Most guides to importing a pet into an Asian country start with a rabies titer test and end with a list of banned breeds. Sri Lanka does neither — and that surprises owners who prepared for the wrong checklist. The rules that do apply come from one department, follow one piece of legislation, and trace back to one underlying concern. This guide is one part of Daisy Pet’s full Vietnam-to-Sri Lanka pet moving guide, focused specifically on what DAPH requires.
Who Regulates Pet Import to Sri Lanka?
The Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) is the only authority that matters here, and its own published import requirements are the source for every rule in this guide.
Under the Animal Diseases Act No. 59 of 1992, no dog or cat may enter the country without an import permit issued by DAPH, and every animal that does enter is subject to a mandatory quarantine period under the same law. There is no second agency to check with, no parallel customs process for live animals, and no regional variation — one office in Gatambe, Peradeniya, sets every rule below.
That single-agency structure matters because it explains why the requirements are narrower than what owners typically expect. DAPH is not trying to screen for every disease an animal could theoretically carry — it is managing a short, specific list of risks, and every rule below exists to close one of those gaps.
Documentation Every Application Needs
DAPH accepts exactly one submission channel — an online Google Form application — and expects it filed at least two weeks before arrival. Handwritten or hand-delivered applications are not accepted, full stop. The form asks for importer and exporter details, transport details, and — for each animal — microchip number, breed, sex, date of birth, and country of origin.
Two weeks is DAPH’s minimum, not a comfortable target. In Daisy Pet’s experience, DAPH usually takes about three weeks to issue the permit, so we ask owners to have every document ready around one month before departure.
Attached to that form, DAPH expects:
- Vaccination records showing the microchip number
- Laboratory test reports (dogs only — see below)
- An International Veterinary Health Certificate, or a draft if the final version isn’t ready yet
- A completed pet microchip certificate
If the certificate isn’t finalized when you apply, a draft copy is enough to get the application moving — but the signed original still has to be presented on arrival. Anything importers need to ask beyond what the form covers goes to a single inbox, vraanim@gmail.com, and DAPH asks that all follow-up stay on the same email thread rather than starting new ones.
One detail owners planning a multi-pet move often miss: bringing in three or more animals triggers a second permit, this one from the Import and Export Control Department, filed separately from the DAPH application. It’s worth submitting both at the same time — the DAPH form doesn’t remind you, and finding out about the second permit late is how arrivals get delayed.
Vaccination Requirements for Dogs and Cats
Dogs and cats are held to different vaccine lists, and DAPH’s own paperwork treats them as two separate documents, not two columns of one form. Dogs must be fully vaccinated against rabies, canine distemper, canine parvovirus, canine infectious hepatitis, and leptospirosis. Cats need rabies, feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV), and feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) instead — none of the canine-specific vaccines apply to them.
For puppies or kittens under three months old, the requirement shifts to the mother: the dam must be fully vaccinated against the same disease list, since the puppy or kitten itself is too young for a complete vaccine schedule. Whichever list applies, the vaccination record has to be submitted with the application — not carried loose and shown on arrival — and it must show the microchip number.
DAPH’s own paperwork doesn’t specify a minimum interval between the last rabies shot and travel, only that vaccination stay current. In practice, Daisy Pet still books departures with a 30-day buffer after the final rabies dose, the same standard applied across every destination — it protects against the vaccine simply not having taken full effect yet, regardless of what a specific country’s paperwork requires.
Blood Tests: Why Dogs Need Them and Cats Don’t
This is the requirement most owners get wrong by assuming it works like everywhere else. Sri Lanka has no rabies titer test (RNATT) requirement at all — a rule most owners moving pets across Asia have already braced for, and one that doesn’t apply here.
What Sri Lanka does require applies to dogs only, not cats. Within one month of arrival, dogs need three blood tests:
- Leishmaniasis — PCR, ELISA, or IFAT
- Heartworm antigen — PCR, ELISA, or IFAT
- Heartworm microfilaria — Knott’s test, concentration method, or filtration method
Cats are not tested for any of these — DAPH’s cat requirements skip straight from vaccination to parasite treatment, with no blood test section at all.
There’s one exemption worth knowing: if the exporting country — not Sri Lanka — is officially recognized as free of a specific disease on that list, testing for that disease isn’t required. This exemption is about where the pet is leaving from, not where it’s landing, so it’s worth confirming with your vet whether Vietnam’s status changes what testing you actually need.
Parasite Treatment and Certificate Timing
Both dogs and cats need a broad-spectrum dewormer and an external parasite treatment within 7 days before travel, certified in writing by a registered veterinarian, and the treatment record is presented at quarantine inspection on arrival. This sits on a separate clock from the blood tests — the one-month window above applies only to the lab work, not the deworming and tick treatment.
The International Veterinary Health Certificate runs on a third timeline: it must be issued by the exporting country’s official veterinary authority within 10 days before arrival, and it has to confirm the animal is clinically fit to travel, properly microchipped, fully vaccinated, and — for dogs — tested negative on the diseases above. Three separate windows (2 weeks for the permit, 1 month for blood tests, 10 days for the certificate) sound like a scheduling headache until they’re laid out on one calendar, which is exactly what the prep timeline at the end of this guide does.
What Happens After Landing: Quarantine in Brief
Every dog and cat entering Sri Lanka goes through a mandatory 30-day home quarantine under Section 28 of the Animal Diseases Act — there’s no clean-paperwork exemption and no shortened period for animals that meet every requirement perfectly. At the point of entry, the importer signs a Quarantine Surveillance Agreement with the Animal Quarantine Officer, naming the exact address and phone number where the animal will stay for those 30 days. Quarantine officers can inspect the animal during that period, and any illness has to be reported immediately.
