AR

Importing Your Pet to Argentina

Moderate to import
Verification date not recorded. Confirm current requirements with the destination authority.
Prepared by , International Animal Health Consultant

SENASA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria) is the Argentine authority responsible for dogs and cats entering the country. It applies one set of requirements, MERCOSUR Resolution GMC 17/15, to pets from every origin. The single exception: pets from a WOAH-recognised rabies-free country or zone may enter without rabies vaccination, as long as the certifying authority states that status on the certificate or passport.

Your pet needs an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) issued, signed and stamped by the veterinary authority of the country it travels from, or an official pet passport endorsed by that authority before boarding. Either document must show a clinical examination, a current rabies vaccination and a broad-spectrum treatment against internal and external parasites given within the 15 days before the CVI is issued or the passport endorsed. For a dog or cat under 3 months, the origin veterinary authority instead certifies the animal’s age and that it has not been on any premises with a case of urban rabies in the 90 days before shipment. There is no rabies titre test. A microchip is not compulsory, but if your pet has one it must meet ISO 11784/11785 and its location goes on the certificate.

According to SENASA, you do not need to file an import application in advance, whether your pet flies with you (in the cabin or the hold) or travels as cargo. For cargo, the transport agent or the person responsible must notify the border post of entry at least 24 business hours ahead. On arrival, SENASA border staff check the documents, the animal and its identity. That check is free for pets travelling as accompanied baggage; pets arriving as cargo pay SENASA’s entry permit fee at the border post.

Import Requirements

Every requirement below is taken from an official government page, and each one links to the page it comes from. The rules were last checked on 7 October 2026. They can change, so check the linked page again before you book.

Who is in charge

  • SENASA is the Argentine body responsible for the entry of animals accompanying their owners (Argentine Foreign Ministry, Consulate General in Los Angeles).
    Ingreso a la Argentina con animales, checked 1 October 2026

Where your pet travels from

GroupWhat appliesOrigins
All originsStandard requirements of Resolution GMC 17/15: CVI or legalised passport, rabies vaccination (first dose at least 21 days before entry), parasite treatment within 15 days, clinical exam within 10 days. Sourceall countries not covered below
WOAH rabies-free country or zoneMay enter without rabies vaccination if the certifying authority states the rabies-free status on the CVI or passport; all other requirements apply. Sourceany country or zone officially declared rabies-free under WOAH rules
  • One set of requirements (MERCOSUR Resolution GMC 17/15) applies to every origin; the only origin distinction is that animals from a WOAH-recognised rabies-free country or zone may enter without rabies vaccination if the certifying authority states that status on the CVI or passport.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Import permit

  • Not required: for pets travelling as accompanied baggage (cabin or hold), the owner does not need to file a prior import/entry application ('Solicitud de importación / Ingreso') with SENASA or give advance notice to the border post of entry, and SENASA does not need to issue an entry permit ('Permiso de Internación / desembarque') for the animal's release. Applies to dogs and cats travelling as accompanied baggage.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
    Official sources differUSDA APHIS export guidance for the US (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/us-to-another-country-export/pet-travel-us-argentina, last modified 17 March 2026) says travellers must submit an import application to SENASA before the trip, approved by entry. SENASA's own entry page and its December 2025 FAQ (question 4: no prior procedure required for accompanied pets) are the importing authority's word and win. For a pet from the US, expect the US endorsement to follow APHIS's page.
  • Not required: for pets arriving as cargo (unaccompanied), no prior import/entry application to SENASA is needed either; only the advance notice to the border post (see entry_ports_and_notice). Applies to dogs and cats arriving as cargo.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Microchip

Rabies vaccination

  • Dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies with vaccines authorised by the veterinary authority of the country of origin, with immunity current per the manufacturer's validity period.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • Immunity must be current according to the validity period given by the vaccine manufacturer, and must still be valid on the day of entry.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • For a first (primary) rabies vaccination, the vaccine must have been given at least 21 days before entry into Argentina.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • Animals from a WOAH-recognised rabies-free country or zone may enter without rabies vaccination if the certifying authority states that status on the CVI or passport. Applies to dogs and cats from rabies-free countries or zones.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • The original rabies vaccination record is not retained at the border and must stay with the owner, so travel with the original.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Rabies titre test

