Prepare a prior single-use permit, six-month minimum age and matching health records; distinguish US certification and unresolved antibody requirements.
Hold the issued single-use import permit before departure
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Obtain the Bahamas import permit before departure and carry it with the animal for entry. A submitted application, payment or appointment is not approval. The current permit is for one use; comply with its actual dates, animal identity and sanitary conditions rather than assuming repeat-entry permission or a guaranteed one-year validity. Noncompliance can lead to refusal or confiscation under the official rules. Confirm actual origin eligibility before booking transport.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Only an animal originating in an APHIS-defined New World screwworm-infested zone needs that additional dog/cat branch: clinical examination within ten days before export, no wounds/unhealed surgical sites/myiasis, careful inspection of openings and skin folds, and an approved effective fly treatment within ten days. Surgery in the preceding fourteen days must be fully healed and uninfested. The model certificates offer separate infested/non-infested declarations; no claim is made that every US pet is from an infested zone. Do not apply livestock-only VS17-37 or 48-hour official inspections to pets. US certificate endorsement is addressed separately.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Bahamas Customs and the national dog/cat conditions require at least six months of age. Plan the export and arrival at six months or older; a rabies injection at twelve weeks is not permission to import a twelve-week-old animal. The actual permit and carrier may impose additional restrictions.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Current health certificate and vaccination evidence
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Carry a veterinary health certificate from the exporting country, current vaccination records and the issued import permit. The government entry page requires certification of good health, active rabies immunity and all additional health conditions. Present the documents to the agricultural and Customs officers; permission to carry a pet in a cabin is not sanitary clearance. Use the actual certificate and permit for signing/endorsement dates; an antibody exemption is not inferred from a brief FAQ.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
BAHFSA moved agricultural import permits from Mygateway to Customs Click2Clear from September 1, 2024. Register, follow the pet cats/dogs application instructions and link the correct commodity/HS code as instructed. Check the current application fee and issued conditions. Plant-permit 48–72-hour processing, plant risk analysis and urgent plant-service promises do not establish a pet-permit turnaround. The older two-business-day or postal guidance is not a guaranteed current service.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The national dog/cat import conditions require a microchip and mention Avid, Trovan and HomeAgain as examples. Record the actual number consistently on the permit, health and vaccination records. The US model certificates are stricter: ISO-compliant chip before rabies vaccination. Have the veterinarian confirm the applicable certificate edition and any chip/vaccine chronology before using an older non-ISO identification record.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
One-year rabies vaccine: one to ten months before entry
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The national conditions place a one-year rabies vaccine no less than one month and no more than ten months before importation. Keep dates in calendar months; do not replace one month with thirty days or assume the full twelve-month label is accepted. Original vaccination history and the issued permit must agree. The current linked US cat model also specifies an inactivated adjuvanted vaccine; check that certificate separately rather than inferring the same product rule for every origin.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Dogs with a three-year vaccine: one to thirty-four months
Dog · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
For a dog on the three-year rabies-vaccine branch, the national conditions and linked US dog model give no less than one month and no more than thirty-four months before importation. This is a different branch from the one-year vaccine; do not require both vaccine types or extend the thirty-four-month limit to thirty-six. The cat model has different wording, so this record is dogs only.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Health declaration of freedom from internal and external parasites
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The national conditions require the animal to be declared free of internal and external parasites. Ask the veterinarian to document examination and any required treatment under the actual permit. The general national text does not specify a universal treatment product or numerical dosing window; do not copy the US model’s ten-day medication window to every exporting country.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
National guidance: local veterinary examination within 48 hours of arrival
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The published national dog/cat conditions say to present the exporting-country health certificate to a licensed veterinarian in The Bahamas for examination within forty-eight hours of arrival. Arrange local availability before travel and confirm the instruction on the issued permit. This is a post-arrival step, separate from pre-departure certificate signatures, and is not a forty-eight-hour quarantine or permission to arrive without documents.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
APHIS instructs US dog/cat exporters to apply to BAHFSA for the import permit at least four weeks in advance. Use the current e-permitting route and receive the actual approval before departure. Four weeks is advance application planning, not a four-week quarantine, guaranteed processing time or a health-certificate validity period; the shorter final veterinary-document windows remain separate.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
US certificate: accredited vet, APHIS endorsement and ten-day issue window
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The June 29, 2026 protocol has a separate US dog/cat certificate paragraph requiring a USDA-accredited veterinarian, subsequent official APHIS endorsement, an endorsed original accompanying the animal and issue within ten days before export. A veterinarian-only certificate is not accepted. The current APHIS page accepts electronic signature/digital endorsement and a printed endorsed VEHCS certificate; this is not yet an electronic-only rule. Confirm any additional permit-specific forms and shorter signing windows separately. Do not add a routine48h government examination from the livestock section.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
From January 1, 2027: published US electronic-format notice
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
APHIS announces that from January 1, 2027 US pet dogs/cats will need an export certificate electronically signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and electronically endorsed by APHIS. It concerns signature/endorsement format, not a newly announced global antibody rule. Before that date digital issuance is accepted, but this notice is not a current electronic-only obligation. Recheck the current page, permit and edition close to travel; a printed endorsed certificate accompanies the animal.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Confirm whether your permit requires antibody evidence
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Rules depend on the route, animal and operating carrier. Confirm your own journey with the relevant authority and airline.
