A move from Suriname to United States with a dog or cat is mostly about preparing the documents in the right order. There is a fair amount of paperwork here, so plan on around 10-14 weeks. No routine quarantine applies as long as every …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Suriname to United States
typically takes around 10-14 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 Suriname 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 and scanning, then administer the rabies vaccination for dogs. Cats need no CDC vaccination but should still be current under Suriname's own rules.
Responsible: Vet in Suriname
Start of planning, at least 10-12 weeks before travel.
2
Draw blood at least 30 days after vaccination for the rabies FAVN titre test, sent to a CDC-approved laboratory such as Kansas State's Rabies Laboratory.
Responsible: Vet and the CDC-approved laboratory
Roughly 8-10 weeks before travel.
3
Once a passing result is confirmed, complete the CDC Dog Import Form and book a reservation at a CDC-registered facility at Miami or another approved airport.
Responsible: Owner
As soon as the titre result is confirmed, and always before the flight.
4
Arrange the Directoraat Veterinaire Diensten-endorsed health certificate.
Responsible: Owner and Suriname vet
Close to travel, once the titre result and flight are confirmed.
5
Book cargo space on the Surinam Airways or Caribbean Airlines Paramaribo-Georgetown-Miami routing.
Responsible: Owner or agent, with the airline's cargo desk
4-6 weeks before travel.
6
Arrive at Miami, or another CDC-registered facility airport. If the titre result wasn't 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 Suriname is on the CDC's high-risk country list for dog rabies. A universal-scanner-readable microchip implanted after the vaccine means the vaccine doesn't count toward entry. Source: CDC, Bringing a Dog into the United States, page updated 15 April 2026.
Rabies vaccination
Required for dogs, with the first dose given no earlier than 12 weeks old. Cats face no federal CDC rabies vaccination requirement, only a general health check on arrival. Source: cdc.gov/importation.
Rabies titre test
Required for a dog travelling on a Suriname-issued vaccination certificate. Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before the flight lands in the US, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory. Kansas State University's Rabies Laboratory, one approved option, charges around USD 90 for the FAVN test with a 3 to 4 week turnaround. A dog without a passing result isn't 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 ksvdl.org.
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 be booked before departure, since Suriname is high-risk. There's no equivalent CDC form for cats.
Health certificate
CDC doesn't itself demand a Suriname-endorsed export certificate for entry, but airlines generally still want a veterinary health certificate issued close to travel, and a US Customs and Border Protection officer can refuse entry to any animal that appears unwell regardless of paperwork.
Export permit (Suriname)
No separate outbound export permit is documented beyond the vet-endorsed health certificate. Suriname's published guidance is built around animals entering the country, not leaving it; confirm the current outbound process directly with the Directoraat Veterinaire Diensten before travel.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Directoraat Veterinaire Diensten health certificate and Suriname vet consultations: USD 80-180
Rabies FAVN titre test at a CDC-approved laboratory, for example Kansas State University's Rabies Laboratory at around USD 90, plus courier cost to ship the sample: USD 90-200
IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 150-400
Cargo fare Paramaribo to Georgetown to Miami: USD 1,400-2,600 depending on crate size and season
CDC-registered facility fee if the 28-day quarantine option applies: set individually by each facility, get a written quote before booking
Total typical range for a compliant dog with a passing titre: USD 1,900-3,600
Critical points to read before you book
Suriname's high-risk status on the CDC's dog rabies list means the microchip-before-vaccine sequence, the FAVN titre test from a CDC-approved lab, and arrival at a CDC-registered facility airport with a reservation booked in advance aren't optional extras. Miss any one of the three and the likely outcome is a 28-day quarantine, or a dog refused boarding by the airline in the first place.
Miami being a scheduled stop on Surinam Airways' own route is a genuine advantage on this site: routes like Venezuela to the US often need a deliberate detour to reach a CDC-registered facility airport. Confirm the through-booking still lands your pet at Miami specifically, not a different US gateway, since the CDC restriction is airport-specific.
Cats get a far lighter federal rule than dogs, with no CDC rabies vaccination or titre test mandated. That doesn't mean no paperwork: Suriname's own vet-endorsed certificate still applies to cats in full, and airlines generally still want a health certificate regardless of species.
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.
SURINAM
Surinam Airways
Runs a scheduled Paramaribo (PBM) to Georgetown (GEO) to Miami (MIA) service under a single flight, its main route into the United States since ending the separate Curacao-Miami sector in May 2026. Because Miami is also one of the CDC's registered animal-care-facility airports, this is genuinely useful: the pet's normal routing already lands at an airport equipped to handle the high-risk-country arrival process, rather than needing a detour most other South American routes on this site don't get.
Cargo Only
CARIBBEAN
Caribbean Airlines
An alternative on the same Georgetown to Miami sector, with its own Paramaribo-Georgetown service feeding into it. Worth comparing against Surinam Airways on hold-space availability and current crate size limits, since both carriers use Georgetown as the connecting point rather than flying nonstop.
Cargo Only
United States entry requirements at a glance
Bringing a pet into United States involves a fair amount of documentation. Keep everything organised and check each item against the current requirements before you book.
Getting the details right
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
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.
FAQ
Common questions about Suriname to United States pet transport
Yes. The CDC’s high-risk countries list for dog rabies includes Suriname, per the CDC page updated 15 April 2026. That triggers the full foreign-vaccinated-dog pathway for dogs: microchip before vaccination, a titre test from a CDC-approved laboratory, and arrival at a US airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility.
Not nonstop, but close. Surinam Airways runs a single scheduled service from Paramaribo through Georgetown to Miami, and Caribbean Airlines offers a comparable Georgetown-Miami connection. Miami is also one of the CDC’s six registered animal-care-facility airports, so this routing already ends where a high-risk-country dog needs to land.
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. Timing the blood draw correctly, at least 30 days after vaccination and 28 days before your flight, matters more than almost any other step in this process.
No. Cats face no CDC rabies vaccination or titre test requirement at all. Suriname’s own vet-endorsed export paperwork 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
Surinam Airways
Caribbean Airlines
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.
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