Pet Transport Colombia to USA: CDC High-Risk Requirements for 2026
Dogs from Colombia enter the USA on the CDC high-risk pathway: a titre test or 28 days in a registered facility, and either way the dog lands only at an airport that hosts one. …
The import process, in full
Responsible: Your vet
Responsible: Your vet
Responsible: You or your agent for the facility booking; your vet and the approved laboratory for the titre
Responsible: You or agent
Responsible: You or cargo agent
Responsible: You and your vet
Responsible: You and airline cargo team
Which United States rules depend on a pet coming from Colombia?
The United States sorts countries into 2 groups, and Colombia 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 Colombia require before your pet leaves?
- Export permit: No separate export permit: the ICA CIS is the document that authorises the pet to board, and every international movement of a pet out of Colombia requires it. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Colombia.
Entran en vigencia nuevos requisitos del ICA para el ingreso o salida de perros y gatos a Colombia, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: ICA issues the CIS for pets leaving Colombia, only at its offices at ports, international airports and border crossings. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Colombia.
Entran en vigencia nuevos requisitos del ICA para el ingreso o salida de perros y gatos a Colombia, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: The export CIS is valid for up to five calendar days from issue. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Colombia.
Entran en vigencia nuevos requisitos del ICA para el ingreso o salida de perros y gatos a Colombia, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: The supporting health certificate is issued by a private vet (MV or MVZ) registered with COMVEZCOL, dated no more than 5 calendar days before boarding; current vaccinations and any extra documents the destination requires must also be presented. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Colombia.
Entran en vigencia nuevos requisitos del ICA para el ingreso o salida de perros y gatos a Colombia, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: Since 1 August 2022 the exit CIS must be requested only through ICA's SISPAP platform, with vets registered and authorised by ICA. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Colombia.
Viajeros al exterior con mascotas deben realizar el trámite de salida mediante la plataforma SISPAP (29 July 2022), checked 1 October 2026 - Other conditions: All dogs under 12 months exported by any user must carry a 15-digit microchip, recorded on the CIS (in force since 21 July 2021). Applies to dogs under 12 months leaving Colombia.
Entran en vigencia nuevos requisitos del ICA para el ingreso o salida de perros y gatos a Colombia, checked 1 October 2026 - Other conditions: The exit CIS fee is ICA's basic tariff for the current year (service code 03039); out-of-hours issue is service code 03116. Cash is not accepted. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Colombia.
Pago del certificado de inspección sanitaria (CIS) para la salida de perros y gatos, checked 1 October 2026
We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your Colombia to United States move gets missed.
Carriers on this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.
What this route typically costs
Critical points
Colombia is on the Canadian high-risk list for dog rabies (CFIA, read 2026-09-02) and is handled here as CDC high-risk. The CDC publishes its own separate list and cdc.gov does not respond to us, so confirm the current CDC classification before you commit to dates. On that pathway a dog cannot arrive at just any US airport. It must land at the airport where its reserved CDC-registered facility sits, whether or not it has a valid titre. The titre changes the length of the stay, not where you can land. Check the CDC facility list before booking.
The serology titre must reach at least 0.5 IU/ml, and the blood draw must happen at least 30 days after the first valid vaccination AND at least 28 days before US entry. All three conditions must be satisfied. A result below 0.5 IU/ml means revaccinating and starting the wait again, so build slack into the schedule. Source: CDC.
The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form must be completed by a Colombian official vet and endorsed by ICA. Without ICA endorsement it is not accepted. It also expires 30 days after signature, so it cannot be done early alongside the rest of the paperwork. This is the critical document beyond the CDC Dog Import Form.
Dogs from Colombia arriving with the quarantine option (no titre test) must complete the full 28 days at the CDC-registered facility at the owner's expense, and cannot fly to a different US city first. There are no domestic connections until facility services are complete.
Cats face no federal CDC or USDA requirement on the US side, but they still need the ICA-endorsed health certificate to leave Colombia and the Bogota cargo terminal will ask for it at acceptance. Some US states set their own rules for cats, and Hawaii and Guam run their own quarantine schemes, so check the destination state as well as the country.
The two pathways for dogs from Colombia
A foreign-vaccinated dog from Colombia has two ways in: the titre test route, or the facility quarantine route. Both need the same reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and both send the dog to the airport where that facility sits. Book the reservation either way.
The titre route needs a rabies serology result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a CDC-approved laboratory. The blood must be drawn at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before the dog enters the United States. Meet all three conditions and the dog is not held for the 28 days. What the titre does not do is change where you can land. The airport restriction does not lift. Only the stay does.
The quarantine route is for owners who cannot or choose not to do the titre test. The dog stays 28 days at the reserved CDC-registered facility after arrival. The owner pays all facility costs, which vary but typically run USD 1,500-3,500 for the 28 days. The dog cannot be collected early, and no domestic US flights can be taken before the stay is complete.
There is a third case this page would otherwise hide. A dog vaccinated in the United States, holding a valid USDA-endorsed US-issued rabies certificate, uses the Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccination form instead and needs neither the titre nor the facility, and it can enter at any port. Bogota has a large American community whose dogs left the States with them, so check the original US paperwork before you spend anything on a laboratory.
Bogota cargo and documentation
Bogota El Dorado International (BOG) is well served by carriers to the US. Avianca, American, United and Delta all fly to major US cities from BOG. The binding constraint is not frequency, it is which airports host a CDC-registered animal care facility, because the dog must land at the one holding its reservation rather than near it. Miami is the most frequent connection from Bogota and hosts a facility. New York JFK and Atlanta host one too. Houston does not, so the United nonstop to IAH does not work for a dog on this pathway.
The ICA-endorsed Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form is the document that carries the most weight in the CDC process. Your Colombian official vet completes it; ICA endorses it. It must be accurate, covering the microchip number, vaccination date, and vaccination product details. Any discrepancy between this form and the dog’s travel history can create complications at the US arrival airport.
Common questions
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Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.
- USDA APHIS · United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- CDC · United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dog import rules
- ICA · Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario, Colombia
- IATA · International Air Transport Association, Live Animals Regulations