Information for Airlines on Dogs Being Imported into the U.S.

Air waybill

Airlines must create an air waybill (AWB) for each dog transported to the U.S. If airlines cannot create an AWB for dogs transported as hand-carried or excess baggage, they can request a waiver using the following steps. Note that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may require an AWB for dogs even if the airline has been issued a CDC waiver, and airlines must meet CBP requirements. Unless airlines create AWBs or have a waiver, they cannot transport dogs to the U.S.

To request a waiver:

Step 1:

Email cdcanimalimports@cdc.gov to request a provisional waiver.

Step 2:

Within 1 business day CDC will grant airlines a provisional waiver lasting 90 days. During this 90-day period:

• Airlines can transport dogs as hand-carried or excess baggage to the U.S. without an AWB.
• Airlines must submit a complete application to apply for a longer-term waiver to last 9 months. CDC will provide technical instructions for completing the application to airlines that are granted a provisional waiver.
• If airlines do not submit a full application during this 90-day period, their provisional waiver will be cancelled. This means they will not be able to transport dogs to the U.S. as hand-carried or excess baggage without an AWB.

Step 3:

CDC will review the full application and respond to the airline.

• CDC may request revisions to the application.
• CDC advises airlines to submit their full applications early during their 90-day provisional waiver period to allow time for CDC to review the application and ask for any necessary edits.

Step 4:

If all requirements are met in the full application, CDC will extend the waiver so that it is valid until 9 months from the date that the provisional waiver was issued.

• If the application is denied, airlines will no longer be able to transport dogs to the U.S. as hand-carried or excess baggage without an AWB.

FAQs

What are all airlines required to do to transport dogs to the U.S.?

All airlines must:

1. Create an air waybill (AWB) for each dog, including dogs transported as hand-carried or excess baggage. If airlines cannot create an AWB, they can request a waiver.
2. Confirm all required documentation prior to boarding a dog, including service dogs.
3. Have a representative present in the federal inspection service area until all dogs have been cleared for entry or alternate accommodations have been made for dogs pending admissibility or denied entry.
4. Find CDC-approved accommodation (at a CDC-registered animal care facility [ACF] or other veterinary clinic or kennel if an ACF is not available) for any dog pending admissibility, denied entry, or ill on arrival. Dogs may not be left in cargo warehouses for more than 12 hours.
5. Submit all veterinary documentation for ill or dead animals to the CDC Port Health Station with jurisdiction for the port.
6. Take responsibility for and cover all financial costs associated with the care, housing, and return of dogs abandoned by importers.
7. Return dogs denied entry to the country of departure within 72 hours of denial.

Airlines do NOT need to contact CDC for approval prior to boarding a dog.

Should airlines confirm travel histories, vaccination certificates, or reservations at a CDC-registered animal care facility before allowing dogs to board flights to the United States?

Airlines must confirm the following for all dogs, including service dogs, being imported into the United States (including those that left the U.S. and are returning—regardless of the country they are being imported from).

