A practical 2026 guide to moving pets from Spain to the United States — CDC low-risk pathway, CEXGAN export process, airline options, costs, and timeline.
Everything you need to navigate international pet relocation: import rules, customs, costs, timelines.
Easy
4–8 weeks
No authoritative total verified
None required (mainland US)
The federal paperwork for this route is simple, but general-public in-cabin pet space is limited by aircraft, route, and operating carrier. Book it as early as possible rather than assuming it will be available close to departure.
A practical 2026 guide to moving pets from Spain to the United States — CDC low-risk pathway, CEXGAN export process, airline options, costs, and timeline.
US federal agencies don't publish a general certificate requirement for this pathway, but your airline may still require one.
Área de Agricultura (Requested via CEXGAN)
If your airline or itinerary requires a certificate, your treating veterinarian requests it through Spain’s CEXGAN application; the competent Área de Agricultura (Government Delegation/Subdelegation) is the authority that actually issues it.
Not Required
Spain is not currently under USDA’s temporary FMD restriction (only Cyprus, Hungary, Greece, and Slovakia are) and is not on the screwworm-affected list, so no extra APHIS disease certificate applies.
Set by Your Airline, If a Certificate Is Required
There’s no federal validity window for this pathway. If your airline requires a certificate, confirm its validity window with them directly.
Printed or Digital
The CDC receipt can be printed or shown on your phone — CDC doesn’t require a unique paper original. Carry the microchip record and any airline-requested documentation too, plus an offline backup either way.
→ Spain is not on the CDC high-risk dog-rabies list
→ Spain is not currently under any USDA FMD or screwworm restriction
→ Every dog needs a readable microchip and CDC Dog Import Form receipt
→ The dog’s full 6-month travel history controls the pathway
→ A CEXGAN certificate is only needed if your airline or itinerary requires one
→ Assuming the EU pet passport replaces the CDC form
→ Assuming no federal certificate means no certificate at all
→ Ignoring the dog’s 6-month travel history
→ Confusing Spain’s re-entry rules with this route’s requirements
→ Assuming American Airlines carries pets like it does domestically
Follow this timeline to make sure you complete everything on time for a smooth, stress-free travel day.
The pet passport is useful supporting paperwork, but dogs still need the CDC Dog Import Form separately.
MAPA's rabies serology titer test applies to pets returning to Spain, not to pets leaving Spain for the US.
Spain's low-risk status only applies if the dog hasn't visited a CDC high-risk country in the prior 6 months.
Costs vary based on pet size, airline, season, and any additional Services.
No single authoritative Spain-to-US total was verified. Costs depend on the airline, whether a CEXGAN certificate is needed, and crate choice.
Typical total cost
Price in USD, Estimate only.
→ CDC Dog Import Form receipt — dogs
→ Microchip record — dogs
→ EU pet passport with current rabies vaccination (Spain’s/EU’s own document — not a U.S. federal entry document and not a substitute for the CDC Dog Import Form; useful supporting paperwork)
→ Official export certificate (requested via CEXGAN, issued by the Área de Agricultura), only if required
→ Airline confirmation
Start with your origin country guide for route-specific requirements, timelines, and common pitfalls.
→ No. Spain is not on the CDC’s high-risk list.
→ The dog’s complete 6-month travel history still controls which pathway applies.
→ Healthy appearance, minimum age of 6 months, readable microchip, and CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
→ This assumes exclusively low-risk travel history.
→ Not as a general U.S. federal rule for this pathway.
→ Your airline may still require one, requested through CEXGAN.
→ No. As of this research, only Cyprus, Hungary, Greece, and Slovakia carry a temporary FMD restriction.
→ Spain is not on that list.
→ Not for a compliant mainland-US arrival.
→ Hawaii and Guam have separate 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.
Compared to routes with airline restrictions or complicated origin-country certificate processes, Spain to the US is close to the simplest case this site covers.
Spain has a clean CDC low-risk pathway, no current USDA disease restriction, and two major US carriers (Delta, United) that accept general-public in-cabin pets.
Unlike some EU countries where export guidance is a general “contact your local veterinary office,” Spain’s CEXGAN system gives owners a concrete, named channel: the treating veterinarian requests the export certificate through the application, and the competent Área de Agricultura issues it. U.S. federal rules don’t impose a general health-certificate requirement for this low-risk pathway, but an airline, connecting jurisdiction, or applicable CEXGAN entry may still require official documentation.
For a straightforward cabin move with a healthy pet, most owners can manage this route themselves. Professional help becomes more valuable for a large dog needing cargo transport, a multi-leg itinerary, or a restricted breed.
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.
Select your origin and destination countries.
Select your pet type, size, and breed characteristics.
Select how your pet will travel and any additional services.
Review your itemized breakdown and quote below, then submit your details.
