How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Pet from the USA to Costa Rica?
A dog or cat moving from the United States to Costa Rica travels on a USDA-endorsed health certificate printed in English and Spanish, and a pet shipped unaccompanied also needs an import permit issued by Costa Rica. What the certificate asks for, and when, is on our Costa Rica requirements page. Freight is published for this lane, so the flight cost is calculable below. Figures checked August 2026, and the certificate September 2026.
Airline freight, and why the crate decides it
Airlines price live animals on chargeable weight: whichever is greater, the actual weight or a volume figure worked out from the crate. For pets the volume figure almost always wins, which is why crate size drives the flight cost more than the animal does.
The volumetric divisor is the industry standard 166 cubic inches per pound. The rates come from the American Airlines Cargo public tariff, the tariff these estimates are calculated against. Current version checked August 2026.
| Crate size | Approx. dimensions | Chargeable weight | Freight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (cat or toy dog) (size 100) | 21 x 16 x 15 in | 14 kg | $420 |
| Medium (size 200) | 28 x 20.5 x 21.5 in | 34 kg | $427 |
| Large (size 400) | 36 x 25 x 27 in | 66 kg | $653 |
| Giant (size 700) | 48 x 32 x 35 in | 147 kg | $948 |
These are our own calculation from the published rate and divisor, for a direct booking. A connecting routing or a carrier that quotes rather than publishes will differ.
Whichever carrier takes the booking sets its own hold conditions, crate rules and pet charges, and those vary more between airlines than the fares do. Our list of the airlines that carry pets internationally covers which carriers accept live animals out of the US, and our comparison of US airline pet policies puts the big carriers side by side. The freight mechanics on this page come from American Airlines Cargo, whose conditions are set out in full in our guide to the American Airlines pet policy.
The rest of the bill
| Cost | Amount | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| USDA export endorsement | $101 per certificate | USDA APHIS |
| IATA crate | $65 to $378 depending on size | Retailer |
| Vet exam and certificate | Set by your clinic | Your vet |
| Airline live animal processing | $150 per air waybill | Airline |
| Import permit, for a pet traveling unaccompanied | No fee given on APHIS’s page | Costa Rica |
| Quarantine | Not stated on the APHIS certificate | Costa Rica |
The endorsement is per certificate, not per pet, so two animals on one certificate share it.
What is not included here
Your vet sets their own fees. The examination, the certificate paperwork and any blood draw are priced by your clinic and vary between practices. Ask your vet directly. Every laboratory we checked states plainly that the draw is the clinic’s charge, not theirs.
Ground transport at either end is quoted per route.
What moves the price
Crate size is the single biggest lever, because it drives chargeable weight. Direct routings cost more per kilogram than they look but remove transfer handling. Season matters too: summer heat embargoes narrow booking windows, and winter cold rules do the same on some routings. Two pets on one certificate share the USDA endorsement, while each extra pet adds its own crate and freight.
Figures and sources
Freight from the American Airlines Cargo public tariff. Export process from USDA APHIS, US to Costa Rica, checked August 2026, and its certificate for dogs and cats, read September 25, 2026. Arrival clearance sits with SENASA, whose website could not be reached on September 23 or 25, 2026.
Want this priced for your pet and dates?
Send us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemized plan, a timeline and clear next steps.
For entry rules and the full paperwork timeline, see our guide to pet shipping requirements for Costa Rica.
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