GR
Greece
✈️
TR
Turkey
Pet Transport from Greece to Turkey
15
Sourced facts for this journey
7 Oct 2026
Independently checked
✓ Managed
Full door-to-door service
Greece's Ministry of Rural Development and Food publishes a certificate model just for dogs and cats going to Turkey, and only an official vet may sign it. Time that signature carefully: Istanbul Airport's veterinary border post wants the certificate issued within 2 days before travel. Turkish Airlines and Aegean both sell Athens to Istanbul flights.
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Official rules on this page checked
What does Greece require for Turkey before the flight?
- Greece's Ministry of Rural Development and Food publishes, on its pet movements page (dated 26 February 2025), a veterinary health certificate model specifically for exporting dogs and cats to Turkey, alongside a document on Turkey's health requirements.
Ministry of Rural Development and Food: pet animal movements page, checked 7 October 2026 - For dogs and cats going from Greece to Turkey, the Ministry's circular 3263/316445 of 6 December 2019 says that, for Greece, the veterinary health certificate is signed only by an official veterinarian.
Ministry of Rural Development and Food circular 3263/316445 of 6 December 2019: health requirements for importing dogs and cats from Greece into Turkey, checked 7 October 2026 - Greece's 2019 circular for Turkey lists anti-parasite treatment against Echinococcus and ticks among the conditions for dogs and cats moving from Greece to Turkey.
Ministry of Rural Development and Food circular 3263/316445 of 6 December 2019: health requirements for importing dogs and cats from Greece into Turkey, checked 7 October 2026 - Greece's 2019 circular for Turkey requires the dog or cat to have been examined by a vet within 10 days before the date of the move.
Ministry of Rural Development and Food circular 3263/316445 of 6 December 2019: health requirements for importing dogs and cats from Greece into Turkey, checked 7 October 2026 - Greece's 2019 circular for Turkey lists a rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 1 year before the date of the move.
Ministry of Rural Development and Food circular 3263/316445 of 6 December 2019: health requirements for importing dogs and cats from Greece into Turkey, checked 7 October 2026
Which airlines take pets from Greece to Turkey?
- Turkish Airlines operates flights from Athens International Airport (ATH) to Istanbul Airport (IST).
Turkish Airlines: Flights From Athens to Istanbul, checked 7 October 2026 - Turkish Airlines accepts pets in the cabin only up to a combined weight of 8 kg, pet and carrier together.
Turkish Airlines: Traveling with Pets, checked 7 October 2026 - Aegean's own route page sells Aegean flights from Athens (ATH) to Istanbul (IST).
AEGEAN: Flights from Athens to Istanbul, checked 7 October 2026 - Aegean carries a cat or dog in the cabin only up to 8 kg including its container; a heavier pet must travel in the baggage hold.
AEGEAN: Travelling with pets/animals, checked 7 October 2026 - Aegean and Olympic Air do not accept snub-nosed dogs and cats as checked baggage or air cargo, because they struggle to breathe and cool down.
AEGEAN: Snub-nosed animals and not accepted breeds, checked 7 October 2026
Where does the journey connect and land?
- Istanbul Airport (IST) has its own Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Veterinary Border Control Point directorate, which publishes the conditions for cats, dogs and ferrets travelling into Turkiye.
Istanbul Airport Veterinary Border Control Point Directorate: Kedi-Köpek-Gelincik Seyahati (cat, dog and ferret travel), checked 7 October 2026 - The İpsala road border gate lies on Turkey's border with Greece, opposite the Greek customs post at Kipi.
T.C. İpsala Kaymakamlığı (İpsala District Governorship): İpsala Sınır Kapısı, checked 7 October 2026 - Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry runs a Veterinary Border Control Point directorate at the İpsala border gate in Edirne province.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry: Edirne İpsala Border Gate Veterinary Border Control Point Directorate, checked 7 October 2026
What do the published charges come to?
- Aegean's published charge for a cat or dog in the cabin (up to 8 kg including its container) is €65 on international flights, against €35 on domestic flights.
AEGEAN: Travelling with pets/animals, checked 7 October 2026 - Aegean's published charge for a cat or dog over 25 kg (including its container) in the hold of an international flight is €180 direct and €190 with a connection.
AEGEAN: Travelling with pets/animals, checked 7 October 2026
These are published charges only, not the full cost of a move. Prices change with your pet's size and crate, the airline and routing, the season, fuel surcharges and exchange rates. Your quote may differ.
Which Turkey rules depend on a pet coming from Greece?
None of the Turkey rules we have verified names Greece on its own.
The rules that apply to every pet entering Turkey, whatever the origin, are listed with their official sources in our Turkey guide.
What does Greece require before your pet leaves?
- Export health certificate: For pets exported to Turkey, the Ministry circular states that, for Greece, the certificate is signed only by an official veterinarian (circular 3263/316445 of 6 December 2019). Applies to dogs and cats exported from Greece to Turkey.
