Phone… check.

Passport… check.

CDC Dog Import Form Receipt for Fido… OH NO!!!

If you plan to bring your dog to the United States, then you need to double-check that your faithful companion has all of the required documents to enter the United States.

Starting August 1, 2024, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) will administer updated requirements for dogs to enter the U.S.

The updated CDC rules apply to all dogs, including puppies, service animals, as well as dogs that left the United States and are returning.

Customs and Border Protection officers will enforce the CDC rules at land and sea Ports of Entry around the country, as well as preclearance facilities in airports in Canada and other countries.

Starting August 1 2024, to be admissible all dogs must:

• Appear healthy upon arrival;
• Be at least six months of age;
• Be microchipped; and
• Be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form online submission receipt:
  • This form will be accessible beginning July 15, 2024
  • This form should be filled out online ideally 2-10 days before arrival; however, it can be completed right before travel (even in line at the border crossing) if you have internet access.
  • All information, including port of entry where the dog is arriving, must be correct at time of arrival.

In addition to these requirements, proof of rabies vaccination may be required based on where the dog has been in the last six months and whether the dog was vaccinated in the United States or elsewhere. There are heightened requirements for dogs arriving from one of the 111 countries with a high risk of dog rabies.

If you do not follow the CDC’s rules, your dog will not be allowed to enter the United States. If denied entry, your dog will be sent back to the last country of departure at your expense. Country of departure is where the last trip originated—not where the dog was born or where it lives.

More information can be found on the CDC and CBP websites:

• CDC Dog Importation Requirements
• CBP Changes for Dogs Entering the U.S.
• CDC FAQs about High-Risk Dog Ban

Please reach out to the immigration attorneys at Ryan Swanson if you have any questions regarding the updated CDC requirements for bringing dogs into the United States.

Included in the dogs pictured above are Marsha Mavunkel’s dog Billie, Cody Nunn’s dog Alder, Janet Cheetham’s dog Radar, Jen Chen’s dog Scoots, Dani Bravo-Moreno’s dog Oreo, Brenda Ferderer’s dogs Colt and Remi, Robert Loudon’s dogs Roxy and Ruby, and Verna Seal’s dogs Peanut, China, Princess Penny, and Finn.