There’s no single answer to “how long does it take to move a pet internationally” — it depends entirely on your pet’s situation. A straightforward move can be ready in a couple of weeks. The most demanding scenario has a hard regulatory floor of nearly two months. This guide breaks down why, so you can figure out where your move actually falls.
The requirements described here are current as of 2026. CDC updates its import rules periodically, so check the CDC Dog Import Form and Instructions page directly for the current rules before you travel. Your origin country’s own export process adds its own timeline on top of everything below, and varies enormously by country — check your specific route guide for what actually applies to your move.
The Short Answer
- Cat, any country: ~1–2 weeks
No federal vaccination requirement at all. Realistic floor is about how long it takes to get a health certificate (if your airline or destination state requires one) and book travel — there’s no official minimum to point to. - Dog, rabies-free or low-risk country: ~1–2 weeks
Only the CDC Dog Import Form is required, and CDC says it can be completed the day of travel. Same practical floor as the cat scenario. - Dog, high-risk country, U.S.-vaccinated: no fixed CDC minimum
Needs a specific USDA-endorsed form completed before departure, but CDC doesn’t set a day-count window for it. The real driver is scheduling the vet appointment and USDA’s own endorsement processing. - Dog, high-risk country, foreign-vaccinated, accepting quarantine: ~30 days minimum
Driven by the vaccination form’s own rule (it can’t be completed more than 30 days before travel) and animal care facility availability. - Dog, high-risk country, foreign-vaccinated, pursuing a titer to avoid quarantine: 58+ days minimum
CDC recommends starting 60+ days out — see below for why this floor is a hard one, not a suggestion.
Why the Titer Pathway Takes So Long
This is the scenario worth understanding in detail, because its timeline isn’t a suggestion — it’s built from sequential, non-negotiable minimums.
The rabies serology titer test (used to avoid a mandatory 28-day quarantine at your arrival airport) has two hard rules from CDC: the blood sample can’t be drawn until at least 30 days after the rabies vaccine, and the lab result has to be in hand at least 28 days before you travel. Stack those together and you get a minimum of 58 days between vaccination and travel — before you even account for the vet appointment to get the vaccine in the first place, or lab processing time, which CDC itself says varies by laboratory with no fixed number. That’s exactly why CDC recommends starting this process 60 days or more before travel: the math genuinely doesn’t allow much less.
Nothing about this can be sped up by paying more or pushing harder — it’s sequential wait time, not a queue you can jump.
Why the U.S.-Vaccinated Pathway Is Different
If your dog was vaccinated against rabies in the U.S. (not abroad) and has been in a high-risk country, the timeline looks different. CDC’s own page for this pathway states the required form must be completed and endorsed “before the dog departs the United States” — but doesn’t specify how many days before, unlike the foreign-vaccinated pathway’s strict 30-day rule. In practice, your timeline here is driven by scheduling an appointment with a USDA-accredited veterinarian and allowing time for USDA’s endorsement, not by a fixed CDC countdown.
What Doesn’t Change Between Pathways
A few things affect your final timeline regardless of which pathway applies:
- Your origin country’s export process. This is the piece no general guide can specify — some countries need little more than a routine vet visit, others require a formal government certificate with its own lead time measured in weeks. Check your specific route guide.
- Health certificates. Commonly required by airlines within a specific window before travel (often around 10 days, though this varies by airline) — this affects the final stretch of your timeline, not which multi-week floor applies to begin with.
- Airline booking. Pet cabin space is often limited; booking earlier reduces the risk of your preferred flight selling out, though there’s no official minimum lead time for this.
Related Guides
For the task-by-task list, or more detail on a specific pathway, see: