Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations

General FAQs

I travel frequently to Canada or Mexico. What form do I need to return to the U.S. with my dog?

For dogs that have not been outside Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., you will only need to fill out the CDC Dog Import Form online. This form is valid for multiple entries into the U.S. for six months. Please see our website for details about bringing dogs to the U.S. from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries.

Can dogs enter the United States from Canada or Mexico at the land border if the dog was in a high-risk country in the past 6 months?

U.S.-vaccinated dogs can arrive at any port of entry if they have all required paperwork and the port of entry is the one listed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months are not allowed to enter the U.S. at a land border crossing. They must arrive at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility. See information about an exception for foreign vaccinated service dogs below.

How many dogs may I bring into the United States?

There is no limit to the number of dogs you can bring into the U.S., but they must meet CDC requirements for dogs.

How old must a dog be when it is first vaccinated for rabies?

Dogs must receive their first rabies vaccination on or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age or in accordance with manufacturer recommendations if licensed for use in older dogs (i.e., 16 weeks of age or older).

For dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the 6 months before U.S. entry, vaccines administered before 12 weeks of age will not be accepted, regardless of manufacturer product licensing.

When can my U.S. veterinarian issue the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form if I’m taking my dog to a high-risk country?

Your dog must receive its first rabies vaccine at least 28 days before leaving the U.S. For a dog receiving its first rabies vaccination, the form must be completed at least 28 days after the vaccine was administered. Booster vaccines are considered valid immediately as long as there has been no lapse in vaccine coverage.

What can I do if my dog already left the United States and I don’t have a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form?

There is a “transition period” for documentation requirements for U.S.-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months. During this period, which will end on July 31, 2025, the following two options will be available for these dogs:

1. If your dog left the U.S. without the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form, you may contact a USDA-accredited U.S. veterinarian and request they complete the form retroactively using information in your dog’s veterinary files. Instructions for your veterinarian to complete the form are available here: From August 1 Onward: Documents for Veterinarians to Complete for Importing a Dog into the U.S.
2. As an alternative to the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination, CDC will accept a USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian no later than July 31, 2025. The export health certificate must list the dog’s age (at least 6 months), microchip number, and the date of the most recent U.S.-issued rabies vaccination. The USDA-endorsed export health certificate is valid for re-entry as long as the rabies vaccination has not expired at the time of re-entry into the U.S.

What do I do if there are no USDA-accredited veterinarians at my dog’s clinic?

Discuss the following two options with your veterinarian.

1. Your veterinarian (or another veterinarian at the clinic) can choose to become USDA-accredited, OR
2. You can provide your dog’s veterinary records, including its rabies vaccination certificate, to another veterinary clinic that has a USDA-accredited veterinarian and establish a veterinary record for your dog at that clinic. If you choose to do this, check first if the USDA-accredited veterinarian will agree to issue the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form or a USDA-endorsed export certificate based on your dog’s existing rabies vaccination certificate. They might require your dog to be revaccinated against rabies before the veterinarian issues one of these documents.

Is a specific brand of microchip required?

No. Your dog’s microchip can be any brand, but it must be ISO-compatible (International Standards Organization) meaning it can be detected with a universal scanner. The microchip number must be listed on all documentation required for dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the 6 months before entering the U.S.

• Check with the microchip company or the dog’s veterinarian to determine whether your dog’s microchip is readable with a universal scanner. If your dog’s microchip number starts with a number other than 9, be sure to check with your veterinarian that it is readable.
• If the microchip cannot be scanned on arrival for a dog that has been in a high-risk country, the dog may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense.

Does transiting on a connecting flight through a certain country change the requirements for a dog?

If the dog is only transiting through a high-risk country before entering the U.S.: Dogs do not need to meet U.S. entry requirements for dogs that have been in a high-risk country if they are transiting through a high-risk country as cargo. Dogs transiting through a high-risk country as hand-carried or excess baggage MUST meet the requirements for dogs from a high-risk country to be eligible to enter the U.S.

If the dog is only transiting through the U.S. to go to another country: Dogs do not need to meet U.S. entry requirements if they are transiting through the U.S. as cargo. Dogs transported as hand-carried or excess baggage MUST meet the requirements for U.S. entry to be eligible to transit through the U.S. on their way to another country.

My U.S.-vaccinated dog got a rabies vaccine booster in a foreign country. Does it require a passing titer to enter the U.S. if it has been in a high-risk country?

• If your dog’s U.S. rabies vaccination certificate is still valid, it can follow the requirements for a U.S.-vaccinated dog.
• If your dog’s U.S. rabies vaccination certificate is NOT valid, it must follow the requirements for a foreign-vaccinated dog.

Can the 28-day quarantine period be shortened for foreign-vaccinated dogs that do not have a valid rabies serology titer?

