GT
Guatemala
✈️
US
United States
Pet Transport from Guatemala to the United States
8-11 weeks
Typical preparation
None
Quarantine on arrival
High
Route complexity
✓ Managed
Full door-to-door service
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Guatemala to United States
typically takes around 8-11 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
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Overview
Planning a pet relocation from Guatemala to United States is easier when you work backwards from your travel date. This route takes some organising, and roughly 8-11 weeks of preparation is about right. Pets with correct documentation skip quarantine entirely.
The guide below walks through each stage so nothing gets missed.
Step by step
The Guatemala to United States process
1
8-10 weeks before travel.
Fit the ISO microchip, then give the rabies vaccination. Confirm the dog is at least 12 weeks old.
Responsible: Your Guatemalan vet
2
Around 6-7 weeks before travel.
Draw blood for the rabies titre test at least 30 days after vaccination, send to a CDC-approved laboratory, and get a result of 0.5 IU/ml or above.
Responsible: Your vet and the CDC-approved lab
3
As early as possible, ideally alongside step 1.
Reserve a slot at a CDC-registered animal care facility airport (Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, JFK, Philadelphia or Washington Dulles) and book your routing to land there.
Responsible: You or your agent
4
Shortly before travel, matched to the confirmed arrival date.
Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online for each dog and keep the emailed receipt.
Responsible: You
5
1-5 days before departure.
Arrange the screwworm inspection certificate with a full-time government veterinarian through MAGA/VISAR, timed to fall within 5 days of shipment.
Responsible: MAGA/VISAR official veterinarian
6
2-4 weeks before travel.
Apply for the International Zoosanitary Export Certificate through MAGA's VUPE window and pay the USD 6.25 fee.
Responsible: You, via MAGA/VUPE
7
Day of arrival.
Fly, and present the CDC Dog Import Form receipt, titre result and screwworm certificate on arrival at the CDC-registered facility airport.
Responsible: Airline ground handler and CDC officer
Checklist
United States of America: entry requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Microchip | ISO-compatible microchip readable with a universal scanner, implanted before the rabies vaccine is given. Source: CDC, Bringing a Dog into the United States, reviewed 22 July 2024. |
| Rabies vaccination | Current rabies vaccination required. The dog must be at least 12 weeks old at the time of vaccination, and the first dose must be given at least 28 days before arrival in the US. Source: CDC, reviewed 22 July 2024. |
| Rabies titre test | Guatemala is classified by the CDC as high-risk for dog rabies (confirmed on the CDC's high-risk countries list, last reviewed 15 April 2026, alongside neighbours Belize, Honduras and El Salvador). A blood sample must be drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before the dog enters the US, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory. A result of 0.5 IU/ml or above, the OIE cut-off for adequate rabies immunity, avoids the automatic quarantine below. This is markedly quicker than the UK's unlisted-country rule, which forces a fixed 3-month wait after a passing blood draw. The US only asks that the blood draw sit 28 days ahead of arrival, not a fixed period after a passing result. |
| Quarantine | None for a dog with a valid CDC Dog Import Form and a passing titre result, arriving through a CDC-registered animal care facility airport. Without a valid titre, the CDC requires a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility, at the owner's expense. Source: CDC, reviewed 22 July 2024. |
| Import permit | No general import permit for personal dogs or cats. High-risk-country dogs must instead hold a confirmed reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility airport before travel: currently Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York JFK, Philadelphia (PHL) or Washington Dulles (IAD). Source: CDC, CDC-registered Animal Care Facilities, last updated 8 May 2024. |
| Health certificate | The CDC does not mandate a general veterinary health certificate for dog entry itself; the Dog Import Form and, where relevant, the screwworm certificate carry the regulatory weight. Airlines will still want a standard vet health certificate for boarding, so get one issued in Guatemala regardless. |
Leaving Guatemala
Export requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Export permit | No separate export permit for a single pet. The International Zoosanitary Export Certificate (Certificado Zoosanitario Internacional de Exportacion) is the operative document, obtained through MAGA's export window (VUPE, Viceministerio de Sanidad Agropecuaria y Regulaciones). Fee: USD 6.25. Source: MAGA/VISAR, VUPE export services, and La Hora, 17 October 2024. |