  • Not required: no rabies antibody titre test is required. SENASA states the CVI or passport must contain the health requirements of Resolution GMC 17/15, and that list (health exam, rabies vaccination, parasite treatment) contains no titre test.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Health certificate

  • Dogs and cats need an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or a legalised official passport.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • The CVI must be issued, signed and stamped by the veterinary authority of the country of origin or provenance.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • If travelling on an official passport instead of a CVI, it must be endorsed (signed and stamped) by the veterinary authority of the country of origin before boarding. Applies to dogs and cats travelling on an official pet passport.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • The CVI or legalised passport is valid for 60 calendar days from issue or legalisation, provided the rabies vaccination is still valid on the day of entry.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • A clinical examination by an authorised vet in the country of origin must be done within 10 days before the CVI is issued, certifying the animal is clinically healthy, shows no evidence of parasitosis and is fit to travel.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Other vaccines and tests

Parasite treatment

  • Broad-spectrum treatment against internal and external parasites, with products approved by the origin country's veterinary authority, within the 15 days before the CVI is issued or the passport is endorsed.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Quarantine

  • Not required: the Argentine Foreign Ministry's Los Angeles consulate page (updated 14 August 2024), written for travellers from the US, says animals meeting the requirements it describes (SENASA's health certificate and vaccination record issued by US vets and certified by US authorities) are not quarantined; if an infectious disease is suspected, SENASA will take steps to isolate the animal. SENASA's own entry page and December 2025 FAQ describe only documentary, physical and identity checks on arrival and do not mention quarantine. Applies to dogs and cats from the US meeting SENASA's entry requirements.
    Ingreso a la Argentina con animales, checked 1 October 2026

Arrival points and notice

  • On arrival SENASA border staff carry out documentary, physical and identity checks of the dog or cat; accompanied pets need no advance notice to the border post. Applies to dogs and cats travelling as accompanied baggage.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • For cargo, the transport agent or person responsible must give prior notice (Solicitud de intervención) to the border post of entry at least 24 business hours in advance. Applies to dogs and cats arriving as cargo.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Minimum age

  • SENASA's page states no minimum age. For a dog or cat under 3 months, the origin veterinary authority must certify the animal's age and that it has not been on any premises where a case of urban rabies occurred in the 90 days before shipment. MERCOSUR Resolution GMC 17/15 (sections 10 and 12, applied by SENASA) requires rabies vaccination only for animals older than 90 days and admits animals younger than three months on these two conditions. Applies to dogs and cats under 3 months.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

How many pets

  • No official page states a rule on this. We confirm it with you for each move.

Banned and restricted breeds

  • Buenos Aires Province (which includes Ezeiza international airport) Law 14107 of 9 December 2009 restricts keeping 'potentially dangerous' dogs. Article 2 defines them as dogs of a breed type that, by aggressive nature, size or jaw power, can cause death or serious injury, and counts as such the breeds in Annex I and their crosses: Akita Inu, American Staffordshire, Bullmastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Gran Perro Japonés (as named in the law), Neapolitan Mastiff, Pit Bull Terrier, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Article 15 says the Annex I list is illustrative ('de manera enunciativa'), not exhaustive. It is an ownership rule, not an import ban; SENASA's import pages list no breed restriction. Applies to dogs of the listed breeds and their crosses in Buenos Aires Province.
    Ley 14107: tenencia de perros potencialmente peligrosos, checked 1 October 2026
  • Under Law 14107 these dogs must be registered before 6 months of age, identified by chip or tattoo, and kept on a lead under one metre with collar and muzzle in public spaces. Applies to dogs of the listed breeds and their crosses in Buenos Aires Province.
    Ley 14107: tenencia de perros potencialmente peligrosos, checked 1 October 2026
  • Law 14107 also applies to dogs normally resident outside Buenos Aires Province while they are in the province, so it covers newly arrived and visiting dogs. Applies to dogs of the listed breeds and their crosses in Buenos Aires Province.
    Ley 14107: tenencia de perros potencialmente peligrosos, checked 1 October 2026

