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BRINGING A CAT FROMTürkiye to United States

Cat · Moving

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Prep time about 0 weeks

No quarantine. Needs arrival inspection.

Always confirm with the destination's official authority and your airline before travelling.

Entry requirements

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Source:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (opens official site: Bringing an Animal into the U.S. (section "Cats"))· checked 04 Oct 2026

No federal documents for pet cats: they only have to look healthy on arrival. No rabies proof, no CDC form, any airport, seaport or land border. The destination state (Hawaii: see us-hi-* rules) and the airline may require more.

01
Arrival inspection
before travel

Cats must appear healthy; they are inspected at the port and may be refused or sent for a veterinary examination at the owner's expense if they show signs of a disease transmissible to people.

DETAILS +

Cats must appear healthy; they are inspected at the port and may be refused or sent for a veterinary examination at the owner's expense if they show signs of a disease transmissible to people.

  • No rabies vaccination proof is required federally (recommended; states may require it). — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • USDA APHIS has no animal-health requirements for pet cats. — USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
  • Any U.S. airport, land port or seaport (see the entry points).
  • Cats arriving in Hawaii or Guam face local quarantine rules even from the mainland. — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

No quarantine

Source:HHS / CDC, Federal Register (opens official site: Control of Communicable Diseases; Foreign Quarantine: Importation of Dogs and Cats — final rule (89 FR 41726))· checked 04 Oct 2026

Timeline

Working out your dates…

Documents

The published steps for this route produce no paper we can name.

Official fees

The official pages we researched for this route name no fee. Vet, lab and airline charges are not covered here.

Entry points

Where a pet may enter the United States, per the rules.

Airlines

Airline rules are separate from entry rules and change without notice — confirm in writing when you book. Only what the carriers' own pages say, read 25 Sep 2026. All airlines

  • Lufthansa LH
    CabinYes
    HoldYes
    Snub-nosedHold: no · Cargo: restricted
  • Emirates EK
    CabinNo
    HoldYes
    Snub-nosedCargo: only Nov – Apr
  • ANA (All Nippon Airways) NH
    CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 45 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: not 1 May – 31 Oct
  • Qantas QF
    CabinNo
    HoldCargo only
    Snub-nosedNot stated
  • Delta Air Lines DLcabin: not on this route
    CabinYes
    HoldNo
    Snub-nosedHold, cargo: no
  • KLM KL
    CabinYes, up to 8 kg incl. carrier46 × 28 × 24 cm
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: no
  • Air France AF
    CabinYes, up to 8 kg incl. carrier46 × 28 × 24 cm
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: no · Cargo: restricted
  • British Airways BA
    CabinNo
    HoldCargo only
    Snub-nosedCargo: restricted
  • Qatar Airways QR
    CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: restricted

Announced changes

Return trip to Türkiye

Hard for a returning pet (no separate returning-resident rule; standard import rules apply), about 18 weeks of preparation. No quarantine when the paperwork is in order.

  • Rabies antibody (titer) test — the blood draw must happen before you leave, so plan it into the outbound trip: Rabies neutralising antibody titer of at least 0.5 IU/ml, on a blood sample taken by an authorised vet at least 30 days after the last rabies vaccination, tested in an EU-approved laboratory; carry the original report. The regulation says the sample must be taken 3 months before the movement (Trabzon VSKN: entry at the earliest 3 months after the blood-sample date). Istanbul Airport and Ankara Esenboğa VSKN instead say 90 days from the date of the test result for a first test — follow the later date to be safe. Not asked again for an animal whose passport records an acceptable titer and whose rabies boosters were kept up on time.
    Sources disagree — confirm with the authority
    • “c) An antibody titration test is carried out in accordance with Article 7 on blood serum samples taken by an authorised veterinarian 3 months before their movement and at least 30 days after the last rabies vaccination, and a result report showing that the animal has an acceptable anti-rabies antibody titre is obtained for presentation at the Turkish customs of entry. [unofficial translation]” — Resmî Gazete No. 28133 (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, now Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry); file hosted by the Antalya Airport VSKN, checked 04 Oct 2026
  • Waiting period — 90+ days after the test result: Istanbul Airport and Ankara Esenboğa VSKN: after a first titer test, wait 90 days from the date of the test RESULT before travelling (not from the blood sample, as the regulation and the Trabzon VSKN count). Not needed on later trips if the rabies vaccination was renewed within its validity. Follow the later of the two dates to be safe.
    Sources disagree — confirm with the authority
    • “In the case of the initial titration test, a waiting period of 90 days from the date of the test result must be observed prior to travel. This waiting period applies solely to the initial test; for subsequent travels, if the rabies vaccination is renewed within its protective validity period, this waiting period shall not be required.” — İstanbul Havalimanı Veteriner Sınır Kontrol Noktası Müdürlüğü, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, checked 04 Oct 2026
Source:Resmî Gazete No. 28133 (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, now Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry); file hosted by the Antalya Airport VSKN (opens official site: Ev ve Süs Hayvanlarının Ticari Olmayan Hareketlerinde Uygulanacak Hayvan Sağlığı Şartlarına Dair Yönetmelik (Regulation on animal health conditions for non-commercial movements of pet animals) — Resmî Gazete print)· checked 04 Oct 2026
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Also:İstanbul Havalimanı Veteriner Sınır Kontrol Noktası Müdürlüğü, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Full checklist for a cat from United States to Türkiye

Leaving United States with the pet

  • Taking a U.S.-vaccinated dog to a CDC high-risk country and back: have a USDA-accredited vet complete the CDC Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination and get it endorsed by USDA BEFORE leaving; it cannot be issued afterwards.
  • Pets living in Hawaii must finish the rabies vaccines and pass the FAVN test before leaving the state to avoid quarantine on return.
  • Taking a dog to Mexico (or any other screwworm-affected country) and back: on return it needs the screwworm certificate (inspection within 5 days before shipment). From Mexico a SENASICA-trained and approved clinical vet may sign it (SENASICA's MVRA directory).
  • Export papers for the destination country (USDA APHIS endorsement of the health certificate) were not researched.
Source:USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) (opens official site: Dog Imports: Check Country Disease Status (page and its data file dog-imports-country-disease-status.csv))· checked 25 Sep 2026
+2 more
Also:Hawaii Department of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Biosecurity), Animal Quarantine Station,USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services

What they actually checked at the border

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Sources

Every requirement above comes from one of these pages. Last researched 25 Sep 2026. Seen a change? Tell us.

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