Pet Transport from Mozambique to United States

Moving a dog or cat from Mozambique to United States is very doable with the right preparation. Give yourself close to 16-24 weeks, as several stages run on fixed clocks that no …

16-24 wks

Preparation needed

28 days

Quarantine on arrival

Very High

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

Get my free quote

Lead time needed

16-24 weeks

Quarantine

28 days

Route complexity

Very High

Airlines

4 carriers on this route

Start my quote

In short: Preparing to move a pet from Mozambique to United States typically takes around 16-24 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

As early as possible; the chip must pre-date the vaccine

Microchip the dog, then administer a foreign-issued rabies vaccination from at least 12 weeks of age

Responsible: Vet in Mozambique

After vaccination; form is valid 30 days from the vet's signature, single use

Complete the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form

Responsible: Vet in Mozambique

Close to the 30-day form validity window

Obtain DINAV government vet endorsement of the certification form

Responsible: DINAV

30+ days after vaccination if testing

Choose a pathway: draw blood 30+ days after vaccination for a CDC-approved lab titre, or commit to the 28-day CDC facility quarantine alternative

Responsible: Owner and vet

Typically 4+ weeks after the blood draw, given courier time from Maputo

Receive a passing titre result at least 28 days before planned US entry, if using the titre pathway

Responsible: CDC-approved laboratory

Before finalising the flight booking

Reserve space at a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility at the intended US port of entry (for example Pender Pet Retreat at Washington Dulles, or a JFK-based facility)

Responsible: Owner

Before travel

Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online, using the single-use, 30-day-validity certification form details

Responsible: Owner

On travel day

Fly directly to the airport where the Animal Care Facility reservation is held; no domestic connection to a different US city first

Responsible: Airline and owner

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, universal scanner-detectable, implanted before the rabies vaccination or the vaccination is considered invalid.

Rabies vaccination

Required. Valid foreign-issued rabies vaccination, administered from at least 12 weeks of age, recorded on the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form.

Rabies titre test

Required for dogs, unless the owner instead accepts the 28-day quarantine alternative below. Mozambique is on the CDC's current high-risk countries for dog rabies list. Serology titre drawn at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before US entry, at a CDC-approved laboratory. Valid for life if vaccination cover is never allowed to lapse.

Quarantine

28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility, at the owner's cost, required only if no valid rabies serology titre is obtained before travel. Not required for dogs that arrive with a passing titre result, and not applicable to cats.

Import permit

No formal import permit. The CDC Dog Import Form, mandatory for all dogs since 1 August 2024, is completed online and is single-use, valid 30 days from the vet's signature on the certification form.

Health certificate

Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, vet-completed and government-endorsed by DINAV, plus a reservation confirmation at a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility at the port of entry.

Export permit

Export clearance from DINAV (Direcção Nacional de Veterinária, the National Directorate of Veterinary Services), under Mozambique's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Veterinary inspection

Pre-export examination and parasite treatment record required before DINAV endorsement.

Health certificate

Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, completed by a Mozambican vet and endorsed by a DINAV government vet, is the document the CDC actually requires; a general export health certificate alone is not sufficient for a dog entering via the high-risk pathway.

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

Pet Transport Global

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.

Ethiopian Airlines

Daily Maputo to Addis Ababa connection, with Ethiopian's US network reaching Washington Dulles (IAD), one of the airports with a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility (Pender Pet Retreat). Cabin pets to 8kg; larger dogs in the hold or, above 45kg with kennel, as cargo.

Cabin and Cargo

Qatar Airways

Maputo to Doha, then on to New York JFK, another CDC-registered Animal Care Facility port. Checked pets up to 75kg combined with container; Doha's Live Animals Centre manages longer transits.

Cabin and Cargo

TAP Air Portugal

Daily nonstop Lisbon to Maputo, connecting to TAP's US network, which includes JFK. Hold pet limit drops to 32kg specifically on sectors touching the USA, against 45kg on TAP's other routes, so check the crate weight carefully before booking.

Cabin and Cargo

LAM Mozambique Airlines

Mozambique's national carrier serves domestic and regional African routes only. No US service, so it can only feed the pet into Maputo for a long-haul carrier, never carry it across the Atlantic.

No Pets

Costs

What this route typically costs

Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, vet and DINAV endorsement: typically quoted in USD by clinics handling international export paperwork, roughly USD 100-250

CDC-approved lab serology titre test, including courier from Maputo: USD 200-400

OR 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility if no titre is obtained: USD 1,000-2,500, entirely at owner's cost

Airline cargo or hold fee, Maputo to a US CDC-registered port via Addis Ababa, Doha or Lisbon: USD 1,500-4,000 depending on carrier and crate size

IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 100-350

CDC Dog Import Form: no fee

Pet relocation agent (strongly recommended for the high-risk pathway): USD 600-1,500

Total typical range: USD 3,500-8,500 on the titre pathway; higher if the 28-day quarantine route is used

Critical points

Mozambique is on the CDC's current high-risk countries for dog rabies list, so the full foreign-vaccinated high-risk pathway applies. This is a materially different, slower and more expensive process than the low-risk pathway that applies to some neighbouring countries.

The flight must land at the specific US airport where the Animal Care Facility reservation was made. A connection through a different US city first is not permitted for a high-risk dog awaiting facility processing.

Without a valid titre, the dog faces a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility, at the owner's full cost. This is a genuine compliance pathway, not just a penalty for missing paperwork, so budget and plan for it as a real possibility if the titre timeline is tight.

The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form is single-use and expires 30 days after the vet's signature. Missing that window means restarting the certification from scratch.

What United States requires

Getting a pet into United States means meeting a demanding set of rules with no shortcuts. Start from the earliest deadline and work forward from there.

Avoiding the common mistakes

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.

Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.

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.

FAQ

Common questions

Yes. Mozambique is currently on the CDC’s high-risk list, which means dogs entering the US from Mozambique go through the full foreign-vaccinated high-risk pathway: certification form, titre test or 28-day quarantine, CDC-registered facility reservation, and the CDC Dog Import Form.

The dog completes 28 days of quarantine at a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility instead, entirely at the owner’s cost. This is a legitimate, planned-for alternative under the CDC’s rules, not an emergency measure, though it adds significant cost and time compared with a passing titre.

No. A high-risk dog with a facility reservation must arrive directly at the airport where that reservation is held. No domestic connection to a different city is permitted before the facility has processed the dog.

No. The CDC’s high-risk pathway, the certification form, the titre test and the facility reservation all apply to dogs only. Cats have essentially no federal import requirements entering the US from any country, Mozambique included.

Washington Dulles (IAD, home to Pender Pet Retreat), JFK, Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA) and Philadelphia (PHL) are the current ports with registered facilities. Reserve space at your chosen facility before booking flights, since the airline route must match the facility location.

Ready when you are

Move your pet

to United States.

Get a free, fully itemised quote for this route. Preparation timeline, full cost breakdown, and breed specific advice. No commitment.

Get my free quote

Airline guides

Ethiopian Airlines
Qatar Airways
TAP Air Portugal
LAM Mozambique Airlines

Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

Browse all breed guides →

Pet Transport from Mozambique to United States

The import process, in full

What your pet needs

Carriers on this route

What this route typically costs

Critical points

What United States requires

Avoiding the common mistakes

Common questions

Move your pet

Airline guides

Breed guides

Get a free pet transport quote