Vaccinations – What vaccines does my dog or cat need to enter the USA?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) require that all animals be ‘healthy’ before they enter the US. Most animals need to be vaccinated against rabies before they travel to the United States of America, but the CDC actually have some fairly relaxed rules when it comes to dogs and cats compared to other pets.
If your pet is coming from a ‘rabies free’ country and it has lived there for at least six months, it requires a valid rabies vaccination certificate. You just need to get a certificate signed by a vet confirming that your pet’s home country has been rabies free for at least half a year prior to travel. The list of nations that the CDC considers to be ‘rabies-free’ is generously long, listed are the ‘high-risk’ countries. Microchips are now required for all dogs to enter and rabies blood tests are only required for those entering from ‘high-risk’ countries. Unsurprisingly, things are even easier for cats; it doesn’t matter where they’re from, they don’t need a valid rabies vaccine to enter the USA but most airlines require that they are.
However, we should mention that all pets are subject to thorough inspections upon arrival in the USA, and they could be turned away if they bear any evidence of disease or sickness. So, if you want to be cautious we recommend giving your pet all the treatments before it travels which includes DHPPv, flea/tick medication, and heart worm.
FAVN/Titer Test – Does my dog or cat need one to enter the USA?
If your dog or cat is entering the USA (except Hawaii/Guam) from a designated low risk country, no FAVN/Titer test is needed. If coming from a designated high risk country, only dogs need to obtain a FAVN/Titer test to enter a minimum of 90 days prior to entry. There is a special procedure of taking the test that must be followed before it’s recognized as valid. Firstly, the bllod draw must have a level higher than 0.5 UL/ml or else it must be started over again.
Quarantine – Will my dog or cat have to quarantine?
Quarantine is generally avoided by most pets coming into the States – except birds and dogs entering from ‘high-risk’ rabies countries. Birds need to spend a minimum of 30 days in quarantine after they have arrived.
Customs and Duties – How much are customs duties? Where does my dog have to enter if from a high risk country?
The CBP has mandated that all dogs and cats must go through secondary inspection to pay customs and duties upon entry into the USA. Typical customs and duties through a customs broker with advance notice costs between USD $350-550 depending on the day and time of arrival. There are additional fees if continuing to Hawaii, payment is $185 if submitted 10+ days prior to entry. The fee for submitting less than 10 days is $244. Payment can be made at the time of entry to Hawaii.
As per the CDC regulations, all dogs entering the USA must obtain an import permit issued by the CDC, this is for both low risk and high risk countries. Link to obtain the permit is here.
If you are arriving from a designated Rabies High-Risk country, you will need to follow a different path. We will work with one of the approved import facilities to ensure your dog will enter the USA smoothly.
