The international transport and cross-border transit of live animals is witnessing increasing regulatory tightening by global veterinary organizations and quarantine authorities in destination countries (especially the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and Canada). An error in documenting a single medical item or a failure to match digital vaccination dates will immediately result in the flight being cancelled, or the pet being banned from entering international arrival airports, and being forcibly returned at the shipper’s expense.
This operational manual issued by the administrative headquarters of Al Fares Shipping Company, located at 101 Shehab El Din Khafaga Street, third floor, Heliopolis, Cairo, explains the complete official protocol for preparing and managing pet flights through Cairo International Airport.
Critical logistical note for separating transactions:All our operational packages are limited to the international air freight and cross-border pet rehoming sector only. We apologize to our customers, as the company is not an animal shipping company to the governorates and does not provide internal land transportation services or completely land animal transportation company services within Egypt, as our logistical and field efforts are focused within the cargo village and international airports to ensure the highest levels of safety and compliance.
International airlines cannot issue a bill of lading for animals or allow them to be transported as baggage without fulfilling four mandatory medical elements that are strictly arranged according to the following chronological and legal sequence:
Implanting the approved international 15-digit electronic chip under the skin. This procedure is the cornerstone; International regulations require reading and examining the chip before giving any subsequent immunizations, and any vaccination recorded in the book before the date of implantation of the chip is completely invalid at international airports.
Issuing an official, approved international passport linking the electronic chip number to the owner and pet’s data. A wide range of travelers wonder: What is the price of a passport for dogs in Egypt or cats, including customs documentation? The total budget is determined based on the combination of the cost of the chip, the sovereign viral vaccinations (quadruple for cats and triple or octave for dogs) and active rabies vaccination, and we ensure that the entire file is prepared according to the highest standards within Al Fares Veterinary Clinic.
A strict laboratory examination of the pet’s blood. The sample is drawn at least 30 days after the date of the rabies vaccination, and it must be sent to central laboratories approved by the Central Administration of Veterinary Quarantine in Egypt. The internationally accepted legal result must not be less than half an international unit per milliliter. The European Union countries and Britain impose a mandatory waiting period of 3 months from the date of drawing the sample before allowing the transport of animals outside Egypt, while the Gulf countries are satisfied with the appearance of a positive result that conforms to the conditions specified through the animal control systems of the Gulf countries.
The animal is carefully examined, a maximum of 48 to 72 hours before take-off, to issue the official government health certificate issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture, which confirms that the pet is completely free of any epidemic symptoms and allows for the shipping of animals and international shipping of pets.
Crossing pets from Egypt to international capitals requires prior electronic connection and documentation through the sovereign platforms of each country:
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture requires that the entire medical file and certificates be uploaded via the Nama electronic platform in order to obtain a prior official import permit linked to the air waybill, in order to complete the procedures for cats traveling from Egypt to Saudi Arabia.
United Arab Emirates:Completing the travel procedures for cats or dogs from Egypt to the Emirates requires prior registration through the website of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to pay entry permit fees and avoid customs rejection at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports.
European Union and United Kingdom:These destinations require that the health certificate be drawn up according to the European Standard Forms or the updated British forms after complying with the time period laws.
Animal transportation flights are subject to strict engineering standards imposed by the International Air Transport Association to protect live animals in the air through animal shipping services and booking animal transportation routes:
Biological space:A solid enclosure should allow the dog or cat to stand upright, rotate freely 180 degrees, and lie comfortably naturally without ears or head touching the ceiling of the box.
Safety and ventilation structure:It requires a solid structure completely free of sharp edges, equipped with three-dimensional metal ventilation grilles, a central lock that is resistant to vibrations, and the provision of water and food feeding containers that can be filled from the outside. These are the standard sizes that we provide in all categories in our branch in Heliopolis.
The international flight is managed through two operational channels based on the weight of the platoon and the laws of the target country:
Accompanied shipping (checked baggage):The pet travels on the same flight as the owner as excess checked baggage (in the cabin for finer weights, or in the air-conditioned and thermally equipped lower cabin), and the cost is subject to the excess baggage regulations of international airlines, such as the price of a cat ticket on EgyptAir.
Unaccompanied shipping (cargo shipping):The safest and most professional logistical path for international animal transport and pet shipping cases, where an independent policy is shipped from the cargo village at Cairo International Airport to ensure superior care and dedicated clearance at arrival and transit airports, which is the mandatory option in the summer periods to avoid seasonal bans resulting from high temperatures on airport runways.
On the other hand, operations to import animals from abroad into Egypt are subject to the established auditing standards and conditions for importing pets into Egypt:
Our company's field logistics team is responsible for receiving the pet immediately after the plane lands at the cargo village, completing the veterinary medical examination and difficult customs transactions within the veterinary quarantine at Cairo International Airport quickly and efficiently, then securing the delivery of the animals and ensuring the delivery of the pets in equipped and air-conditioned cars to the door of the house inside Egypt to spare them the trouble of being distracted and waiting in the shipping yards.
The international movement of pets across borders is a precise customs and medical system that does not tolerate personal diligence or administrative errors. One mistake in documenting data could lead to a pet being dispersed at airports and incurring heavy financial losses. Based on these complex standards and long field experience in managing customs and medical transactions at Cairo International Airport, Al Fares Cargo Company stands out as the ideal and safe choice for managing and securing Alefek’s international flight and ensuring its 100% compliance with international laws.
Hotline and direct contact:00201022242946 (International logistical support available around the clock for immediate response)
Main administrative headquarters:101 Shehab El Din Khafaga Street, third floor, Heliopolis, Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt.
Field Customs Office:Air cargo sorting and clearance complex, Cargo Village at Cairo International Airport.
The approved electronic portal:Al Fares Pet Shipping.
