Pet Relocation to the USA
We provide pet relocation to the USA from abroad, with international pet transport into the United States planned around CDC’s dog import rules, the season and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The import paperwork
- Pickup at the US airport with delivery to your new address
The USA at a glance
Full requirementsEvery dog needs to be at least six months old, healthy and microchipped, with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and the rest of its paperwork depends on the countries it has been in during the six months before it arrives.
- Minimum age
- At least 6 months old
- Microchip
- A microchip a universal scanner can read. Where the route needs a rabies vaccination, the chip goes in first or that dose will not count
- CDC paperwork
- A CDC Dog Import Form receipt, completed before travel
- Rabies vaccination
- Required for dogs coming from a country CDC lists as high risk for rabies
- Rabies titer
- Asked on the foreign-vaccinated route. Where no valid one exists, the facility booking has to carry a 28 day quarantine
Bringing Your Pet to the USA
Bringing a pet into the United States is mainly governed by the CDC for dogs and by the USDA for broader animal health. Planning early keeps it simple. If you would like a simple overview of international moves first, start with our guide to international pet shipping destinations.
Which route does a pet take into the USA?
Which ports are open to a dog depends on the countries it has visited in the six months before it lands. CDC’s page for dog rabies-free or low-risk countries, read September 16, 2026, says a dog in that group may enter at any airport, seaport, or land border crossing. Its page for US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries says the same, so long as the arrival point matches the one printed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt. One route is tied to a building: the registered facility list, read September 20, 2026, says a foreign-vaccinated dog must travel by air and land where its reserved facility is. We settle which of those describes your pet before anything is booked.
Route details: bringing a pet to the USA
- Route
- Into the USA
- Arrival airports
- Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries: ATL, DFW, IAD, JFK, LAX, MIA, PHL or SEA, where CDC registers a facility. Others: any port
- How the pet flies
- CDC has airlines issue an air waybill for every dog, in cabin and checked too. Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries come by air
- Before you fly
- A CDC Dog Import Form receipt for each dog. CDC says it can be filled out on the day of travel and recommends a few days before
- Health certificate
- CDC does not require a general certificate of health. From screwworm-affected regions, APHIS asks for an official vet’s check within 5 days
- Rabies certificate
- Low-risk: CDC asks only the import form. High-risk: a USDA-endorsed U.S. form, or a foreign one government-endorsed within 30 days of travel
- Rabies titer
- Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries: CDC-approved lab, blood drawn at least 30 days after the vaccine and 28 days before entry
- Quarantine on arrival
- Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries: exam and revaccination at the facility; 28 days’ quarantine there without a valid titer
- Time to get ready
- At least 58 days for a foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country to skip quarantine: titer 30 days after vaccine, 28 before entry
- Cats
- CDC: must appear healthy; no rabies proof required. APHIS Veterinary Services sets no animal health rule; the receiving state sets its own
From official sources, read October 29, 2026: CDC, CDC-registered Animal Care Facilities; CDC, Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries; CDC, Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog Rabies-Free or Low-Risk Countries; CDC, Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries; CDC, Information for Air Carriers on Dogs Being Imported into the U.S.; CDC, CDC Dog Import Form and Instructions; CDC, Bringing an Animal into the U.S.; USDA APHIS, Bringing a Pet Dog into the United States; CBP, Bringing Pets and Wildlife into the United States; CDC, Approved Rabies Serology Laboratories for Testing Dogs; USDA APHIS, Bringing a Pet Cat into the United States.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to the USA?
The short answer
The CDC sorts dogs by where they spent the last six months: from a rabies-free or low-risk country the Dog Import Form receipt is the only document it requires, and a stay in a high-risk one adds rabies documentation that turns on where the vaccine was given. APHIS’s cat import page, read September 20, 2026, sets no animal health requirement of its own for a pet cat and points to CDC and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Import Eligibility for Pets
Whether your pet enters smoothly comes down to where it has been and the paperwork that follows from it. A dog that has spent the last six months only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries needs a microchip, a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and proof it is six months old and healthy. Once a high-risk country falls inside that window the answer turns on where the rabies vaccine was given rather than on the country by itself, and our guide to the CDC Dog Import Form sets out the three routes and what each one asks for. We check your pet’s exact path and prepare the right set of documents.
