Home/Routes/Mexico to Greece
MX
Mexico
✈️
GR
Greece

Pet Transport Mexico to Greece: SENASICA Certificate and EU FAVN Process

20-24 weeks
Typical preparation
None
No quarantine required
Moderate
Route complexity
✓ Managed
Full door-to-door service
Regulations verified

Regulations sourced from DEFRA, USDA APHIS, DAFF and other official authorities. How we source our data →

Overview
Mexico City to Athens requires at least one connecting hub, and the full EU unlisted country protocol. Mexico is classed as unlisted under EU Regulation 2016/429, so the FAVN titre test, 90-day wait, and EU Animal Health Certificate are all required. SENASICA handles the export side at the departure airport. Plan for five to six months of preparation.
Step by step

The Mexico to Greece process

1
Before rabies vaccination.
Implant ISO microchip

Responsible: Vet

2
After microchip. Allow 21 days before titre test blood draw.
Rabies vaccination

Responsible: Vet

3
Blood draw at least 21 days after vaccination. EU-approved laboratory.
FAVN titre test

Responsible: EU-approved laboratory

4
From confirmed blood draw date (0.5 IU/ml or above).
90-day waiting period

Responsible: Owner to track

5
During 90-day wait. Coordinate with SENASICA-registered vet.
SENASICA zoosanitary certificate preparation

Responsible: SENASICA vet

6
Within 10 days before arrival in Greece.
EU Animal Health Certificate (AHC)

Responsible: Authorised vet

7
On travel day.
SENASICA inspection at departure airport OISA

Responsible: SENASICA, airline cargo

Checklist

Greece: entry requirements

RequirementDetail
MicrochipRequired. ISO 11784/11785, 15-digit non-encrypted. Before rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccinationRequired. After microchip. At least 21 days before titre test blood draw.
Rabies titre testRequired. FAVN rabies antibody titre test at an EU-approved laboratory. Minimum 0.5 IU/ml. Mexico is an unlisted third country under EU Regulation 2016/429. 90-day waiting period from blood draw date.
QuarantineNone for compliant pets. No quarantine on arrival in Greece.
Import permitNot required.
Health certificateEU Animal Health Certificate (AHC), issued within 10 days before arrival in Greece.
Leaving Mexico

Export requirements

RequirementDetail
Export permitSENASICA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria) zoosanitary certificate. Required for export. Issued after veterinary inspection at the departure airport OISA (Agricultural Health Inspection Office).
Health certificateZoosanitary health certificate issued by a SENASICA-registered veterinarian. Documents microchip number, rabies vaccination, parasite treatment and health status.
Costs

What this route typically costs

1FAVN titre test at EU-approved laboratory: MXN 2,000 to MXN 5,000 (approximately £75 to £185)
2SENASICA certificate preparation and inspection fee
3Rabies vaccination and vet consultation: MXN 500 to MXN 1,500
4Parasite treatment as required by SENASICA: MXN 200 to MXN 600
5IATA-compliant travel crate: MXN 1,500 to MXN 6,000
6Cargo airline fees (MEX to ATH): MXN 15,000 to MXN 45,000
7EU Animal Health Certificate: MXN 1,500 to MXN 4,000
8Pet transport agent fee: MXN 8,000 to MXN 20,000
Critical points

Read before you book

⚠ Mexico is an unlisted third country for EU pet travel. The FAVN titre test and 90-day wait are mandatory regardless of previous vaccinations.
⚠ SENASICA requires a physical inspection at the airport OISA before departure. Arrive at the cargo terminal well before the flight.
⚠ Athens is not a hub airport for direct Mexico connections. All cargo routes connect through a European hub. Ensure the connecting carrier also accepts live animals.
Carriers

Airlines on this route

Aeromexico Cargo
Mexico City (MEX) to Madrid (MAD) with connecting cargo to Athens (ATH). Aeromexico Cargo accepts pets.
Cargo Only
Lufthansa Cargo
MEX via Frankfurt (FRA) to ATH. Lufthansa Cargo accepts pets.
Cargo Only
Iberia Cargo
MEX to Madrid (MAD) then connecting cargo to ATH. Iberia accepts pets on cargo.
Cargo Only
KLM Cargo
MEX via Amsterdam (AMS) to ATH. KLM Cargo accepts pets.
Cargo Only

SENASICA export inspection: what happens at the airport

SENASICA, Mexico’s agri-food safety authority, has inspection officers at the OISA (Agricultural Health Inspection Office) at major international airports including Mexico City (MEX), Guadalajara (GDL), and Monterrey (MTY). On the day of travel, the SENASICA officer inspects the pet, reviews the zoosanitary certificate, and clears the export.

The inspection is physical, not just paperwork. Your pet must appear healthy and free from ectoparasites. Have the microchip record, vaccination history, parasite treatment record, and SENASICA certificate ready as a single package.

EU entry at Athens: what the AHC achieves

The EU Animal Health Certificate replaces the older concept of an import permit for pets entering EU member states. It is a standardised document issued by an authorised vet in Mexico, confirming microchip identity, vaccination status, titre test result, and compliance with EU entry rules.

Athens International (ATH) processes international cargo arrivals through its TRACES-connected veterinary border inspection post. Your cargo agent pre-notifies the arrival, and the inspector clears the pet based on the AHC. For Mexico, the key fields are the titre test result date and the 90-day countdown confirmation.

FAQ

Common questions

SENASICA requires a current rabies vaccination and parasite treatment (internal and external) recorded in the health certificate. For dogs, other core vaccinations (distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, leptospirosis) are good practice and may be reviewed by inspectors. For Greece, the EU AHC records rabies vaccination specifically, so ensure the rabies certificate is complete and current.
Your vet in Mexico draws blood, which is sent to an EU-approved laboratory (several US-based labs are approved and commonly used for Mexican samples). The laboratory analyses the sample and reports the rabies neutralising antibody level. If the result is 0.5 IU/ml or above, the 90-day wait to Greece starts from that blood draw date. If the result is below 0.5 IU/ml, the vaccination programme needs to be reviewed and the test repeated.
The journey from Mexico to Greece involves at least one connecting flight, and on the transatlantic leg most carriers only accept small pets in cabin at their discretion, with policies varying by airline and route. On connections to Athens, cabin pet policies depend on the carrier. For certainty and for larger pets, cargo is the standard route for Mexico to Greece. Check each carrier’s current pet policy at the time of booking.
Madrid via Aeromexico or Iberia is a natural routing due to the Mexico-Spain airline relationship. Frankfurt via Lufthansa and Amsterdam via KLM are reliable alternatives. All three hubs have direct cargo connections to Athens. The best choice depends on your pet’s crate size, the airline’s current space availability, and transit time preferences.
Airline guides
Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

Browse all breed guides →

Start your journey

Get Your Free Quote

Enter your pet's details and route

Quotes are tailored to your specific journey.

No obligation. Your details are kept private and never shared.

Get a free pet transport quote

Tell us your route and pet details. We will send you a step-by-step plan and tailored quote.

Request a Quote
Chat with us