Shipping a dog or cat from Bolivia to United States rewards owners who start planning early. Around 12-16 weeks is sensible here, with a few steps that must happen in a strict order. No routine quarantine applies as long as every …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Bolivia to United States
typically takes around 12-16 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test may be required depending on your pet's origin, so check the requirements below.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Bolivia to United States pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Confirm the dog is at least 12 weeks old, fit an ISO microchip, then administer or verify the primary rabies vaccination. Not required for cats.
Responsible: Your vet in Bolivia
Start of planning, 3-4 months before travel for dogs.
2
Draw blood for the rabies titer at least 30 days after vaccination, send to a CDC-approved laboratory, and confirm the result reaches 0.5 IU/ml. Skip for cats.
Responsible: Your vet and the CDC-approved laboratory
Around 2-3 months before travel.
3
Book a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility (Miami, JFK, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia or Washington Dulles) and confirm the airport your dog will actually land at matches it.
Responsible: You or your agent
6-8 weeks before travel, earlier if possible since some facilities ask for 21 days minimum notice.
4
Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online and print the receipt. It is valid for one entry only when arriving from a high-risk country.
Responsible: You, the shipper, or your agent
Once the flight is booked, at least a few weeks before travel.
5
Apply for the Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación through SENASAG.
Responsible: You or your agent
4-6 weeks before travel.
6
Book the flight, ideally the BoA nonstop from Santa Cruz Viru Viru into Miami, which lands directly at a CDC-registered facility airport.
Responsible: You or a pet transport agent
6-8 weeks before travel.
7
Obtain the SENASAG-endorsed health certificate close to travel and carry the titer report and CDC Dog Import Form receipt together on the day.
Responsible: SENASAG-endorsed vet
Within days of travel.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter United States
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
For dogs: an ISO-compatible microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination or the vaccination does not count for CDC purposes. Not federally required for cats. Source: CDC, cdc.gov/importation/dogs, updated 15 April 2026.
Rabies vaccination
Dogs only: first rabies vaccination at a minimum age of 12 weeks (84 days), given at least 28 days before the dog enters the US. Cats face no federal rabies vaccination requirement at all, a genuinely lighter path than the UK gives cats. Source: CDC.
Rabies titre test
Required for dogs. Bolivia is on the CDC's high-risk countries for dog rabies list, last updated 15 April 2026. Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before the dog enters the US, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory, result of 0.5 IU/ml or above. Not required for cats. Source: CDC.
Quarantine
None for a dog arriving with a valid titer and complete paperwork. A dog without a valid titer result faces a mandatory 28-day quarantine at the CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival, at the owner's cost. Cats are not subject to this rule. Source: CDC.
Import permit
CDC Dog Import Form completed online before travel, producing a receipt valid for a single entry when the dog is coming from a high-risk country. A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility is also mandatory, and the dog must land at the specific airport where that facility is based. Source: CDC, dog-import-form-instructions.html.
Health certificate
Health certificate from the SENASAG-endorsed vet in Bolivia, plus the completed CDC Dog Import Form receipt and the titer lab report, all presented together at arrival. Dogs must also be at least 6 months old at time of entry.
Export permit (Bolivia)
Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación issued by SENASAG (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria e Inocuidad Alimentaria), under REGENSA Chapter 7.3. Applied for in person at a SENASAG regional office. Source: senasag.gob.bo, 2026.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Rabies titer test at a CDC-approved laboratory (dogs only): USD 150-300
SENASAG export certificate and vet fees: USD 80-200
CDC Dog Import Form: no fee
CDC-registered animal care facility exam on arrival: USD 200-500, more if arriving outside normal hours
28-day quarantine if a dog lacks a valid titer: USD 2,500 or more, avoidable entirely with correct planning
IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 70-280
Direct BoA flight, Santa Cruz to Miami, pet in hold: USD 1,200-2,800 depending on crate size and season
Agent and handling fees: USD 250-500
Total typical range for a dog with a valid titer: USD 1,900-4,200
Critical points to read before you book
Bolivia is on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, last confirmed 15 April 2026. Skip the titer test or get the timing wrong and your dog faces a mandatory 28-day quarantine on arrival, easily adding USD 2,500 or more to the cost. This applies to dogs only, cats are unaffected.
A foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country can only enter the US through one of six airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility: Miami, JFK, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia or Washington Dulles. Book a flight that lands anywhere else and your dog cannot legally clear entry there, regardless of how good the paperwork is.
BoA's cargo hold policy excludes brachycephalic dogs and cats entirely. A flat-faced pet on this route needs a different carrier or an alternative connecting itinerary through Panama or Bogotá, checked with each carrier separately.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
BOLIVIANA DE
Boliviana de Aviación
Operates the only nonstop flight between Bolivia and the US, Santa Cruz Viru Viru (VVI) to Miami International (MIA), a route it has run for several years. Miami is itself one of only six US airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility, so a dog arriving on this direct service lands exactly where CDC clearance happens. BoA publishes its own international pet fee and excludes brachycephalic dogs and cats from the cargo hold. Confirm current hold-space availability before booking.
Passenger Hold
COPA AIRLINES
Copa Airlines
Serves Santa Cruz Viru Viru with connections through its Panama City (PTY) hub to numerous US cities. Useful if your nearest CDC-registered facility airport is not Miami, though a two-leg itinerary means confirming pet acceptance on both segments.
Passenger Hold
AVIANCA
Avianca
Also serves Santa Cruz Viru Viru with connections via Bogotá (BOG) into the US. As with Copa, treat this as a two-leg pet booking and confirm both carriers separately.
Passenger Hold
AMERICAN
American Airlines
Does not currently operate direct service into Bolivia. Relevant mainly for the onward domestic leg if your dog's CDC-registered facility airport differs from where an international flight actually lands. Confirm codeshare and connection arrangements with a specialist rather than booking blind.
Passenger Hold
Meeting United States's entry requirements
Bringing a pet into United States involves a fair amount of documentation. Keep everything organised and check each item against the current requirements before you book.
Advice worth following
Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.
Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
Book the titre test laboratory well ahead. Approved labs have limited slots and the sample takes time to process, so this is not something to leave to the final weeks.
FAQ
Common questions about Bolivia to United States pet transport
Yes. Bolivia appears on the CDC’s high-risk countries for dog rabies list, last confirmed 15 April 2026. That triggers a rabies titer test, a mandatory reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and entry restricted to one of six specific US airports. This applies to dogs only, cats are not on this list at all.
No, and the gap is significant. Cats have no federal rabies vaccination or titer requirement for entering the US. They need a general health certificate and standard airline paperwork. Dogs face the full high-risk-country process: microchip, vaccination timing, titer test, CDC Dog Import Form, and a CDC-registered facility reservation.
Only six: Miami (MIA), JFK in New York, Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), Philadelphia (PHL) and Washington Dulles (IAD), because these are the only airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility. A dog on this route must land at the specific airport matching its facility reservation. Miami works well since it is also where the only nonstop flight from Bolivia currently lands.
For a dog with a valid titer test, budget roughly USD 1,900 to USD 4,200 all-in, covering the titer test, SENASAG paperwork, the CDC-registered facility exam, the crate, the flight and agent fees. Skip the titer or get the timing wrong and a 28-day quarantine adds USD 2,500 or more. Cats cost less overall since the CDC-specific fees do not apply to them.
Airline guides
Boliviana de Aviación
Copa Airlines
Avianca
American Airlines
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.