Every year, many travellers and expats adopt a cat or dog in Morocco, often a street animal or one rescued by a local charity. It is a wonderful thing to do, and above all it requires planning. Here is the journey, from adoption to flight.
1. The vet visit
First, have the animal examined: general health, deworming, parasite treatment. For a dog, a leishmaniasis screening test is strongly advised: the disease is present in Morocco and can appear months later.
2. Microchip, vaccines and titer test
- An ISO microchip, then the rabies vaccine (from 12 weeks) and core vaccines.
- For Europe and the UK: a rabies titer test at least 30 days after the vaccine, then a 3-month wait.
- An ONSSA-endorsed health certificate in the days before departure.
As a result, a puppy or kitten cannot enter the EU from Morocco before about 7 months of age. During the wait, the animal can stay with a foster family, the charity or in boarding in Casablanca.
3. Personal or "commercial" adoption?
This is the point many people discover too late:
- If you adopt the animal and travel with it (or within 5 days), it is a non-commercial move.
- If the animal is handed to a charity on arrival, sold or rehomed, it is a commercial movement with stricter rules (TRACES certificate in the EU).
- Canada: Morocco is on the list of high-risk countries for dog rabies. "Commercial" dogs (shelter adoption, resale) from these countries face strong restrictions. A dog travelling with its owner is still possible: check your case with us.
4. The trip
A cat or small dog can often fly in the cabin, otherwise in the hold or as cargo in an IATA crate. If you go home before the waiting period ends, we can send the pet alone by plane later.
Heading to France?
See our guides to bringing a cat from Morocco to France and shipping a dog from Morocco to France.
Prefer to hand it over? Our IATA-certified team in Casablanca handles the vet file, ONSSA, the crate and the flight. Ask for a free quote: answer within 24 hours.
