CDC Dog Import Form: How to Complete It and Enter the United States

The CDC Dog Import Form is a free online declaration the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires for every dog entering or returning to the United States. As of August 2026, file one form per dog, verify your email, and show the receipt to the airline and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Low-risk dogs also need a microchip, six months of age, and a healthy appearance; high-risk dogs need extra vaccination paperwork.

This explainer is published by Animal Passport and last updated 19 August 2026. It summarizes official CDC, CBP, and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) guidance. It is not legal advice, not a veterinary diagnosis, and not a substitute for CDC’s current Dog Import Form instructions.

What is the CDC Dog Import Form?

The CDC Dog Import Form is CDC’s importer-completed web filing that generates a receipt airlines and CBP check when a live dog arrives in the United States. CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) states on its April 2026 instructions page that a form is required for each dog, including U.S.-origin dogs coming back.

CDC’s 22 July 2024 media statement said the rule exists to prevent reintroduction of dog-mediated rabies. CBP noted in June 2024 that the dog rabies variant was eliminated in the United States in 2007.

When the rule goes into effect on August 1, 2024 [at 12:00am ET], dogs that have spent the prior six months only in dog rabies-free or low-risk rabies countries will be able to enter the United States with a CDC Import Form online submission receipt as acceptable documentation. — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 July 2024

The archival CDC STACKS copy lists Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 0920-1383, expiring 31 May 2027. CDC refreshed the web system on 5 February 2026 and said the update changed the look of the receipt, not the importation requirements. Older receipts remain acceptable if accurate and unexpired, according to CDC’s April 2026 instructions.

Who must complete it?

CDC says the importer, owner, or shipper should complete the form. That person may be the owner, a shipper (consignor), a “flight parent” moving dogs for rescue, resale, or adoption, or any other person bringing a dog in. If the importer cannot complete it because of a disability, CDC’s FAQ page (28 April 2026) allows a family member, travel companion, or airline staff to act on their behalf, and lists CDC-INFO at 800-232-4636 (TTY 888-232-6348). There is no CDC limit on how many dogs one person may bring, but each dog needs its own form.

How to complete the CDC Dog Import Form

Start on CDC’s official instructions page and open the current online form from that page. Archived 2024 PDFs still point to an older URL; CDC replaced the web system on 5 February 2026.

1. Confirm whether the dog has been in a high-risk country for dog rabies in the past six months using CDC’s High-Risk Countries list (15 April 2026). If a country is not listed, CDC treats it as dog rabies-free or low-risk.
2. Complete Section A with the importer’s name, date of birth, and one identifier: passport, driver’s license, or air waybill or bill of lading number. Enter the email that should receive the receipt. For shared ownership on a low-risk filing, CDC allows one consignee or additional owner.
3. Complete Section B with the dog’s name, age, sex, breed (or mixed breed/other), and color and markings. Choose an importation purpose: Personal Pet (CDC includes emotional support animals here), Commercial, Service animal (only if the dog meets 14 CFR 382.3), Government-owned, or Education, Exhibition, or Research.
4. For a high-risk dog, enter the microchip number as it appears on official veterinary documents, and upload a face-and-body photo as a .jpg, .jpeg, or .png file of 10 MB or smaller. CDC’s April 2026 instructions say dogs under one year old should have that photo taken within 15 days before U.S. arrival.
5. Complete Section C travel details. Low-risk filings ask for travel type, country of departure, and an arrival date (CDC allows an earliest approximate date). High-risk filings also require the arrival port, countries visited in the prior six months, and carrier details.
6. Read Section D attestations. CDC warns that the statements may subject the signer to penalties, including criminal penalties. Type your legal name and today’s date as dd/mm/yyyy, or type “[your name] on behalf of [importer]” if you are an agent, then submit.
7. Watch email, including spam. CDC says a verification message arrives within a few minutes from 1cdpwebsurvey@cdc.gov. After you confirm the address, CDC says you should receive the receipt within 15 minutes of the initial submission.
8. Save the receipt. Show it to the airline before boarding if the dog is traveling by air, and keep it available for CBP on arrival. A printed copy or a phone display is acceptable, according to CDC.

CDC’s low-risk entry page (22 July 2024) says you may complete the form on the day of travel and recommends doing so a few days, or up to six months, beforehand. For high-risk travel, CDC recommends completing it a few days before travel and requires a new form if the arrival date or port changes. CDC’s air-carrier page (7 April 2026) states there is no charge to the importer.

How long is the receipt valid?

Validity depends on the dog’s six-month travel history, not on the owner’s citizenship.

Dog rabies-free or low-risk countries

CDC’s low-risk entry page (22 July 2024) states that, starting 1 August 2024, the CDC Dog Import Form is the only required documentation for dogs that have been only in those countries for the past six months. The receipt is valid for six months from issuance unless the dog visits a high-risk country or a different low-risk country than the one listed as the country of departure. CDC’s example: a Canada receipt can be reused for Canada–U.S. trips until it expires; a later trip departing from France needs a new receipt listing France. The same rule applies to Mexico. CDC’s air-carrier guidance adds that the low-risk receipt is the shorter version without a photo and does not list a port of entry. Those dogs may arrive at any airport (including Preclearance), seaport, or land border crossing.

High-risk countries

CDC’s U.S.-vaccinated high-risk page (28 April 2026) and foreign-vaccinated page (22 July 2024) both state that the high-risk receipt is valid for a single entry, only on the listed arrival date and port. CDC’s air-carrier page describes this receipt as the longer version with a photo and microchip number. If travel details change, CDC tells importers to submit a new form.

CDC Dog Import Form compared with other U.S. dog papers

The CDC Dog Import Form does not replace vaccination certificates or an animal-care-facility reservation.

