This is the rare international pet move where the best vehicle is your own car. The King Fahd Causeway runs 25 kilometres from Khobar to Bahrain, is open around the clock, costs about SAR 33 in tolls, and crosses in one to two hours, with …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain
typically takes around 4-6 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Marcus Webb, Senior Pet Relocation Consultant
Step by step
The Saudi Arabia to Bahrain pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Apply for Bahrain's import permit (e-service 2177)
Responsible: You + Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture
First, because MEWA wants a copy. BD 17 per pet, valid 30 days, so time it against your travel date.
2
File the MEWA export permission on Anaam
Responsible: You + MEWA
At least one month before the move. The service itself is free.
3
Vaccination check and titre question settled
Responsible: Your vet + Bahrain Veterinary Quarantine Office
Rabies 21 days to 12 months old at entry; ask the Veterinary Quarantine Office whether a titre applies to your pet.
4
Health certificate from a licensed Saudi vet
Responsible: MEWA-approved veterinarian
Within 10 days of entry, government-endorsed.
5
Cross: drive the causeway or fly
Responsible: You + border posts (or carrier)
Driving, keep the pet crated for border procedures; flying, the sponsor presents the original permit at Bahrain International.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter Bahrain
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 15-digit chip, implanted before or with the qualifying rabies vaccination. One directory calls it optional; treat it as mandatory.
Rabies vaccination
Required, between 21 days and 12 months before entry. Minimum pet age in practice 3 months. Dogs need DHLP-type combination cover and cats FVRCP alongside the rabies record.
Rabies titre test
Reported as required for pets from countries not classified rabies-free, which includes Saudi Arabia: blood drawn at least 21 days after vaccination. Ministry confirmation is thin, so verify with the Veterinary Quarantine Office (+973 1764 3373) when applying for the permit.
Quarantine
No quarantine for compliant pets. Arrival inspection includes a rabies nasal swab and takes 2-4 hours at the airport.
Import permit
Required. The national e-service is Import Permit Live Animal (Personal), service 2177 on services.bahrain.bh, issued by the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture. BD 17 per pet, valid 30 days from issue.
Health certificate
Required, from a licensed vet in Saudi Arabia within 10 days of entry, government-endorsed.
Export permit (Saudi Arabia)
Required. MEWA (Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture) pets export permission, filed free of charge on the Anaam platform, and obtained at least one month before the move. The application wants the Bahraini import permit attached, so Bahrain's paperwork comes first.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Bahrain Animal Import Certificate: BD 17 per pet (roughly SAR 169)
MEWA export permission: free
Causeway tolls: SAR 20 Saudi side plus BHD 5 Bahrain side, about SAR 33 per car
Saudia fees if flying: about 100 USD cabin (cats), 300 USD hold (dogs) on international sectors
Gulf Air Falcon Cargo: quoted per shipment through an agent
Critical points to read before you book
Check the breed first. Bahrain's Ministerial Decision 100/2023 bans importing Pit Bull types, Mastiffs, Japanese Tosa, Presa Canario, Staffordshire Terriers and their crosses. No permit will issue for these.
The Bahraini permit lives only 30 days and MEWA wants its export permission filed a month out, so the two clocks must be run together: Bahrain permit, then MEWA, then travel inside the permit's window.
In the May-to-September Gulf summer, airline holds shut to animals above roughly 29C tarmac temperature. The air-conditioned drive across the causeway is the reliable summer answer.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
PRIVATE CAR
Private car via King Fahd Causeway
The route most families actually use: 25km, open 24/7, about SAR 33 in tolls, typically 1-2 hours. The pet travels crated in your air-conditioned car with the import permit, vaccination file and health certificate ready for the border. Tell the Bahraini authorities your arrival date in advance.
Cabin and Cargo
GULF AIR
Gulf Air
Cats and dogs as cargo only through Falcon Cargo, booked via an agent. The cabin is reserved for falcons and trained service dogs.
Cargo Only
SAUDIA
Saudia
Cats and small birds in the cabin up to 5kg including carrier; dogs as checked baggage in ventilated holds. Advance notice through the Saudia sales office; fees roughly 100 USD cabin and 300 USD hold internationally.
