps than most destinations, but there is no quarantine if your paperwork is complete and correct. Israel sits outside the EU framework and maintains its own import rules through the Ministry of Agriculture. The key requirements are an ISO microchip, a current rabies vaccination (inactivated or recombinant only), a passing rabies titer test, an Israel-specific health certificate, and pre-notification to the airport veterinary service before arrival.
If you are still in the early stages of planning an international move, our overview of how international pet shipping works walks through the general process. For pets returning to the United States after living in Israel, note that Israel is classified as a CDC high-risk country for rabies, so re-entry to the US requires additional CDC compliance steps. Our United States import guide covers those requirements.
We coordinate the full process for you. That includes:
To keep everything clear, we break the process into steps:
We confirm Israel's current import rules against your pet's microchip and vaccination history, and flag anything that affects timing before you spend a dollar.
Working backward from your travel date, we sequence every milestone so nothing expires before departure.
We give your vet the correct Israel's certificate template and confirm every field before endorsement.
We cross check the chip number, vaccination dates, and test results across every document, because one mismatch can hold a pet at arrival.
We verify the crate meets IATA standards for your route and align the booking with the airline's live animal rules.
Your pet travels on the confirmed flight, and we brief you on exactly what happens at arrival before the wheels ever leave the ground.
For the most current rules, refer to these official sources:
All pets entering Israel arrive through Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), which is the country’s only airport with a staffed veterinary border inspection post for live animal imports.
Israel does not quarantine pets that arrive with complete, valid documentation. Non-compliant animals may be returned to the origin country, placed in quarantine at the owner’s expense, or in extreme cases, euthanized. The rules are strict, and accuracy matters.
A rabies titer test is required for every dog and cat entering Israel. The test must be a Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization (FAVN) or Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test (RFFIT) performed at a WOAH-approved laboratory (such as Kansas State University). Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, and the result must show 0.5 IU/ml or higher. Unlike the EU, Israel does not impose a 90-day waiting period after the titer results. The titer test remains valid for life as long as rabies vaccinations are kept current without a lapse.
Israel restricts nine dog breeds from entry: Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasileiro, and American Bully. Bengal cats are restricted, and Savannah cats must be F5 generation or later. Owners of restricted breeds may still be able to import with a special permit, but the process requires 18 months of documented ownership and additional approvals.
Pets must be at least four months old to enter Israel. The owner must have owned the pet for at least 90 days (declared via Annex C). Up to two pets may enter without an import permit if traveling accompanied with the owner and all health requirements are met. Three or more pets, unaccompanied cargo shipments, pets owned for fewer than 90 days, or restricted breeds require a formal import permit from the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture (contact: vs-ie@moag.gov.il).
Before scheduling vet steps or flights, we confirm what rules apply to your pet and whether airline policies or breed restrictions affect your plan. Israel’s process includes a titer test, pre-notification filings, and specific documentation requirements. Request a quote to get a plan built around your travel date.
Israel requires its own specific health certificate form, not the generic APHIS 7001. Your USDA-accredited veterinarian fills out the Israel-specific template, which is then endorsed by APHIS through the VEHCS (Veterinary Export Health Certification System). The health certificate must be completed within 10 days of travel.
The rabies vaccination must be inactivated or recombinant (modified live vaccines are not accepted). Israel treats all rabies vaccines as one-year vaccines regardless of what the manufacturer’s label says, so the vaccination must have been given within one year of the arrival date. The ISO microchip must be implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination. If the microchip is non-ISO compliant, it must be replaced within five days of arrival.
Before departure, you must file a pre-notification with the Israeli airport veterinary authority. This consists of Annex B (arrival notification) and Annex C (ownership declaration), sent by email to vs-airport@moag.gov.il at least two Israeli business days before arrival. Israeli business days run Sunday through Thursday, so if you are arriving on a Sunday, the notification must be received by the previous Wednesday.
Start four to six months before your move date. The titer test drives the timeline: your pet needs a current rabies vaccination, then a 30-day wait before the blood draw, then three to six weeks for the lab to process results. After the titer test clears, the remaining steps (health certificate, APHIS endorsement, pre-notification) fit into the final 10 days. If you need an import permit, apply through the Ministry of Agriculture early because processing times vary.
The cost of a move depends on several things: your pet’s size and weight, which set the crate and cargo price, the airline and departure city, veterinary fees for the health certificate and any required tests, government endorsement and permit fees, and how much of the process you would like us to coordinate. Because those pieces change from one pet and route to the next, we quote the full journey up front, including government fees, so there are no surprises later. Tell us your pet and your destination and we will send a clear plan and a price.
Yes. Israel requires a rabies titer test for every dog and cat entering the country. The test must be a FAVN or RFFIT performed at a WOAH-approved laboratory, with results of 0.5 IU/ml or higher. Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination. The good news is that Israel does not require a 90-day waiting period after the results come back (unlike the EU rule for pets from unlisted countries), and the titer remains valid for life as long as vaccinations stay current.
Israel restricts nine breeds: Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasileiro, and American Bully. Bengal cats are also restricted, and Savannah cats must be generation F5 or later. Owners of restricted breeds may still be able to import their pet, but it requires 18 months of documented ownership, a special import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, and additional conditions. Contact vs-ie@moag.gov.il for guidance.
Start four to six months ahead of your travel date. The titer test sets the pace: you need a current rabies vaccination, then a 30-day wait before the blood draw, then three to six weeks for the lab to return results. Everything else (health certificate, APHIS endorsement, pre-notification) fits into the final 10 days before departure. If you need an import permit (for restricted breeds, three or more pets, or unaccompanied shipments), apply even earlier because Ministry of Agriculture processing times vary.
It depends on your situation. You do not need an import permit if you are bringing two or fewer pets, traveling accompanied with them, have owned them for at least 90 days, and they are not a restricted breed. If any of those conditions is not met (three or more pets, cargo shipment, ownership under 90 days, or a restricted breed), you must apply for a formal import permit through the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture at vs-ie@moag.gov.il. We can help determine which category applies and guide you through the permit process if needed.
We handle the full process from your first consultation through your pet’s arrival and registration in Israel. That means scheduling the titer test at the right point in the vaccination timeline, preparing the Israel-specific health certificate through VEHCS, filing the pre-notification with Israel’s airport veterinary authority, selecting a compliant carrier and route to Ben Gurion Airport, and preparing you for the arrival inspection. One coordinator manages your file the entire way. Request a quote to get started with a plan built around your move date.
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