What are the rules for bringing a dog into the United States?

Which CDC path your dog is on

Each cell is taken from the CDC page linked in that row, read on Oct 26, 2026. “Not stated” means that page does not give the number or the exception. The high-risk country list is CDC’s, not a list we maintain.

What every dog needs

CDC’s rules cover a dog arriving for the first time and a dog that lives in the United States and is coming home. The requirement depends on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it has been in during the 6 months before entry. CDC says it publishes these rules to keep dog rabies from being reintroduced, and it recommends that every dog be vaccinated against rabies.

Four things apply across the paths below. The dog must appear healthy on arrival. The dog must be at least 6 months old at entry or return. The dog must have a microchip that a universal scanner can detect. And the dog must have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. There is no CDC limit on how many dogs one person may bring, and each dog needs its own receipt.

The form is completed online by the person importing the dog, or by someone acting for that person if a disability makes the form hard to complete. CDC emails a confirmation, then a receipt after the email is confirmed. You can print the receipt or show it on a phone. CDC says the form is free. On February 5, 2026, CDC changed the look of the receipt and said the importation requirements did not change. A receipt from the older system is still accepted if the information is accurate and the receipt is not expired.

If the dog is flying, you must show the receipt to the airline before boarding. You must also be able to show it to U.S. Customs and Border Protection when the dog arrives. The person on the form enters a date of birth and one of these: a passport number and the country that issued it, a driver’s license number and where it was issued, or an air waybill or bill of lading number. A fee charged by CBP for the dog itself is not stated on the CBP pets page.

Checked Oct 26, 2026 · CDC: Bringing a Dog into the U.S. (opens in a new tab) · CDC: dog importation FAQ (opens in a new tab) · CDC Dog Import Form instructions (opens in a new tab) · CDC: dogs from dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries (opens in a new tab) · CBP: bringing pets and wildlife into the United States (opens in a new tab)

Dogs that have stayed in low-risk countries

Starting August 1, 2024, CDC says the only required document for a dog that has been only in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries for the past 6 months is the CDC Dog Import Form. The dog must still appear healthy, be at least 6 months old, and have a microchip a universal scanner can detect. It may enter at any airport, seaport, or land border crossing.

CDC tells you how to know which group a country is in. Only high-risk countries are listed. If a country or political unit is not on that list, it is not considered high risk, and the extra high-risk requirements do not apply. CDC still strongly recommends a rabies vaccination for these dogs. A rabies certificate is not stated as a required CDC entry document for this group.

We read the high-risk list dated April 15, 2026. Canada does not appear on it. Mexico does not appear on it. The list does include other countries in the Americas, including Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Peru. Use the list itself before you travel. A country can be added after this page was checked.

The low-risk receipt is the shorter one, without a photo. It is valid for multiple entries for 6 months from the day it is issued, unless the dog visits a high-risk country or leaves from a different low-risk country than the one named on the form. CDC’s example is a dog that goes back and forth between the United States and Canada: the same receipt works until the date printed on it. A later trip that departs from France needs a new receipt that lists France. You can complete the form on the day of travel. CDC recommends doing it a few days ahead, or up to six months ahead. Airlines do not scan the microchip for this group, and the microchip number does not appear on the receipt. The dog still has to have one.

Checked Oct 26, 2026 · CDC: dogs from dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries (opens in a new tab) · CDC: high-risk countries for dog rabies (opens in a new tab) · CDC: dog importation FAQ (opens in a new tab) · CDC Dog Import Form instructions (opens in a new tab) · CDC: information for air carriers (opens in a new tab)

U.S.-vaccinated dogs coming back from a high-risk country

If the dog received its rabies vaccine in the United States and has been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months, CDC requires two documents before it returns. One is the CDC Dog Import Form receipt. The other is the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form. A USDA-accredited veterinarian fills out that certification and submits it to USDA for endorsement before the dog departs the United States. CDC says this is a specific CDC form. It is separate from the rabies certificate a clinic gives you to register a dog with a city or county.

The microchip has to be implanted before the rabies vaccine, or CDC says the vaccine is invalid. The microchip number has to be on every required form. Any brand is acceptable if a universal scanner can read it. If the number does not start with 9, CDC says to ask a veterinarian whether it is readable. If a microchip on a dog from a high-risk country cannot be scanned on arrival, the dog may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense.

