Royal Air Maroc is the only carrier flying Casablanca to New York non-stop, 13 times a week. It doesn’t buy any shortcut on the regulatory side.
Morocco is treated as a high-risk country for dog rabies, so a dog needs either a rabies …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Morocco to United States
typically takes around 10-16 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Marcus Webb, Senior Pet Relocation Consultant
Step by step
The Morocco to United States pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Confirm ISO microchip is implanted and scannable.
Responsible: Vet in Morocco.
Before the rabies vaccination.
2
Administer or confirm current rabies vaccination, after the microchip.
Responsible: ONSSA-registered vet.
At least 30 days before the titre test blood draw.
3
Choose between the titre route and the 28-day CDC facility route.
Responsible: Owner, with the agent.
Before booking anything. The choice sets the whole timeline and the budget.
4
On the titre route, draw blood for the rabies serology test at a CDC-approved laboratory.
Responsible: Vet and laboratory.
At least 30 days after vaccination AND at least 28 days before arrival in the US; result must clear 0.5 IU/ml.
5
Reserve a place at the CDC-registered animal care facility at the arrival airport.
Responsible: Owner or agent.
Before booking flights. Required for every dog from a high-risk country, titre or no titre.
6
Submit the CDC Dog Import Form online.
Responsible: Owner.
Before travel, once the arrival date is fixed. The receipt is single-entry and tied to that date.
7
Obtain the ONSSA-endorsed export health certificate and the government-endorsed CDC foreign vaccination certification.
Responsible: ONSSA-registered vet, then official government veterinarian.
Within the 30 days before arrival, since the CDC certification expires 30 days after the signature.
8
Travel Casablanca to New York JFK direct.
Responsible: Royal Air Maroc cargo handling.
On the arrival date stated on the CDC form, with the facility reservation held.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter United States
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 microchip required, and its number must appear on the CDC Dog Import Form.
Rabies vaccination
Required for dogs. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination or the vaccination is not accepted. A foreign vaccination must be certified on the CDC's Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, completed by the vet, endorsed by an official government veterinarian, and valid 30 days from the signature.
Rabies titre test
One of two options, not the only route. A dog vaccinated in Morocco needs either a rabies serology result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a CDC-approved laboratory, with blood drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccination and at least 28 days before entry, or a 28-day stay at a CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival at the owner's cost. Either way the dog has to land at an airport that has such a facility, with the place reserved before departure. Morocco is on the Canadian high-risk list for dog rabies (CFIA, read 2026-09-02); confirm its current CDC classification, since cdc.gov does not respond to us.
Quarantine
No quarantine at destination for a dog with a passing titre test and complete documentation: the CDC facility visit on arrival is an examination and same-day release, and the place must still be reserved before departure. Without a passing titre, a 28-day stay at a CDC-registered animal care facility applies on arrival at the owner's cost, and the dog cannot be collected early or take a domestic US flight until the stay ends. Dogs must be at least 6 months old to enter from a high-risk country.
Import permit
No formal import permit, but the CDC Dog Import Form is mandatory for every dog and must be submitted online before travel. For a high-risk country the receipt is single-entry and covers the stated arrival date, so submit it only once the flight is confirmed and submit again if the flight changes.
Health certificate
ONSSA-endorsed export health certificate, plus, for a dog, the CDC's Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, completed by the vet and endorsed by an official government veterinarian. That form is valid 30 days from the signature and is single use, so do not have it signed until the travel date is fixed. The CDC Dog Import Form is submitted separately online by the owner.
Export permit (Morocco)
Not required for personal companion pets.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Rabies serology (titre) test at a CDC-approved laboratory: USD 150-250.
ONSSA export health certificate and vet examination: USD 100-180.
CDC Dog Import Form: no fee, but must be completed accurately before travel.
IATA-compliant travel crate: priced by the dog's size rather than the route, so get it quoted with the cargo booking.
Direct cargo fee, Casablanca to New York JFK: USD 500-950 depending on crate size.
CDC-registered facility on arrival: a handling and examination charge applies even with a passing titre. Ask the facility for its current rate when you reserve.
Without a passing titre, the 28-day facility stay is the largest single cost on this route. Published day rates for CDC-registered facilities run to roughly USD 100-400 per day, so budget for it before choosing to skip the titre.
Critical points to read before you book
Morocco appears on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's high-risk list for dog rabies (list dated 2025-03-13, read 2026-09-02). The US CDC maintains its own separate list and we cannot reach cdc.gov to confirm Morocco's current CDC status, so verify it at cdc.gov/importation before you book. Everything below assumes the high-risk process applies.
A dog from a high-risk country has two lawful routes in: a passing rabies serology result from a CDC-approved laboratory, or a 28-day stay at a CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival at your cost. A direct flight waives neither.
