Pet Transport Georgia to Austria: 2026 Field Guide
22-28 weeks
Typical preparation
None
No quarantine required
High
Route complexity
✓ Managed
Full door-to-door service
Regulations verified
Regulations sourced from DEFRA, USDA APHIS, DAFF and other official authorities.
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Overview
Vienna is well connected from Tbilisi via Turkish Airlines through Istanbul, making it one of the more accessible Central European destinations for Caucasus pet moves. The regulatory process is what takes time: Georgia, like Armenia and Azerbaijan, is an EU unlisted third country. This means a FAVN titre test, a 90-day wait from the blood draw date, and an NFA-endorsed health certificate. Allow 22-28 weeks from start to finish.
Step by step
The Georgia to Austria process
1
Microchip implanted first. The chip must precede the rabies vaccination for the vaccination to count under EU rules.
Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) - first step, before vaccination
Responsible: Veterinarian in Georgia
2
After microchipping. Wait 30 days before blood draw for the FAVN titre test.
Rabies vaccination
Responsible: Veterinarian in Georgia
3
At least 30 days after vaccination. Blood drawn in Tbilisi, shipped cold to an EU-approved laboratory. Results: 2-4 weeks from lab receipt.
FAVN titre test blood draw and lab submission
Responsible: Georgian vet and EU-approved laboratory
4
Mandatory under EU Regulation 2020/692. Runs from the draw date, not the results date. Cannot be shortened.
90-day wait from the blood draw date
Responsible: N/A (waiting period)
5
During the 90-day wait. Turkish Airlines via IST is the main routing. Confirm live animal acceptance for your dates.
Book cargo Tbilisi to Vienna
Responsible: Owner or IPATA-registered agent
6
Within 10 days of travel to Vienna. Allow extra time for NFA endorsement processing.
NFA-endorsed AHC from authorised vet in Tbilisi
Responsible: NFA-authorised vet in Georgia
7
Travel day. TBS-IST-VIE is approximately 5-7 hours total. Austrian border vet inspection on arrival at VIE.
Travel Tbilisi to Vienna
Responsible: Airline cargo and owner
Checklist
Austria: entry requirements
Requirement
Detail
Microchip
Required. ISO 11784/11785 (15-digit). Implanted before or on the same day as the first rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccination
Required. Minimum age 12 weeks. 21-day wait after primary vaccination before blood draw for titre test.
Rabies titre test
Required. Georgia is an EU unlisted third country. FAVN or ELISA titre test at an EU-approved laboratory. Minimum 0.5 IU/ml. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination. Mandatory 90-day wait from the successful blood draw date before entry into Austria. Source: EU Regulation (EU) 2020/692.
Quarantine
No routine quarantine for pets arriving with compliant documentation.
Import permit
Not required for non-commercial companion pet movements.
Health certificate
EU-format AHC endorsed by the NFA, issued within 10 days of travel to Austria.
Leaving Georgia
Export requirements
Requirement
Detail
Export permit
No formal export permit required for companion cats and dogs leaving Georgia.
Health certificate
Official export Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from a National Food Agency (NFA)-authorised vet in Georgia, endorsed by the NFA. Must comply with EU Regulation 2020/692 for non-commercial pet movements from unlisted third countries. Issued within 10 days of travel to Austria.
Costs
What this route typically costs
1
FAVN titre test: blood draw plus EU laboratory processing (approximately EUR 70-200) plus international courier from Tbilisi
2
NFA-endorsed AHC: approximately GEL 150-400 (approximately EUR 50-140)
3
Cargo Tbilisi to Vienna via IST: EUR 500-1,500 depending on crate size
4
IATA-approved travel crate: EUR 80-350
5
Veterinary preparation (chip, vaccination, health check): EUR 50-150
6
IPATA-registered agent (recommended): EUR 400-900
7
Total typical range: EUR 1,100-3,100 over a 22-28 week preparation period
Critical points
Read before you book
⚠ Microchip before vaccination. If the chip is implanted after the vaccination, the EU considers that vaccination invalid. You restart from microchipping.
