Determining If You Can Bring a Dog into the United States
Whether you can bring a dog into the United States depends on where the dog is coming from—especially if from a high-risk country for dog rabies.
To enter the United States, your dog will be required to meet specific criteria. Start by answering the questions below to determine if you can bring a dog into the United States. STEP
NO: Dog can enter at any port of entry with a 6-month travel history statement and healthy appearance.
Dogs that have NOT been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months are NOT required by CDC to present a rabies vaccination certificate. However, when you enter the United States, you must provide a written or verbal statement your dogs have NOT been in a country that is high risk for rabies within the last 6 months or since birth if under 6 months of age. While CDC doesn’t require proof of rabies vaccination, CDC recommends that all dogs be vaccinated against rabies, and your US destination may have additional requirements. See What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States. STEP
NO: Dog is not allowed to enter the United States.
All dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months must be at least 6 months old to enter the United States. See What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States. STEP
NO: Dog is not allowed to enter the United States.
The microchip number must be listed on the dog’s rabies vaccination certificate. If you are unsure whether your dog has an ISO-compatible microchip, please contact your veterinarian for assistance. See What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States.
*The applicant is responsible for making sure the dog has an ISO-compatible microchip. If the dog does not have an ISO-compatible microchip, the applicant (or permit holder) can bring their own scanner that can read the microchip.
*Many US universal scanners have been unable to detect microchips that begin with the numbers 1 or 8. Please ensure your dog’s chip can be detected by a universal scanner if it begins with a number other than 9. If you are unsure, you should purchase your own scanner (available online) that can detect the microchip or have your dog re-microchipped.
*If the microchip cannot be scanned on arrival, your dog may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at your expense. STEP
YES: The dog may enter the United States under certain conditions.
See Option A at What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States.
Note: expired US rabies vaccination certificates will not be accepted. If your dog’s US rabies vaccination certificate is expired, proceed to Step 5. STEP
YES: If you are importing 1 or 2 dogs, see Step 6.
If you are importing 3 or more dogs, see Step 7.
NO: Dog is not allowed to enter the United States.
If you attempt to import your dog into the United States, the dog will be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at your expense. See What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States. STEP
YES: The dog may enter with a CDC Dog Import Permit through one of 18 approved airports (Option B) OR without a permit through an airport with a CDC-approved animal care facility (Option C). See What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States
NO: The dog must have a reservation to quarantine at an approved animal care facility in the United States upon arrival and enter through the airport where the facility is located. See Option C at What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States STEP
YES: See Option C at What Your Dog Needs to Enter the United States
NO: Go back to Step 6 for bringing 1-2 dogs.
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Notice: There is a temporary suspension of dogs entering the US that have been in a country classified as high-risk for dog rabies in the past 6 months.
CDC does not require general certificates of health for pets for entry into the United States. However, health certificates may be required for entry into some states or may be required by airlines. Check with officials in the state of final destination and with the airline before your travel date.
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The Logistics
We read Deltas website and learned that we could bring Tamale on the plane with us provided she fit in a carrier that fit underneath the seat in front of us, and paid a $200 fee. We had to call Delta for the maximum dimensions allowed for the carrier for the specific planes wed be on.
When researching the regulations imposed by the CDC, we found out that they were surprisingly simple. Since Tamale was coming from Mexico, we just needed proof that she had been vaccinated against rabies. We had also read in different places online that sometimes customs asks for a certificate of health- basically a document signed by a veterinarian stating that the dog is healthy enough to fly.
We had the rabies certificate and the certificate of health, so all that we needed was a carrier. This turned out to be one of the most difficult aspects of the entire process of bringing a dog from Mexico to the US.
From our research on the fabulous resource Dog Jaunt, we learned that soft carriers are the way to go for carrying on pets since they can deform a little bit to fit under the seat if necessary.