Pet Transport from Bosnia and Herzegovina to United States

Getting a pet from Bosnia and Herzegovina to United States is a step by step process, and each stage has its own timing. This is one of the more straightforward routes, and roughly …

6-10 wks

Preparation needed

None

Quarantine on arrival

Low

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

6-10 weeks

Quarantine

None

Route complexity

Low

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from Bosnia and Herzegovina to United States typically takes around 6-10 weeks. There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets. A rabies titre test is not required.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

Before any vaccination, ideally

Microchip your dog (cats do not need one federally, but it's good practice)

Responsible: BiH vet

Whenever suits your schedule; there is no fixed US waiting period for low-risk dogs

Rabies vaccination for dogs (strongly recommended, not mandatory)

Responsible: BiH vet

Before travel. Free, and valid for 6 months for multiple entries.

Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online (dogs only)

Responsible: Owner

3-5 weeks ahead

Book a pet-carrying flight via Istanbul, Frankfurt, or Vienna

Responsible: Owner or agent

Close to travel, per the airline's own requirement

General veterinary health certificate for the airline

Responsible: BiH vet

On travel date; low-risk dogs can land at any airport, seaport, or land border

Travel and US arrival

Responsible: Airline cargo, then CBP

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

Microchip

Required for dogs, ideally before the rabies vaccination. No federal microchip requirement for cats.

Rabies vaccination

Strongly recommended but not required by the CDC for dogs from a low-risk country, which includes Bosnia and Herzegovina. No requirement at all for cats.

Rabies titre test

Not required. Bosnia and Herzegovina does not appear on the CDC's high-risk countries for dog rabies list (source: CDC, High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies, page last updated 15 April 2026, checked 17 July 2026), so dogs enter under the standard low-risk pathway with just the CDC Dog Import Form.

Quarantine

No quarantine required. Low-risk classification means dogs can arrive at any US airport, seaport, or land border crossing with the CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Cats face no equivalent process at all.

Import permit

No formal import permit for dogs or cats. The CDC Dog Import Form, free and completed online, is the only registration step, and it applies to dogs only.

Health certificate

No standalone US health certificate requirement for dogs from a low-risk country or for cats. The CDC Dog Import Form receipt covers dogs; airlines will still want a general veterinary health certificate for the flight itself.

Export permit

Not formally required for a pet travelling with its owner.

Veterinary inspection

Inspection by the Border Veterinary Inspection Department, part of the Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Ured za veterinarstvo BiH), close to departure.

Government endorsement

State Veterinary Office endorsement, typically within 2 to 3 working days (source: Veterinary Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, vet.gov.ba, checked 17 July 2026).

Health certificate

Certificate from a licensed BiH vet. For dogs, this doubles as the supporting document if you choose to also complete a US-style rabies certification; for cats, a basic health certificate is generally all that's needed for the airline.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your Bosnia and Herzegovina to United States move gets missed.

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Airlines

Carriers on this route

Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.

Turkish Airlines

Via Istanbul, one of the best-connected hubs from Sarajevo, with an extensive Turkish Airlines network into the US including New York and Washington. Cats and dogs can travel in the cabin or as cargo.

Cabin and Cargo

Lufthansa

Via Frankfurt, onward to several US gateway cities. Frankfurt, not Munich, is the hub that can handle a connecting cargo pet. Brachycephalic breeds are excluded from the hold.

Cabin and Cargo

Austrian Airlines

Via Vienna, a regular Sarajevo connection. Austrian's own long-haul network to the US has narrowed in recent years, so onward US travel typically continues on a Star Alliance partner rather than an Austrian-operated flight; confirm the operating carrier for the transatlantic leg at booking.

Cabin and Cargo

Costs

What this route typically costs

Cargo or cabin fee Sarajevo to a US hub via Istanbul, Frankfurt or Vienna: $500 to $1,600 depending on carrier, class and crate size

General veterinary health certificate: $50 to $120

IATA-compliant travel crate: $80 to $350

CDC Dog Import Form: free

Pet transport agent fee (optional on this route, given the light paperwork): $200 to $600

Total typical range: $650 to $2,300

Critical points

This is one of the least document-heavy routes covered on this site. Do not accept a quote for a rabies titre test or a CDC facility quarantine; neither applies, since Bosnia and Herzegovina is not CDC high-risk.

Rabies vaccination is optional under federal rules for a low-risk-origin dog, but nearly every airline will still ask for one, along with a general veterinary health certificate, so don't skip it on the assumption the CDC doesn't need it.

Cats have essentially no federal requirements at all. If you're only shipping a cat, most of the process below does not apply to you.

There is no direct Sarajevo to US flight. Confirm which carrier actually operates the transatlantic leg of your booking, particularly if routing via Vienna, since Austrian's own long-haul network to the US is smaller than it once was.

The rules for bringing a pet into United States

United States has a modest set of rules compared with stricter destinations. Get the essentials in place and confirm the finer points below.

How to keep this move on track

If this is your first international move, consider an IPATA-registered pet transport agent. They handle the documents, airline booking and crate sizing, and can troubleshoot problems.

Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.

Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.

Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.

FAQ

Common questions

No. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not on the CDC’s high-risk countries for dog rabies list, so your dog enters under the low-risk pathway: microchip, CDC Dog Import Form, and in practice a general vet health certificate for the airline. No titre test, no quarantine.

Not by the CDC. For a dog coming from a low-risk country like Bosnia and Herzegovina, rabies vaccination is strongly recommended but not federally mandated. Almost every airline will still want proof of one, though, so don’t skip it purely because the CDC rule doesn’t require it.

Almost nothing at the federal level. Cats have no CDC or USDA APHIS import requirements for entry into the US. You’ll still need airline paperwork and a general health certificate for the flight, and it’s worth checking your destination US state for any state-level rules, but the federal process for a cat is close to nonexistent.

No. You’ll connect through a European hub, most practically Istanbul with Turkish Airlines or Frankfurt with Lufthansa, both of which carry pets on the connecting leg. Vienna with Austrian Airlines is an option too, though the transatlantic leg on that routing often ends up operated by a Star Alliance partner rather than Austrian itself, so confirm the operating carrier before booking.

Six to ten weeks is realistic for most pets. There’s no mandatory waiting period behind that figure, unlike high-risk-origin routes; it’s mostly the time needed to book a pet-carrying connecting flight, get the airline’s health certificate sorted close to travel, and complete the CDC Dog Import Form.

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Airline guides

Turkish Airlines
Lufthansa
Austrian Airlines

Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

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Pet Transport from Bosnia and Herzegovina to United States

The import process, in full

What your pet needs

Carriers on this route

What this route typically costs

Critical points

The rules for bringing a pet into United States

How to keep this move on track

Common questions

Move your pet

Airline guides

Breed guides

Get a free pet transport quote