Timing matters, and it has to happen before the dog leaves. A first rabies vaccine has to be given when the dog is at least 12 weeks (84 days) old, or later if the product is licensed only for older dogs, such as 16 weeks. For a dog that has been in a high-risk country, a vaccine given before 12 weeks is not accepted, whatever the product license says. The dog’s first vaccine must be at least 28 days before it leaves the United States, and the certification form is completed at least 28 days after that vaccine. A booster is valid immediately if vaccine coverage has not lapsed. USDA has to endorse the form before departure. CDC says the form cannot be used for re-entry until that endorsement exists. If the dog has already left without this form, and without the older export-certificate option below, CDC says you follow the foreign-vaccinated requirements instead.

The older option is narrow. CDC will accept a USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian no later than July 31, 2025, even if USDA endorsed it after that date. It has to be in USDA’s database, list the dog’s age as at least 6 months, list the microchip number, and list a current U.S. rabies vaccination given after the microchip was inserted. CDC says the vaccine usually lasts 1 or 3 years. Any export health certificate issued after July 31, 2025 is not accepted for CDC’s dog rules.

The certification can be used more than once, for as long as the rabies vaccine is still valid. The CDC Dog Import Form receipt for this path is different from the low-risk receipt. It is valid for a single entry, and only on the arrival date printed on it. If the date, the port, or another answer changes, you submit a new form. The receipt includes a photo of the dog’s face and body. A dog under one year old should have that photo taken within 15 days before travel. CDC says you can show the receipt and the endorsed certification to the airline, a cruise ship, and Customs and Border Protection. The dog may arrive at any airport, land border, or seaport, as long as that place matches the receipt.

What the veterinarian charges, and what USDA charges to endorse the form, is not stated as a dollar amount on the CDC page. CDC says those costs are set by the veterinarian and by USDA, and it points veterinarians to USDA’s cost list. If the clinic has no USDA-accredited veterinarian, CDC describes two options and says the veterinarian might require a new rabies vaccine before issuing the form. CDC itself does not require that revaccination.

Checked Oct 26, 2026 · CDC: U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (opens in a new tab) · CDC: dog importation FAQ (opens in a new tab) · CDC Dog Import Form instructions (opens in a new tab) · CDC: information for air carriers (opens in a new tab)

Foreign-vaccinated dogs from a high-risk country

A dog vaccinated outside the United States, after time in a high-risk country during the past 6 months, has a longer list. CDC requires a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, a valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory or a 28-day quarantine, a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, an itinerary that flies the dog into the airport where that facility is, a microchip implanted before the vaccine, a healthy appearance, an age of at least 6 months, documents in English or with a certified English translation, and the CDC Dog Import Form receipt.

A veterinarian completes the foreign certificate. An official government veterinarian in the exporting country endorses it. The form has to be completed no more than 30 days before travel, and it can be used once. It is valid for 30 days after the examining veterinarian signs it. For a first vaccine, the dog must be at least 12 weeks old when it is vaccinated, and that vaccine must be given at least 28 days before the dog enters the United States. The same 12-week floor applies: a vaccine given earlier is not accepted for a dog with a high-risk history.

A valid titer is a passing blood test showing the dog is immune to rabies after vaccination. A veterinarian draws the sample at least 30 days after the first valid vaccine and at least 28 days before entry. If the dog has a history of more than one valid vaccine after the microchip, with no lapse, the sample can be drawn any time after a booster, as long as the first vaccine was at least 30 days before the sample. CDC accepts results only from laboratories on its approved list. A passing result lasts for the life of the dog if vaccination coverage does not lapse and the laboratory stays approved. Carry the laboratory report. If there is no valid titer, the dog can be admitted after 28 days of quarantine at the animal care facility. The FAQ describes a way that quarantine can be shortened for a personal pet or service dog. Rescue, resale, adoption, and transfer-of-ownership dogs are not eligible for that shorter quarantine. The dollar cost of the test is not stated.

The reservation is made by the importer or owner, with the facility at the arrival airport. The facility reviews the papers before it issues the reservation. At the facility every foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country is examined and revaccinated with a U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine. A dog without a valid titer is also quarantined for 28 days. If the veterinarian finds the dog sick, CDC may require more tests or treatment, and a dog that arrives sick may be denied entry. All of those costs are the importer’s. CDC says to ask the facility what they will be. A single published price is not stated. The reservation confirmation has to travel with the dog and be shown to the airline before boarding and to Customs and Border Protection on arrival.

