TN
Tunisia
✈️
US
United States
Pet Transport from Tunisia to the United States
13-17 weeks
Typical preparation
None
Quarantine on arrival
High
Route complexity
✓ Managed
Full door-to-door service
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Tunisia to United States
typically takes around 13-17 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.
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Overview
Relocating a pet from Tunisia to United States follows a clear path once you understand what United States asks for. Set aside roughly 13-17 weeks for this route and keep a close eye on the sequencing. Pets with correct documentation skip quarantine entirely.
A rabies titre test may apply depending on where your pet is coming from, so check the requirements below. Follow the sequence below and keep a buffer for anything that slips.
Step by step
The Tunisia to United States process
1
Start of planning, 3-4 months before travel for dogs.
Confirm the dog is at least 12 weeks old, fit an ISO microchip, then administer or verify the primary rabies vaccination. Not required for cats.
Responsible: Vet in Tunisia
2
Around 2-3 months before travel.
Draw blood for the rabies titer at least 30 days after vaccination, send to a CDC-approved laboratory, and confirm the result reaches 0.5 IU/ml. Skip for cats.
Responsible: Vet and the CDC-approved laboratory
3
6-8 weeks before travel, earlier if possible.
Book a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility (Miami, JFK, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia or Washington Dulles) and confirm the final arrival airport matches it.
Responsible: Owner or agent
4
Once the flight is booked, at least a few weeks before travel.
Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online and print the receipt. Valid for one entry only when arriving from a high-risk country.
Responsible: Owner, shipper, or agent
5
2-3 working days before travel, close to the flight date.
Apply for DGSV endorsement of the Tunisian export health certificate.
Responsible: Owner and DGSV-registered vet
6
6-8 weeks before travel.
Book the Tunis to European hub leg (Paris, Frankfurt or Rome) and confirm the connecting US carrier lands at the CDC-registered facility airport.
Responsible: Owner or a pet transport agent
7
Day of departure.
Carry the titer report, CDC Dog Import Form receipt and DGSV-endorsed health certificate together on the day of travel.
Responsible: Owner and airline cargo desk
Checklist
United States: entry requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Microchip | For dogs: an ISO-compatible microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination does not count for CDC purposes. Not federally required for cats. Source: CDC, cdc.gov/importation/dogs, updated 15 April 2026. |
| Rabies vaccination | Dogs only: first rabies vaccination at a minimum age of 12 weeks, given at least 28 days before the dog enters the US. Cats face no federal rabies vaccination requirement at all. Source: CDC. |
| Rabies titre test | Required for dogs. Tunisia sits on the CDC's high-risk countries for dog rabies list, last updated 15 April 2026. Blood must be drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before the dog enters the US, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory, with a result of 0.5 IU/ml or above. Not required for cats. Source: CDC, cdc.gov/importation/dogs/high-risk-countries.html. |
| Quarantine | None for a dog arriving with a valid titer and complete paperwork. A dog without a valid titer result faces a mandatory 28-day quarantine at the CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival, at the owner's cost. Cats are not subject to this rule. Source: CDC. |
| Import permit | CDC Dog Import Form completed online before travel, producing a receipt valid for a single entry when the dog is coming from a high-risk country. A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility is also mandatory, and the dog must land at the specific airport where that facility is based. Source: CDC, dog-import-form-instructions.html. |
| Health certificate | Health certificate from the DGSV-endorsed vet in Tunisia, plus the completed CDC Dog Import Form receipt and the titer lab report, all presented together on arrival. Dogs must also be at least 6 months old at entry. |
Leaving Tunisia
Export requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Export permit | No general export permit for an accompanied personal pet. An export health certificate, endorsed by DGSV, is the working document. |
| Health certificate | Certificate issued by a Tunisian veterinarian and endorsed by the DGSV (Direction Generale des Services Veterinaires, under the Ministry of Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Peche). Allow 2-3 working days for endorsement, issued close to the travel date so it still matches the US titer and vaccination paperwork. |
