Dogs travelling to the United States

General federal and State authority requirements

Dogs entering the U.S. are subject to requirements from multiple federal and State authorities. It is the owner/exporter's responsibility to ensure that animals comply with all federal and State requirements. The CFIA does not play a role in U.S. State level requirements.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirements

As of August 1, 2024, the CDC has implemented updated import requirements for all dogs travelling to the U.S.

The CDC has different requirements depending on where the dog has been in the 6 months before travelling to the U.S.:

Dogs that have only been in dog-rabies free or low-risk countries (such as Canada, the U.S. and Mexico) in the 6 months before travelling to the U.S.
Each dog must meet the CDC's requirements: From August 1, 2024, Onward: Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries.

Dogs from Canada that have also been in a country at high-risk for dog rabies in the 6 months before travelling to the U.S.
At this time, dogs from Canada that have also been in a country at high-risk for dog rabies during the 6 months before travelling to the U.S. are not eligible to enter the U.S. directly from Canada.

At this time, the dog must either wait 6 months in Canada prior to entering the U.S. or enter the U.S. directly from the country at high-risk for dog rabies.

The CFIA is working with the CDC to develop a process and documents needed for this situation. Further guidance will be provided on this page when it becomes available.

Dogs from countries at high-risk for dog rabies travelling to the U.S.
Dogs from a country at high-risk for dog rabies are not eligible to enter the U.S. directly from Canada.

In this situation, the dog must either wait 6 months in Canada or enter the U.S. directly from the country at high-risk for dog rabies.

Dogs that do not meet the CDC's requirements
If the dog does not meet the CDC's requirements, the dog may not be allowed to enter the U.S.

The CDC will address these situations on a case-by-case basis. You must contact the CDC at (800) 232-4636 or cdcanimalimports@cdc.gov and request a derogation for your situation. It is at the CDC's discretion to issue a derogation. If a derogation is not granted your dog may not be eligible to enter the U.S. In some situations, only derogations for veterinary needs or emergency veterinary care may be considered.

Dogs that do not meet the U.S. import requirements may be subject to additional testing or requirements at the owner's/importer's expense, may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the owner's/importer's expense, or other enforcement actions.

For more information, please visit the CDC's website:

If you have questions about the CDC's requirements or travelling with/exporting a dog to the U.S., please contact the CDC:

Reminder: if your dog is returning to Canada, it will still need to meet Canada's import requirements, such as a valid rabies vaccination certificate. For more information, consult the CFIA's pet import tool.

The information on this page is subject to change. Please revisit this page frequently for updated guidance as more information becomes available.

Related links

Date modified: