Need to move your pet to Istanbul, Türkiye (IST)?

Our Istanbul, Türkiye pet shipping services include:

• Door to door transport, both international and domestic
• Assistance with health certificates, import certificates, and other travel documents.
• USDA endorsement of all relevant documents where required
• Airline approved flight kennels provided with personalized labels, identification and emergency notification instructions
• Customs clearance and delivery to your home
• Local pet taxi service to and from the airport, your home, veterinarian or kennel/boarding facility – available in the US and Türkiye.
• Travel consultation and cargo flight reservations

We will inform you of your pet’s full itinerary before the trip and we will update you as your pet travels to or from Istanbul, Türkiye (IST).

Shipping a pet to Istanbul

Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MinAF) publishes a list of ports of entry approved to inspect imported live animals, and APHIS asks shippers to plan pet travel through one of them (APHIS: pet travel from the United States to Türkiye).

Two MinAF restrictions affect moves from the United States. Effective July 17, 2026, MinAF restricts exports and transits of dogs, cats and other listed mammal species from the States of Texas and New Mexico because of New World screwworm in the United States; animals destined for Türkiye may not transit Texas or New Mexico en route. MinAF has also imposed trade restrictions on U.S.-origin birds from several states because of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The state lists are on the APHIS Türkiye page.

Paperwork and Veterinary Requirements

Identification

• The pet must be microchipped or tattooed, and the USDA-accredited veterinarian verifies the identification.

Rabies vaccination

For pets over 12 weeks of age.

• The pet must be current on rabies vaccinations using an inactivated vaccine licensed for use in the United States, and a copy of the current rabies vaccination certificate travels with the health certificate.

Rabies titer test

APHIS understands a valid titer test is required for entry.

• Without a valid rabies titer test, a 21-day quarantine and rabies titer testing upon arrival in Türkiye may occur.
• A passing test result stays valid indefinitely as long as there has been no lapse in vaccination coverage since the test date and every vaccination after the test is documented on the health certificate.
• A copy of the titer laboratory report is attached to the certificate. See our guide to the rabies titer test for pet travel.

Pets under 12 weeks of age

Any one of these three options satisfies the entry rules for young pets:

• The owner declares at the Turkish border that the animal will go into a 21-day home quarantine; or
• The puppy travels with an identity card or health certificate plus a declaration from the USDA-accredited veterinarian that it has had no contact with wild animals since birth; or
• The animal travels with its birth mother, who is current on rabies vaccinations as stated on the health certificate.

Tick and tapeworm treatments

• An ectoparasite treatment effective against ticks should be given within 30 days of travel and is noted by the accredited veterinarian’s signature on the certificate.
• An anthelmintic treatment effective against Echinococcus (tapeworms) should be given within 30 days of travel, also signed on the certificate.

Health certificate and USDA endorsement

• The International Veterinary Health Certificate covers one pet dog, cat or ferret accompanying a traveler; multiple pets cannot share one (APHIS guidance for U.S. origin dogs, cats and ferrets to Türkiye).
• The USDA-accredited veterinarian signs the certificate in three locations within 10 days of APHIS endorsement and can issue it electronically through VEHCS.
• APHIS endorses the certificate no more than two calendar days before departure to Türkiye; for this destination USDA’s endorsement is an original ink endorsement.

Entry rules change without notice.

Airport Information

Istanbul Airport (IST) is the main international airport serving Istanbul, Türkiye. APHIS links the MinAF list of ports of entry approved for live-animal imports and asks travelers to use it (APHIS: ports of arrival approved for the import of live animals). The airport’s official site is Istanbul Airport.