Pet Transport from Lesotho to the United States

Taking your dog or cat from Lesotho to United States comes down to good timing and the right paperwork. There is a fair amount of paperwork here, so plan on around 14-18 weeks. …

14-18 wks

Preparation needed

28 days

Quarantine on arrival

High

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

14-18 weeks

Quarantine

28 days

Route complexity

High

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from Lesotho to United States typically takes around 14-18 weeks. Expect 28 days of quarantine on arrival. A rabies titre test may be required depending on your pet's origin, so check the requirements below.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

Before rabies vaccination

Microchip implanted (dogs)

Responsible: Vet in Lesotho

After microchipping. 28-day wait begins from this date.

Rabies vaccination (dogs, 12 weeks or older)

Responsible: Vet in Lesotho

At least 30 days after vaccination, at a CDC-approved laboratory (samples typically couriered via South Africa)

Titre test blood draw

Responsible: Vet + approved laboratory

As early as possible; Atlanta's facility is the natural fit given the Delta nonstop

Reserve a slot at a CDC-registered animal care facility at your arrival port

Responsible: You or your agent

Vet-completed, government-endorsed, single use, valid 30 days from signature

Complete Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form

Responsible: Vet in Lesotho + Department of Livestock Services

Before travel, free of charge

Complete CDC Dog Import Form online

Responsible: You

Airlink at least 48 hours ahead; Delta 3-4 weeks ahead

Book the Airlink Maseru-Johannesburg leg and the Delta Johannesburg-Atlanta nonstop

Responsible: You or an IPATA-registered agent, ideally one with a Johannesburg presence

Same day for the handoff; up to 28 days on arrival if quarantine applies

Handoff at O.R. Tambo cargo terminal, then arrival and CDC facility processing in Atlanta

Responsible: Ground agent at O.R. Tambo + CDC-registered facility

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

Microchip

Required for dogs, implanted before rabies vaccination. Not a federal requirement for cats, though recommended.

Rabies vaccination

Required for dogs, given at 12 weeks or older, with the government vet-endorsed Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form. Not required for cats: no federal US health requirements apply to pet cats at all.

Rabies titre test

Required for dogs (Lesotho is on the CDC's high-risk-for-dog-rabies list), or accept a 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility instead. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before entry, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory. Not required for cats.

Quarantine

Required if a dog has no valid rabies serology titre report: 28 days at a CDC-registered animal care facility, paid for by the owner. Not required for dogs with a valid titre, or for any cat.

Import permit

No formal permit for dogs. The free CDC Dog Import Form, completed online before travel, serves as the registration document. Nothing at all required for cats.

Health certificate

Not a standalone certificate for dogs; the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form covers the health attestation. No certificate required for cats.

Export permit

Veterinary export clearance issued by the Department of Livestock Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, following inspection.

Veterinary inspection

Government veterinary inspection required before the export health certificate is signed.

Government endorsement

The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, required by the CDC for dogs, must be completed by the vet and endorsed by the Department of Livestock Services.

Health certificate

International veterinary health certificate confirming microchip, current rabies vaccination, and clinical health, endorsed by the Department of Livestock Services.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your Lesotho to United States move gets missed.

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Airlines

Carriers on this route

Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.

Airlink

The only scheduled route out of Maseru's Moshoeshoe I International Airport, flying to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo roughly 21 times a week (about 65 minutes). Pets travel as checked live-animal cargo, maximum crate weight 32kg including the animal. Book at least 48 hours ahead for this international leg.

Cargo Only

Delta Air Lines

Flies O.R. Tambo to Atlanta (ATL) nonstop, one of the longest scheduled passenger routes in the world at roughly 17 hours. Atlanta is one of the CDC's designated ports of entry with a registered animal care facility on site (Dandie Scottie Kennel), which makes this an unusually direct fit if your pet needs facility processing or quarantine.

Cargo Only

United Airlines

No direct Johannesburg service, but relevant for booking a domestic onward leg from a different CDC-designated port if your pet's routing or your final US destination points somewhere other than Atlanta.

Cargo Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

Airlink Maseru-Johannesburg cargo/checked live-animal fee: a smaller regional charge, typically in South African Rand or Lesotho Loti (pegged 1:1 with the Rand)

Delta Johannesburg-Atlanta cargo fee: typically USD 1,500-3,000 depending on crate weight, reflecting the length of the nonstop sector

Ground handling and agent fee at O.R. Tambo for the transfer between flights

IATA-compliant travel crate

Veterinary fees in Lesotho: microchip, vaccination, certification

CDC-approved laboratory titre test fee

CDC-registered animal care facility reservation and, if applicable, 28-day quarantine fee (owner-paid, varies by facility)

Critical points

Lesotho is a landlocked enclave entirely surrounded by South Africa. Every pet must transit through Johannesburg; there is no way around this leg.

Dogs without a valid titre must arrive at the exact CDC-designated airport where their facility reservation sits and cannot take a domestic connection first. Atlanta works well here because Delta flies there nonstop from Johannesburg, but confirm your facility booking matches your actual routing before ticketing.

Cats face none of the CDC's dog-specific rules. If you are shipping a cat only, the process is far simpler.

The Maseru-Johannesburg and Johannesburg-Atlanta legs run on separate air waybills and separate airlines. Budget time and a ground agent for the O.R. Tambo handoff.

United States entry requirements at a glance

The requirements for United States are thorough rather than difficult. Work through them methodically and confirm anything you are unsure about with the official source.

Getting the details right

Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.

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.

FAQ

Common questions

No. Every pet starts with the Airlink flight from Maseru to Johannesburg, Lesotho’s only scheduled international route. From Johannesburg, Delta flies nonstop to Atlanta in roughly 17 hours, which conveniently is one of the CDC’s designated ports of entry.

Dogs from CDC high-risk countries without a valid titre test must land at the exact airport hosting their CDC-registered animal care facility reservation, with no domestic connection first. Atlanta has such a facility on site, and Delta flies there nonstop from Johannesburg, avoiding an extra US domestic leg.

No. APHIS has no federal health requirements for pet cats entering the US, regardless of origin country. The CDC’s high-risk protocol, titre test, facility reservation, and government-endorsed certification, applies to dogs only.

They run on separate bookings and usually separate airlines, Airlink for Maseru-Johannesburg and Delta for the long-haul sector. A ground agent at O.R. Tambo manages the handoff, which typically happens the same day.

Allow 14 to 18 weeks for a dog with a titre test, factoring in the 28-day post-vaccination wait, the CDC facility reservation, and the two-leg Lesotho-Johannesburg-Atlanta routing. Cats can generally move faster since almost none of the CDC’s dog-specific timeline applies.

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Airline guides

Airlink
Delta Air Lines
United Airlines

Breed guides

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Pet Transport from Lesotho to the United States

The import process, in full

What your pet needs

Carriers on this route

What this route typically costs

Critical points

United States entry requirements at a glance

Getting the details right

Common questions

Move your pet

Airline guides

Breed guides

Get a free pet transport quote