Requirements for Pets Entering the United States

Below are the vaccination and health requirements for dogs and cats entering the United States from other countries.

With the exception of pets entering the state of Hawaii, there is no quarantine for pets arriving in the US from overseas at this time.

Requirements for Dogs and Cats

1)  International Health Certificate – Within 10 days of departure your vet will need to issue an International Health Certificate as required by all airlines.  This certificate states that your pet is in good health and OK to fly.

2) Rabies Vaccination & Certificate – In general, it is required that dogs be vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to entry, except for puppies younger than 3 months and dogs originated or located for 6 months in areas considered to be free of rabies.  Dogs and cats coming from areas not free of rabies must be accompanied by a valid rabies vaccination certificate.  If a vaccination has not been performed, or if the certificate is not valid, the animal may be admitted if it is confined immediately upon arrival at a place of the owner’s choosing. The dog must be vaccinated within four days after arrival at the final destination, but no more than 10 days after arrival at the port of entry. The animal must remain in confinement for at least 30 days after being vaccinated.

3) Dogs: Screwworm Policy – The USDA pet import policy allows dogs from screwworm affected countries to enter the country if the following requirements are met:

1. Health certificate issued prior to the flight (see “International Health Certificate above) needs to state that the dog(s) were inspected for screwworm within 5 days preceding shipment to the U.S. AND dog(s) were found free of screwworm

OR

2. Dog(s) were found infested with screwworm, were held in quarantine, and treated until free prior to leaving the country.

Countries affected with screwworm:

AFRICA-Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, S. Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

ASIA- Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Macau, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Viet Nam

CENTRAL AMERICA/CARIBBEAN- Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago

MIDDLE EAST-Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

PACIFIC ISLANDS- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Singapore, Spratly Islands,

SOUTH AMERICA -Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Easter Islands, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela

Inspectors should check the origin of dogs entering the country. Dogs originating from the countries listed above that do not meet USDA policy will be held.

Moving a bird or other species of pet?  Check out our Import and Export of Exotic Species page for more information.

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