| Health certificate | Veterinary health certificate signed and stamped by a Guatemalan vet, recording the animal's description, vaccination history and the rabies vaccination date. Source: MAGA/VISAR and La Hora, 17 October 2024. |
Costs
What this route typically costs
| 1 | Guatemalan vet health certificate and rabies vaccination: USD 50-150 |
| 2 | MAGA International Zoosanitary Export Certificate: USD 6.25 |
| 3 | Rabies titre test at a CDC-approved lab: USD 150-300, plus courier |
| 4 | Screwworm inspection certificate through MAGA/VISAR: USD 30-80, variable by region |
| 5 | IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 80-300 if not already owned |
| 6 | Direct GUA to US gateway flight, cargo or cabin: USD 800-2,200 depending on airline and crate size |
| 7 | Agent fees, recommended given the CDC-registered facility booking requirement: USD 250-600 |
| 8 | Typical all-in total for a mid-size dog: USD 1,300-3,400. Treat this as a planning estimate; get current figures from an agent before committing to dates. |
Critical points
Read before you book
⚠ Guatemala is both a CDC high-risk rabies country and a New World Screwworm affected country at the same time. Missing either the titre test or the screwworm certificate is enough to get a dog held or quarantined on arrival, so build both into the same timeline rather than treating them as separate errands.
⚠ Dogs must land at a CDC-registered animal care facility airport: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia or Washington Dulles. A routing that skips these gateways is not usable for a high-risk-country dog, whatever the airline quotes you.
⚠ United's cargo pet service is currently suspended for regular customers. If you own a large dog, book Avianca or American from the outset rather than assuming United's Houston connection can carry it.
Carriers
Airlines on this route
Avianca
Flies Guatemala City (GUA) direct to Miami, New York JFK, Los Angeles and Washington Dulles, all four of which happen to be CDC-registered animal care facility airports. Small pets travel in the cabin under 10kg combined weight; larger dogs and cats go as cargo in an IATA-compliant crate. Confirm current pet acceptance and brachycephalic breed restrictions before booking.
American Airlines
Runs GUA to Miami (MIA), one of American's own hubs and a CDC-registered facility airport, with cargo handled through American Airlines Cargo (PetEmbark). An 85F (29C) ground-temperature embargo applies at Miami, worth checking against your travel dates.
United Airlines
Serves GUA to Houston (IAH). United's own published policy currently limits it to in-cabin pets only; it does not run a general cargo pet service, so a larger dog will need Avianca or American instead.
Delta Air Lines
Connects GUA to Atlanta (ATL), a CDC-registered facility airport. Delta's cargo service is currently restricted to active US military and State Department personnel with PCS orders, so this is a cabin-pet option only for most owners.
The rules for bringing a pet into United States
United States has a detailed set of import rules, and each one needs to be satisfied before travel. None of it is unusual, but the order and timing are what catch people out.
How to keep this move on track
Book the titre test laboratory well ahead. Approved labs have limited slots and the sample takes time to process, so this is not something to leave to the final weeks.
Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.
Use an official, government-authorised vet for the health certificate, not just your usual clinic. Many destinations only accept certificates signed by an approved vet.
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.
FAQ
Common questions
Yes. Guatemala appears on the CDC’s list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, last reviewed 15 April 2026, alongside neighbouring Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. That triggers the titre test, the CDC Dog Import Form, and the requirement to land at a CDC-registered animal care facility airport.
It’s a certificate from a full-time government veterinarian confirming a dog was inspected for screwworm within 5 days of shipment and found clear, required because Guatemala currently sits on the USDA’s list of screwworm-affected countries. It applies to dogs only. Cats face no federal CDC restriction on this route and don’t need this certificate.
Not if the titre test comes back at 0.5 IU/ml or above and the CDC Dog Import Form is completed correctly. Without a valid titre result, the CDC requires a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility, at the owner’s expense. Source: CDC, reviewed 22 July 2024.
One of the six CDC-registered animal care facility airports: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia or Washington Dulles. Avianca’s direct Guatemala City routes conveniently serve four of these (Miami, JFK, Los Angeles and Washington Dulles), which simplifies the booking considerably.
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