The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its rules for dogs entering the United States.
On June 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is temporarily suspending the importation of dogs from 113 countries.
Now, effective December 1, 2021 dogs vaccinated in the US by a US-licensed veterinarian may re-enter the US from a high-risk country without a CDC Dog Import Permit if the dog:
- has a valid US-issued rabies vaccination certificate;
- has proof of a microchip;
- is at least 6 months old;
- is healthy upon arrival; and
- arrives at an approved port of entry
Expired US-issued rabies vaccination certificates will not be accepted. If the US-issued rabies vaccination certificate has expired, dog parents must apply for a CDC Dog Import Permit, if eligible.
Also effective from December 1, 2021, all dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past six months may only enter the US through an approved port of entry, which includes all 18 airports with a CDC quarantine station: Anchorage (ANC), Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago (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), and Washington DC (IAD).
All dogs imported into the United States must be healthy on arrival.
Dogs that have not been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months are not required by CDC to present a rabies vaccination certificate or a CDC Dog Import Permit—and can enter the United States at any port of entry, but must be healthy upon arrival and vaccination against rabies is recommended.
