American Airlines International Pet Policy: What Changes When Your Pet Crosses a Border (2026)

The American Airlines international pet policy lets small cats and dogs fly in the cabin for $150 per kennel each way, but only on routes to and from Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (American Airlines, 2026). Carry-on pets are not allowed on trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flights, to Hawaii or Jamaica, or to five South American countries. Checked pets are limited to U.S. military and State Department personnel on official orders. Every other pet going abroad has to fly with American Airlines Cargo.

In short, the American Airlines international pet policy is the airline's set of rules for which animals can fly between countries, how they travel (cabin, checked or cargo), what they cost, and which government documents must come with them. As of October 2026, those rules also depend heavily on two U.S. agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), and on the entry rules of your destination country.

This guide is written by the editorial team at Animal Passport. We cover animal identity and records, so we read the primary sources line by line. Everything below comes from American Airlines' own pages, USDA APHIS, the CDC, the European Commission and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Pet travel rules change often, so confirm with the airline and your veterinarian before you book.

The three ways a pet can travel internationally on American Airlines

American Airlines says pets can travel as a carry-on or through American Airlines Cargo, "depending on animal breed and size." There is also a third option, checked pets, but it is open only to a narrow group of travelers. The table summarizes the three options as of October 2026.

The fees above come from American Airlines' traveling-with-pets and optional fees pages (2026). All pet fees are nonrefundable and charged per kennel, each way. If your trip includes a stopover or connection of 4 hours or more, the fee applies to each segment. Pets that start a trip as checked pets or cargo must stay in that category for the whole trip.

Where carry-on pets are and are not allowed

American Airlines says you can travel with a pet on most flights of up to 12 hours, and on flights within the 48 contiguous states and to or from Canada, Alaska, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas. Its fee table limits international carry-on pets to the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Routes where carry-on pets are banned

• Trans-Atlantic trips: no carry-on pets (American Airlines, 2026).
• Trans-Pacific trips: no carry-on pets.
• South America: no carry-on pets to or from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia or Uruguay.
• Jamaica: no carry-on pets.
• Hawaii: no carry-on pets to or from Hawaii. Checked pets must connect only through Honolulu (HNL) and follow Hawaii's quarantine rules.
• Trinidad and Tobago (POS): pets cannot arrive before 8 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Carrier size and cabin limits

American Airlines lists these maximum carrier sizes: 18 x 11 x 11 inches (46 x 28 x 28 cm) for soft-sided carriers on all flights, 19 x 13 x 9 inches (48 x 33 x 22 cm) for hard-sided carriers on mainline flights, and 16 x 12 x 8 inches (40 x 30 x 20 cm) for hard-sided carriers on American Eagle regional jets. The airline recommends soft-sided carriers. They must have mesh ventilation on three or more sides.

Your pet must stay in its carrier, under the seat in front of you, for the entire flight. You can also bring either a personal item or a carry-on bag, but not both. On the long-haul widebodies (Boeing 777-200, 777-300ER, 787-8, 787-9) and the Airbus A321XLR, pets are not allowed in premium cabins because there is no under-seat storage. Those aircraft allow a maximum of 20 pet carriers across all cabins. Bulkhead and exit-row seats are off-limits on every aircraft.

Checked pets: only for military and diplomatic orders

American Airlines says it accepts checked pets at the ticket counter only for active-duty U.S. military and U.S. State Department Foreign Service personnel traveling on official orders. Up to 2 pets may be checked. To check a pet, you have to:

1. Contact Reservations at least 48 hours before travel.
2. Check in at the ticket counter with your official orders, at least 2 hours and no more than 4 hours before departure.
3. Complete a checklist with an agent.
4. Provide a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel. For a return on the same ticket, it must be issued within 60 days of the return.
5. Use a rigid kennel with a metal door, with ventilation on 4 sides for international travel (3 for domestic), and a combined weight of no more than 100 lb (45 kg) for pet and kennel.

For EU destinations, American says your checked pet must have a tattoo or implanted microchip that matches the ID number on its vaccination card. Apart from service animals, checked pets cannot go to the United Kingdom or Ireland. Dogs and cats can still go to London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MAN) through American Airlines Cargo.

American will not accept brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs or cats of any mix as checked pets. The list includes pugs, bulldogs, Boston terriers, Persians and Himalayans.

American Airlines Cargo: the main international route for most pets

Most civilians taking a pet to Europe, Asia or South America will use American PetEmbark, the pet service of American Airlines Cargo. The American Airlines Cargo FAQ (2026) says any pet flying internationally travels as ExpediteFS. Rates come from a published rate sheet or from the Animal Desk at 1-800-227-4622.

Key cargo rules from the American Airlines Cargo FAQ:

• Extra international documents: an English translation of the health certificate and a completed American Airlines international shipper's certificate.
• Health certificate timing: dated within 10 days of the animal's arrival. A return trip more than 10 days later needs a new exam and certificate.
• Booking window: pets can be booked up to 10 days in advance. American recommends booking at least 24 hours ahead.
• Drop-off: arrive at least 4 hours before an international flight.
• Temperature limits: transport only between 45°F and 85°F. Between 20°F and 44°F you need a vet's acclimation letter, and nothing flies below 20°F.
• No sedation: following AVMA advice, American will not accept sedated or tranquilized dogs and cats.
• Aircraft limits: no pets in cargo on most Airbus A319, A320 and A321 variants, except some New York JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco flights.