The flight has to land at that airport, and that airport has to be the one on the CDC receipt. CDC says there are currently no registered animal care facilities in Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. territories, so these dogs may not enter through those places. Domestic flights and other travel onward inside the United States wait until the facility services are done and CDC has authorized release. CDC does not allow this dog to enter at a land border crossing. The list of facilities is on CDC’s site. Which airports are on it today is not copied here, because that list is the record.

CDC defines a certified translation as a signed statement on professional letterhead from a licensed translator, saying the translation is accurate, with the translator’s name, address, contact information, and a stamp or seal that includes the license number. A footnote on the same page says dogs are inspected at the port and may be denied entry if they have evidence of a zoonotic disease. An ill or injured dog might need more examination, testing, and treatment by a licensed veterinarian, at the owner’s expense, before entry.

Checked Oct 26, 2026 · CDC: foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (opens in a new tab) · CDC: dog importation FAQ (opens in a new tab) · CDC: information for air carriers (opens in a new tab) · CDC: registered animal care facilities (opens in a new tab)

Driving in from Canada or Mexico

CDC answers the frequent-traveler question directly. If the dog has not been outside Canada, Mexico, and the United States, you fill out the CDC Dog Import Form online and that is the only form CDC requires. The receipt works for multiple entries for six months, as long as the country of departure stays the same. A dog that usually crosses from Canada, and then later departs from Mexico, needs a new receipt that lists Mexico. The same is true in the other direction.

A low-risk dog can use any land border crossing, and any airport or seaport. The requirements do not loosen because the dog stays in the car. CDC says a dog entering at a land border must meet the entry rules even if it will be in the vehicle most of the time and will not spend the night in the United States.

The land border closes for one group. A foreign-vaccinated dog that has been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months is not allowed to enter at a land border, including a crossing from Canada or Mexico. That dog has to fly to an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility where it has a reservation. A U.S.-vaccinated dog with the endorsed certification and a receipt that names that land crossing may use the land border.

USDA is a separate question from CDC’s rabies forms. APHIS says it has requirements only if the dog is coming from a country affected by foot-and-mouth disease or screwworm. On the pet-dog page, APHIS says the screwworm freedom certificate required for dogs traveling from Mexico may be issued by a clinical veterinarian in Mexico who is trained and authorized to sign for the official government veterinarian. The inspection has to be within 5 days before shipment. The certificate says the dog is free of screwworm, or that it was infested, quarantined, and treated until free. APHIS does not publish a required template. The paper can stand alone or sit inside an export health certificate. The dog is inspected at the port of entry. Whether Canada is on the screwworm list or the foot-and-mouth list is not stated on that pet-dog page.

Checked Oct 26, 2026 · CDC: dog importation FAQ (opens in a new tab) · CDC: dogs from dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries (opens in a new tab) · CDC: U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (opens in a new tab) · CDC: foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (opens in a new tab) · CDC: high-risk countries for dog rabies (opens in a new tab) · APHIS: bring a pet dog into the United States (opens in a new tab)

Where USDA APHIS also matters

APHIS says CDC is the primary authority for dogs imported into the United States, including dogs that started in the United States and are returning. CDC and APHIS Veterinary Services regulate different parts of the same trip, and both sets of requirements have to be met. For the U.S.-vaccinated high-risk path, APHIS is also the agency that endorses the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination before the dog leaves. The veterinarian submits it through USDA’s Veterinary Export Health Certification System. APHIS says that form cannot be issued after the dog has already left.

APHIS Veterinary Services adds its own health rules only when the country is affected by foot-and-mouth disease or screwworm. For foot-and-mouth disease, the dog’s fur and bedding must be free of excessive dirt, hay, or straw. The dog should be bathed as soon as it reaches its destination and kept separate from all livestock for 5 days after entering the United States. APHIS says no document is required for those steps. For screwworm, entry is allowed only with the certificate described in the Canada and Mexico section. APHIS says documentation is reviewed and the dog is inspected at the port of entry.

A family pet and a dog imported to be sold or adopted are not the same file. APHIS says the Animal Welfare Act does not apply to a privately owned dog that is not intended for resale. Dogs imported for resale, including retail or wholesale sale or adoption for a fee or donation, need an Animal Care import permit, and the importer has to meet the health certifications and other criteria on the commercial-import page. Those dogs are also at least 6 months (180 days) old at entry. CDC’s rules and the Veterinary Services rules still apply on top of the permit. CBP describes the same split: Animal Care has extra requirements for dogs imported for resale or adoption for a fee or donation.

