Pet Transport from the United Kingdom to Zambia

The journey from United Kingdom to Zambia for a pet is straightforward to plan once the key dates are mapped out. This is a middle of the road route, and about 6-10 weeks of …

6-10 wks

Preparation needed

Check guide

Quarantine on arrival

Medium

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

6-10 weeks

Quarantine

Check guide

Route complexity

Medium

Airlines

4 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from United Kingdom to Zambia typically takes around 6-10 weeks.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

Before starting the export paperwork.

Confirm the pet already meets UK core requirements: microchip in place, vaccination record current.

Responsible: Owner / UK vet

Before the EHC 3928 application can be submitted.

Register for a Government Gateway account and a Defra account; the signing vet must also be registered and checked by APHA.

Responsible: Owner and official vet

Work backwards from the intended travel date.

Time the rabies vaccination, or a booster, so it falls inside Zambia's 30-day-to-12-month window before entry.

Responsible: UK vet

As early as possible; no published online system exists, so allow weeks for postal or email correspondence.

Apply directly to the Department of Veterinary Services in Lusaka for the Zambian import permit.

Responsible: Owner or Zambia-based receiving contact

Shortly before the planned departure.

Apply online for Export Health Certificate 3928 once the vet appointment and travel date are close to confirmed.

Responsible: Owner and APHA-registered official vet

Close to the travel date, following the certificate's own validity window.

Official vet examines the pet and signs EHC 3928 against the current guidance notes.

Responsible: APHA-registered official vet

Once the EHC appointment and Zambian import permit are both confirmed.

Flight booked, typically via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian or via Nairobi on Kenya Airways.

Responsible: Owner / cargo agent

On arrival.

On arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International, notify the nearest Zambian Veterinary Officer for inspection of the pet and its documents.

Responsible: Importer

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

Microchip

15-digit ISO 11784, or Annex A of ISO 11785, compliant microchip required before entry. Source: PetTravel.com, 'Zambia Pet Import Requirements,' citing Zambian government import guidance, 2026.

Rabies vaccination

Dogs and cats over 3 months old must be vaccinated for rabies between 30 days and 12 months before entering Zambia. Source: PetTravel.com, 2026, citing Zambian import guidance.

Rabies titre test

Not mandated by Zambia's own import rules as a condition of entry. It is still sensible to keep proof of a valid titre result on file, since transiting countries or airlines further along a connecting route may ask for one.

Quarantine

Waived for pets that meet the documentation and vaccination requirements. Non-compliant animals face quarantine, return to origin, or destruction, all at the importer's cost. Source: PetTravel.com, 2026.

Import permit

Veterinary Permit required in advance from the Department of Research & Specialist Services (the former Department of Veterinary & Tsetse Control Services). No published online application; apply directly and allow processing time before travel. Source: Embassy of the Republic of Zambia, Washington D.C., 'Procedures for Importation of Livestock and Pets into Zambia,' zambiaembassy.org, accessed 2026.

Health certificate

Health certificate from the exporting country's official vet, prepared using the Zambian import permit as the template, must accompany the pet on arrival. The importer must notify the nearest Zambian Veterinary Officer on arrival for inspection. Source: Embassy of the Republic of Zambia, 2026.

Export permit

Not a separate permit; covered by the export health certificate below.

Veterinary inspection

Official (APHA-registered) vet inspection required before the certificate is signed, checking microchip, vaccination record and general fitness to travel.

Government endorsement

Applied for online through the government's export health certificate service; the vet must also be registered and checked by APHA before they can sign.

Health certificate

Export Health Certificate 3928, 'Export cats and dogs to Zambia,' currently version 3, guidance notes updated January 2024. Applied for at exporter.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk (England, Scotland, Wales) or via DAERA's DECS system in Northern Ireland. Requires a Government Gateway account and a Defra account. Source: GOV.UK, 'Export cats and dogs to Zambia: certificate 3928,' 2026.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your United Kingdom to Zambia move gets missed.

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Airlines

Carriers on this route

Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.