The quarantine period may be shortened if all of the following are met:

• The dog is a personal pet or service dog
  • Due to the high degree of concern for exposure to rabies in high-risk countries, dogs imported for rescue, resale, adoption, or transfer of ownership are not eligible for shortened quarantine periods.
• An importer provides documentation of at least 2 rabies vaccines administered in alignment with U.S. vaccine schedules (i.e., one or three years apart in accordance with manufacturer guidance)
• The dog is healthy on veterinary examination
• The CDC-registered animal care facility (ACF) requests and receives approval to conduct a prospective serologic monitoring (PSM) assessment from CDC
• The dog receives a U.S.-issued rabies vaccine as part of the PSM protocol and
• The PSM protocol is followed to obtain a rabies serologic titer from an CDC-approved U.S. laboratory. A passing result proves that the dog was previously vaccinated against rabies.

All costs associated with PSM are the importer’s responsibility. Dogs undergoing PSM must remain in quarantine until CDC has reviewed the results and authorized release of the dog.

If the PSM protocol is not followed correctly, the test results will be invalid and your dog will have to quarantine for 28 days.

Dogs that fail the PSM must complete the 28-day quarantine at the ACF and CDC may require the dog to be revaccinated and have additional serology testing to be eligible for release from quarantine.

To request a PSM, pet owners should work directly with the ACF where they have a reservation.

U.S. Military Service Members

Are there exceptions for U.S. military service members?

All Department of Defense (DOD) veterinarians are USDA-accredited and can access USDA’s online system for USDA endorsement of the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form which will allow these dogs to enter the U.S. as U.S.-vaccinated dogs. DOD also supplies USDA-licensed vaccines to U.S. military bases overseas. Service members should contact their base veterinarian directly with further questions.

Service members who do not have access to a DOD veterinarian should contact the DOD office managing their travel for information about returning on official orders with a personal pet dog that has been in a high-risk country.

Permit FAQs

Can I use the CDC Dog Import Permit that I received before August 1, 2024?

If you received a CDC Dog Import Permit before August 1, 2024, you can use this permit to bring the dog to the U.S. until August 31, 2024, or the expiration date of the permit, whichever is earlier.

If the dog has a valid permit, the dog does not need a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility and can arrive at any one of 18 airports: Anchorage (ANC), Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Honolulu (HNL), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Minneapolis (MSP), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO), San Juan (SJU), Seattle (SEA), and Washington DC (IAD).

Service Dogs FAQs

Which dogs qualify as service dogs?

To be considered a service dog, the dog must meet the regulatory definition of “service animal” in 14 CFR 382.3. Emotional support animals are not service animals under this definition.

I am traveling from a high-risk country with my foreign-vaccinated service dog. What options are available to me to ensure I will not be separated from my dog?

Service dogs must meet the same requirements as all other dogs entering the United States. However, the following accommodations and exception apply for foreign-vaccinated service dogs from high-risk countries:

1. If arriving by air, the CDC-registered animal care facility (ACF) where your dog has a reservation should transport you with your dog to the ACF for the dog’s examination and revaccination, and expedite the examination process.
   1. You should coordinate the request for these accommodations directly with the ACF and your airline when making the reservation.
   2. To avoid a quarantine requirement for your service dog, ensure your dog has a valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory before arrival in the United States.
2. There is an exception for foreign vaccinated service dogs to arrive by seaport if the dog meets all other requirements, including having a valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory before arrival in the United States. If a service dog is arriving at a seaport, no reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility for examination and revaccination is required. In order to arrive by sea, the dog must be traveling with the person with a disability that the dog is trained to assist.

Foreign-vaccinated dogs, including service dogs, that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months may not enter the U.S. at a land border crossing.

If a service dog on board a cruise ship has been in a high-risk country, what is needed for the service dog to enter the United States?

To enter the U.S. at a seaport, U.S.-vaccinated service dogs that visit high-risk countries are required to have a valid (unexpired) Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination Form and the CDC Dog Import Form receipt (that lists the port where the ship will arrive).

Foreign-vaccinated service dogs (as defined in 14 CFR 382.3) aboard cruise ships can enter at a U.S. seaport if, prior to disembarking the cruise ship, the owner:

1. Presents a completed Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form; AND
2. Presents a valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory; AND
3. Presents a CDC Dog Import Form receipt that lists the port where the ship will arrive

In order to arrive by sea, the dog must be traveling with the person with a disability that the dog is trained to assist.

Is a service dog on a cruise ship considered to have been in a high-risk country if the ship docks at the high-risk country but the dog does not disembark?

No, a service dog is not considered to have been in a high-risk country if it remains on a cruise ship (does not disembark) when the ship stops at a port in a high-risk country.