Everything you need to know about moving your dog or cat from Morocco to the US: CDC high-risk country requirements, ONSSA’s export certificate process, costs, and timeline — all in one place.
Everything you need to navigate international pet relocation: import rules, customs, costs, timelines.
Difficult (dogs, foreign-vaccinated) / Moderate (dogs, US-vaccinated) / Easy (cats)
8–10 weeks or more (dogs, titer pathway)
Not fully confirmed — see Costs section
Only if no valid titer (28 days, mainland US); required in Hawaii and Guam
Because Morocco is on the CDC’s high-risk list for dog rabies, dogs need the full high-risk pathway — a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, plus either a passing titer test or a 28-day quarantine. Cats face no comparable US federal requirement, though Morocco’s own export certificate still applies to cats leaving Morocco.
Everything you need to know about moving your dog or cat from Morocco to the US: CDC high-risk country requirements, ONSSA’s export certificate process, costs, and timeline — all in one place.
ONSSA requires its own Health Certificate for Export (exam within 48 hours of travel) plus a separate Rabies Vaccination Attestation. Separately, the CDC requires a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form for dogs, endorsed by an official Moroccan government veterinarian.
An ONSSA Official Veterinarian (Export Certificate) and a Private Veterinarian with an ONSSA Sanitary Mandate (Vaccination Attestation)
ONSSA’s own certificate template names both roles explicitly — an official veterinarian for the health exam and microchip-sequencing confirmation, and a private veterinarian holding an ONSSA sanitary mandate number for the rabies vaccination attestation.
Not Required (Foreign-Vaccinated Pathway)
Dogs vaccinated in Morocco use the foreign-vaccinated pathway instead of a USDA-endorsed form; that USDA step only applies if your dog was vaccinated in the US before spending time in Morocco.
48 Hours (ONSSA Exam); 30 Days (CDC Form)
ONSSA’s health exam must occur within 48 hours of travel. Separately, the CDC’s Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form must be completed no more than 30 days before travel. These are different documents with different deadlines — don’t conflate them.
Confirm with ONSSA
ONSSA’s certificate template includes signature fields for both the official veterinarian and the private veterinarian, but whether travelers must carry an original wet-signed document (versus a copy) isn’t stated on the template itself — confirm exact document handling directly with ONSSA or your regional Veterinary Service.
→ Implant the microchip before the rabies vaccination
→ Choose between a rabies serology titer test or a 28-day quarantine on arrival
→ If skipping the titer, you can only enter at one of five CDC-approved airports (ATL, JFK, MIA, IAD, LAX)
→ ONSSA’s export health exam must happen within 48 hours of travel
→ The current minimum entry age is 6 months — not the 4 months stated on ONSSA’s older certificate template
Cabin & Cargo
1150 MAD (≈€120)
8 kg combined (cabin)
Confirmed fee; snub-nosed breeds prohibited
Follow this timeline to make sure you complete everything on time for a smooth, stress-free travel day.
Morocco is explicitly on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, not the simpler low-risk pathway some other countries qualify for.
For a dog needing a new rabies vaccination before pursuing the titer pathway, the test has two sequential CDC wait periods that combine to a 58-day minimum.
ONSSA's own certificate template, dated 2020, states a 4-month minimum export age — but the current CDC minimum is 6 months.
Dogs without a valid titer need a confirmed 28-day quarantine reservation at a CDC-registered facility, and must fly into the specific airport where it's located.
Costs vary based on pet size, airline, season, and any additional Services.
Not fully confirmed — ONSSA's certificate fee and the titer test cost could not be verified for this route. Royal Air Maroc's cabin fee to North America is confirmed at 1150 MAD (≈€120).
Typical total cost
Price in USD, Estimate only.
→ ONSSA Health Certificate for Export (dog- or cat-specific template)
→ ONSSA Rabies Vaccination Attestation, from a private veterinarian with an ONSSA sanitary mandate number
→ Microchip documentation (implanted before vaccination)
→ CDC Dog Import Form receipt (dogs)
→ Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, endorsed by an official Moroccan government veterinarian (dogs)
→ Valid rabies serology titer report, or your CDC-registered Animal Care Facility reservation if skipping the titer (dogs)
Start with your origin country guide for route-specific requirements, timelines, and common pitfalls.
→ Yes — Morocco (including Western Sahara) is on the CDC’s High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies list.
→ Dogs from Morocco follow the high-risk entry pathway, not the simpler low-risk process used for some other countries.
→ It’s a choice, not a strict requirement.
→ A valid titer from a CDC-approved lab lets you avoid quarantine on arrival.
→ Without one, your dog can still enter, but must complete a 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility and fly into the specific airport where it’s located.
→ At least 6 months, per the CDC’s current rules.
→ Morocco’s own ONSSA export certificate template states 4 months, but that document is dated 2020, predating the CDC’s 2024 rule change.
→ Royal Air Maroc’s current policy confirms 6 months is the actual current requirement.
→ Largely yes, for US federal entry — USDA APHIS has no federal health requirements for cats from any country.
→ Your cat just needs to appear healthy on arrival.
→ Morocco’s own ONSSA export certificate still applies to cats leaving Morocco, regardless of the simpler US side.
→ Only five: Atlanta (ATL), New York JFK, Miami (MIA), Washington Dulles (IAD), and Los Angeles (LAX).
→ Specifically, wherever your reserved CDC-registered Animal Care Facility is located.
→ Yes — Royal Air Maroc accepts pets in the cabin (up to 8 kg combined) or the hold (up to 70 kg).
→ Confirmed cabin fee to North America: 1150 MAD, about €120.
→ Snub-nosed breeds are prohibited — check your breed before booking.
→ Only for dogs without a valid rabies titer — a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility.
→ Dogs with a valid titer, and all cats, are not quarantined.
→ Hawaii and Guam have completely separate, stricter quarantine programs.
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.
Moving a pet from Morocco to the United States follows the same CDC high-risk pathway documented on other routes on this site — Morocco is on the CDC’s high-risk list for dog rabies, so dogs need a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form plus a choice between a rabies titer test and a 28-day quarantine.
Morocco’s ONSSA (Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires) publishes an actual official, US-specific export certificate template for dogs. This is stronger sourcing than some other high-risk routes on this site. One important wrinkle: the retrieved template is dated 2020 and states a 4-month minimum export age, which predates the CDC’s 2024 rule overhaul. Royal Air Maroc’s own current policy independently confirms the current CDC minimum is 6 months — plan around that figure, not the older document’s.
ONSSA’s process involves an official veterinarian (who certifies a health exam within 48 hours of travel and confirms the microchip was implanted before vaccination) and a separate private veterinarian holding an ONSSA sanitary mandate number (who certifies the rabies vaccination itself, including the 30-day minimum wait for first-time vaccinations). Both pieces are required.
Royal Air Maroc prohibits several snub-nosed breeds outright — bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, and various mastiff types among them. Confirm your pet’s breed is accepted before booking.
Coordinating ONSSA’s certificate process alongside the CDC’s titer-or-quarantine timeline is genuinely more involved than a low-risk route. Professional help is worth considering if you’re unfamiliar with either government’s process, or if your pet’s breed or age puts it close to a restriction.
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.
