How to Bring a Dog Into the US: CDC and USDA APHIS Rules Explained

To bring a dog into the US, every owner must submit a free CDC Dog Import Form before travel, and the dog must be at least 6 months old, carry a microchip readable by a universal scanner, and appear healthy on arrival. Dogs that spent the prior 6 months only in countries the CDC classifies as rabies-free or low-risk need nothing else; dogs arriving from roughly 150 higher-risk countries face additional vaccination paperwork and lab testing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Who Actually Regulates Dog Imports: CDC or USDA APHIS?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the lead federal agency for importing dogs into the United States, not the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). APHIS states plainly on its own site that its Veterinary Services program "has requirements only if your dog is coming from a country affected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or screwworm," and that CDC rules apply on top of, not instead of, any APHIS steps (USDA APHIS, 2026). A separate USDA APHIS program, Animal Care, has its own import-permit requirement, but only for dogs brought in for commercial resale or adoption — not for personal pets.

The Current Rule: What Changed on August 1, 2024

On August 1, 2024, the CDC replaced a patchwork of country-specific paperwork with one universal document: the CDC Dog Import Form. The agency's press release explains the goal was to "protect the health of U.S. communities and animals and prevent the re-introduction of dog rabies to the United States" while cutting paperwork for low-risk travel (CDC, 2024). As of September 2026, this remains the operative framework — every dog entering or returning to the US needs the form, and the specific add-on requirements depend on where the dog has been in the previous 6 months.

Requirements for Every Dog, Regardless of Origin

The CDC lists four baseline requirements that apply no matter which country a dog is arriving from:

• CDC Dog Import Form: a free online form; each dog needs a separate submission, and the confirmation receipt (printed or shown on a phone) must be presented on arrival.
• Minimum age: the dog must be at least 6 months old at the time of entry or return.
• Microchip: a microchip of any brand, as long as it is detectable with a universal scanner.
• Healthy appearance: the dog must appear healthy to CDC or Customs and Border Protection officials at the port of entry.

The CDC Dog Import Form receipt is valid for 6 months from submission and can cover multiple entries into the US during that window, according to CDC guidance.

Low-Risk vs. High-Risk Countries: What's Different

The CDC maintains a list of roughly 150 countries and territories it classifies as high-risk for dog-mediated rabies. Where a dog has spent time in the 6 months before travel determines which set of rules applies.

Source for this comparison: CDC, Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries, and CDC, Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations, both accessed September 2026.

Step-by-Step: How to Bring a Dog Into the US

1. Check your dog's travel history for the past 6 months. If it has only been in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries, you likely only need the CDC form. If it spent any time in a high-risk country, plan several months ahead for vaccination and titer testing.
2. Confirm your dog is at least 6 months old and microchipped with a universal-scanner-readable chip. For high-risk-country dogs, the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine, or the vaccination will not count, per CDC.
3. Submit the CDC Dog Import Form online before travel and save the confirmation receipt.
4. If arriving from a high-risk country, have a veterinarian complete the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, obtain a valid rabies titer result from a CDC-approved lab, and book a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility at the port of entry.
5. If your dog is US-vaccinated but traveled to a high-risk country, get a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian before you leave the US.
6. Check for foot-and-mouth disease or screwworm country rules. USDA APHIS Veterinary Services requires dogs from FMD-affected countries to be bathed on arrival and kept away from livestock for 5 days, and dogs from screwworm-affected regions to carry a veterinary certificate showing inspection within 5 days of shipment.
7. Check destination state rules. As the importer, you are responsible for meeting the entry requirements of the US state or territory you are traveling to, in addition to federal rules, per USDA APHIS.

Commercial Imports Are Different

If a dog is being imported for resale, adoption through a rescue pipeline, or other commercial purpose rather than as a personal pet, USDA APHIS Animal Care requires a separate import permit, plus its own health certifications, on top of whatever CDC and APHIS Veterinary Services require (USDA APHIS, 2026). This is a common trip-up for rescue organizations moving dogs in bulk, since the personal-pet CDC process alone is not sufficient.

