Relocating a pet from Botswana to United States follows a clear path once you understand what United States asks for. This route sits at the strict end, and about 12-16 weeks of preparation is realistic. Pets with correct documentation skip …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Botswana 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 Botswana 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 microchip is implanted and scanning, then administer the rabies vaccination for dogs. Cats need no CDC vaccination but should stay current per DVS's own paperwork.
Responsible: Vet in Botswana
Start of planning, at least 10-12 weeks before travel.
2
Draw blood at least 30 days after vaccination for the rabies titre test, sent to a CDC-approved laboratory.
Responsible: Vet and the CDC-approved laboratory
Roughly 8-10 weeks before travel.
3
Once a passing result is confirmed, complete the CDC Dog Import Form and book a reservation at the CDC-registered animal care facility at Atlanta or another eligible arrival airport.
Responsible: Owner
As soon as the titre result is confirmed, and always before the flight.
4
Apply to DVS for the export permit and arrange the DVS-endorsed health certificate, plus internal and external parasite treatment.
Responsible: Owner or a Botswana-based agent
4-6 weeks before travel.
5
Book the Gaborone to Johannesburg leg (Airlink or Air Botswana) and the connecting Delta nonstop into Atlanta, or another CDC-registered gateway.
Responsible: Owner or agent, with the airline's cargo desk
4-6 weeks before travel.
6
Collect the DVS-endorsed health certificate, valid only 10 days before travel.
Responsible: DVS-registered vet in Botswana
Within 10 days of travel.
7
Arrive at the CDC-registered facility airport in the US. If the titre result wasn't passing, the 28-day quarantine begins here.
Responsible: CDC-registered facility staff and CBP
Day of arrival.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter United States of America
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
Required before the rabies vaccination for dogs, since Botswana is on the CDC's high-risk country list for dog rabies. A universal-scanner-readable microchip implanted after the vaccine means the vaccine does not count toward entry. Source: CDC, Bringing a Dog into the United States, page updated 15 April 2026.
Rabies vaccination
Required for dogs, with the first dose given no earlier than 12 weeks old. Cats face no federal CDC rabies vaccination requirement, only a general health check on arrival. Source: cdc.gov/importation.
Rabies titre test
Required for a dog travelling on a Botswana-issued vaccination certificate. Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before the flight lands in the US, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory. A dog without a passing result isn't turned away outright, but must complete a 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility instead. Source: CDC, Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, cdc.gov, 2026.
Quarantine
None for a dog arriving with a valid passing titre and a completed CDC Dog Import Form. Without the titre, a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility applies, at the owner's cost. Cats face no CDC quarantine requirement.
Import permit
CDC Dog Import Form, a free form completed online by the owner before travel, one per dog, with a current photograph. A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility must also be booked before departure, since Botswana is high-risk. There is no equivalent CDC form for cats.
Health certificate
CDC does not itself demand a Botswana-endorsed export certificate for entry, but airlines generally still want a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel, and a US Customs and Border Protection officer can refuse entry to any animal that appears unwell regardless of paperwork.
Export permit (Botswana)
Standalone export permit from the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), issued separately from the health certificate. Typically processed in 3 to 5 working days. Source: gov.bw, 2026.
Costs
What this route typically costs
DVS export permit and Botswana vet fees: USD 100-220
Rabies titre test at a CDC-approved laboratory, plus international courier for the sample: USD 150-300
Botswana health certificate: USD 100-250
IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 150-400
Cargo fare, Gaborone to a CDC-registered US gateway via Johannesburg, most directly Atlanta on Delta: USD 2,000-3,500 depending on crate size and season
CDC-registered facility fee if the 28-day quarantine option applies: set individually by each facility, get a written quote before booking
Total typical range for a compliant dog with a passing titre: USD 2,600-4,800
Critical points to read before you book
Botswana's high-risk status on the CDC's dog rabies list means the microchip-before-vaccine sequence, the titre test from a CDC-approved lab, and arrival at a CDC-registered facility airport with a reservation booked in advance are not optional extras. Miss any one of the three and the likely outcome is a 28-day quarantine, or your dog being refused boarding by the airline in the first place.
CDC rules block domestic connections after a high-risk-country arrival: the flight has to land at the airport where the reserved facility sits. Delta's daily Johannesburg to Atlanta nonstop happens to solve this cleanly, since Atlanta is itself one of the six eligible airports.
Cats get a far lighter federal rule than dogs, with no CDC rabies vaccination or titre test mandated. That doesn't mean no paperwork: DVS's export requirements and most airlines' own health certificate rules still apply to cats in full.
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.
AIRLINK
Airlink
Regional carrier connecting Sir Seretse Khama International (GBE) to O.R. Tambo, Johannesburg (JNB), the first leg for every long-haul pet booking out of Botswana. Runs multiple times daily alongside Air Botswana.
Cargo Only
DELTA AIR
Delta Air Lines
Operates the only nonstop flight between South Africa and the United States, Johannesburg to Atlanta, daily. Atlanta is also one of the six US airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility, so a Botswana-origin dog routed this way lands exactly where the facility reservation needs to be, with no domestic connection required afterward.
Cargo Only
AIR BOTSWANA
Air Botswana
Alternative first-leg carrier on the GBE to JNB sector. Confirm live animal acceptance and current cargo capacity directly before booking.
Cargo Only
How United States handles incoming pets
United States runs a strict import regime, so every document is checked closely on arrival. Build your plan around the fixed waiting periods, because they set the pace for everything else.
What experienced owners do
Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.
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.
FAQ
Common questions about Botswana to United States pet transport
Yes. The CDC’s high-risk countries list for dog rabies includes Botswana, confirmed on the CDC page updated 15 April 2026. That triggers the full foreign-vaccinated-dog pathway: microchip before vaccination, a titre test from a CDC-approved laboratory, and arrival at a US airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility.
Atlanta. Delta runs the only nonstop flight between South Africa and the United States, a daily Johannesburg to Atlanta service, and Atlanta is one of only six airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility. Routing this way avoids booking a separate domestic connection with a live animal after the long-haul leg.
Your dog can still enter the US, but must complete a 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival, at your cost. Timing the blood draw correctly, at least 30 days after vaccination and 28 days before your flight, avoids this outcome.
No. Cats face no CDC rabies vaccination or titre test requirement at all. Botswana’s own DVS export permit and health certificate still apply to cats, and airlines generally still want a standard veterinary health certificate, but the federal US side is far lighter for cats than for dogs.
Airline guides
Airlink
Delta Air Lines
Air Botswana
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.
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