On the titre route, the blood must be drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before the dog arrives in the US. A result that comes back three weeks before the flight is not yet usable, and the dog goes into the 28-day facility stay instead.
Either route, the dog must land at an airport that has a CDC-registered animal care facility, with the place reserved before departure, and cannot take a connecting US flight before the facility releases it. Six US airports currently host one: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles. New York JFK is on that list, which is why the Casablanca non-stop works, but the reservation is yours to make. Verify the current list at cdc.gov before booking.
The CDC Dog Import Form is required for every dog entering the US since the August 2024 rule change. Submit it online before travel, not on arrival. For a high-risk country the receipt covers a single entry on the stated arrival date, so a changed flight means a fresh submission.
Dogs must be at least 6 months old to qualify for entry from a high-risk country. Puppies younger than 6 months cannot travel on this route regardless of vaccination status.
None of the above applies to cats. The CDC Dog Import Form, the serology test and the facility rules are dog rules. A cat travelling Morocco to the US needs its ONSSA export paperwork and the airline booking, and should not be put through a titre test for US entry. Check your destination state's own rules.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
ROYAL AIR
Royal Air Maroc
The only airline flying Casablanca to New York JFK non-stop, 13 times a week on Boeing 787 aircraft, roughly 7 hours 50 minutes. Plan on manifested cargo. Royal Air Maroc's general policy allows small pets in the cabin on some routes, so confirm in writing with the airline whether cabin carriage is available for a Casablanca to JFK pet booking before you buy a ticket, and do not assume it.
Cargo Only
Two ways in, and the one that catches people out
A dog vaccinated in Morocco 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
halves matter. A result that lands three weeks before the flight is not yet usable. With a
valid result the dog is examined at the arrival facility and released the same day, but the
place at that facility still has to be reserved before the dog flies.
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 where you land. A foreign-vaccinated dog from a
high-risk country has to arrive at an airport that has a CDC-registered facility on site,
reserved before departure, titre or no titre, and cannot connect through another US city
first. Six US airports currently host one: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK,
Philadelphia and Washington Dulles. New York JFK is on that list, which is why the Casablanca
non-stop works. Check the current list at cdc.gov before booking, because it changes.
One of the few true non-stop options into the US from North Africa
Royal Air Maroc’s Casablanca-JFK service runs 13 times weekly on Boeing 787 aircraft, about 7 hours 50 minutes, the only non-stop link between the two cities. For a pet in cargo, that’s a real reduction in total transit time compared with routing through a European hub.
The high-risk process still applies in full
The direct flight changes nothing on the paperwork. A dog still needs either a serology result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a CDC-approved laboratory or the 28-day facility stay, a reserved place at a CDC-registered facility at the arrival airport, the CDC Dog Import Form submitted online before travel, and a minimum age of six months. Treat the flight and the paperwork as two separate timelines: one is fast, the other isn’t. On the titre route the fixed waits alone, 30 days from vaccination to blood draw and then 28 days from blood draw to arrival, come to roughly nine weeks before you add laboratory turnaround, vet appointments and the cargo booking.
FAQ
Common questions about Morocco to United States pet transport
Yes. Royal Air Maroc flies Casablanca to New York JFK non-stop, 13 times a week, roughly 7 hours 50 minutes, on Boeing 787 aircraft.
Not strictly, but the alternative is far more expensive. Morocco is treated as a high-risk country for dog rabies, so a dog needs either a serology result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a CDC-approved laboratory, with blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before arrival, or a 28-day stay at a CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival at your cost. Either way the dog must land at an airport that has such a facility and the place must be reserved before departure. Cats are not subject to any of this.
No. The high-risk requirements apply the same way regardless of how direct the flight is: the serology-or-facility choice, the arrival-airport rule and its advance reservation, the CDC Dog Import Form and the six-month minimum age. Allow 10 to 16 weeks.
Yes. Dogs must be at least six months old to enter the US from a high-risk country.
One with a CDC-registered animal care facility on site, with the place reserved before departure, and no connecting US flight before the facility releases the dog. Six airports currently host one: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles. New York JFK is on that list, which is why the Casablanca non-stop works. The list changes, so verify it at cdc.gov before booking.
Plan on cargo. Royal Air Maroc’s general pet policy allows small pets in the cabin on some routes, but this route is planned around manifested cargo and a dog from a high-risk country has to be presented at a CDC-registered facility on arrival. Confirm cabin availability for a Casablanca to JFK pet booking with the airline in writing before you buy a ticket, and do not assume it.
Airline guides
Royal Air Maroc
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.
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
ONSSA· Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires, Morocco