Pet Transport from Greece to the United States: 2026 Guide
Greece is classified as a low-risk country by the CDC for dog rabies. That classification makes this one of the more manageable international pet transport routes. There is no titre test, no mandatory quarantine, and dogs can arrive at any US port of entry. …
The Greece to United States import process
Every step must be completed in sequence. A single missed deadline can add months to your timeline. We own the entire process.
Responsible: Your vet in Greece
Responsible: Your vet in Greece
Responsible: You (owner)
Responsible: You or your pet transport agent
Responsible: You + airline cargo desk
Which United States rules depend on a pet coming from Greece?
The United States sorts countries into 2 groups, and Greece falls in “Dog rabies-free or low-risk countries”.
Dog has been only in these countries for 6 months before entry: CDC Dog Import Form receipt (valid 6 months), age 6 months, microchip, healthy; any airport, seaport or land border. Official source
These rules apply to that group, on top of the rules every pet follows:
- Import permit: For dogs only in rabies-free or low-risk countries, the receipt is valid 6 months unless the dog visits a high-risk country or a different low-risk country in that time. Applies to dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Health certificate: No document beyond the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is listed for dogs only in rabies-free or low-risk countries. Applies to dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Health certificate: Not required: CDC does not require a general health certificate for pets (cats, and dogs only in rabies-free or low-risk countries). Airlines and some states may still ask for one.
Bringing an Animal into the U.S., checked 2 October 2026 - Rabies vaccination: CDC recommends, but for dogs only from rabies-free or low-risk countries does not list as an entry requirement, rabies vaccination. Applies to dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries.
Bringing a Dog into the United States, checked 2 October 2026 - How your pet may travel: Not required: no federal restriction on mode of travel for dogs only in rabies-free or low-risk countries; they may arrive by air, sea or land. Cabin, checked baggage or cargo is an airline matter. (Seattle's CDC facility takes cargo-only reservations, and the LAX facilities prefer cargo, for high-risk dogs.) Applies to dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Arrival points and notice: Dogs only in rabies-free or low-risk countries may enter at any airport, seaport or land border. Applies to dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026
One rule for every pet entering the United States decides whether yours can travel at all:
- Minimum age: Every dog must be at least 6 months old on entry or return to the US.
Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Minimum age: Not listed: cats. CDC's cat section requires only that cats appear healthy on arrival (they may be inspected, examined at the owner's cost if ill, or refused if they show a zoonotic disease); rabies vaccination proof is not required. APHIS states it has no animal health requirements for pet cats (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-import/cats). Neither sets a minimum age; destination states may.
Bringing an Animal into the U.S., checked 2 October 2026
The rules that apply to every pet entering the United States, whatever the origin, are listed with their official sources in our United States guide.
What does Greece require before your pet leaves?
- 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
What this route typically costs
Critical points
Greece is CDC low-risk, but your dog still needs a completed CDC Dog Import Form before travel. Do not skip this step. It is free and takes 10-15 minutes online.
Some US states and cities have breed-specific legislation (BSL) that restricts certain breeds. Check your destination state laws before travel. There is no federal US breed ban, but local rules vary.
Summer heat at Athens can restrict cargo pet acceptance. June to August is high-risk for cargo refusals on certain aircraft. Spring and autumn are more reliable for cargo pet travel.
If your dog transits through the UK as a cargo layover (via British Airways), ensure the transit does not require UK import documentation. A pure transit without leaving the cargo hold typically does not. Confirm with the airline.
Approved carriers for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals. We book only with carriers that handle live animal cargo correctly.
What does CDC low-risk classification mean for my pet?
The CDC overhauled its dog import rules in August 2024. Under the current system, countries are divided into high-risk and low-risk (or rabies-free) for dog rabies. Greece sits in the low-risk category, which means the requirements for bringing your dog to the US are significantly lighter than for pets coming from countries with higher rabies risk.
For dogs from Greece, the requirements are: a completed CDC Dog Import Form (free, completed online before departure), a microchip readable by a universal scanner, a dog that is at least 6 months old, and a dog that appears healthy when it arrives. That is the full federal requirement.
Cats are completely separate. There are no federal vaccination, testing, or quarantine requirements for cats entering the US from any country. If you are moving your cat, the process is straightforward.
What Greece-side paperwork does my pet need?
This is issued by an authorised official vet, not just any practice.
Your EU pet passport documents the microchip number and vaccination history, which you will carry alongside the health certificate and your CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
There is no export permit required from Greece to export a companion pet to the US.
Which airlines fly pets from Athens to the US?
Here is the corridor’s odd gap: Athens has genuine nonstop widebody service to three New York airports (Delta to JFK, EWR and LGA seasonally, United to Newark, Emirates to Newark), yet none of those nonstops will carry your pet. Delta restricts pet cargo to US military and State Department relocations, United’s PetSafe programme has been closed to the public since 2018, and Emirates routes its animal cargo via Dubai. The passenger flies direct; the pet almost never does.
Your dog therefore travels as manifested cargo via a European hub. Lufthansa routes via Frankfurt to a wide range of US cities; their cargo service is reliable and well-established for pets. KLM connects via Amsterdam. British Airways connects via London Heathrow, though note a UK transit adds a leg and you should confirm pet transit handling at Heathrow. Aegean feeds these hubs from Athens.
Summer heat is worth planning around. Athens can get very hot June through August, and airlines apply temperature embargoes that can prevent pet cargo acceptance. If you have flexibility, aim for September to May departures.
Common questions
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Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.