⚠ The NFA (National Food Agency of Georgia) must endorse the AHC. This process takes time. Do not book your travel date without confirming the NFA endorsement timeline with your vet or agent.
⚠ Austria's breed-specific rules operate at the Bundesland (state) level rather than nationwide. Some Bundeslaender have restrictions on certain dog types. Confirm your breed's status in your destination Bundesland before travel.
⚠ There is no EU-approved FAVN laboratory in Georgia. Blood must be shipped internationally from Tbilisi to an approved lab in Europe or North America. Confirm with your vet that they have experience with international titre test sample shipping.
Carriers
Airlines on this route
Georgian Airways
Tbilisi (TBS) has Georgian Airways operating regional routes. For cargo to Vienna, the most practical option is connecting via Istanbul or another European hub. Confirm current Georgian Airways cargo schedules and live animal acceptance for your specific dates.
Cargo Only
Turkish Airlines
Tbilisi (TBS) to Istanbul (IST), then IST to Vienna (VIE). Turkish Airlines Cargo handles live animals on Caucasus routes. This is the most consistent option for TBS-VIE pet cargo. IST-VIE is a short second leg. Temperature embargoes apply in summer months. Book through a cargo agent.
Cargo Only
Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines serves Vienna (VIE) as its main hub. For the Caucasus leg from Tbilisi, routing via Istanbul or Frankfurt with a partner carrier connects to an Austrian Airlines service. Austrian Airlines Cargo at VIE handles EU-entry documentation checks and is familiar with the process for arriving pets from unlisted countries.
Cargo Only
Flydubai
Tbilisi to Dubai (DXB), then Emirates SkyCargo connections to Vienna. Flydubai operates on TBS-DXB. Summer heat embargoes at Dubai affect scheduling June to September. A valid alternative if Turkish Airlines IST routing is not available.
Cargo Only
Georgia's EU unlisted status and what it means for your pet
Georgia has a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with the EU, and Georgian citizens can enter the Schengen area without a visa. But pet travel rules work differently: Georgia is classified as an EU unlisted third country for the purpose of non-commercial pet movements. This means Georgia’s national disease control systems have not been assessed as equivalent to EU standards for pet import purposes.
In practice, this means the full unlisted process applies: ISO microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination; rabies vaccination with a minimum 21-day wait before the titre test; FAVN titre test at an EU-approved laboratory with the blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination; a mandatory 90-day wait from the blood draw date; and an NFA-endorsed AHC issued within 10 days of travel to Austria.
This process applies regardless of how long your pet has lived in Georgia or what its previous vaccination history looks like.
Sending titre test samples from Tbilisi
There is no EU-approved FAVN laboratory in Georgia. Your vet in Tbilisi draws the blood, stores it correctly (typically with sodium azide preservative or in a designated medium), and ships it via international courier to an approved lab in Europe or North America.
The courier journey takes 2-5 days depending on the destination lab. Lab processing time is 1-2 weeks after receipt. Total time from blood draw to results: 2-4 weeks.
Ask your Georgian vet directly whether they have sent titre test samples internationally before. Incorrect storage or the wrong courier service can degrade the sample, forcing a retest and extending your timeline by 4-6 weeks. Some pet transport agents in Tbilisi handle this coordination regularly and can advise on the most reliable labs.
FAQ
Common questions
No. The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and Georgia’s EU association status cover political and economic cooperation but do not affect veterinary import classifications for pets. Georgia remains an EU unlisted third country, and the full titre test and 90-day wait process applies to all pets originating from Georgia entering any EU member state.
Turkish Airlines via Istanbul is the most consistent option for TBS-VIE pet cargo. Georgian Airways serves regional routes but does not have the cargo infrastructure for the full Caucasus-to-Vienna run. Flydubai via Dubai is an alternative but summer heat embargoes at DXB affect scheduling. Austrian Airlines Cargo handles the Vienna end well.
On arrival at Vienna International Airport (VIE), the official border vet checks the microchip (scanned against the AHC), the vaccination record, the titre test certificate (checking the blood draw date and result), and confirms the 90-day wait has elapsed from the blood draw date. The AHC is also checked for the 10-day validity window. If all documents are in order, the pet is cleared.