How your pet may travel

  • Accompanied baggage means the pet travels with its owner on the same transport; by air this covers both cabin and hold. Applies to dogs and cats travelling as accompanied baggage.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • Pets sent without their owner on the same transport are treated as cargo, with extra transport document checks (air waybill). Applies to dogs and cats arriving as cargo.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Official fees

  • Verification of pets arriving as accompanied baggage is free of charge. Applies to dogs and cats travelling as accompanied baggage.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • Pets arriving as cargo pay the entry permit (permiso de internación) fee at the border post. The amount is not stated on the page. Applies to dogs and cats arriving as cargo.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026
  • Service and assistance animals are exempt from charges for extraordinary services on entry, exit or transit (SENASA Resolution 580/14), on presenting a registered vet's signed statement of each animal's identification and assistance or service function and, where applicable, proof of disability. Applies to service and assistance dogs and cats.
    Ingresos con perros y/o gatos, checked 1 October 2026

Other conditions

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Health certificate, endorsement and language

The rule is the same whatever country your pet leaves from. SENASA wants the CVI issued, signed and stamped by the veterinary authority of the country of origin or provenance, and an official pet passport must carry that authority’s signature and stamp before boarding. No apostille or consular legalisation is needed, according to SENASA’s December 2025 FAQ, so there is no consulate step to arrange.

Timing works from the certificate, not the flight. The vet’s clinical examination must be done within the 10 days before the CVI is issued, and the parasite treatment within the 15 days before it. The CVI or legalised passport is then valid for 60 calendar days from issue or legalisation, provided the rabies vaccination is still valid on the day of entry.

The CVI must include Spanish; an official passport may be in Spanish or English only. Under SENASA Resolution 1354/1994, a health document from abroad with no Spanish must be translated by a national public translator on arrival, and your pet is not released until that is done.

Travelling to Argentina with a cat

Cats follow the same rules as dogs, because SENASA’s requirements are written for domestic dogs and cats together. A cat needs the CVI or endorsed passport, parasite treatment within the 15 days before the certificate is issued and a rabies vaccination, with the same two exceptions as dogs: kittens under 3 months, and cats from a WOAH-recognised rabies-free country or zone whose certificate says so. A microchip is not compulsory for cats either.

No vaccine other than rabies is compulsory, and no test is either. SENASA’s model import CVI records other vaccinations only “when appropriate”, so any other vaccines are between you and your vet, not an entry condition. SENASA’s import pages list no breed restriction.

Frequently Asked Questions

SENASA’s entry page and its December 2025 FAQ describe documentary, physical and identity checks on arrival and do not mention quarantine. The Argentine Foreign Ministry’s consulate page for travellers from the US says animals meeting the requirements are not quarantined, although SENASA will take steps to isolate an animal if an infectious disease is suspected. If your pet arrives without the right papers, SENASA can apply whatever health measures it considers appropriate, with all costs and losses borne by you.

No. SENASA says the CVI or passport must carry the health requirements of MERCOSUR Resolution GMC 17/15, and that list (a health examination, rabies vaccination and parasite treatment) contains no rabies antibody test. The rabies timing that matters is different: a first vaccination must be given at least 21 days before your pet enters Argentina, and the immunity must still be valid on the day of entry.

According to SENASA, you do not need to file an import application before you travel with your pet as accompanied baggage. USDA APHIS’s export page still tells travellers from the US to submit one, so US owners should expect the US endorsement process to follow APHIS’s page.

Yes. SENASA applies the same requirements to cats as to dogs: a CVI or endorsed official passport, treatment against internal and external parasites within the 15 days before the certificate is issued, and rabies vaccination, apart from the exceptions for animals under 3 months and for WOAH-recognised rabies-free origins. The parasite treatment applies to cats as well as dogs.

An International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) issued, signed and stamped by the veterinary authority of your pet’s country of origin, or an official pet passport that authority has endorsed before boarding. It is valid for 60 calendar days from issue, provided the rabies vaccination is still valid on the day of entry. The vet’s clinical examination must be done within the 10 days before the CVI is issued. The CVI must include Spanish.

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On this page

Argentina

  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Code: AR

Sources

Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.

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