Before scheduling vet steps or flights, we confirm what rules apply to your pet and whether airline policies affect travel. Most moves are dogs and cats, though we handle other pets too, and the requirements can differ by species. Eligibility can come down to your pet’s type and health, airline rules for certain breeds or conditions, the documentation and timing, and which routes are available. Ready to start? Request a quote.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for the USA?
Four things are asked on every CDC route: the dog is at least six months old at entry, appears healthy, carries a microchip a universal scanner can read, and travels with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Where the route calls for a rabies vaccination, CDC requires the chip to have gone in first, or that dose will not count. A foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country needs a rabies serology titer from an approved laboratory as well, and the registered facility list, read September 20, 2026, says that without a valid one the reservation has to include a 28 day quarantine. We line these steps up in the right order and check that microchip numbers, dates, names, and signatures all match across the paperwork. On cats the federal position sits elsewhere: an APHIS import page, read September 20, 2026, says its Veterinary Services has no animal health requirements for one arriving from abroad, and sends owners to CDC, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the receiving state.
| Requirement | United States, for a dog arriving from abroad |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | At least 6 months old |
| Microchip | A microchip a universal scanner can read. Where the route needs a rabies vaccination, the chip goes in first or that dose will not count |
| CDC paperwork | A CDC Dog Import Form receipt, completed before travel |
| Rabies vaccination | Required for dogs coming from a country CDC lists as high risk for rabies |
| Rabies titer | Asked on the foreign-vaccinated route. Where no valid one exists, the facility booking has to carry a 28 day quarantine |
| Cats | APHIS Veterinary Services publishes no animal health requirement for a pet cat. The airline and the receiving state each set their own |
We keep your checklist aligned with the official rules. For dogs, we follow the CDC dog import requirements. For the broader animal-health side, we follow USDA APHIS guidance on bringing a pet into the United States.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to the USA
Bringing a pet to the United States can move quickly for pets from low-risk countries and needs more lead time for high-risk ones. A typical timeline runs like this: a consultation and a check of your pet’s origin and route, the microchip and rabies vaccination if needed, the CDC Dog Import Form, any extra rabies documentation or facility reservation for high-risk countries, then booking the route, getting the crate ready, a screwworm inspection within 5 days before shipment for a dog from a screwworm-affected country, a document review, and travel. CDC’s page on bringing an animal into the U.S., read October 29, 2026, says CDC does not require a general certificate of health for pets, though some states and airlines may ask for one, and APHIS’s page on bringing a pet dog into the United States, read the same day, has that screwworm inspection certified by an official government veterinarian of the region of origin (from Mexico, a clinical veterinarian authorized to sign for one).
Every Pet Travels
Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Destination-Focused Planning
We use the CDC and USDA import rules as the baseline, then turn them into a simple checklist and timeline you can follow.
Smart Routing and Logistics
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Personalized Support
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Questions about moving a pet to the USA
Request a QuoteWhat does it cost to bring a pet to the USA?
Costs depend on your pet’s size and crate, the route and airline, vet and document fees, any facility reservation for high-risk countries, and whether the move is door to door. The fastest way to get a real number is a quote based on your origin country and travel date. Request a quote here.
Does my pet have to go into quarantine in the USA?
CDC’s page for dog rabies-free or low-risk countries, read September 16, 2026, gives the whole list for that group as the import form, six months of age, a readable microchip and a healthy appearance, with no quarantine among them. The foreign-vaccinated route is different: a reservation at a registered facility is required, and where no valid rabies titer exists that booking has to include 28 days of quarantine. We arrange it in advance.
How does Pet Travel Advisors help with a move to the USA?
We confirm your pet’s origin and route, prepare the CDC Dog Import Form and any extra documentation, arrange a facility reservation if one is needed, handle the crate and routing, and stay with the move through arrival.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.