Ethiopian Airlines

Flies Heathrow to Addis Ababa (ADD), then onward to Lusaka (LUN), with 1-2 flights daily on the London-Addis leg. Small pets up to 8kg with an approved container can travel in the cabin depending on aircraft type; larger animals go as cargo. Snub-nosed breeds are refused outright.

Cabin and Cargo

Kenya Airways

Nonstop from Heathrow to Nairobi (KQ100, up to twice daily), then a connecting cargo flight on to Lusaka. Live animals travel as cargo only on Kenya Airways, never in the cabin or as checked baggage, aside from certified assistance dogs.

Cargo Only

South African Airways

No direct UK service, but has historically flown Johannesburg (JNB) to Lusaka, subject to current schedule. A connecting carrier such as British Airways or Virgin Atlantic covers the Heathrow-Johannesburg leg.

Cargo Only

British Airways

No direct Lusaka route. IAG Cargo can accept a live animal booking out of Heathrow, but it needs to be arranged through an IPATA- or ATA-registered pet relocation agent for the onward interline transfer into Zambia.

Cargo Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

UK vet visits and any required booster vaccination: GBP 60-150

APHA Export Health Certificate 3928: official vet inspection and paperwork, typically GBP 150-300; this is a vet-set fee, not a fixed government tariff

Zambia import permit from the Department of Veterinary Services: fee not published; apply directly and budget for correspondence time

IATA-compliant travel crate: GBP 70-250

Air cargo London to Lusaka via Addis Ababa, Nairobi or Johannesburg: GBP 1,200-2,800

Total typical range: GBP 1,800-3,800

Critical points

EHC 3928 needs both a Government Gateway/Defra account and an APHA-checked official vet in place before the certificate can be applied for; leaving vet registration to the last minute is a common delay.

Zambia's import permit has no published online application. It comes from direct correspondence with the Department of Veterinary Services in Lusaka, so build in real lead time rather than assuming a same-week turnaround.

The rabies vaccination has to fall inside Zambia's 30-day-to-12-month window before entry. A vaccination given too early or too close to travel can fall outside that window.

No airline flies London to Lusaka nonstop. Every routing adds a connection, most reliably via Addis Ababa or Nairobi, so book the export certificate appointment and the flight together rather than separately.

The rules for bringing a pet into Zambia

Zambia keeps its requirements reasonable, though a few steps have fixed timing. Map those out first and the rest falls into place.

How to keep this move on track

Use an official, government-authorised vet for the health certificate, not just your usual clinic. Many destinations only accept certificates signed by an approved vet.

If this is your first international move, consider an IPATA-registered pet transport agent. They handle the documents, airline booking and crate sizing, and can troubleshoot problems.

Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.

Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.

FAQ

Common questions

Export Health Certificate 3928, ‘Export cats and dogs to Zambia,’ currently version 3. It’s applied for online through the government’s export health certificate service and needs a Government Gateway account, a Defra account, and an APHA-registered official vet to sign it. Source: GOV.UK, ‘Export cats and dogs to Zambia: certificate 3928,’ 2026.

Yes. A Veterinary Permit from the Department of Veterinary Services (Department of Research & Specialist Services) in Lusaka is required before travel. There’s no published online application; it’s requested directly from the department’s Mulungushi House headquarters. Source: Embassy of the Republic of Zambia, Washington D.C., accessed 2026.

No. There’s no nonstop London-Lusaka service. The two main routings connect via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines or via Nairobi on Kenya Airways, and South African Airways’ Johannesburg link is a further option depending on current schedules.

Between 30 days and 12 months before the pet enters Zambia. A vaccination given outside that window, whether too recent or too close to expiry, does not satisfy Zambia’s import rule. Source: PetTravel.com, citing Zambian import guidance, 2026.

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Airline guides

Ethiopian Airlines
Kenya Airways
South African Airways
British Airways

Breed guides

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Pet Transport from the United Kingdom to Zambia

The import process, in full

What your pet needs

Carriers on this route

What this route typically costs

Critical points

The rules for bringing a pet into Zambia

How to keep this move on track

Common questions

Move your pet

Airline guides

Breed guides

Get a free pet transport quote