Everything you need to know about moving your dog or cat from Colombia to the US: CDC high-risk country requirements, ICA export steps, 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); 2–4 weeks (cats)
$300–$800 USD (DIY, dog, titer pathway, excluding titer cost)
Only if no valid titer (28 days, mainland US); required in Hawaii and Guam
Because Colombia 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 federal requirement.
Everything you need to know about moving your dog or cat from Colombia to the US: CDC high-risk country requirements, ICA export steps, costs, and timeline — all in one place.
Colombia's ICA requires its own veterinary health certificate (within 5 days of departure) for the export CIS; separately, the CDC requires a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form for dogs, endorsed by an official Colombian government veterinarian.
An ICA-Registered Veterinarian
The same ICA-registered veterinarian system used for Colombia’s export certificate also provides the official government-veterinarian endorsement the CDC requires for dogs.
Not Required (Foreign-Vaccinated Pathway)
Dogs vaccinated in Colombia use the Colombia-endorsed pathway instead of a USDA-endorsed form; the USDA step only applies if your dog was vaccinated in the US before spending time in Colombia.
5 Days (Colombia Certificate); 30 Days (CDC Form)
Colombia’s veterinary health certificate and CIS request are valid for only 5 calendar days; the CDC’s Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form must be completed no more than 30 days before travel. These are separate documents with separate deadlines — don’t conflate them.
Required
Bring original veterinary certificates and vaccination records to your ICA inspection — copies alone aren’t accepted.
→ Colombia is a CDC high-risk country for dog rabies — the low-risk pathway does not apply
→ 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)
→ Colombia’s own ICA export certificate and CIS request are each valid for only 5 calendar days
Follow this timeline to make sure you complete everything on time for a smooth, stress-free travel day.
Colombia is explicitly on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, not the simpler low-risk pathway some neighboring countries qualify for.
The rabies serology titer test has two sequential CDC wait periods that combine to a 58-day minimum between vaccination and travel.
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.
Colombia's veterinary certificate and CIS request are each valid for only 5 calendar days.
Costs vary based on pet size, airline, season, and any additional Services.
Roughly $300–$800 USD for the DIY route (microchip, vaccination, ICA certificate, crate, airline fee), excluding the rabies titer test cost and any 28-day quarantine/facility fees, which weren't independently priced for this route.
Typical total cost
Price in USD, Estimate only.
→ ICA-registered veterinarian’s health certificate (dated within 5 calendar days of departure)
→ Current vaccination records
→ Antiparasitic treatment record
→ Microchip documentation (required for dogs under 12 months)
→ CIS request confirmation and payment receipt
→ Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria (CIS), issued at your in-person ICA inspection
→ CDC Dog Import Form receipt (dogs)
→ Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, endorsed by an official Colombian 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 — Colombia is on the CDC’s High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies list.
→ Dogs from Colombia 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.
→ A CDC-required document for dogs vaccinated outside the US that have been in a high-risk country.
→ A veterinarian completes it and an official Colombian government veterinarian endorses it.
→ Must be completed no more than 30 days before your dog travels to the US.
→ Largely yes — USDA APHIS has no federal health requirements for cats from any country.
→ Your cat just needs to appear healthy on arrival.
→ Colombia’s own ICA export certificate still applies to cats, 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.
→ This couldn’t be independently confirmed during research — Avianca’s official pet policy page wasn’t accessible.
→ Contact Avianca directly for their current terms before booking.
→ Copa Airlines and JetBlue both have independently verified pet policies covering this route.
→ A CBP officer reviews your dog’s documents (CDC Dog Import Form receipt, Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, and titer report if applicable).
→ The officer may also visually inspect your pet.
→ 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 Colombia to the United States requires more planning than many international relocations, because Colombia is on the CDC’s high-risk list for dog rabies. This puts it in the same regulatory category as other high-risk routes covered on this site — the process is well-documented, but it has real, sequential deadlines that can’t be compressed.
If your dog was vaccinated in the US and later spent time in Colombia, a simpler pathway applies (a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form). Most pets living in Colombia will instead need the foreign-vaccinated pathway: a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, endorsed by an official Colombian government veterinarian, plus a choice between a rabies serology titer test or a 28-day quarantine on arrival.
If your dog doesn’t have a valid titer, you’re not just committing to a 28-day quarantine — you’re also restricted to flying into one of only five US airports where a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility exists: Atlanta, New York JFK, Miami, Washington Dulles, or Los Angeles. Factor this into your flight planning early, since it may rule out otherwise-convenient routings.
Compared to the CDC’s rabies-and-titer timeline, Colombia’s ICA export process is fast — a veterinary certificate and CIS request that are each valid for only 5 calendar days, completed close to your departure date. Don’t let the short validity windows catch you off guard: a delayed flight can force you to restart this part of the process, even though it isn’t what’s driving your overall timeline.
Unlike some other routes, American Airlines does not offer general-public pet transport here — its passenger checked-pet program is restricted to active-duty military and State Department personnel for this region. Avianca, Colombia’s flag carrier, could not be independently verified during research because its official site blocked automated access — confirm directly with Avianca before assuming it’s an option. Copa Airlines and JetBlue both have independently verified cabin-only pet policies covering this route.
The combination of the titer-or-quarantine decision, the CDC-approved-airport restriction, and coordinating two governments’ paperwork makes this a reasonable route to consider professional help on, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the process or your dog doesn’t have a titer option available in time.
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.
