Match rabies-history and foot-and-mouth declarations separately, with ten-day documents, veterinary tick treatment and a prior permit.
Obtain the permit within the certificate’s ten-day window
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Obtain the import permit before arrival using the original health certificate and required veterinary statements issued in the actual exporting country within ten days before arrival. Permit validity is ten days from the veterinary certificate date, not ten new days after permit approval. Carry a printed permit copy and original certificates. A rescheduled flight requires rechecking both dates; the issuing veterinarian is licensed in the place of export, while that place’s export/endorsement procedure is assessed separately.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Readable chip and complete health-certificate identity
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Use a chip readable by a standard scanner, such as ISO, FECAVA, European/International or AVID-USA. The certificate lists pet name, birth date, breed/description, chip ID, present owner and Bermuda owner/address, with veterinary-facility name/address/telephone and the examining veterinarian’s signature. It certifies no communicable disease and freedom from external parasites. Match the actual animal and do not alter issued official documents so original text becomes unreadable.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
The examining veterinarian administers an accepted tick product
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
During the examination within the ten days before arrival, the veterinarian actually administers/applies an accepted acaricidal product with residual action against a variety of ticks and states its name. Dispensing a product for unverified owner use is insufficient. Check the current government table and exact species/formulation; a flea-only product, shampoo or collar does not satisfy this requirement.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Electronic signature: the clinic sends documents directly
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
If the examining veterinarian signs electronically, the veterinary facility must send the documents directly to Bermuda’s office by email. An original handwritten ink signature AND practice stamp allow submission by the clinic, owner, importer/exporter or agent. All contents may be verified. The webpage’s usual one-business-day response and PDF’s usual two-business-day response are estimates, not a guaranteed approval or an extension of the ten-day window; the office closes on weekends/public holidays.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Ordinary rabies-history branch: two qualifying doses
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
For origins outside the specified UK/Australia/New Zealand/Jamaica direct-arrival exception, provide original certificates for the two latest rabies doses, both given by licensed veterinarians: first of those doses at age at least three months; second six to twelve months later; no significant vaccination lapse; latest dose at least thirty days and no more than twelve months before arrival. Animals under ten months or with only one dose do not qualify in this branch. Continental USA and Canada are NOT listed in this rabies exception; their separate direct-arrival exception concerns the foot-and-mouth statement.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The official document exempts dogs/cats arriving directly from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or Jamaica from its stated rabies-vaccination-history clause and associated ten-month/one-dose exclusion. This does not remove the permit, chip, ten-day certificate, tick treatment, six-month exposure declaration or applicable foot-and-mouth statement. Confirm the real route and history; connecting flights, Crown Dependencies and merely departing briefly from a named place do not automatically establish this exception.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Foot-and-mouth exposure statement: thirty miles/thirty days
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Unless arriving directly from continental USA or Canada, certify that the animal has not been kept within thirty miles of foot-and-mouth disease during the last thirty days. This is a location/exposure-history declaration even for dogs/cats, not a rabies vaccination or antibody requirement. Do not turn it into a universal thirty-day quarantine.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The exemption for animals arriving directly from continental USA or Canada applies to the thirty-mile/thirty-day foot-and-mouth statement. It does not exempt their rabies-history clause, ten-month qualification, microchip or other documents. Hawaii and US territories do not inherit the continental-USA wording; any connection or different history needs route confirmation.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Veterinary declaration of the last six months’ rabies exposure
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The veterinarian declares, to the best of knowledge and after questioning, that in the last six months the animal has neither been exposed to rabies nor been present in an officially quarantined rabies area. Disclose countries entered in those six months on the application. This exposure statement still applies to the four-country direct-arrival rabies-history exception; it is not automatically a six-month residence or boarding-quarantine requirement.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Connections and exceptional history: confirm the actual branch
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