American Airlines Cargo warns that if a pet does not meet all of the destination country's requirements, it may be refused transport, quarantined or sent back to the United States at the owner's expense.

Government documents that sit behind the airline policy

An airline ticket for your pet does not clear it through customs. American's own pages point travelers to the CDC and USDA APHIS. The airline enforces their rules at check-in.

Leaving the U.S.: USDA APHIS export health certificates

USDA APHIS says you should contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian "as soon as you decide to travel." That vet helps you meet the destination country's entry rules and submits the health certificate to APHIS for endorsement through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS). APHIS stresses that destination countries set their own pet entry rules and can change them at any time, so check them every time you travel (APHIS, page last modified August 2026).

Returning to the U.S. with a dog: CDC rules

The CDC is the primary federal authority for dogs entering the United States, including U.S. dogs coming home. Under rules in effect since August 1, 2024, a dog that has been only in rabies-free or low-risk countries in the previous 6 months needs only a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. The form is free, needs one form per dog, and is valid for 6 months. These dogs must also be at least 6 months old, look healthy and carry a microchip readable by a universal scanner (CDC, 2024).

Dogs that have been in a CDC high-risk country, such as Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Peru, India or the Philippines, face stricter vaccination, titer and documentation requirements. American Airlines adds its own rule on top: it does not accept dogs as carry-on pets if they started in, or visited, a high-risk rabies country in the previous 6 months. Service dogs that meet CDC requirements are exempt. Plan for this carefully if you are flying between the U.S. and Latin America.

Mexico: the 2026 screwworm certificate

Mexico changed its rules for dogs on August 3, 2026. According to USDA APHIS (page modified September 2026), pet dogs going from the U.S. to Mexico need an NWS Inspection Certificate for Pet Dogs Moving (Exporting) from the United States to Mexico. NWS stands for New World screwworm, a parasitic fly. A USDA-accredited veterinarian must sign the certificate no more than 5 days before arrival. It does not need APHIS endorsement.

American Airlines says it checks this certificate at check-in, and that the rule also applies to service dogs. Pet cats still need no health certificate or NWS document for Mexico. They are inspected on arrival by Mexico's National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA).

The return trip has its own requirement. The AVMA explains that dogs and cats entering the U.S. from Mexico must meet USDA APHIS screwworm rules. That means a certificate from a full-time salaried official government veterinarian, dated within the previous 5 days. AVMA also notes that Mexico is not on the CDC's high-risk rabies list, so the CDC Dog Import Form still applies to dogs returning from Mexico.

European Union: pet passport vs. animal health certificate

The European Commission's Your Europe portal says dogs, cats and ferrets entering the EU from a non-EU country such as the U.S. need four things. First, an ISO-standard microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination. Second, a valid rabies vaccination, given at 12 weeks or older and followed by a wait of at least 21 days. Third, an EU animal health certificate issued by an official state veterinarian no more than 10 days before arrival. Fourth, a written declaration that the trip is non-commercial. Dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland also need a tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before travel.

The European pet passport is a different document. The Commission says it is issued only to owners resident in the EU and is used for travel between EU countries. Most American travelers will need the animal health certificate, not a pet passport.

Step-by-step: booking an international pet trip on American Airlines

1. Check the route. Confirm your destination allows carry-on pets on American (the Americas and the Caribbean only, minus the exclusions above). If not, plan for American Airlines Cargo.
2. Book a USDA-accredited veterinarian early. Some destinations require microchips, titer tests or waiting periods measured in weeks or months.
3. Add the pet to your reservation. On aa.com or the American app, open your trip, choose "Add carry-on pets" under Additional Services, and select the flights. Space is limited per aircraft.
4. Check codeshare segments. American says it does not collect pet fees for flights operated by other airlines, even with an American flight number. Each operating airline's rules and fees apply.
5. Get the destination's documents. Depending on the country, that means a USDA-endorsed health certificate, the EU animal health certificate or the Mexico NWS certificate.
6. Prepare the return paperwork before you leave. For dogs, file the CDC Dog Import Form. If the dog will be in a high-risk country, have a USDA-accredited vet complete the CDC's Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination before departure, because APHIS says it cannot be issued retroactively.
7. Pay at the airport. American takes pet fees by credit card or paper voucher at the ticket counter. Cash and checks are not accepted.

Where sources differ, and what to trust

The sources do not always line up exactly. American's main pets page describes the reach of carry-on travel loosely ("most flights up to 12 hours"), while its fee table names specific regions. Treat the fee table and the destination restrictions as the binding version.

AVMA notes that most airlines want a health certificate issued within 10 days of travel, while the CDC requires only the Dog Import Form for low-risk entries. Both can apply at once, because the airline and the government check different things.

How this differs from Animal Passport

Animal Passport is not an airline document, not an EU pet passport, and not a government-issued travel certificate. It is a digital animal and livestock passport that identifies an animal by its muzzle biometrics. A nose print is unique, much like a fingerprint. The owner captures it with a phone, and the record links the animal to its owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photograph, with a confidence score), body condition score (1 to 5, from a side-profile photo) and vaccination history.

We have seen why that kind of identity record matters in the field. In the August 2025 floods in Pakistan, Animal Passport was used in livestock rescue so farmers could reclaim animals after paper tags washed away. For airline travel, though, you still need the official documents described above: microchip records, a USDA-endorsed health certificate, the CDC Dog Import Form, or the EU animal health certificate. Read more about animal identification on the Animal Passport blog.