Moving to the United States with your dog involves federal rules from two different agencies, and the exact paperwork you need depends on where your dog has been and where it was vaccinated. This guide covers the general federal rules that apply no matter which country you’re coming from — for country-specific export paperwork and airline details, see your route’s dedicated guide.
As of August 1, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) simplified and restructured how it handles dog imports, so if you’ve researched this before that date, some of what you remember has changed.
U.S. Dog Import Requirements
Two federal agencies are involved, and they cover different things:
- CDC is the primary authority for every dog entering the U.S. Its rules exist to prevent dog rabies from re-entering the country, and they apply to all dogs, regardless of species-specific USDA rules.
- USDA APHIS only adds requirements if your dog is coming from a country affected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or screwworm. If neither applies to your dog’s country of origin, APHIS has no additional requirement beyond the CDC rules.
Your dog’s CDC requirements fall into one of three situations, based on where it’s been and where it was vaccinated:
| Situation | What’s Required |
|---|---|
| Only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months | CDC Dog Import Form only |
| In a high-risk country, vaccinated in the U.S. | CDC Dog Import Form + Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form |
| In a high-risk country, vaccinated abroad (foreign-vaccinated) | CDC Dog Import Form + Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form + reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility |
A country not listed on CDC’s high-risk countries list is automatically considered rabies-free or low-risk — there’s no separate “low-risk” list to check.
CDC Requirements
Every dog entering the U.S. needs a completed CDC Dog Import Form. It’s free, completed online, and a receipt is emailed to you that you show to your airline and to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. For dogs that have only been in rabies-free or low-risk countries, this is the only federal document required, and the receipt stays valid for 6 months of repeat entries from that same country.
If your dog has been in a CDC-designated high-risk country for dog rabies within the past 6 months, more applies. Whether your dog was vaccinated in the U.S. or abroad changes which additional form you need:
- U.S.-vaccinated dogs need a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form, completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the U.S. This is a specific CDC form, not a routine vaccination certificate.
- Foreign-vaccinated dogs need a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, completed by a veterinarian and endorsed by an official government veterinarian in the country of origin, no more than 30 days before travel. These dogs also need a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and must arrive by air at the specific airport where that facility is located — one of only six airports nationwide (see Arriving in the United States below).
One rule applies across every pathway: your dog’s microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine is given. If the vaccine comes first, CDC will not accept it as valid, and you may need to restart the vaccination process.
Required Documents
What you need depends on your dog’s pathway, but here’s the full range of documents that can apply:
- CDC Dog Import Form receipt — every dog, every time
- Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form — U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
- Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form — foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
- Rabies serology titer test result from a CDC-approved laboratory — recommended for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries, to avoid a mandatory quarantine
- Screwworm-freedom certification — only if your dog is coming from a screwworm-affected country or region
- Any export paperwork required by your country of origin (varies by country — check your specific route guide)
Foot-and-mouth disease is handled differently: if your dog is coming from an FMD-affected country, USDA requires specific arrival handling (clean fur and bedding, a bath on arrival, and 5 days away from livestock) but explicitly does not require any certificate or paperwork for this rule.
Health Certificates
CDC does not require a general veterinary health certificate for dogs entering the U.S. — its requirements are specifically the forms listed above. That said, a health certificate is still commonly needed for other reasons: many airlines require one to allow your dog to travel, and your destination U.S. state may have its own entry requirements on top of the federal rules. Some countries also require their own export health certificate as part of leaving that country, which is separate from, but often submitted alongside, the CDC-specific forms.
Because requirements can differ by state, check your destination state’s animal entry requirements directly, and confirm your airline’s specific pet documentation requirements before you book.
Vaccination Requirements
If your dog needs its first rabies vaccination, CDC requires it to happen at or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age. For dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the 6 months before entry, a rabies vaccine given before 12 weeks of age will not be accepted, regardless of what the vaccine manufacturer’s label allows for younger dogs.
The order matters: the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine is administered, not after. A vaccine given before microchipping is not considered valid by CDC.
Cats do not have a federal CDC or USDA rabies vaccination requirement for entering the U.S., though your destination state or airline may still require proof of vaccination.
What to Do Before You Fly
- Microchip your dog first, if it isn’t already, before any rabies vaccination.
- Get or confirm the rabies vaccination. If it’s your dog’s first vaccine and your dog has been in a high-risk country recently, it must happen at or after 12 weeks of age.
- Check whether your dog’s country counts as high-risk. Check CDC’s high-risk countries list — if your dog’s country isn’t on it, the low-risk pathway applies.
- If your dog is foreign-vaccinated and coming from a high-risk country, get a rabies serology titer test from a CDC-approved lab to avoid a mandatory 28-day quarantine, and reserve a spot at a CDC-registered animal care facility at your arrival airport.
- Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online and keep the receipt accessible for your airline and for CBP.
- Check your country of origin’s export requirements — many countries require their own certificate or veterinary endorsement before your dog can leave, separate from the CDC’s entry requirements.
- Confirm your airline’s pet policy for your specific route — not every airline offers pet transport on every route, and cabin/cargo availability varies by carrier and destination.
Arriving in the United States
Where your dog can enter the U.S. depends on its pathway. Dogs that have only been in rabies-free or low-risk countries, and U.S.-vaccinated dogs with the correct documentation, can enter at any airport, seaport, or land border crossing.
Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries are more restricted: they must arrive by air at one of six airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
- New York (JFK — specifically JFK, not Newark or LaGuardia)
- Philadelphia (PHL)
- Washington, DC (IAD)
At arrival, your dog needs to appear healthy, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will review your CDC Dog Import Form receipt along with any other required documentation for your dog’s pathway.
Related Route Guides
Requirements vary by country, especially on the export side. See the specific guide for your route for full details:
