Pet Transport from Cambodia to United States
A pet leaving Phnom Penh for the US always changes planes at least once, commonly at Seoul Incheon or Hong Kong, both hubs with established live-animal cargo handling. For a dog, Cambodia’s high-risk classification for dog rabies adds …
The Cambodia to United States pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
Which United States rules depend on a pet coming from Cambodia?
The United States sorts countries into 2 groups, and Cambodia falls in “High-risk countries for dog rabies”.
Dog has been in one of these within 6 months: rabies vaccination mandatory. US-vaccinated dogs need USDA-endorsed CDC certification form; foreign-vaccinated dogs need foreign certification form, CDC-approved titre or 28-day quarantine, facility reservation and arrival at that facility's airport. Official source
These rules apply to that group, on top of the rules every pet follows:
- Quarantine: Without a valid titre, the dog is admitted only after 28 days' quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility; this can be shortened if criteria are met. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries without a valid titre.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Quarantine: All foreign-vaccinated high-risk dogs need a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility before entry, where they are examined and revaccinated with a US-licensed rabies vaccine. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Quarantine: The 28-day CDC facility quarantine may be shortened only if all of these are met: personal pet or service dog; documentation of at least 2 rabies vaccines; healthy on exam; the facility gets CDC approval for a prospective serologic monitoring (PSM) assessment; the dog gets a US-issued rabies vaccine under PSM; and a titre is obtained from a CDC-approved US lab (CDC FAQ updated 27 August 2026). Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries without a valid titre.
Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations, checked 2 October 2026 - Rabies titre test: Foreign-vaccinated high-risk dogs need a passing rabies serology titre from a CDC-approved laboratory; blood drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccine and at least 28 days before entry. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Rabies titre test: Passing titre results are valid for life while vaccination does not lapse and the lab remains approved. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Rabies titre test: Not required: US-vaccinated dogs returning from a high-risk country need valid (unexpired) documentation of a US-issued rabies vaccination, not a titre. If that documentation is invalid, the foreign-vaccinated rules (including titre or 28-day quarantine) apply. Applies to US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries.
Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations, checked 2 October 2026 - Health certificate: Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries need the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, completed by a vet and endorsed by an official government vet of the departure country. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Health certificate: That form must be completed no more than 30 days before travel, is single use and is valid 30 days from the vet's signature. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Health certificate: US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries need the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form, completed by a USDA-accredited vet and USDA-endorsed before the dog leaves the US (at least 28 days after a first vaccine). Page updated 28 April 2026. Applies to US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Health certificate: USDA-endorsed export health certificates issued after 31 July 2025 are no longer accepted for re-entry; the CDC certification form is needed instead. Applies to US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Rabies vaccination: For high-risk dogs the first rabies vaccine must be given at or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age; earlier vaccines are not accepted. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - How your pet may travel: Foreign-vaccinated high-risk dogs must arrive by air; only service dogs (14 CFR 382.3) may arrive by sea. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Arrival points and notice: Foreign-vaccinated high-risk dogs must arrive at the airport where their CDC-registered facility is. CDC list (updated 1 Sept 2026): Atlanta (ATL), Dallas (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), Seattle (SEA, cargo only), Washington DC (IAD). Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
CDC-registered Animal Care Facilities, checked 2 October 2026 - Arrival points and notice: There are no CDC-registered facilities in Alaska, Hawaii or US territories, so foreign-vaccinated high-risk dogs cannot enter the US through those places. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations, checked 2 October 2026 - Arrival points and notice: US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries may arrive at any airport, land border or seaport matching the receipt. Applies to US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Arrival points and notice: Foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months cannot enter at a land border crossing (Canada or Mexico). Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations, checked 2 October 2026 - Microchip: For dogs from high-risk countries the chip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine, otherwise the vaccine is invalid. Applies to foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries.
Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026
One rule for every pet entering the United States decides whether yours can travel at all:
- Minimum age: Every dog must be at least 6 months old on entry or return to the US.
Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries, checked 2 October 2026 - Minimum age: Not listed: cats. CDC's cat section requires only that cats appear healthy on arrival (they may be inspected, examined at the owner's cost if ill, or refused if they show a zoonotic disease); rabies vaccination proof is not required. APHIS states it has no animal health requirements for pet cats (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-import/cats). Neither sets a minimum age; destination states may.
Bringing an Animal into the U.S., checked 2 October 2026
The rules that apply to every pet entering the United States, whatever the origin, are listed with their official sources in our United States guide.
What does Cambodia require before your pet leaves?
We are still checking the export rules of Cambodia against official government pages, so they are not shown here yet.
What this route typically costs
Critical points to read before you book
The reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility is mandatory for every foreign-vaccinated dog, titre or no titre. Arriving without one risks refusal or a 28-day quarantine. Book it before you book flights.
The dog has to land at an airport where a CDC-registered facility is located, with no domestic US connection first. That decides your routing, so check the CDC's current facility list at cdc.gov/importation before choosing between Seoul and Hong Kong.
The blood draw must be at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before US entry. The second gap sets the earliest date the dog can land. Fix the blood draw date first, then book the flight.
The GDAHP export permit needs at least 6 weeks and involves in-person steps at GDAHP offices, so start it early and consider a registered Cambodian agent.
Flat-faced breeds may face seasonal restrictions or year-round embargoes with the carriers on this corridor, and several carriers serving the region refuse snub-nosed breeds outright. Temperature embargoes can also apply. Confirm acceptance with the airline before committing to dates.
There's no non-stop flight from Phnom Penh to the US. Seoul Incheon and Hong Kong are the strongest connecting hubs for live-animal handling, but only if the onward US airport has a CDC-registered facility.
None of the CDC dog rules apply to cats. A cat needs no CDC form, no titre test and no facility reservation.
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
Two ways in, and the one that catches people out
A dog vaccinated in Cambodia has two routes through the CDC’s high-risk pathway, and most guidance only describes the first.
The titre route: a rabies serology test at a CDC-approved laboratory, blood drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccination and at least 28 days before you enter the US. Both gaps bind, and the second one sets your earliest possible landing date, so fix the blood draw before you book a flight. With a valid result the dog is processed at the CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival and released the same day.
The quarantine route: no titre, and the dog stays 28 days at a CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival, at your cost. It cannot be collected early and cannot take a domestic US flight until the stay is complete.
What does not change between them is the facility. A foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country has to arrive at an airport that has a CDC-registered facility on site, titre or no titre, and cannot connect through another US city first. It also needs a reservation at that facility, booked in advance. The reservation is a condition of entry for every foreign-vaccinated dog, not a fallback for the ones that fail the titre, and arriving without one risks refusal or a 28-day quarantine. The CDC’s list of registered facilities changes, so check it at cdc.gov/importation and book the flights around that list rather than around your preferred airport.
Seoul or Hong Kong, and the breeds that get turned away
Korean Air Cargo’s Incheon hub and Cathay Pacific Cargo’s Hong Kong hub both have infrastructure built for live-animal transfers, which matters when a pet changes planes mid-journey. The hub is only half the decision though. The onward leg has to end at a US airport with a CDC-registered facility, so check that before you settle on a carrier.
Breed is the other thing that stops a booking, and it stops it at the cargo counter rather than at the border. Korean Air applies restrictions to flat-faced breeds that vary by season and route, up to year-round embargoes, and temperature embargoes can apply in extreme weather. Several carriers serving the region refuse snub-nosed breeds outright. If you have a Pug, a French Bulldog, a Boxer or a Persian, confirm acceptance in writing with the airline before you spend anything on the titre pathway.
Getting out of Cambodia: the GDAHP side
The US requirements get most of the attention, but the Cambodian export side is where timelines slip. The export permit comes from the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production, part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Allow at least 6 weeks, and expect in-person steps at GDAHP offices. Most owners work through a registered Cambodian pet transport agent for that reason.
Vet choice matters too. Not every practice in Phnom Penh has handled an international rabies serology submission, and a sample taken the wrong way or sent to the wrong laboratory means starting the 30-day and 28-day clocks again. Ask directly whether the practice has sent rabies serology samples to an approved laboratory abroad before.
The export health certificate is issued within 10 days of travel, so it is one of the last things to happen rather than one of the first.
Common questions about Cambodia to United States pet transport
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Sources
Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.
- CDC · United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dog import rules