Applicable conditions
The government national attachment lists application health documents including rabies antibody results issued within six months before arrival, pet passport or vaccination/medical history. Its wording does not resolve whether a titer is mandatory for every pet, origin or application. The linked US models do not specify a titer threshold/wait. Ask BAHFSA which evidence your actual permit requires; do not infer a universal exemption, invent a0.5IU/ml threshold or borrow Japan/EU waits.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Confirm the separate final veterinary forms and signing windows
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Rules depend on the route, animal and operating carrier. Confirm your own journey with the relevant authority and airline.
Applicable conditions
The government Cat Permit service describes AGR/VS/1A completed24hours before travel, while the national attachment describes IMP1(B) signed within48hours before arrival. The US protocol separately gives a ten-day export health-certificate issue window. They name different forms/events: do not assume one replaces the others or use the longest as permission to ignore a shorter window. Ask the issuing authority which forms and timing the current permit actually requires. Post-arrival48h examination is a different event again.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Cats: confirm three-year vaccine acceptance and product
Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Rules depend on the route, animal and operating carrier. Confirm your own journey with the relevant authority and airline.
Applicable conditions
The national attachment allows one-/three-year rabies windows generally. The linkedUS cat model instead specifies an inactivated adjuvanted vaccine given at≥12weeks age and one–ten months before importation, with no three-year branch. Do not give a cat the dog’s34-month branch automatically or assume a non-adjuvanted product qualifies. Obtain confirmation of the current feline certificate/permit before relying on an older three-year record or changing medical care.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Dog · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Rules depend on the route, animal and operating carrier. Confirm your own journey with the relevant authority and airline.
Applicable conditions
The national attachment lists distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, adenovirus and coronavirus. The linkedUS dog model lists distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, hepatitis and parainfluenza at least ten days before export. These lists differ; do not silently delete one, combine every item into a universal mandate or infer coverage from a vaccine acronym. The veterinarian/BAHFSA must confirm the current certificate and actual products for the origin and permit.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
Cats: confirm feline vaccines and exact disease names
Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Rules depend on the route, animal and operating carrier. Confirm your own journey with the relevant authority and airline.
Applicable conditions
Both national and linkedUS cat material list leukemia, rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia. The national attachment additionally says feline pneumonitis, while the US model names Chlamydophila psittaci. Do not silently treat these terms as an identical product requirement or substitute the dog vaccine list. Confirm the currently accepted feline wording/products and any timing with the signing veterinarian and BAHFSA.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
US models: verify the applicable edition before medication or breed decisions
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Rules depend on the route, animal and operating carrier. Confirm your own journey with the relevant authority and airline.
Applicable conditions
The four-page NL0926 dog/cat certificates are linked beneath the2027 electronic-format notice; their earlier mandatory use is not explicitly dated. They require ISO chip before rabies, vaccination age≥12weeks, internal broad-spectrum US-licensed anthelmintic and external parasite treatment within10days before export, and examination within10days. The dog model excludes Pit Bull, Presa Canario, Cane Corso, American Bully, Dogo Argentino, Staffordshire Terrier and crosses; the cat model excludes Bengal, Chausie and Savannah. Ask BAHFSA/APHIS which edition applies now and obtain breed acceptance before booking. These model-specific details are not automatically current tasks for all origins, nor does omission from an older guide prove breed acceptance.
Selected Bahamas dog/cat entry conditions from the actual issued permit and official national guidance; private non-commercial travel only. Origin eligibility, current certificate edition, history, special breeds, connections and carrier acceptance still need approval. US certificate details and USDA procedures are not copied to other origins; published 2027 format is not a current electronic-only obligation.
