Transporting the feline members of your family to another country requires some preparation. You must be aware of, and comply with, all the cat travel and admittance requirements in your destination country before you depart. Transporting a cat to South Africa requires an import permit, as well as a health certificate and an appropriate travel carrier. We will be happy to help you through each step of the process to ensure the arrangements and travel, go as smoothly as possible.
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Import Permits
Your cat will require an import permit before they will be eligible to travel to South Africa. Your cat’s impending arrival must be reported to the Quarantine Master in the destination port before your cat will be allowed to land. The import permit will include the necessary information about reporting to the Quarantine Master and obtaining written permission for your cat to land.
If all of your cat’s paperwork is in order when they reach South Africa, no quarantine period will be required.
Health Certification and Residency Requirements
Within ten days of travel to South Africa, your local vet will need to examine your cat to verify that they are free of disease, internal parasites, fleas, and ticks. Your cat must be treated with an anthelmintic against internal parasites during this visit, as well.
Within 48 hours of departure but as close to departure as possible we will make a booking for you with MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) to which we will accompany you. At this Certification the Official MPI Vet will examine your cat to ensure they are fit to fly and free from parasites, they will Certify the cage and issue the official Health Certificate required to enter South Africa.
No vaccinations are required to enter South Africa although annual vaccinations are recommended for your cats own wellbeing. New Zealand must not have had a reported case of rabies, heartworm, surra, leishmania donavani, babesia gibsoni, leishmania chagasi, or brucella canis prior to your cat’s arrival in South Africa.
Additionally, your cat must have lived in New Zealand for at least six months prior to their departure and must not have lived in an area that is under any Veterinary restrictions for any disease to which cats are susceptible.
Microchip
Your cat must have a subcutaneous microchip used for identification purposes in order to be admitted into South Africa. There is no restriction on the type. The microchip must be implanted prior to the parasite treatment and must be scanned by the Vet immediately prior to the application of the product. At this time the Vet must write in the vaccination book that the microchip was scanned and verified prior to the treatment being administered.
Containers
An IATA (International Air Transport Association) standard container is required to transport your cat to, or through South Africa. The container must be either very clean or new. The container must be roomy enough to give your cat some comfort during their trip, (Stand up fully, turn around and lie down) it must also be escape-proof and cannot allow your cat any possible physical contact with other transported cats.
When you have finished the preliminaries, we will take charge of transporting your cat. You can relax since we will ensure all the appropriate paperwork remains with your cat as they travel. Once your cat arrives in South Africa, you will be able to collect them and take them home.
