LC
Saint Lucia
✈️
US
United States
Pet Transport from Saint Lucia to the United States
8-10 weeks
Typical preparation
None
Quarantine on arrival
Low
Route complexity
✓ Managed
Full door-to-door service
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Saint Lucia to United States
typically takes around 8-10 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is not required.
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Overview
A move from Saint Lucia to United States with a dog or cat is mostly about preparing the documents in the right order. Around 8-10 weeks should do it, as this is an easier route to plan. There is no routine quarantine, provided the paperwork is in order.
This route does not call for a rabies titre test. Read on for the requirements, timing and carrier options for this route.
Step by step
The Saint Lucia to United States process
1
6-8 weeks before travel.
Microchip, then rabies vaccination, even though the US side only recommends rather than requires it.
Responsible: Saint Lucia-based vet
2
Any time before travel, once a flight date is confirmed.
Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online. Cats need no equivalent form.
Responsible: Owner
3
Within 10 days of travel, matching airline requirements.
Obtain the veterinary health certificate, endorsed by the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division.
Responsible: Saint Lucia-based vet
4
3-5 weeks before travel.
Book the flight, direct with American Airlines to Miami, or via JetBlue or Caribbean Airlines depending on schedule.
Responsible: Owner or agent
5
Day of arrival.
Arrival at a US port of entry, no facility-airport restriction.
Responsible: CBP
Checklist
United States: entry requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Microchip | Recommended, though not mandated in the strict chip-before-vaccine sequence that applies to a high-risk country. |
| Rabies vaccination | Not required by CDC for a dog arriving directly from Saint Lucia, though strongly recommended. Cats face no federal rabies vaccination requirement at all. |
| Rabies titre test | Not required. Saint Lucia does not appear on the CDC's high-risk countries list for dog rabies (source: CDC, 'High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies,' cdc.gov/importation/dogs/high-risk-countries.html, last updated 15 April 2026, confirmed by direct check on that date's published list). |
| Quarantine | None. Low-risk-country dogs face no CDC quarantine requirement, and neither do cats. |
| Import permit | CDC Dog Import Form, a free online form completed by the owner before travel, one per dog, valid 6 months for multiple entries within the same risk category. No equivalent form exists for cats. |
| Health certificate | No federal CDC mandate for a low-risk dog beyond the Import Form, but airlines generally want a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel. |
Leaving Saint Lucia
Export requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Export permit | No dedicated outbound export permit is published. A government-issued veterinary health certificate covers this instead. |
| Veterinary inspection | Examination by a licensed Saint Lucian vet, confirming the microchip reads and vaccination status is current. |
| Government endorsement | Endorsement by the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Castries. |
| Health certificate | Veterinary health certificate confirming rabies vaccination and general health. The CDC does not itself require a Saint Lucia-endorsed export certificate for a low-risk-country dog, but airlines will still ask for one, and a cat needs it regardless. |
Costs
What this route typically costs
| 1 | Saint Lucia vet visits, microchip and vaccination: USD 90-200, paid locally in EC dollars |
| 2 | Health certificate and Division endorsement: fee not centrally published, confirm with the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division |
| 3 | CDC Dog Import Form: free |
| 4 | IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 100-380 |
| 5 | Airfare or cargo fare Saint Lucia to a US airport: USD 400-1,800 in-cabin, or USD 1,200-2,600 as cargo, depending on airline and season |
| 6 | Pet transport agent fee, optional on this simpler route: USD 300-900 |
| 7 | Total typical range: USD 800-4,600, spanning cabin-only small pet trips through to a full cargo booking for a large dog |
Critical points
Read before you book
⚠ This is the easiest of the three new routes on this site's current build. Saint Lucia is neither UK unlisted nor CDC high-risk, and American Airlines' near-daily Miami service gives real flight choice most new-country routes don't have.
⚠ JetBlue is cabin-only. If your dog is too large for an in-cabin carrier, American Airlines via Miami is the realistic option, not JetBlue.
⚠ American's JFK to Hewanorra service is seasonal, resuming as a weekly Saturday flight from 20 December 2026 rather than running year-round, so don't assume it's available outside the winter window.
⚠ Caribbean Airlines' in-cabin pet acceptance is approved route by route. Confirm directly with the airline before booking rather than assuming a Saint Lucia connection automatically qualifies.
Carriers
Airlines on this route
American Airlines
Flies Miami to Hewanorra close to daily, roughly 15 flights a week as of June 2026, the most frequent scheduled service on this route by some distance. American also plans to bring back a weekly Saturday JFK to Hewanorra flight from 20 December 2026. Small pets travel in the cabin under 8kg including carrier; larger dogs go as cargo.
JetBlue
Runs JFK to Hewanorra year-round nonstop, adding a second weekly Saturday flight from late November through January for the winter peak. Cabin-only, up to roughly 9kg combined pet and carrier weight, so this suits small pets rather than a larger dog.
Caribbean Airlines
Connects Saint Lucia to other Caribbean islands and onward to Miami, New York and Toronto through its regional network, a useful backup if the direct American or JetBlue schedule doesn't fit. In-cabin acceptance is route-dependent and needs advance approval; larger animals travel in the hold as checked or manifest cargo.
Meeting United States's entry requirements
The requirements for United States are light, but not zero. A little planning goes a long way on a route like this.
Advice worth following
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.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
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.
FAQ
Common questions
No. Saint Lucia does not appear on the CDC’s high-risk countries list for dog rabies, confirmed against the list published on cdc.gov, last updated 15 April 2026. That keeps this route out of the titre-test and facility-airport requirements that apply to high-risk-country dogs.
Not by strict federal CDC rule, since Saint Lucia is not high-risk. It’s still strongly recommended, and Saint Lucia’s own export health certificate process expects it, so most owners vaccinate regardless of the lighter US-side rule.
American Airlines, flying Miami to Hewanorra close to daily at roughly 15 flights a week as of June 2026. It’s the most frequent option by a clear margin. JetBlue’s year-round JFK flight is a solid alternative for a small, cabin-eligible pet.
No. JetBlue only carries pets in the cabin, capped at roughly 9kg combined pet and carrier weight. A larger dog needs American Airlines’ cargo service via Miami instead.
No. Low-risk-country dogs face no CDC quarantine requirement, and cats never have one regardless of origin. A Customs and Border Protection officer can still refuse entry to any animal that looks visibly unwell, whatever the paperwork says.
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