Everything you need to navigate international pet relocation: import rules, customs, costs, timelines.
Easy (cats) / Moderate (dogs)
2–4 weeks (cats) / 4–5 months (dogs)
$500–$1,500+ (cats) / $800–$2,700+ (dogs)
None (dogs with passing titer)
Dogs from South Africa must follow the full CDC high-risk pathway: microchip before vaccine, FAVN titer test at a CDC-approved lab (≥0.5 IU/mL), and a 28-day wait after the blood draw before entering the US.
Issued by a licensed South African veterinarian within 10 days of travel and endorsed by a South African State Veterinarian.
Licensed Veterinarian
A licensed private veterinarian in South Africa completes the health certificate. A State Veterinarian must then endorse it before travel.
Not Required
USDA endorsement is not required for pets entering the US from South Africa. The South African State Veterinarian endorses the export health certificate on the South Africa side.
Within 10 Days
The health certificate must be issued within 10 days of your flight departure. A certificate issued more than 10 days before travel is not valid.
Required
Original health certificate with State Veterinarian endorsement required for travel.
→ South Africa is a CDC high-risk country for dog rabies
→ Microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination
→ Blood draw for titer must be at least 30 days after first vaccination
→ Dogs must wait 28 days after blood draw before entering the US
→ Cats do not require a titer test or quarantine
→ SAA is the primary direct cargo option (JNB → JFK nonstop)
→ Health certificate is valid for 10 days only
→ Getting the rabies vaccine before the microchip — that vaccination does not count and the titer timeline must restart
→ Drawing blood for the titer test fewer than 30 days after the first vaccination
→ Using a non-CDC-approved laboratory for the titer test
→ Arriving at a non-approved US port of entry with a dog from a high-risk country
→ Leaving the State Vet endorsement appointment to the last minute
→ Letting the health certificate expire (valid 10 days only)
→ Not reserving SAA cargo space early enough
→ Assuming dogs and cats have the same requirements — they do not
Follow this timeline to make sure you complete everything on time for a smooth, stress-free travel day.
→ An ISO 15-digit microchip must be implanted in your dog before the rabies vaccination.
→ If microchipped after vaccination, that vaccine is invalid and the process must restart.
→ Confirm the chip number is correctly recorded in all vet documentation.
→ ISO 11784/11785 standard (15-digit) required — older 10-digit chips are not accepted.
→ Rabies vaccination must be administered after the microchip is recorded.
→ Blood draw for FAVN titer test must occur ≥30 days after vaccination.
→ Submit blood to a CDC-approved lab (e.g., CAMLT or KSU Rabies Lab).
→ Titer result must be ≥0.5 IU/mL.
→ A 28-day wait is required after acceptable titer result before US entry.
→ Complete the CDC Dog Import Form at cdcimportform.gov before departure.
→ Required for all pets (dogs and cats).
→ Issued by a licensed South African veterinarian within 10 days of departure.
→ Must be endorsed by a South African State Veterinarian (DALRRD).
→ Book the State Vet appointment 2–3 business days in advance.
→ Carry original documents — copies are not accepted.
→ All SA → US pet transport is cargo hold only — no cabin options available.
→ An IATA-compliant hard-sided crate is required (dimensions vary by airline and pet size).
→ Book cargo space with SAA (JNB → JFK) or Lufthansa (via Frankfurt) well in advance.
→ Fees vary by crate dimensions and route.
→ Confirm current policies directly with the airline — requirements change.
If the chip comes after the vaccine, the vaccination doesn't count and the titer test clock resets.
Dogs must wait 28 days after an acceptable FAVN titer result before entering the US.
$500–$2,700+
No for cats; no for dogs with a valid titer test (otherwise up to 28 days)
Costs vary based on pet size, airline, season, and any additional Services.
$500–$2,700+
Typical total cost
Price in USD, Estimate only.
→ ISO Microchip Documentation (15-digit chip number)
→ Rabies Vaccination Certificate (issued after microchip)
→ FAVN Titer Test Results (CDC-approved lab, ≥0.5 IU/mL) — Dogs
→ Veterinary Health Certificate (within 10 days of travel)
→ South Africa State Veterinarian Endorsement
→ Completed CDC Dog Import Form — Dogs
→ IATA-Compliant Crate Documentation
Start with your origin country guide for route-specific requirements, timelines, and common pitfalls.
→ Yes. South Africa is a CDC high-risk country for dog rabies.
→ Dogs must follow the full CDC high-risk pathway: ISO microchip first, then rabies vaccination, then a FAVN titer blood test ≥30 days after the vaccine.
→ The titer result must be ≥0.5 IU/mL from a CDC-approved lab.
→ After an acceptable titer result, a 28-day wait is required before the dog may enter the US.
→ A CDC Dog Import Form must be completed online before travel.
→ No. The CDC and USDA have no import requirements for cats from South Africa.
→ Cats need only a health certificate from a licensed South African veterinarian, issued within 10 days of travel.
→ Some airlines may have their own requirements — check with your carrier.
→ No titer test, rabies vaccination, or CDC form is required for cats.
→ South African Airways (SAA) is the primary option, operating JNB → JFK nonstop. Cargo hold only.
→ Lufthansa is an alternative, routing via Frankfurt (FRA), with an additional transfer surcharge.
→ Delta and United have suspended general public pet cargo on this route.
→ All options are cargo hold only — no cabin pet travel is available on SA → US routes.
→ Book cargo space well in advance as capacity is limited.
→ Allow 4–5 months minimum for dogs due to the CDC high-risk pathway.
→ Timeline: microchip → rabies vaccine → ≥30-day wait → blood draw → 2–4 weeks for lab results → 28-day wait post-titer → travel.
→ For cats, the process takes 2–4 weeks (health certificate only).
→ State Veterinarian appointments for health certificate endorsement should be booked 2–3 days in advance.
Our pet relocation experts are here to guide you every step of the way.
If a regulation changes after this page was published, the official source always takes precedence over this guide — check the links above for the current rules before you travel.
South Africa’s route to the US is one of the more procedurally demanding ones covered on this site — not because of the flight itself, but because of what has to happen before your dog ever reaches the airport.
South Africa is a CDC high-risk country for dog rabies, which means dogs face the full high-risk pathway: microchip before vaccination, a FAVN titer test at a CDC-approved lab, and a mandatory 28-day wait after the blood draw before entering the US. Cats face none of this — no titer test, no quarantine, just a standard health certificate.
South African Airways operates the only nonstop option on this route, flying Johannesburg (JNB) direct to New York (JFK). Lufthansa is the main alternative, routing through Frankfurt with a transfer surcharge on top of the base cargo charge. Both carriers accept pets as cargo only — there is no in-cabin option on this route.
Lufthansa does not accept snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds in the cargo hold at all, and may restrict hold transport further during high-temperature periods. If your pet is a flat-faced breed, confirm current acceptance directly with your airline before planning around either carrier.
For a dog on the full titer pathway, coordinating the microchip-vaccine sequence, the CDC-approved lab, the 28-day wait, and the State Veterinarian endorsement appointment against a fixed travel date is exactly the kind of multi-deadline planning a professional relocation service is built for. For a cat, most owners can manage the process directly — a health certificate and a State Vet endorsement are the whole checklist. If you’d like help managing either pathway, compare vetted international pet relocation services to find the right fit.
If a regulation changes after this page was published, the official source always takes precedence over this guide — check the links above for the current rules before you travel.
If a regulation changes after this page was published, the official source always takes precedence over this guide — check the links above for the current rules before you travel.
