Bringing Your Furry Friend to Northern Cyprus: A Step-by-Step Guide

A relevant topic for everyone who wants to bring their beloved animals to Northern Cyprus. Here is a brief roadmap of this complex process.

It’s better to purchase a ticket after completing part of the process — preparing all the necessary documents can take more than a month.

• Pre-flight actions
• In-flight actions
• Links and contacts
• Articles about pets
• FAQs

Pre-flight Actions

Veterinary Passport

Start with an international veterinary passport. It must include:

• the animal’s microchip number;
• the date of microchipping;
• all necessary vaccinations according to the animal's age;
• a separate entry for the rabies vaccination.

Rabies Vaccination

A rabies vaccination is mandatory, and its record must be listed as a separate entry in the veterinary passport. If the vaccination expires in two months or less, a new one must be administered.

Antibody Titer Test

At least one month after the rabies vaccination, and no later than two months before its expiration, you must take a rabies antibody titer test. The standard processing time for the test is one month, or two weeks on an expedited basis.

Veterinary Clinic Checkup

With the test results, veterinary passport, and the pet itself, visit your city veterinary clinic for a final examination, after which you will receive a Form F1.

Important! The validity of this form is five days. Plan to obtain it 2-3 days before departure!

Submitting Documents

Email the Veterinary Service of the TRNC ([email protected] and [email protected]) with photos or scans of the following:

• the animal's veterinary passport,
• the rabies antibody titer test results,
• a completed application from the TRNC Veterinary Service website.

If you need an import license for two animals, include both in the same application. You’ll receive the license by email within 24 hours.

Fill out the form in block letters.

In-flight Actions

1. At the departure airport, exchange Form F1 for an international Form F5 after passing veterinary control.
2. At the transfer airport, undergo veterinary control again and present all necessary documents.
3. Upon arrival in the TRNC, present the animal import license received by email — print it out or save it on your device.
4. At Ercan Airport, pay 400 TL for a certificate to transport up to five animals, plus an additional 350 TL per animal. Payment is accepted in Turkish lira only, so prepare cash in advance; currency exchange is available at transfer airports, such as Antalya or Istanbul.

Links and Contacts

• List of laboratories for rabies antibody titer tests
• Animal import license application form: current version for 2024-2025
• Email addresses for application submission: [email protected] and [email protected]
• Veterinary Service phone numbers: +903922253551 and +903922253751
• TRNC Veterinary Service website: veteriner.gov.ct.tr

Other Useful Resources About Pets in Northern Cyprus

Exporting Pets from the TRNC

Step-by-step instructions on how to transport your pet from the northern part of the island to another country and the associated costs.

Animal Import Tariffs

Updated tariffs for animal import to the TRNC, along with useful information for pet owners — rules for importing animals to various countries.

Animal Shelters in Northern Cyprus

Where to adopt animals in the northern part of the island — addresses of shelters. Plus, why cats are generally not found in shelters here.

Can You Bring Pets to Southern Cyprus?

Rules for transporting pets through the land checkpoints into the Republic of Cyprus.

FAQs

What kind of carrier should I use for transporting animals?

For cargo hold: only hard carriers or cages. For cabin: only soft carriers. There are weight restrictions for the pet and the carrier combined (check with your airline).

How long does it take to get an animal import license?

The TRNC Veterinary Service will email the import license to the email address used for the request within 24 hours.

How much does it cost to bring animals to Northern Cyprus?

As of late 2024, importing an animal to Northern Cyprus costs 750 TL in cash, payable directly at Ercan Airport.

Still have questions? Join the animal chat of the largest Telegram forum in Northern Cyprus. With over 20,000 members, you’re likely to find answers to all your questions.

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