It is possible to travel to the United States with a dog (from Brazil)?

Upvote:2

After our experience in May 2017, you might want to be aware of a form required to leave Brazil with a pet. We flew on Delta and neither the CDC nor the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) web sites had any information about a form we needed from the Ministry of Agriculture in Brazil, which you get before departure at the cargo terminal in Brazil.

There was no mention on Delta's web site either, nor was anything said when when we called to check in. When we arrived at the airport in Brazil, we were delayed for a day getting the form. Upon arrival, Customs and Immigration didn't look at it; they never even asked for it.

Upvote:4

Importation of dogs into the United States is controlled by the Centers for Disease Control. This is a summary of their official rules:

  • Your dog must either be from a rabies-free country, or have a current certificate of rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian, having received the vaccination at least 30 days before entering the US. If the certificate does not show an expiration date, it is treated as valid for one year from the date it was issued.
  • Your dog must, within 5 days or less of departure from Brazil, be certified as free of screwworm by a licensed veterinarian. This applies to dogs from any country affected with screwworm, on which Brazil is listed. (Screwworm is known as bicheira in Brazil.)

Customs and Border Protection note that if the documents are not in English, you must also provide English translations. See their official guide for bringing in animals for more information.


If you have a very small dog, it may be able to travel as carry-on baggage with you. Otherwise, it must either travel as checked baggage (and you pay any airline fees for being over baggage limits) or as cargo on a separate cargo flight. In either case you will declare the dog to Customs and present its documents. The airline or shipping company can give you complete information on this process; it's a bit too broad to cover here.

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