Cabin and Cargo
FLYNAS /
flynas / flyadeal
flynas takes small pets in the cabin only, up to 5kg with a soft carrier (max 47x40x25cm), charged as extra baggage. flyadeal carries no pets at all.
Cabin and Cargo
Two permits, one sequence
Start in Bahrain. The Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture issues the import permit through the services.bahrain.bh portal; the certificate costs BD 17 per animal, is collected through the Veterinary Quarantine Office in Budaiya (+973 1764 3373), and expires 30 days after issue.
Then Saudi Arabia. MEWA’s pets export permission goes through the Anaam platform with your national ID or iqama, the Bahraini permit, Bahrain’s health conditions and a vet health report attached. The service is free, and MEWA’s own manual says to secure it at least one month before shipment, which makes it the pacing item.
The health certificate itself is a final-week document: licensed Saudi vet, within 10 days of entry, government-endorsed. On the vaccination side Bahrain wants rabies between 21 days and 12 months old plus the standard combination vaccines, and one loose end deserves a phone call: a rabies titre is reported as required for pets from countries that are not rabies-free, Saudi Arabia included, but ministry-level confirmation is thin. Ask the Quarantine Office directly when you apply; a 21-days-post-vaccination blood draw is cheap insurance if they say yes.
Causeway or cabin
Driving wins for most families. The pet stays with you, no summer embargo applies, and the border wants the same file you would hand an airline: permit, vaccination record, health certificate, pet crated during procedures. Let the Bahraini side know your arrival date in advance; that courtesy is what the customs guidance asks for on live-animal arrivals.
Flying still has its uses, mainly for moves originating far from the Eastern Province. Saudia carries cats in the cabin to 5kg with carrier and dogs as checked baggage in ventilated holds (roughly 100 and 300 US dollars respectively on international sectors). flynas takes only cabin-sized pets to 5kg in a soft carrier. Gulf Air, Bahrain’s own carrier, moves cats and dogs exclusively as cargo through agents, keeping its cabin for falcons. flyadeal carries no animals at all. In the Gulf summer, when tarmac temperatures shut cargo holds for months, the causeway is not just the cheaper option but often the only one.
On arrival at Bahrain International, budget two to four hours: the inspection includes a rabies nasal swab, and compliant pets go home the same day. There is no quarantine.
FAQ
Common questions about Saudi Arabia to Bahrain pet transport
Yes, and most relocating families do. The crossing is 25km, open 24/7, about SAR 33 in tolls and one to two hours in normal traffic. Carry the Bahraini import permit, vaccination record and health certificate, keep the pet crated during border procedures, and notify the Bahraini authorities of your arrival date in advance.
Two. Bahrain’s Import Permit Live Animal (Personal), e-service 2177 on services.bahrain.bh (BD 17 per pet, valid 30 days), and Saudi Arabia’s MEWA export permission, filed free on the Anaam platform at least one month before the move. Apply for the Bahraini permit first, because the MEWA application asks for a copy.
Under Ministerial Decision 100/2023, Bahrain bans importing dogs classified as dangerous: Pit Bull types, Mastiffs including Bull, English and Neapolitan, Japanese Tosa, Presa Canario, Staffordshire Terriers, and crosses of these breeds. Check before starting any paperwork if your dog resembles a listed type.
No, not for compliant pets. Arrival inspection at Bahrain International takes two to four hours and includes a rabies nasal swab, after which the pet is released. Non-compliant animals risk quarantine or return, so the permit validity and certificate dates need to line up.
Possibly. Published guidance says pets from countries not classified rabies-free, which includes Saudi Arabia, need a rabies titre drawn at least 21 days after vaccination, but direct ministry confirmation is thin. Confirm with Bahrain’s Veterinary Quarantine Office (+973 1764 3373) when applying for the import permit, and build the blood draw in if they say yes.
Airline guides
Private car via King Fahd Causeway
Gulf Air
Saudia
flynas / flyadeal
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.
Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm
current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.
MEWA· Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia