Pet Shipping to South Africa
Pet Shipping to South Africa Introduction
All pet veterinary health certificates to South Africa MUST BE endorsed by USDA-APHIS, including Service and Emotional Support Animals.
All disease testing, including test type, must comply with the requirements outlined on the veterinary health certificate. Failure to comply with the requirements in the veterinary health certificate may result in the pet being returned to the U.S. or euthanized.
APHIS endorsement of the health certificate is required after a USDA Accredited Veterinarian has issued it. Health certificate issuance and endorsement must occur within 10 days of the pet’s travel.
Pet Travel Microchip & Vaccinations Requirements
Dogs
Any U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine product is acceptable for use. Rabies vaccination must be within 12 months of export, and more than 30 days prior to export in the case of primary rabies vaccination (30-day waiting period does not apply if the booster was administered before the previous rabies vaccination expired). All columns of the table must be completed and match the information provided on the rabies certificate. The rabies certificate must be presented to the APHIS office at the time of certificate endorsement, AND the original or a copy of the rabies vaccination certificate must accompany the health certificate.
U.S.-origin DOGS entering South Africa are required to test negative for Trypanosoma evansi (surra) on BOTH the CATT and Giemsa blood smear tests. All surra testing must occur at one of the two internationally recognized OIE Reference Laboratories for surra testing (see below for further instructions on sample submission procedures).
ALL OTHER REQUIRED TESTS must be completed at an officially approved laboratory located in the United States.
The animal’s microchip number MUST be recorded on ALL laboratory reports.
ONLY the following test methods are allowed, as outlined below:
- Brucella Canis: Serum agglutination (this is the ONLY acceptable test method)
- Trypanosmoa Evansi: BOTH Card agglutination test* AND Giemsa blood smear*
*Both tests MUST be performed at an OIE Reference Laboratory
- Babesia Gibsoni: BOTH Immunoflouresence antibody test AND Giemsa blood smear
- Dirofilaria Immitis: Microfilarial filtration test (this is the ONLY acceptable test method)
- Leishmaniosis: Indirect fluorescent antibody test OR ELISA test OR Direct agglutination test OR Western blot/membrane immunoassay
Cats
Microchip is required
The vaccine used must be a strain of anti-rabies conforming to a potency standard recognized by the World Health Organization.
- The animal must have been vaccinated at least 30 days, but not longer than 12 months prior to export in the case of the primary vaccination.
- Animals under 3 months of age may not be vaccinated and are considered to have a valid vaccination provided the dam of the animal concerned was vaccinated at least 30 days, but not more than 12 months, prior to giving birth. Such animals must be vaccinated at 3 months of age against rabies in the Republic of South Africa and the owners must inform the South African Veterinary Authority.
A veterinary import permit is required for all cats traveling to S. Africa. Veterinary import permit applications and further information can be found on the Republic of South Africa’s website at https://www.gov.za/services/import/import-animals-and-animal-products. The completed veterinary permit applications can be sent to the Permit Office at [email protected].
The requirements for traveling with your pet are described in the health certificate.
Internal and External Parasite treatment: Pet cats have to be examined clinically by an official veterinarian within ten days of export and found to be free of internal and external parasites, contagious and infectious diseases to which the species is susceptible and fit to travel.
ANY DEVIATION FROM THIS PRESCRIBED TESTING METHOD OR TIMEFRAME WOULD REQUIRE A DISPENSATION ISSUED BY SOUTH AFRICA.
A copy of all laboratory reports must accompany the veterinary health certificate
Heartworm Testing: from the date of negative testing until export, at the required intervals: you are required to provide the date(s) of administration of D. immitis preventative (a.k.a. heartworm) medication after a negative test result for Dirofilaria has been received, and before the date of health certificate issuance. There should be at least ONE treatment date listed in section 6.1 of the certificate AFTER the test result of the negative heartworm test was received and BEFORE (or on the same day as) the USDA Accredited Veterinarian signs the health certificate (unless using ProHeart SR-12 injectable annually).
Required Parasite Treatments
Dirofilaria immitis: from the date of negative testing, until export, at the required intervals: you are required to provide the date(s) of administration of D. immitis preventative (a.k.a. heartworm) medication after a negative test result for Dirofilaria has been received, and before the date of health certificate issuance. There should be at least ONE treatment date listed in section 6.1 of the certificate AFTER the test result of the negative heartworm test was received and BEFORE (or on the same day as) the USDA Accredited Veterinarian signs the health certificate (unless using ProHeart SR-12 injectable annually).
