Bringing a dog or cat to the USA: CDC rules for high-risk vs low-risk countries
The CDC is the primary authority for dog imports into the United States, and its rules turn on a single question: has your dog been in a country the CDC lists as high-risk for dog rabies in the six months before arrival? A dog from a low-risk or rabies-free country takes a short, free path. A dog from a high-risk country takes a much longer one. Cats are always light: the CDC asks for no rabies proof and no health certificate.
This page tells you where the official rule is and what it says. It is not the rule and it is not legal advice. The official source decides, and the official source is the one that counts if this page and it ever disagree.
Dogs: everything hinges on one question — has your dog been in a CDC high-risk country in the last 6 months? No: a free import form, a microchip and 6 months of age. Yes: a titre test, a CDC-registered facility and stricter paperwork.
At a glance
The whole journey in order. Every point below is spelled out in full further down.
- Work out your dog’s risk path (6-month lookback)
- Microchip and minimum-age rules
- Complete the free CDC Dog Import Form
- High-risk countries add a titre test and a CDC-registered facility
- Cats: no CDC rabies proof or certificate
Entering the USA — the CDC import rules
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sets the dog rules and splits the world into high-risk and not-high-risk countries for dog rabies. USDA APHIS adds nothing for cats and only touches dogs from foot-and-mouth-disease or screwworm origins, and individual states can add their own rules on top.
Authority: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); USDA APHIS
Work out your dog’s risk path firstDon't get this wrong
The CDC’s rules depend on whether your dog has been in a high-risk country for dog rabies in the six months before entering the US. A dog that has only been in rabies-free or low-risk countries takes the simple path; a dog that has been in a high-risk country takes the strict one. Check the CDC’s high-risk country list.
- CDC uses a 6-month lookback for where the dog has been
- Low-risk / rabies-free origin = the simple path
- High-risk origin = titre test + CDC-registered facility
Microchip the dog with a universal-scanner-readable chip
The CDC requires that a dog have a microchip that a universal scanner can detect, used to identify the dog on arrival. For a dog from a high-risk country the chip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine is given.
- Universal-scanner-readable microchip required
- Used to identify the dog on arrival
- High-risk path: chip before the rabies vaccine
Meet the minimum age: at least 6 months old
The CDC requires that a dog be at least 6 months old at the time of entry (or return) to the United States. This applies on the simple non-high-risk path too — puppies younger than 6 months cannot be imported from a high-risk country.
- Dog must be at least 6 months old at entry
- Applies even on the simpler path
Rabies vaccination — required on the high-risk path
For a dog from a high-risk country, the rabies vaccine must be given at or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age and at least 28 days before entry; vaccines given before 12 weeks are not accepted. On the low-risk path the CDC still recommends a current rabies vaccination even though no proof is required for entry.
- High-risk: vaccine at or after 12 weeks, at least 28 days before entry
- Low-risk: vaccination recommended, proof not required for entry
Complete the free CDC Dog Import Form — the only document on the low-risk pathDon't get this wrong
For a dog that has only been in rabies-free or low-risk countries, the CDC states the only required document is the free, online CDC Dog Import Form. It produces an emailed receipt that is valid for 6 months and reusable for multiple entries. Each dog needs its own form, and the departure country must match the receipt.
- Free, online, produces an emailed receipt
- Receipt valid 6 months and reusable for multiple entries
- One form per dog; departure country must match
High-risk path: rabies serology (titre) report from a CDC-approved lab
For a foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country, you need a valid rabies serology titre report from a CDC-approved laboratory, recorded on the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form. This is the step that adds time and cost, and it does not apply to dogs from low-risk countries.
- Valid titre from a CDC-approved lab, recorded on the certification form
- Applies only to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
High-risk path: reserve a CDC-registered animal care facility
Before travel from a high-risk country you must reserve a spot at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and the dog must arrive at the US airport where that facility is located. On arrival the dog is examined and its documents checked.
- Reserve a CDC-registered facility before travel
- Dog must arrive at the airport where the facility is located
Cats: no CDC rabies proof and no CDC health certificate
Cats face a very light path. The CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination for importing a cat and does not require a general health certificate. The cat must appear healthy on arrival, and the CDC still recommends the rabies vaccine. Hawaii and Guam have separate quarantine rules.
- No CDC rabies-vaccine proof required for cats
- No CDC general health certificate required for cats
- Cat must appear healthy; Hawaii and Guam have separate rules
USDA APHIS: no cat rules; dog rules only for FMD/screwworm origins
USDA APHIS Veterinary Services has no animal-health requirements for importing a pet cat. For dogs, APHIS only adds requirements if the dog comes from a foot-and-mouth disease or screwworm-affected origin. The CDC remains the primary authority for dogs, and individual states and territories can add their own entry rules.
- APHIS has no animal-health requirements for pet cats
- APHIS dog rules apply only to FMD/screwworm origins
- States and territories can add their own rules
The kit this move actually needs
Heads up: some links below are affiliate links. Buy through one and Animalsss may earn a small commission — it costs you nothing extra, and it never changes what we list. We put down the kit this particular move actually needs, and nothing we were paid to.
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An IATA-approved travel crate or carrier
Airlines check the container against the IATA live-animal rules before they will load it: hard-sided, well ventilated, and big enough for the animal to stand up and turn around. The wrong crate is the most common reason a booked pet gets bumped at the counter.
See options on Amazon → -
Clip-on food and water cups
The crate has to travel with bowls fixed inside that ground staff can top up without opening the door. Free-standing bowls do not count.
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Absorbent crate lining
A layer that holds an accident through a long leg keeps the animal dry and keeps the crate from being pulled off the ramp for leaking.
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"Live Animal" labels and orientation arrows
Most carriers want the crate marked LIVE ANIMAL with "This Way Up" arrows. A cheap sticker set beats hunting for a marker at check-in.
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An ID tag that reaches you at both ends
A number someone can actually answer on the day — not just your home line — is what reunites a pet with you if the crate and the paperwork get separated in transit.
See options on Amazon →
Moving a pet abroad? Get free quotes from relocation specialists
No obligation. Tell us your route and a vetted pet-relocation company can reach out with a price and timing.
Official sources
Every step above was read off one of these pages. They are the version that counts — check them before you travel or ship.
- US CDC — high-risk countries for dog rabies
- US CDC — dogs from non-high-risk countries
- US CDC — bringing a cat into the United States
- USDA APHIS — importing a pet dog to the US
Common questions
The questions people ask most about this corridor, answered from the same official sources above.
Does my dog need a rabies titre test to enter the USA?
Only if it has been in a CDC high-risk country for dog rabies in the 6 months before entry. A dog from a low-risk or rabies-free country needs only the free CDC Dog Import Form, a microchip and to be at least 6 months old.
What document do I need to bring a dog from a low-risk country?
The CDC Dog Import Form is the only required document. It is free and online, and the emailed receipt is valid for 6 months.
Does a cat need a health certificate to enter the US?
No. The CDC does not require a rabies vaccination certificate or a general health certificate for cats, though the cat must appear healthy on arrival.
Where to go next
Everything Animalsss holds on these animals — care, prices and listings.
This page tells you where the official rule is and what it says. It is not the rule and it is not legal advice. The official source decides, and the official source is the one that counts if this page and it ever disagree.
Reviewed by the Animalsss Movement Desk. Last reviewed 12 Oct 2026. Written from the CDC dog and cat import pages and USDA APHIS pet-travel guidance; the high-risk/low-risk split checked against the CDC list.
This page is free to read and always will be. It is written from the official pages linked above; those pages can change, and if one has, the link is the fastest way to see what it says now.
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