September 2026 US certificate, permit, residence-dependent titer and treatment.
Documents and permits
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Obtain a Department of Agriculture import permit after supplying evidence of compliance. You may open the file up to six months ahead, but add the health certificate within 14 days before entry. Unless stated otherwise, permit validity runs 14 days from examination and tick/tapeworm treatment, not from the initial application.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Microchip first and keep proof of implantation date. New implants from 1 March 2019 require 15-digit numeric ISO chips; earlier chips follow the stated compatibility exception. Record every active/inactive chip on documents and scan before vaccination, sampling, examination and treatments. Vaccination before chip requires revaccination.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Vaccinate after chip from at least 12 weeks, following the certificate’s first-year booster schedule before extending to two/three-year intervals. For the US except Hawaii/Puerto Rico, the model requires approved-lab FAVN ≥0.5 IU/ml sampled ≥30 days after vaccination, 2–12 months before export; Puerto Rico uses 3–12 months, and Hawaii has an exemption branch. Residence history and sea travel may change risk: confirm the actual pathway before relying on an exemption.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
The current US dog/cat pathway requires a USDA-accredited veterinarian’s original certificate, not APHIS endorsement. Arrange examination within 14 days before travel; validity is 14 days from examination and tick/tapeworm treatments. Present the original at arrival; the page’s general digital-endorsement banner does not override this dog/cat exemption.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
On the examination day within 14 days before travel, scan the chip and administer accepted residual tick treatment and praziquantel tapeworm treatment at the certificate’s specified veterinary dose. Record products on the certificate. Shampoos, collars and flea-only preparations are not accepted; veterinarian chooses species-appropriate treatment.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
Dog · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Dogs require current distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus vaccines recorded on the official health certificate and supported by a signed vaccination certificate.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
Cats require current panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus vaccines recorded on the official health certificate and supported by a signed vaccination certificate.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service
If arrival details were absent or changed, notify date/time and flight/vessel at least 48 hours before arrival. Use the most direct route and an IATA container with documents affixed; prohibited-country transit requires an official seal and recorded seal details. All pets undergo arrival inspection; permit possession does not guarantee admission and quarantine is not a compliance fallback.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
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 2026 rules restrict Pit Bull types, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and fighting-lineage breeds. Listed crosses have a spayed/neutered, nonpregnant pathway; listed purebreds require Cayman origin proof as well and other-origin listed purebreds are barred. The declaration appendix still uses older blanket wording: confirm the applicable declaration and permit with the authority. Dogs staying over 30 days also need local licensing.
Selected official requirements for personal pet dogs/cats exported from the United States. These are entry conditions, not airline acceptance. Other origins, commercial movements, transit, unusual ages and permit-specific conditions need separate checks. Confirm all requirements with the issuing veterinarian and destination authority.