Leishmania and Babesia gibsoni: the animals must be treated with an effective acaricide, and with insect repellent, registered in South Africa within 30 days before departure. Any acaricide and insect repellent product licensed for use in the United States for the prevention of insect disease vectors, namely ticks and flies, may be used. This can be administered as a combination product (Ex: K9 Advantix II) or individually (Ex: both a permethrin product and an imidacloprid product). The date(s) of application, product names and dosages must be recorded in Item 6.2 of the certificate PRIOR TO submitting the certificate for APHIS endorsement. Note: If a product is designed for ticks but not flies, an additional product may also be used for flies, but please note drug interactions with the Heartworm preventative treatment to avoid overdose.
Read Our Reviews
RatingWith snow storms and a pandemic Heather managed to get my cat from Atlanta to Dublin! She communicated so well with me and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of her help. I would highly recommend Continental Pet Relocation to anyone trying to get their pet across the ocean!
Heather was easy to get in touch with. The process went smoothly and our three animals arrived safely and happily in Germany. We will recommend this company to our friends and use them to bring our fur babies back home.
Continental Pet helped me relocate my cat, Panther, to England Oct 2020 and they did a wonderful job. Kristi and Heather were flexible with our last minute bookings and all the paperwork changes that Covid-19 entailed. They helped me through each phase of the process and gave me really useful checklists far in advance for the vet visits and forms needed for travel. Panther was so cared for! And Kristi and Heather made themselves available at all times for texts and calls. Can't recommend them enough! I wanted the best for my little guy and know I got it using their services.
I am very thankful I picked Continental Pet Relocation to coordinate my Great Dane and Irish Wolfhound safe travel from USA to Europe. The team was on top of every detail concerning the move. The move overseas was already stressful but knowing my dogs travel was taken care of by the professionals at Continental Pet Relocation provided me a peace of mind. I highly recommend Continental Pet Relocation and will use them again.
I would highly recommend using Continental Pet Relocation. My husband and I will use them if we ever need to move our dog overseas again! Heather and Katie were very quick to respond and made the whole process very easy! We moved our Portuguese Water Dog from the US to Germany. The original departure date was canceled due to strikes for Lufthansa. Katie made sure we were updated and worked with us to get our pup out as soon as possible.
I was extremely nervous about shipping our 80 lbs lab to Germany, especially during the covid crisis with limited flights. Heather made the process easy with detailed instructions, and took care of everything. She is flexible as well which was great when my vets office took longer than anticipated for paperwork. She even updated me about her flight status and offered to help with process of picking her up in Germany. My dog was well taken care of at the boarding facility before her flight and was happy when she got off the plane.
We cannot thank Kristi and Heather enough for getting our two dogs and cat shipped from North Carolina to Austria. They made everything super easy and they are so knowledgeable in the process of shipping pets. They replied to every question I had almost immediately. Kept us informed every step of the way. They really remove the stress out of what would have been a stressful situation. I highly recommend them and they’ll be my first call should we need to move again. Thanks so much Kristi and Heather. Best regards, David and Laura.
Heather was amazingly responsive to all my inquiries when we shipped our Rhodesian Ridgeback back to the US and needed ground transportation from GA to NC. She kept us updated when our dog’s flight was detoured to Charlotte, and when she finally landed in Atlanta. Ground transportation was speedy, and our old dog was in great hands. We will definitely use them again.
Spectacular service! I was extremely stressed throughout the whole process of shipping my Lab from the US to Germany but the staff at CPR practically took me by the hand made it all seem easy! The near daily communication and instructions were succinct and accurate, my questions were answered promptly and there was always a thorough follow-up as I completed each step of the process. A truly amazing service! Thank you!
I am genuinely grateful for Heather and Kristi at Continental Pet Relocation. They have gone above and beyond to get my fur babies from North Carolina to Okinawa, Japan. I never recommend doing things last minute; however, when our two pet shipper companies failed me and my family, Heather and Kristi were able to do the impossible with such little time. I cannot say thank you enough to them and the rest of their team. I completely trusted them, and I made the right choice! Thank you, Continental Pet Relocation, for all you’ve done for my family and me!
We were moving from Germany to the US in the middle of the pandemic, needing to book flights right as the CDC announced their rabies ban and airlines stopped flying dogs. Heather was communicative, understanding, and so helpful. Her team was consistently professional. They were also just kind people, which goes such a long way for nervous pet parents hoping to ensure their baby gets to their destination safely. We are so grateful that we reached out to Continental.
Heather and Kristi were fantastic and so helpful when we relocated our small 20lb dog, Rexi, from Seattle to London, while personally and professionally handling lots of twists, turns and unexpected challenges with logistics. Couldn’t have imagined shipping her on our own, and so thankful for their help with everything. We’re now all settled in and exploring the UK! Thanks again and highest recommendation for those considering shipping a pet!
Passionate Pet Shippers! Continental Pet Relocation -Helping families to relocate their pets worldwide.
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