Planning a pet relocation from Namibia to United States is easier when you work backwards from your travel date. Set aside roughly 12-16 weeks for this route and keep a close eye on the sequencing. Pets with correct documentation skip …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Namibia to United States
typically takes around 12-16 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test may be required depending on your pet's origin, so check the requirements below.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Namibia 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 the microchip is implanted, then administer the rabies vaccination for dogs. Cats need no CDC vaccination but should still be current per Namibia's own export paperwork.
Responsible: Namibian vet
Start of planning, at least 10-12 weeks before travel.
2
Draw blood at least 30 days after vaccination for the rabies titre test, sent to ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) in Pretoria.
Responsible: Namibian vet and OVI
Roughly 8-10 weeks before travel, allowing 3-5 weeks for courier transit and lab turnaround.
3
Once a passing result is confirmed, complete the CDC Dog Import Form and book a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, ideally Washington Dulles if flying Ethiopian Airlines.
Responsible: Owner
As soon as the titre result is confirmed, always before the flight.
4
Directorate of Veterinary Services endorses the export health certificate.
Responsible: Namibian state vet / MAWLR
Close to the travel date.
5
Cargo routing booked: Windhoek to Addis Ababa to Washington Dulles on Ethiopian Airlines, or via Johannesburg on an alternative carrier.
Responsible: Owner or cargo agent
Once the titre result and facility reservation are confirmed.
6
Arrive at a CDC-registered facility airport in the US. If the titre result was not passing, the 28-day quarantine begins here.
Responsible: CDC-registered facility staff and CBP
Day of arrival.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter United States of America
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
Required before the rabies vaccination for dogs, since Namibia sits on the CDC's high-risk country list for dog rabies. A microchip implanted after the vaccine means the vaccine does not count toward entry. Source: CDC, Bringing a Dog into the United States, page updated 15 April 2026.
Rabies vaccination
Required for dogs, first dose no earlier than 12 weeks old. Cats face no federal CDC rabies vaccination requirement at all, only a general health check on arrival. Source: cdc.gov/importation.
Rabies titre test
Required for a dog on a Namibia-issued vaccination certificate. Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before the flight lands in the US, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory. Namibia has no domestic FAVN-accredited lab, so the sample normally travels to ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) in Pretoria, South Africa, which is itself on the CDC's current approved-laboratory list. A dog without a passing result is not turned away outright, but must complete a 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility instead. Source: CDC, Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries, cdc.gov, and CDC Approved Rabies Serology Laboratories list, updated 12 January 2026.
Quarantine
None for a dog arriving with a valid passing titre and a completed CDC Dog Import Form. Without the titre, a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility applies, at the owner's cost. Cats face no CDC quarantine requirement.
Import permit
CDC Dog Import Form, a free form completed online by the owner before travel, one per dog, with a current photograph. A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility must also be booked before departure, since Namibia is high-risk. There is no equivalent CDC form for cats.
Health certificate
CDC does not demand a Namibia-endorsed export certificate for entry, but airlines generally still want a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel, and a US Customs and Border Protection officer can refuse entry to any animal that appears unwell regardless of paperwork.
Export permit (Namibia)
No separate export permit scheme for a dog or cat leaving Namibia by air. The controlling document is the veterinary health certificate below, issued or endorsed by a Namibian state veterinarian.
Government endorsement
Health certificate endorsed by the Directorate of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR), close to the departure date.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Namibian vet visits, vaccination and blood draw: N$1,800-3,500 (roughly USD 100-195)
OVI titre test and courier to Pretoria: USD 150-300
CDC Dog Import Form: free
CDC-registered facility reservation fee, if the 28-day quarantine option applies: set individually by each facility, not published centrally, get a written quote before booking
IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 90-320
Cargo, Windhoek to Washington Dulles via Addis Ababa: USD 1,800-3,800 depending on crate size and season
Agent and handling fees: USD 250-500
Total typical range for a compliant dog with a passing titre: USD 2,200-5,100
Critical points to read before you book
Namibia is on the CDC's high-risk countries list for dog rabies, confirmed on the CDC page updated 15 April 2026. Miss the microchip-before-vaccine sequence, the titre test from a CDC-approved lab, or the CDC-registered facility reservation, and the likely outcome is a 28-day quarantine on arrival, at the owner's cost.
Namibia has no domestic FAVN-accredited laboratory, so the blood sample normally travels to Pretoria for testing. Build in the courier and lab turnaround time rather than assuming a same-week local result.
Cats get a far lighter federal rule than dogs, with no CDC rabies vaccination or titre test mandated. That does not mean no paperwork: Namibia's own export requirements and most airlines' health certificate rules still apply to cats in full.
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.
ETHIOPIAN
Ethiopian Airlines
The only single-carrier routing between Namibia and the United States, connecting Windhoek to its Addis Ababa hub, then flying nonstop from Addis Ababa to Washington Dulles (IAD), a roughly 13-hour sector operated with Airbus A350 equipment. Dulles happens to be one of the six CDC-registered facility airports, so a pet on this exact routing lands somewhere the CDC's own quarantine and inspection infrastructure already exists. Confirm live animal cargo space on both legs before booking, since transit handling at Addis Ababa needs its own confirmation.
Cargo Only
QATAR AIRWAYS
Qatar Airways
Alternative routing via Johannesburg and Doha, connecting onward to several CDC-registered US gateways including JFK and LAX. Adds a second transfer compared with the Ethiopian option, so reconfirm live animal acceptance on all three legs.
Cargo Only
AIRLINK
Airlink
Regional carrier connecting Hosea Kutako International (WDH) to O.R. Tambo, Johannesburg (JNB), the standard first leg for a pet leaving Namibia by air since Air Namibia's 2021 collapse, relevant for any US routing that connects through Johannesburg rather than Addis Ababa.
Cargo Only
United States import rules, explained
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.
Practical tips for this move
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 about Namibia to United States pet transport
Yes. Namibia appears on the CDC’s high-risk countries list for dog rabies, confirmed on the CDC page updated 15 April 2026. That triggers the full foreign-vaccinated-dog pathway: microchip before vaccination, a titre test from a CDC-approved laboratory, and arrival at a US airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility.
No, but Ethiopian Airlines offers a single-carrier routing: Windhoek to its Addis Ababa hub, then a nonstop roughly 13-hour flight to Washington Dulles, one of only six US airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility. That overlap makes it the most practical option on this route.
Your dog can still enter the US, but must complete a 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival, at your cost. Blood needs to be drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before the flight lands, which is why timing the draw correctly matters more than almost any other step.
No. Cats face no CDC rabies vaccination or titre test requirement at all. Namibia’s own export paperwork through the Directorate of Veterinary Services still applies to cats, and airlines generally still want a standard veterinary health certificate, but the federal US side is far lighter for cats than for dogs.
Airline guides
Ethiopian Airlines
Qatar Airways
Airlink
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.