High-Risk Rabies Country Imports

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If you have been stationed in a country designated as a High Risk (for Rabies) Country, there are additional steps that must be taken to successfully bring your dog(s) to the United States, due to a temporary precautionary suspension of dog importation to prevent the transmission of rabies.  This suspension has been  extended to July 31, 2024. As a result, dogs living in or traveling through high-risk countries have more difficulty entering the United States because of additional requirements that must be met.

Proper timing is important. As soon as you think you will be returning to the United States, contact us to determine what steps need to be taken and what your timeline will be. Dependent on your dogs rabies vaccination history, the CDC offers different options for import. It’s crucial to chose the proper sequence that fits your dog. We will determine and discuss with you your best option, when reviewing your dogs personal history

 When traveling to the United States from any country, all dogs must appear healthy upon arrival. Dogs that arrive sick or injured will be required to undergo veterinary examination and testing, at the owner’s expense, to rule out diseases that can spread to people. In some cases this can include being sent to quarantine.  Should the dog exhibits signs of rabies they would be either  quarantined or euthanized immediately. Proper adherence to preventive protocol is crucial.

All written statements and documents must be in English or have a certified English translation. There are no exceptions. A certified translation is a signed statement on professional letterhead issued by a licensed translator declaring that the translation is an accurate and true representation of the original document. The translation must include the name, address, and contact information of the translator and have a signatory stamp or elevated seal with the translator’s license number included. This documentation must accompany the paperwork in question. 

 Entry CDC protocol options for bringing dogs that have been in a high-risk countries within the past 6 months, are dependant on when and where a dogs rabies vaccinations were administered, and/or the number of dogs being imported. It is important to know that even just passing through a high-risk country means that you will need to adhere to one of the three CDC options. Once we have determined the right option for your dog we can establish the time line to be followed for a successful arrival into the United States. 

All dogs must have a valid CDC Rabies Vaccination and Microchip Record   [PDF – 1 page] or current U.S.-issued rabies vaccination certificate, ISO-compatible microchip, and must arrive at one of the 18 airports with a CDC quarantine station: Anchorage (ANC), Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Honolulu (HNL), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Minneapolis (MSP), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO), San Juan (SJU), Seattle (SEA),  or Washington DC Dulles (IAD). 

In some cases a CDC Dog Import Permit must be approved. This is the case for dogs not originally vaccinated in the United States against rabies as well as when three dogs or more, are being imported. The application process takes at least 8 weeks before travel date. Each dog  needs an approved rabies vaccination following CDC  rabies vaccination protocol, valid rabies serologic titer from an approved laboratory and a reservation at one of the CDC-approved animal care facilities with necessary follow-up services at owner’s expense, for each dog being imported.  Our preparatory timeline is dependent on each dogs individual situation. 

In addition to CDC requirements, compliance with US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) and your US destination’s local regulations are necessary. You should note that regulations of US states or territories may be more strict than federal regulations. Part of our preparation for your dogs arrival includes determining the final destination requirements and making sure your dogs documents are in order.

This suspension does not pertain to cats. Despite that,  we recommend all cats coming into the United States be fully vaccinated including against Rabies.  They should be microchipped prior to their rabies vaccination, for proper identification and matching of rabies vaccination record to the cat.