Costs
What this route typically costs
| 1 | Rabies titer test at a CDC-approved laboratory (dogs only): USD 150-300 |
| 2 | DGSV export health certificate and endorsement: TND 100-250 (approximately USD 32-80) |
| 3 | CDC Dog Import Form: no fee |
| 4 | CDC-registered animal care facility exam on arrival: USD 200-500, more outside normal hours |
| 5 | 28-day quarantine if a dog lacks a valid titer: USD 2,500 or more, avoidable with correct planning |
| 6 | IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 80-350 |
| 7 | Two-leg flight, Tunis to a European hub to a US gateway: USD 1,800-4,000 depending on crate size, season and routing |
| 8 | Agent and handling fees: USD 400-800, higher than a direct route given the two-carrier booking |
| 9 | Total typical range for a dog with a valid titer: USD 2,900-6,300 |
Critical points
Read before you book
⚠ Tunisia is on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, last confirmed 15 April 2026. Skip the titer test or get the 30-day and 28-day windows wrong and the dog faces a mandatory 28-day quarantine on arrival, easily adding USD 2,500 or more. This applies to dogs only, cats are unaffected.
⚠ There is no nonstop flight between Tunisia and the United States. Every booking runs through a European hub, most realistically Paris, Frankfurt or Rome on Tunisair's own network, then a second carrier across the Atlantic. Two carriers means two separate pet policies to confirm, and the connection itself needs enough time for a live animal transfer.
⚠ A dog can only clear US entry from a high-risk country at one of six airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility: Miami, JFK, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia or Washington Dulles. Book a connection that lands anywhere else and the dog cannot legally clear entry there, whatever the paperwork says.
Carriers
Airlines on this route
Air France
Tunisair's Tunis to Paris CDG sector connects onto Air France's own transatlantic network or an Air France KLM Martinair Cargo booking into a US gateway. A two-carrier itinerary with a Paris transfer, so confirm pet acceptance on both legs and allow enough connection time for a live animal transfer.
Lufthansa
Tunisair flies Tunis to Frankfurt (FRA), Lufthansa's main hub, which then connects to several US gateways including its Miami and JFK services. Frankfurt is a well-used transfer point for live animal cargo, though heat embargoes on the US leg can apply in summer.
Tunisair
Operates the first leg out of Tunis-Carthage (TUN) to Paris, Frankfurt, Rome or Madrid, several times weekly. There is no Tunisair service to the US itself, so this carrier only ever covers the European leg of the journey. Pit Bull, Rottweiler and Tosa Inu type dogs are not accepted in any class.
Delta Air Lines
Operates transatlantic service from several European hubs, including Paris and Rome, into US gateways with a CDC-registered animal care facility. Useful as the second leg of a two-carrier booking when Air France or Alitalia-successor connections from Tunis don't line up.
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
Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.
Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.
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.
FAQ
Common questions
Yes. Tunisia appears on the CDC’s high-risk countries for dog rabies list, last confirmed 15 April 2026. That triggers a rabies titer test, a mandatory reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and entry restricted to one of six specific US airports. This applies to dogs only, cats are not on this list.
No. Cats have no federal rabies vaccination or titer requirement for entering the US, just a general health certificate and standard airline paperwork. Dogs face the full high-risk-country process: microchip, vaccination timing, titer test, CDC Dog Import Form and a CDC-registered facility reservation.
No. There is no nonstop service between Tunis-Carthage and any US airport. Every route runs through a European hub, most commonly Paris, Frankfurt or Rome on Tunisair, before a second carrier flies the transatlantic sector into a CDC-registered facility airport.
Only six: Miami (MIA), JFK in New York, Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), Philadelphia (PHL) and Washington Dulles (IAD), because these are the only airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility. The connecting flight from Europe has to land at whichever one matches the dog’s facility reservation.
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