Direct-arrival exceptions cannot be decided by the departure menu alone. If the itinerary changes, includes a connection, a brief stay in an exempt place or an unusual vaccination history, obtain Bermuda’s written assessment of the actual route and documents before travel. Ask separately about three-year rabies vaccine acceptance and UK/Northern Ireland export administration; do not shorten the two-dose interval or infer indefinite vaccination validity.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
No quarantine facility to cure failed entry inspection
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The official conditions state that Bermuda has no quarantine facility. Animals failing air-entry inspection or missing required documents are normally deported immediately at the importer’s expense, subject to the Government Veterinary Officer’s decision. Do not travel expecting to pay for an arrival quarantine while fixing records. An approved permit does not remove arrival/post-arrival inspection.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Prohibited dog breeds and crosses cannot be imported
Dog · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The government list prohibits Dogo Argentino, Boerboel, Brazilian Mastiff/Fila, Cane Corso, Neapolitan Mastiff, Presa Canario, Tosa Inu, Wolf, Wolf Hybrid and their crosses. Rare/exotic/uncommon breeds may also be refused. Check the actual breed classification before purchase or transport; permission to keep an existing local animal is not permission to import a prohibited dog.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Restricted dogs need pre-approval and suitable premises
Dog · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Restricted breeds/crosses include Akita, Australian Cattle Dog, American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Belgian Malinois, Bouvier des Flandres, Bull Terrier, Bullmastiff, Cão de Fila de São Miguel, Chow Chow, Doberman, Dogue de Bordeaux, all Shepherd breeds, English Mastiff, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Olde English Bulldogge and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Apply at least one month before intended import and have secure premises ready for official inspection. In-principle breed approval does not replace the entry permit/health conditions.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Dog · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Dogs residing in Bermuda must be licensed annually and wear the correct numbered licence tag. More than two dogs at one premises requires a multiple-dog permit covering all households there; this is a local keeping rule, not a two-dog import allowance. Breeding, boarding/brokering and security work have separate licences. Do not apply dog-licence rules to cats.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Airline acceptance and a compliant carrier remain separate
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Government guidance allows a very small animal in the cabin only if the airline permits; hold/cargo carriage also requires airline acceptance. Use a sturdy, leak-proof, escape-proof, ventilated IATA-compliant carrier labelled with owner, destination address/phone and Live Animal/This Way Up. Confirm fees, seasonal limits, breed restrictions and the operating carrier before booking. A country-import permit does not reserve a pet space.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Accompanied pets: the traveller Customs declaration
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage
For an animal actually accompanied by a traveller, the government guidance uses the Customs Traveller Declaration. New resident animals can be subject to duty on their true value; short visits may instead require a refundable duty deposit at Customs’ discretion. Returning residents need evidence for any exemption. An immigration/import permit alone does not grant a duty exemption; confirm assessment with Bermuda Customs.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Cargo/unaccompanied pets: long Customs declaration
Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service
The government requires unaccompanied animals and those arriving via cargo to use the Bermuda Customs Declaration long form. Provide true value and applicable documents; duty/wharfage depend on the actual Customs assessment and residence/visit status. Prepare the consignee/agent arrangements separately from veterinary permission. The traveller short form is not automatically sufficient for cargo.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Tick-product acceptance depends on the exact formulation
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The current official table distinguishes similarly named products: Credelio for Dogs is listed, Credelio for Cats is not accepted; Revolution Plus for cats is listed, Revolution/selamectin alone is not. NexGard/NexGard Spectra for Dogs are listed, while NexGard Combo/Spectra for Cats are not accepted. Do not substitute a dog formulation for a cat or choose a product from the brand name alone; the veterinarian checks species, exact formulation and the current table.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Bermuda’s guidance for UK arrivals says to visit the Local Veterinary Inspector within five days before departure for EHC-2921, while also satisfying the ten-day pre-arrival health-certificate window and import permit. This record covers Great Britain only; confirm the current UK export service, endorsed form and any Northern Ireland procedure separately. The five days are before departure, not permit validity or a post-arrival deadline.
Ordinary private adult dogs/cats, no sale/ownership transfer; actual origin, last-six-month history, issued permit and carrier must qualify. Listed direct-arrival exceptions apply only to the specified clause, not to all entry documents. Connections, young animals, special breeds, UK export administration and non-air travel need separate assessment.
