Pets to The Bahamas: permits, origin and final certificates

Updated: 2026-10-30

Start with the actual permit

Obtain the single-use permit before departure, at six months age or older, with matching chip, health and vaccination records. Use BAHFSA’s Click2Clear pet procedure; a submitted request is not permission. The US page says apply at least four weeks in advance. Old postal fees, two-business-day statements and plant processing times are not a guaranteed current pet service. Each origin must still be accepted by BAHFSA and the actual carrier.

Keep calendar months and species separate

The national one-year rabies branch is one–ten months before entry, and the dog three-year branch one–thirty-four months. Do not turn one month into thirty days or a product label into full twelve/thirty-six-month acceptance. Cats need confirmation of the stricter linkedUS wording before using a three-year history. Dog and cat routine-vaccine lists differ, and the older national list differs from theUS model: obtain the correct certificate before scheduling additional vaccines.

Antibodies and different forms need an explicit answer

The national application attachment mentions recent antibody evidence, passport or medical history without clearly establishing a universal titer rule. Do not assume an exemption or import another country’s threshold/wait. Ask which AGR/VS/1A, IMP1(B) and export certificate are required:24hours before travel,48hours before arrival and a ten-dayUS issue window are different named events/forms and do not automatically replace each other. The national guidance also describes a local exam within48hours after arrival; arrange it and confirm the permit.

US endorsement and the2027 format notice

The June2026 protocol requires an endorsedUS certificate issued within ten days before export. Digital signatures/endorsement and a printedVEHCS certificate are currently accepted; exclusive electronic signature/endorsement is announced for January1,2027. That date does not announce a new worldwide antibody rule or resolve every older-form discrepancy. The linkedNL0926 models contain breed exclusions, chip chronology and medication details; confirm their applicable edition. The additional screwworm branch applies to actual infected-zone origins, not everyUS animal, and livestock48-hour inspection rules do not apply to dogs/cats.