APHIS says the importer is responsible for the destination U.S. state’s or territory’s requirements, and it points people to that state’s agriculture department. What any one state requires is not stated on the CDC, APHIS, or CBP pages we read. APHIS also has a separate sentence for livestock-handling dogs imported from most of the world: they should have no evidence of tapeworm infection, with an exception for dogs from Canada, Mexico, and certain regions of Central America and the West Indies. A tapeworm rule for an ordinary pet is not stated.

Checked Oct 26, 2026 · APHIS: bring a pet dog into the United States (opens in a new tab) · APHIS: pet dog import FAQ (opens in a new tab) · APHIS: commercial dog import (opens in a new tab) · CDC: U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (opens in a new tab) · CBP: bringing pets and wildlife into the United States (opens in a new tab)

Where the airline and the border officer fit

CDC’s page for air carriers says airlines must confirm the documents before a dog boards a flight to the United States, including a dog that is coming home and including a service dog. For every dog, the airline confirms that the dog appears healthy, appears to be at least 6 months old, has a microchip, and has a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. If the importer does not have the receipt at the gate, CDC says they can complete the form on a phone before boarding. There is no charge to the importer for submitting it.

For a high-risk history, the airline also checks that the receipt matches the other papers, that the dog is entering on the arrival date on the receipt, and that the aircraft is landing at the airport named on the receipt. The other paper is a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination, a USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued no later than July 31, 2025, or, for a foreign-vaccinated dog, proof of the animal-care-facility reservation at that airport. If a foreign-vaccinated dog is headed to a different airport, or has no reservation, CDC says the airline should deny boarding. The airline should also deny boarding if the dog appears ill or appears to be less than 6 months old, or if any required document is missing. CDC tells the airline to send the traveler to CDC’s dog-import site to get the papers. Airlines do not have to call CDC for permission before boarding a dog that has the documents.

Air carriers must also create an air waybill for each dog, including a dog in the cabin or in checked baggage, unless CDC has granted that carrier a waiver. CDC says Customs and Border Protection may still require an air waybill even when CDC has waived it. Whether your airline has a waiver is not stated on the traveler pages we read.

CBP works with CDC and USDA at the port. CBP says every pet must meet all applicable requirements before travel. A dog or cat that looks sick may need a licensed veterinarian’s examination at the owner’s expense. A pet that is excluded is returned to the country where the trip started, at the owner’s expense, and it can be held at the port at the owner’s expense while that is arranged. CBP’s summary says CDC requires valid proof of rabies vaccination for dogs arriving from high-risk countries, and it sends readers to CDC’s dog page for the details. CBP recommends contacting the port before you arrive. It also says its CBP Link app can be used for pet importation at select ports. Which ports, and whether an appointment is required for your crossing, are not stated as a national rule on that page.

CBP says to check with the airline before travel because the airline can add its own requirements. CBP says airlines generally require health certificates for traveling pets and may charge fees or set rules about which pets can come aboard. A dollar fee, a required certificate form, and a carrier size are not stated on the CDC or CBP pages. Those live on the airline’s own pet page. The cabin fee, when the airline publishes one, is a different question from the import papers.

The cabin fee is the airline’s own number, copied on what US airlines charge to bring a dog in the cabin. A service dog’s hotel bill is a different statute from this import rule. Can a hotel charge a pet fee for a service dog? If the drive continues after the crossing, rental-car pet rules are the company’s policy, not CDC’s.

Checked Oct 26, 2026 · CDC: information for air carriers (opens in a new tab) · CDC Dog Import Form instructions (opens in a new tab) · CDC: dog importation FAQ (opens in a new tab) · CBP: bringing pets and wildlife into the United States (opens in a new tab)

Your questions, answered

Sources we opened

Every factual sentence above comes from one of these pages. We read them on Oct 26, 2026. If a page does not say it, this guide says “not stated.”

• CDC: Bringing a Dog into the U.S. (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CDC: dogs from dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CDC: U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CDC: foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CDC: dog importation FAQ (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CDC Dog Import Form instructions (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CDC: high-risk countries for dog rabies (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CDC: information for air carriers (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CDC: registered animal care facilities (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• APHIS: bring a pet dog into the United States (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• APHIS: pet dog import FAQ (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• APHIS: commercial dog import (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026
• CBP: bringing pets and wildlife into the United States (opens in a new tab)Checked Oct 26, 2026