Beginning August 1, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will enforce new rules for importing dogs to the United States. All dogs entering or returning to the U.S. must meet new, specific requirements depending on where they have been in the six months before entering the U.S. and where they received their rabies vaccines (if required). These dogs can only enter the U.S. at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility.
The requirements summary on the CDC website notes:
- “The CDC Dog Import Form You complete this form online. It will only take a few minutes if you have the required information available.
- A Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip This form is filled out by your veterinarian and endorsed by an official government veterinarian.
- If not included on the form above, you will also need a valid rabies serology titer report from a CDC-approved laboratory.
- Dogs must have a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility. If you do not have a valid rabies serology titer, this must include a 28-day quarantine reservation.
- Dogs must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them. The microchip must be implanted before getting the rabies vaccine, or else the vaccine will be invalid. The microchip number must be included on all required forms and supporting documents.
- Dogs must appear healthy upon arrival.
- Dogs must be at least 6 months old at time of entry.”
You can see the full requirements and obtain the CDC Dog Import Form on the CDC’s website .
Please note the CDC has designated China as a high-risk country for dog rabies.
Dogs that do not meet all entry requirements or do not have accurate or valid forms will be denied entry to the U.S. and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense. You can use the CDC’s DogBot tool to determine which requirements apply.
Otherwise, dogs do not need visas, but non-U.S. Citizens still do. If you have questions about U.S. visas and U.S. immigration contact us at info@enterimmi.com