Your pet to Bali: the titre test, the prior notice and an island closed since 2008
For a dog or cat from abroad the Indonesian quarantine agency asks for a health certificate, the vaccination book, the result of a rabies titre test and a prior notice before departure. Bali itself has had a governor's regulation since 2008 that temporarily closes the entry of dogs, cats and monkeys. So first find out where your animal may enter, and read this chapter first, not last.
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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
Whether your dog or cat can come to Bali is not certain. Indonesia has a route for pets, but the province of Bali still has a regulation that temporarily closes the entry of dogs and cats. So check before you book anything.
Two authorities say different things here:
- Indonesia has, on paper, a clear route for pets from abroad, with a rabies titre test (a blood test for protective antibodies against rabies) and a prior notice before departure.
- Bali still publishes a governor's regulation from 2008 (a regulation of the governor of Bali) that temporarily closes the entry of dogs, cats and monkeys into the province.
The pitfall is that you only discover that contradiction once your animal is already on its way. For every other destination on this site the pet is a step in the moving phase. Here it is a decision for the start of the journey.
What does Indonesia ask for an animal from abroad?
The Indonesian quarantine agency, Badan Karantina Indonesia, lists the requirements in a notice from its Balinese branch, based on regulation no. 5 of 2024 on quarantine of goods carried by travellers:
| Step | What |
|---|---|
| Origin | the animal does not come from a country with an ongoing rabies outbreak |
| Health certificate | issued by the competent authority in the country of origin |
| Vaccinations | the vaccination book, and the result of a titre test for protective antibodies against rabies |
| Registration | register in the quarantine agency's system (SSmQC) |
| Prior notice | the prior notice through the quarantine agency's portal, mandatory before departure from the country of origin |
| Arrival | report the animal with all papers and hand it over to the quarantine agency at the airport or port |
| Release | after the quarantine measures, if the animal is healthy, a certificate of release |
A dog with the status of emotional support animal you report, according to the quarantine agency, via the immigration service's All Indonesia arrival application.
How long the check on arrival takes, the quarantine agency does not say. Pet movers count on one to two weeks.
What does Bali's regulation mean?
The agriculture service of the province of Bali publishes governor's regulation no. 88 of 2008, on the temporary closure of the entry and exit of dogs, cats, monkeys and related animals to and from the province of Bali. That regulation is still on the province's site.
At the same time the Balinese branch of the quarantine agency describes how to bring an animal in from abroad. It comes with a photo of the quarantine facility at Soekarno-Hatta, Jakarta's airport. In practice pet movers bring dogs and cats in there, and then take them on domestically to Bali. Whether that is allowed for your animal, only the quarantine agency can tell you.
Book nothing before you have the answer on paper. Before you book a flight or a pet mover, email the quarantine agency in Bali with one question: may my dog or cat enter Bali directly from the Netherlands, or must the animal enter Indonesia via another airport and then continue domestically? The answer determines your whole route.
And if the animal has to go via another island?
Then a domestic journey is added, with its own procedure. For transport between islands the quarantine agency names:
- the vaccination book;
- the result of the titre test;
- a veterinary certificate from the vet of the province or municipality of departure;
- an application through the quarantine agency's online system (PTK Online);
- reporting the animal to the quarantine agency at the place of departure and of arrival.
Only once the animal is declared healthy do you get the health certificate for the journey.
What do you arrange in the Netherlands?
Start with the NVWA, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. For countries outside the EU you often have to have the EU pet passport and other documents legalised: officially certified. The NVWA does this in Utrecht, by appointment. You request that appointment by email at least fourteen working days ahead.
No instruction yet for Indonesia? Then email the NVWA with the species, the destination country, any stopovers and your departure date. The NVWA tries to answer within two working days.
Have the titre test done early. It is an Indonesian requirement, and the NVWA points out that a blood test outside the EU only allows a return journey after ninety days.
The honest trade-off
And then the conversation a good guide must not skip. A long journey, a quarantine among strangers and a tropical climate are a manageable hurdle for a young, healthy animal; for an old or anxious animal it can be too much. Weigh age, health and character honestly, and dare to see the other outcome: sometimes the most loving decision is a familiar new home in the Netherlands. Whoever does take their animal keeps every document of the outward journey; the return journey to the EU has its own chain.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Indonesia or go straight to step 4.3 in the open plan.
What is due when?
Enter your departure date and see day by day what your dog or cat needs for Indonesia, from microchip to certificate.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Badan Karantina Indonesia (Bali) — the requirements for dogs and cats from abroad and between islands — karantinaindonesia.go.id
- Province of Bali — governor's regulation 88/2008 on the temporary closure for dogs, cats and monkeys — distanpangan.baliprov.go.id
- NVWA — dog or cat to a country outside the EU (legalisation and return journey) — nvwa.nl
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