1. Dog has air waybill (AWB) generated by the airline. This includes dogs traveling as hand-carried or excess baggage. This is not required if the airline has been granted a waiver.
2. Dog appears healthy.
3. Dog appears to be at least 6 months of age.
4. Dog has a microchip.
   1. If from a dog rabies-free or low-risk country: While the dog must have a microchip, this information does not appear on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
   2. Airlines do not need to scan dogs for microchips.
   3. If from a high-risk country: Check either the CDC Dog Import Form receipt (which must list the dog’s microchip number) or their government-endorsed document (which also will list the number). The government-endorsed documents must be a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form, or a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-export certificate. For foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries the microchip number will also be on the reservation confirmation from the CDC-registered animal care facility.
5. Dog has a CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
   1. The CDC Dog Import Form is an online form on CDC's website. Upon successful completion of the form, a receipt will be autogenerated and emailed to the importer. There is no charge to the importer for submitting this form.
   2. The CDC Dog Import Form receipt can be printed or displayed on a phone or other device.
   3. If an importer does not have the receipt at boarding, they can complete the form on their phone before boarding.
   4. There are two versions of the CDC Dog Import Form receipt: a longer version with a photo for dogs from high-risk countries and a shorter version without a photo for dogs that have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months.
   5. For dogs that have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months, the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is valid for multiple entries to the U.S. for 6 months from the date of issuance. The port of entry or date of arrival will not be listed on the receipt.
   6. For dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months, airlines are required to confirm: a) that the information on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt matches the importer’s other documentation, and b) the dog will enter the U.S. on the arrival date listed on the receipt, and c) the port of entry listed on the receipt is the airport at which the aircraft is scheduled to arrive.
6. Dog has one of the following documents if it has been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months:
   1. A valid (i.e., not expired) Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form. The form is valid as long as the rabies vaccination is not expired.
   2. A valid (unexpired) USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued no later than July 31, 2025. The export health certificate must list the dog’s microchip number and the date of the most recent U.S.-issued rabies vaccination, and the vaccination must not be expired.
   3. Proof the dog has a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility and is arriving at the airport where the animal care facility is located (must be first U.S. point of entry for dog).

What should an airline do if a person tries to board a dog that does not have all required documentation?

The airline should deny boarding and refer the customer to CDC’s website (www.cdc.gov/dogtravel) so they can follow the instructions to obtain the required documentation prior to transporting their dog to the United States.

What if a passenger with a disability is unable to complete the CDC Dog Import Form due to their disability?

CDC recognizes that some people with disabilities may be unable to fill out the CDC Dog Import Form without assistance due to their disabilities. The CDC Dog Import Form may be completed by another person authorized to act on behalf of the importer (e.g., family member, travel companion, airline staff) if the importer is unable to complete the form by themselves, for example, because of a disability.

What should an airline do if a dog appears ill or appears to be less than 6 months old?

The airline should deny boarding.

What should an airline do if a person attempts to board a dog from a high-risk country on a flight to an unapproved U.S. port of entry?

U.S.-vaccinated dogs with all required documentation can enter through any airport, land border crossing, or seaport.

Foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months must arrive at the airport where the dog has a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility and the airport must be listed on the dog’s CDC Dog Import Form receipt.

• If a foreign-vaccinated dog is scheduled to arrive at an airport that does not match the dog’s reservation with a CDC-registered animal care facility and CDC Dog Import Form receipt, or the dog does not have confirmation of a reservation with a CDC-registered animal care facility, the airline should deny boarding.
• Airlines should refer customers without proper documentation to CDC’s website (www.cdc.gov/dogtravel) so they can follow the instructions to obtain the required documentation prior to transporting their dog to the United States.

What are the airline's responsibilities for transporting foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries to a CDC-registered animal care facility?

• Airlines are responsible for coordinating with the CDC-registered animal care facility to transport dogs to the facility when required.
• With the exception of service dogs (see below), importers or owners may not accompany dogs to the CDC-registered animal care facility.
• Airlines must notify U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before a dog is transported to a CDC-registered animal care facility.
• Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries are not cleared for entry to the U.S. until all required services are completed and CDC has authorized release of the dog from the CDC-registered animal care facility.

What accommodations should be available for foreign-vaccinated service dogs from high-risk countries?

If a service dog arrives by air and is accompanying the person with a disability that the dog is trained to assist:

• The airline or the CDC-registered animal care facility (ACF) where the dog has a reservation should transport the person with a disability with the dog to the ACF.
• The airline should coordinate with CBP to facilitate immigration and customs clearance to allow the person with a disability to remain with their dog.
• The ACF should expedite services, subject to availability.

The dog importer is responsible for arranging these accommodations with the airline and the ACF in advance of arrival. The dog must meet the definition of “service animal” in 14 CFR 382.3. Emotional support animals are not service animals under this definition. The service dog must be traveling with the person with a disability that the dog is trained to assist for the importer to be eligible for these accommodations.