Don't Confuse This With EU Pet Passports or Airline Rules

The CDC Dog Import Form and USDA APHIS rules above govern dogs entering the United States. They are entirely separate from the European Union's Pet Travel Scheme, which uses an EU pet passport and applies to movement within and into the EU, and from individual airline pet-carriage policies, which are contractual rules set by each carrier, not federal law. If you are taking a dog out of the US to another country, check that country's official import rules and, separately, your airline's pet policy — the US entry rules described here do not apply in reverse.

How This Differs From Livestock Identity Tools

The CDC and USDA APHIS rules above are about crossing a national border with a pet dog. That is a different problem from identifying and recordkeeping for livestock, which is where products like Animal Passport operate. Animal Passport is a phone-based digital identity record for farm animals that uses a muzzle photograph — each animal's nose print is unique, similar to a human fingerprint — to bind an owner, breed, estimated age from a dental photo, and a body condition score from a side-profile photo to a single record, along with vaccination history. It is not a government travel document and does not replace a CDC Dog Import Form, a USDA APHIS permit, or any other official import paperwork. Its practical value has shown up in different contexts, such as flood recovery: in Pakistan's August 2025 floods, farmers used muzzle-based digital records to reclaim livestock after paper ear tags were washed away. Readers managing farm or working animals rather than pet travel can find more on this approach on the Animal Passport blog.

Common Mistakes That Cause Denied Entry

• Microchipping after vaccination. For high-risk-country dogs, if the chip goes in after the rabies shot, the vaccination doesn't count toward the certificate — the dog needs to be re-vaccinated.
• Assuming the form is optional for short trips. The CDC Dog Import Form is required for every entry or return, including day trips and connecting flights that touch US soil.
• Forgetting a separate form per dog. Traveling with two dogs means two CDC Dog Import Form submissions, not one.
• Skipping the titer test window. Rabies titer results from a CDC-approved lab can take weeks to process; last-minute travelers from high-risk countries are the most common group denied entry or forced into a CDC-registered animal care facility for observation.
• Ignoring state-level rules. Meeting federal CDC and APHIS requirements does not automatically satisfy the destination state's own animal health rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a CDC Dog Import Form even if my dog was born in the US?

Yes. The CDC requires the form for every dog entering or returning to the United States, regardless of where the dog was born, as long as it is crossing the US border.

Is there a fee for the CDC Dog Import Form?

No. The CDC Dog Import Form is free to submit online, and each dog needs its own separate submission.

How old does my dog need to be to enter the US?

At least 6 months old at the time of entry or return, per CDC rules that apply to all dogs regardless of country of origin.

What counts as a high-risk country for dog rabies?

The CDC maintains a specific list of roughly 150 countries and territories it considers high-risk for dog-mediated rabies virus variants; dogs that spent any time there in the past 6 months face extra vaccination, titer testing, and port-of-entry requirements.

Does USDA APHIS or the CDC handle dog imports?

The CDC is the lead agency for dog imports. USDA APHIS Veterinary Services only adds requirements for dogs from countries affected by foot-and-mouth disease or screwworm, and USDA APHIS Animal Care separately handles permits for dogs imported commercially for resale or adoption.

Can I use the CDC Dog Import Form for more than one trip?

Yes. The confirmation receipt is valid for 6 months from submission and can cover multiple entries into the US within that period.

Is a US CDC dog import requirement the same as an EU pet passport?

No. The CDC Dog Import Form and USDA APHIS rules apply only to dogs entering the United States. The EU Pet Travel Scheme and its EU pet passport are a separate system governing movement into and within the European Union and do not apply to US entry.

Does a livestock ID tool like Animal Passport satisfy any CDC or USDA dog import requirement?

No. Animal Passport is a biometric identity record for farm animals using muzzle prints, vaccination history, and condition scoring; it is not a government-issued travel document and does not replace the CDC Dog Import Form, rabies certificates, or any USDA APHIS permit.