The AVMA’s veterinarian FAQ, written after the 1 August 2024 CDC rule, stresses that the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form is not a local rabies tag certificate. AVMA and CDC agree that USDA-endorsed export health certificates issued after 31 July 2025 no longer satisfy CDC re-entry rules; certificates issued on or before that date may still be reused if they meet CDC’s content tests.

What else every dog needs besides the form

CDC’s FAQ page (28 April 2026) and CBP’s 10 June 2024 traveler notice list four baseline conditions for all dogs: appear healthy upon arrival; be at least 6 months old; have a microchip detectable with a universal scanner; and travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt.

AVMA reports CDC’s rationale for the six-month age floor: dogs cannot be effectively vaccinated against rabies before 12 weeks of age and are not considered fully vaccinated until 28 days later. CDC’s air-carrier page says airlines do not need to scan chips, and the low-risk receipt does not display the microchip number even though the dog must still have a chip. For high-risk dogs, CDC’s FAQ says the chip number must appear on all required documents; if it cannot be scanned on arrival, the dog may be denied entry and returned at the importer’s expense. The chip must be implanted before the qualifying rabies vaccine, or CDC treats that vaccine as invalid.

High-risk extra steps the form does not replace

CDC’s High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies list (15 April 2026) names more than 100 countries and political units; Mexico is not on that list. Unvaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the prior six months are not allowed to enter, according to CDC (1 August 2024).

For U.S.-vaccinated dogs returning from a high-risk country, CDC’s 28 April 2026 page requires two documents: the CDC Dog Import Form receipt and the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form. A USDA-accredited veterinarian completes the Certification in USDA’s Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) before the dog leaves the United States. First vaccines must be given at or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age, and the Certification for a first vaccine must be completed at least 28 days after that shot. Booster vaccines are valid immediately if coverage has not lapsed. Fees are set by the veterinarian and USDA, not by the CDC form.

For foreign-vaccinated dogs from a high-risk country, CDC’s 22 July 2024 page also requires a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form; a valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory or a 28-day quarantine reservation; a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility (ACF); and arrival by air at that facility’s airport. Those dogs cannot enter at a land border. CDC says there are currently no CDC-registered ACFs in Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. territories. All ACF costs are the importer’s responsibility.

CDC, USDA APHIS, and CBP

CDC is the lead U.S. public-health authority for dog rabies at the border. The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and CBP enforce other animal-health and customs rules. CDC’s Bringing a Dog into the U.S. page (1 August 2024) tells importers they must also comply with USDA and destination-state rules, including extra USDA requirements for commercial resale.

That split matters at the southern border. Mexico is not on CDC’s April 2026 high-risk dog-rabies list, so CDC’s rabies paperwork for a Mexico–U.S. crossing is typically the CDC Dog Import Form plus age, chip, and health checks. CBP’s 26 June 2026 release reminds travelers that dogs crossing from Mexico—including U.S.-origin dogs returning—must also meet USDA APHIS New World screwworm rules: a certificate from a full-time salaried official government veterinarian stating the dog was inspected for screwworm within five days before shipment and was free of it, or was treated until free. CDC and CBP are not contradicting each other on rabies; they are regulating different diseases. CDC’s FAQ also states that dogs entering at a land border must meet CDC rules even if they stay in the vehicle and do not overnight in the United States.

What airlines will check

CDC’s 7 April 2026 air-carrier page requires airlines to confirm, before boarding any dog including a service dog, that the animal appears healthy, appears at least six months old, has a microchip, and has a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. If a passenger lacks the receipt at the gate, CDC says the form can be completed on a phone before boarding. Missing documents, or a high-risk foreign-vaccinated dog booked to the wrong airport, should lead the airline to deny boarding and send the customer to www.cdc.gov/dogtravel. Airlines must also create an air waybill for each dog unless CDC has granted a waiver; CBP may still require a waybill.

This form is not an Animal Passport and not an EU pet passport

The CDC Dog Import Form is a U.S. government public-health receipt. It is not a European Union pet passport, not a United Kingdom PETS travel document, and not a livestock identity credential.

Animal Passport is a separate digital animal and livestock passport that uses muzzle biometrics (a nose print unique like a fingerprint). Capture is phone-based. The record binds owner, breed, estimated age, body condition, and vaccination history; age is estimated from a dental photograph with a confidence score, and body condition is scored 1–5 from a side-profile photo. The product was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan in August 2025 so farmers could reclaim animals when paper tags washed away. It is not issued by CDC, USDA APHIS, or CBP, and it does not authorize a dog to board a flight or cross a U.S. port of entry. For more livestock-identity reporting, see Animal Passport blogs.

Common filing mistakes

• Using one receipt for two dogs. CDC requires a separate form for each dog.
• Reusing a low-risk receipt after the dog visits a different country of departure or a high-risk country.
• Treating a clinic rabies certificate as the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form. CDC and AVMA say those are different documents, and the Certification cannot be issued after the dog has left the United States.
• Uploading a high-risk photo that is too old (CDC: under one year of age, within 15 days of arrival) or in an unsupported format.
• Listing a port that does not match the flight. High-risk receipts are port-specific.
• Assuming Mexico needs only the CDC form. CBP’s June 2026 screwworm reminder adds an APHIS veterinary inspection certificate.

If the receipt never arrives, CDC’s instructions tell you to confirm the email address, check spam for 1cdpwebsurvey@cdc.gov, and allow up to 15 minutes after verification. As of August 2026, CDC has not announced a further change to the 1 August 2024 import rule beyond the 5 February 2026 receipt redesign. Recheck CDC’s instructions before each trip.