Circular 3263/316445 (06.12.2019): Υγειονομικές απαιτήσεις εισαγωγής σκύλων και γατών από την Ελλάδα στην Τουρκία, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: Greek owners can apply online through gov.gr, using their Taxisnet credentials, for the veterinary health certificate needed to travel with a pet to countries that require one. The page's description of who issues it and how the answer is delivered could not be read on 6 October 2026 (the service body is rendered by script), so those details are not confirmed here. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Greece for countries that require a health certificate.
Κτηνιατρικό υγειονομικό πιστοποιητικό κατοικίδιων ζώων για μεταφορά στο εξωτερικό, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: Pet movements from Greece to non-EU countries are subject to each destination country's national rules; the Ministry publishes destination-specific requirements and certificate models (e.g. Australia, Japan, Turkey, UAE, USA). Applies to dogs and cats leaving Greece for non-EU countries.
Circular 3382/100752 (17.09.2015): Υγειονομικοί και άλλοι όροι που εφαρμόζονται στις μη εμπορικού χαρακτήρα μετακινήσεις ζώων συντροφιάς, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: For travel to non-EU countries, owners must give the destination country's requirements to the competent veterinary authorities in good time so that they can carry out the tests needed and prepare the certificate forms (2015 circular). The Ministry publishes destination-specific requirements and certificate models on its 'Pet animal movements' page. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Greece for non-EU countries.
Circular 3382/100752 (17.09.2015): Υγειονομικοί και άλλοι όροι που εφαρμόζονται στις μη εμπορικού χαρακτήρα μετακινήσεις ζώων συντροφιάς, checked 1 October 2026 - Other conditions: An unaccompanied pet (cargo), even a single one, is treated as a commercial consignment under Directive 92/65/EEC and recorded in TRACES (2018 circular). Where a pet is adopted by a resident abroad, the power of attorney proving the adoption must carry the Hague apostille. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Greece.
Circular 174/30192 (20.03.2018): Εντατικοποίηση των ελέγχων ζώων συντροφιάς, checked 1 October 2026 - Other conditions: When an owner relocates permanently abroad with their pet, the pet is removed from the Greek national register (ΕΜΖΣ) only on showing proof issued in the new country by a public authority, utility provider or financial institution (Law 4830/2021, Article 4(12)). Applies to dogs and cats registered in Greece whose owners relocate abroad.
Νόμος 4830/2021: Νέο πλαίσιο για την ευζωία των ζώων συντροφιάς, checked 1 October 2026 - Other conditions: Fee: the Region of Central Macedonia's citizen guide (service A172, issue of a veterinary health certificate for dogs and cats) charges 30 euro: its basic-information panel shows 'Κόστος υπηρεσίας: 30 €' and its document list names the payment as a 30 euro e-fee (e-παράβολο). Other regions may charge differently. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Greece from the Region of Central Macedonia.
Χορήγηση Κτηνιατρικού Υγειονομικού Πιστοποιητικού κατοικίδιων ζώων (σκύλων, γατών), checked 7 October 2026 - Other conditions: A rabies titre test is required before a pet leaves the EU for (or transits) a non-listed third country, and the passport must show a positive result dated before departure; otherwise the pet faces a test and 3-month wait to re-enter (2015 circular). Applies to Greek-resident dogs and cats travelling to non-listed third countries and returning.
Circular 3382/100752 (17.09.2015): Υγειονομικοί και άλλοι όροι που εφαρμόζονται στις μη εμπορικού χαρακτήρα μετακινήσεις ζώων συντροφιάς, checked 1 October 2026
FAQ
Common questions
Greece's 2019 circular for Turkey asks for a vet examination within 10 days before the move. Istanbul Airport's veterinary border post wants the health certificate issued within 2 days before travel, so the official vet's appointment needs to fall in that last 2-day window. The same circular lists a rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 1 year before the move.
Greece's circular for Turkey lists treatment against Echinococcus and ticks among its conditions. Turkey's own certificate marks those sections 'when required' rather than compulsory, so ask the official vet which parts they will complete.
Both Turkish Airlines and Aegean cap a cabin pet at 8 kg including its carrier. A heavier pet goes in Aegean's hold, but Aegean won't take snub-nosed dogs and cats as checked baggage or cargo.
Aegean's published charges for international flights run from €65 for a cat or dog in the cabin to €180 for a pet over 25 kg, crate included, in the hold of a direct flight. Prices change with your pet's size and crate, the airline and routing, the season, fuel surcharges and exchange rates.
The İpsala border gate sits on the Greek border, opposite Greece's Kipi customs post, and Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has a veterinary border control directorate there. No published list of the gates designated for pets was found, so check with the İpsala post before you set off.
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Sources
Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.
- USDA APHIS · United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- IATA · International Air Transport Association, Live Animals Regulations