Fees You’ll Actually Pay
DAPH does not charge a fee for issuing the import permit itself — it’s free. The only charge collected is a quarantine handling fee of LKR 950, paid on arrival. That figure is worth stating plainly because it contradicts some of what circulates online, including estimates in the thousands of rupees or hundreds of dollars for the permit and quarantine combined. Airline charges, crate costs, and any agent fees are separate from this and vary by provider.
Which Airlines Actually Fly Pets to Sri Lanka
Vietnam Airlines and VietJet both launched direct Ho Chi Minh City–Colombo routes in August 2026, which sounds like good news for pet owners until you check each airline’s cargo policy. VietJet does not accept live animals on any international route — the new direct flight doesn’t change that. Vietnam Airlines does, through its standard checked-baggage and cargo channels, making it the realistic option for owners departing Ho Chi Minh City. Flying out of Hanoi instead works differently — see our full airline comparison for the SriLankan Airlines routing.
Practical Checklist Before You Apply
- Confirm the vaccine list for your species (dog or cat) and vaccinate at least 30 days before travel
- Book parasite treatment within the 7 days before travel, with written vet certification to present on arrival
- For dogs, schedule blood tests within the one-month window before arrival, unless the exemption applies
- Submit the DAPH Google Form at least two weeks before arrival, with vaccination records, lab reports, an IVC or draft, and the microchip certificate. Aim for about a month before departure, since the permit usually takes around three weeks
- If moving three or more animals, file the Import and Export Control Department permit alongside the DAPH application
- Confirm your airline’s live-animal policy before booking — not every carrier on this route accepts pets
- Arrange the quarantine address you’ll list in the Quarantine Surveillance Agreement before you land
Who This Guide Is For
This covers owners bringing a pet dog or cat into Sri Lanka from Vietnam, whether relocating for work, moving with family, or returning home with an animal adopted abroad. It does not cover exporting a pet from Sri Lanka, and it does not apply to non-domestic species, which fall under a different DAPH application entirely. For quick answers to specific edge cases, see the Sri Lanka pet import FAQ below.
None of these requirements are unusual by international standards — DAPH’s list is shorter than what many neighboring countries ask for, not longer. The part that trips owners up is timing three separate windows against one travel date, not meeting any single requirement on its own.
Sri Lanka Pet Import Timeline at a Glance
Sri Lanka’s deadlines don’t share one anchor. Some count back from the day your pet leaves Vietnam, others from the day it lands in Colombo, and mixing the two up is how a correct checklist still ends up scheduled wrong. In order:
| When | What to do | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
| 30+ days before departure | Microchip first, then rabies and the core vaccines. The 30-day gap after the rabies shot is Daisy Pet’s buffer, not a DAPH rule | Departure |
| About 1 month before departure (dogs) | Blood tests for leishmaniasis and heartworm, dated so they are still within one month of arrival. With a layover of a day or more, test later in the window | Arrival |
| About 1 month before departure | Submit the DAPH Google Form with the full document set. DAPH’s minimum is 2 weeks before arrival; the permit usually takes around 3 weeks | Arrival |
| Within 10 days before arrival | International Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the exporting country’s veterinary authority (a draft is enough for the application) | Arrival |
| Within 7 days before travel | Internal and external parasite treatment, certified in writing by a vet. Before you fly, inform the airport quarantine office at aqokatunayake@gmail.com | Departure |
| Arrival day | Land at Bandaranaike, declare the animal, sign the Quarantine Surveillance Agreement, pay LKR 950, and start the 30-day home quarantine | Arrival |
In practice, a dog’s blood test and the DAPH application land in the same week: the lab reports go in with the form, and the test still has to fall inside the one-month window on landing day. The one date to lock in early is the rabies vaccination, since everything else fits around it.
Sri Lanka Pet Import FAQ
Does Sri Lanka require a rabies titer test (RNATT)?
No. A current rabies vaccination is required, but Sri Lanka does not ask for a blood test proving antibody levels.
Are any dog or cat breeds banned in Sri Lanka?
No. DAPH’s requirements list no prohibited or restricted breeds. Every breed goes through the same health and document checks.
Do cats need blood tests like dogs do?
No. The leishmaniasis and heartworm tests apply to dogs only. Cats go straight from vaccination to parasite treatment.
How long does the DAPH import permit take?
DAPH asks for the application at least two weeks before arrival. In Daisy Pet’s experience the permit usually takes around three weeks, so have every document ready about one month before departure.
How much does the Sri Lanka pet import permit cost?
Nothing. The permit is free, and the only DAPH charge is a quarantine handling fee of LKR 950 paid on arrival. Airline, crate and agent costs are separate.
Which airport can my pet land at?
Bandaranaike International Airport (Katunayake, Colombo) is the only airport in Sri Lanka that handles imported dogs and cats.
Can the 30-day home quarantine be shortened?
No. Every imported dog and cat spends 30 days at the address named in the Quarantine Surveillance Agreement, however complete the paperwork. DAPH can also extend the quarantine if its officers consider it necessary.
Last updated 21 Oct 2026
Compiled by our specialists from the regulations in force on the date above, for reference only. Rules may change after this date. Please verify with the competent authorities or contact us for the most accurate information.
Official sources cited in this guide
- daph.gov.lkdaph.gov.lk
