How to transport an animal to the USA: step by step instructions and useful links

Importing (shipping) pets into the United States is a relatively straightforward process. Although the US rules are simpler and easier to follow than in other countries, it still needs to be carefully checked and planned. About how you can bring your pet to the US, told the publication Pet Relocation.

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Below are the requirements you must meet before bringing your dog or cat into the continental United States.

Dogs

If you are planning to bring a dog into the US, then you need to:

• health certificate from a veterinarianconfirming that your pet is healthy and can fly. This certificate must be completed within 10 days prior to travel;
• microchip (recommended);
• evidence rabies vaccinations from all countries where rabies is present. Puppies cannot be vaccinated before 3 months of age, and the rabies vaccine must be given at least one month prior to travel. Therefore, the puppy must be at least 5 months old to enter the US;
• additional vaccines include distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and bordatella.

If your dog is traveling from any of these countries, her rabies certificate must be in English or have a certified English translation.

If your dog's rabies vaccination certificate is not translated or completed by the veterinarian who issued the vaccine, your pet is at risk of being sent back to its country of origin.

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Important! Effective July 14, 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has temporarily suspended the importation of dogs from countries with a high risk of rabies infection. As of December 1, 2021, the CDC has updated their requirements to allow the importation of certain American-born dogs returning to the US with their owner from high-risk countries for rabies if the pet meets specific requirements.

For dogs originating in blowfly affected countries, the following is required:

• the dog must be accompanied by a certificate signed by a staff veterinarian stating that the dog was tested for fly larvae within 5 days prior to shipment to the United States;
• the certificate must indicate that the dog is either free of fly larvae or was found to be infested and was quarantined and treated until cured before leaving the region.

Cats

In order to bring a cat to the USA you need:

• health certificate from a veterinarianconfirming that your pet is healthy and can fly. This certificate must be completed 10 days after travel (not required by the CDC or USDA, but may be required by the airline);
• proof of rabies vaccination is not required for importation of cats into the United States; however, some states require cats to be vaccinated against rabies, so it is recommended that you consult your local health authorities at the destination;
• additional vaccines include feline enteritis (also known as feline panleukopenia or feline distemper), rhinotracheitis, and calicivirus.

Other pets

If you are planning to bring a pet other than a cat or dog into the US, please visit the website for more information. USDA APHIS.

In addition, you can find a tool on the Animal and Plant Health Service website that you can use to find out exactly what you need to bring your pet into the US.

On link you select the type of animal (dog, cat, bird, rabbit and others), then you need to select the state where you are going and the site will redirect you to the official resource of the state, which describes all the requirements for importing animals.

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Other requirements

Preparing your pet for removal from your current place of residence: always check with your country of origin to determine the export requirements for any pet. Most countries require a pet export permit or some other form of official government veterinary inspection prior to departure. You can determine export requirements by contacting the Ministry or Department of Agriculture in your country of origin.

Make sure you qualify individual requirements of airlines for the carriage of pets: Some airlines, including Delta, require under certain circumstances additional documents for animals. If you are booking a trip with a pet on your own, check with the airline of your choice to ensure that all paperwork requirements are met.

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