Moving to the United States with your cat is far simpler than moving with a dog — there’s no federal vaccination requirement, no special form, and no restricted list of arrival airports. But “simple” doesn’t mean “no rules.” What actually governs your cat’s entry depends more on your destination state, your airline, and — in a few specific cases — whether your cat counts as an exotic hybrid breed under wildlife law.
U.S. Cat Import Requirements
At the federal level, bringing a cat into the U.S. is straightforward. CDC requires only that your cat appears healthy on arrival. Cats are subject to inspection at ports of entry, and a cat showing signs of illness can be denied entry or held for a veterinary exam (at the owner’s expense) before being allowed in.
USDA APHIS goes further: it has no federal animal-health requirement at all for importing a pet cat from any country. There’s no CDC Cat Import Form, no required certificate, and no equivalent of the high-risk-country rabies framework that applies to dogs.
That said, “no federal requirement” isn’t the same as “no requirements anywhere.” Your destination state, your airline, and (in rare cases) wildlife law can still apply — covered below.
State and Destination Requirements
Since there’s no federal health certificate or vaccination mandate, state rules are where most of the real requirements for cats actually come from. Requirements vary by state, so check your destination state’s official animal import requirements before you travel — different states handle this through different agencies, so it’s worth searching directly rather than assuming which department to contact.
Two destinations are worth knowing about specifically, because they apply even to cats coming from elsewhere in the U.S., not just internationally:
- Hawaii imposes its own quarantine requirements on all arriving cats, regardless of where they’re coming from.
- Guam applies the same kind of locally imposed quarantine requirements as Hawaii.
If your move is taking you to Hawaii or Guam, plan for this well in advance — island quarantine programs typically require specific testing and waiting periods completed before arrival, not something you can sort out at the airport.
Health Certificates
Many countries require an export health certificate even though the United States does not — this is a very common source of confusion, since people naturally assume that if the U.S. doesn’t ask for something, nothing does. Check your country of origin’s export requirements separately from anything covered here.
On the U.S. side, CDC does not require a general health certificate for cats entering the country. Airlines and some states do, though. Before booking your flight, confirm your airline’s specific pet documentation requirements, and check with officials at your destination state.
Vaccination Recommendations
Cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination to enter the United States. CDC recommends it anyway, and for good reason beyond the recommendation itself: your destination state may require it, your airline may require it, and if you ever plan to travel again with your cat — including back to your country of origin — most other countries do require proof of rabies vaccination for entry.
In practice, most people moving internationally with a cat vaccinate as a matter of course, even though the U.S. side doesn’t strictly require it.
Special Considerations for Hybrid or Exotic Breeds
If your cat is a standard domestic breed, this doesn’t apply to you. If you’re moving with a hybrid breed with recent wild-species ancestry — Bengals, Savannahs, and Chausies are the common examples — there’s a separate federal permit question worth checking. See the FAQ below for details.
What to Do Before You Fly
- Check your destination state’s requirements. This is where most of the actual rules for cats come from, since there’s no federal mandate.
- Confirm your airline’s pet policy and documentation requirements — cabin/cargo availability and paperwork expectations vary by carrier.
- Get a health certificate if your airline or destination state requires one, even though CDC itself doesn’t.
- Vaccinate against rabies if you haven’t already — not federally required, but recommended, and often required elsewhere in the process (state, airline, or future travel).
- If you’re headed to Hawaii or Guam, start their quarantine process early — these programs have their own testing and waiting-period requirements that need lead time.
- If you have a hybrid or exotic breed, contact FWS directly to confirm whether a CITES permit applies to your specific cat before you book travel.
Arriving in the United States
Unlike dogs from high-risk countries, cats aren’t restricted to a specific list of arrival airports — there’s no federal port-of-entry restriction for cats. Your cat will be subject to inspection at whatever port of entry you arrive through, and needs to appear healthy. If your cat shows signs of a zoonotic disease, further examination by a licensed veterinarian may be required, at your expense, before entry is allowed.
If Hawaii or Guam is your final destination, remember that their quarantine rules apply regardless of which port you first entered the U.S. through.
Can I Bring My Cat into the United States Myself?
Yes. Most people do not need a professional pet relocation company to move a cat internationally. If you’re comfortable completing the paperwork and arranging travel yourself, many international cat moves can be handled without a relocation service. A professional mover can be genuinely helpful for complex routes, multiple pets, or countries with difficult export procedures — but for a lot of routes, doing it yourself is a completely reasonable option.
Related Route Guides
Every country’s export side works differently. See the specific guide for your route for full details:
