Everything you need to navigate international pet relocation: import rules, customs, costs, timelines.
Moderate
4–8 weeks
$200 – $600 (documentation, microchip, vaccine, crate) + airline fee (not published — confirm at booking)
None required (US mainland)
Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador are all CDC high-risk countries, requiring a titer test and 28-day wait. Argentina’s low-risk status means dogs skip both — but Argentina’s own SENASA process still applies.
Issued by SENASA based on a vet exam dated within 5 days before shipment. Dogs also need a separate screwworm-free certificate, which must itself be issued within that same 5-day window. The CDC does not require a separate health certificate for dogs from low-risk countries like Argentina.
SENASA / Licensed Veterinarian
A licensed veterinarian prepares the certification, and SENASA issues the CVI through an in-person appointment process for US-bound travel.
Not Required
The US does not require USDA involvement for standard Argentine pet exports. Always confirm your specific destination state’s rules separately.
Vet Exam Within 5 Days
The vet exam behind your CVI must be dated within 5 days of your shipping date, and the screwworm-free certificate must itself be issued within that same window — one of the tightest timing requirements among routes covered on this site.
Required
Bring the original CVI and screwworm-free certificate — copies are not accepted.
→ Implanting the microchip before the rabies vaccination is general best practice; SENASA’s own requirement is only that it be readable at travel time
→ General guidance: allow at least 21 days after a first rabies vaccination (neither SENASA nor the CDC states a minimum for this route)
→ All dogs need a completed CDC Dog Import Form
→ The vet exam behind your CVI must be dated within 5 days of travel; the screwworm-free certificate must itself be issued within 5 days
→ Whether CVI Digital covers US-bound travel wasn’t confirmed — check with SENASA, and plan for the in-person process otherwise
→ American Airlines does not accept general public checked pets on this route
→ Getting the CVI vet exam done too early
→ Assuming CVI Digital does or doesn’t cover US-bound travel without checking
→ Not budgeting time for two in-person SENASA visits
→ Assuming American Airlines accepts checked pets from the general public
→ Missing the US-specific 6-month minimum age
→ Not confirming your vet’s recommended microchip-to-vaccine sequence
→ Assuming a private individual can handle cargo customs export
Follow this timeline to make sure you complete everything on time for a smooth, stress-free travel day.
The vet exam behind your CVI must be dated within 5 days of shipping, and the screwworm-free certificate must itself be issued within that same window.
American Airlines' checked-pet service on this route is restricted to active-duty military and State Department personnel only.
Varies
No
Costs vary based on pet size, airline, season, and any additional Services.
$200 – $600 (documentation, microchip, vaccine, crate) + airline fee (not published — confirm at booking)
Typical total cost
Price in USD, Estimate only.
→ CDC Dog Import Form receipt — Dogs
→ Microchip implant record
→ Rabies vaccination certificate
→ SENASA International Veterinary Certificate (within 5 days of travel)
→ Screwworm-free certificate (within 5 days of travel) — Dogs
Start with your origin country guide for route-specific requirements, timelines, and common pitfalls.
→ No, for US mainland destinations.
→ Argentina is a CDC low-risk country for dog rabies.
→ Quarantine applies only to moves to Hawaii or Guam, which this guide does not cover.
→ No — Argentina is CDC low-risk.
→ Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador are all CDC high-risk countries.
→ Those countries involve a titer test and 28-day wait that doesn’t apply to Argentina.
→ Not as a general passenger.
→ American Airlines’ checked-pet service on this route is restricted to active-duty US military and State Department Foreign Service personnel on official orders.
→ Most owners will need Aerolíneas Argentinas, LATAM, or a freight cargo option instead.
→ A free online form required for all dogs entering the US.
→ Introduced in August 2024; valid for 6 months from completion.
→ Applies to dogs from low-risk countries like Argentina.
→ Yes — the CVI is required for all pets leaving Argentina, including cats.
→ Cats face no CDC or USDA requirements on the US side.
→ Check with your airline for its own cat travel requirements.
→ You’ll need to reschedule your SENASA appointment closer to your actual travel date.
→ The exam behind your CVI, and the screwworm-free certificate, both have to fall within that 5-day window.
→ Plan the appointment around your confirmed flight date, not the other way around.
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 Argentina to the United States is a manageable route — Argentina is CDC low-risk for dog rabies, unlike several of its South American neighbors, so there’s no titer test or quarantine to plan around. The real challenge is timing, not documentation complexity.
SENASA’s International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) doesn’t carry its own separate validity clock — it’s only valid if the underlying vet exam it’s based on was dated within 5 days before shipping. The screwworm-free certificate dogs also need must itself be issued within that same 5-day window. Get everything else ready first — microchip, vaccination, crate, airline booking — then time this final step deliberately close to your actual departure date.
SENASA offers a faster CVI Digital remote process, confirmed available for a specific list of regional destinations (Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, and overland routes to Tierra del Fuego). Whether it also covers US-bound travel wasn’t confirmed during this research — check directly with SENASA rather than assuming either way. Unless you confirm it applies to you, plan for the standard in-person process instead — two visits to a SENASA office within a 72-business-hour window.
If you’re researching American Airlines for this move, know upfront that its checked-pet service on this route is restricted to active-duty US military and State Department Foreign Service personnel on official orders — not available to the general public. Aerolíneas Argentinas and LATAM are the realistic options for most owners.
This route is manageable on your own, but the SENASA timing is unforgiving — a missed appointment or a vet exam done too early can mean starting over. Many pet owners choose to handle it themselves, while others value a professional mover’s help coordinating the SENASA appointment against a confirmed flight date. Either way, it’s worth taking a look to compare vetted international pet relocation services.
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.
