The CDC Dog Import Form, step by step
Who needs the CDC Dog Import Form, when to fill it in, what each section asks and what you receive. A plain-language walkthrough of the official form.
In short
- Every dog entering the United States needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, whatever its nationality, by air, land or sea.
- The form takes about 5 to 15 minutes online.
- What it asks depends on where your dog has been in the last 6 months: low-risk countries only, or at least one high-risk country.
- You receive a receipt by email. Show it to the airline before boarding and to US Customs and Border Protection on arrival.
What the CDC Dog Import Form is
The CDC Dog Import Form is an online declaration created by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep dog rabies out of the United States. The rule behind it has applied since 1 August 2024.
It is not a permit you apply for and wait for. You fill it in, submit it, and the CDC system sends you a receipt straight away. That receipt is what the airline and the border officers check.
Who needs it
Every dog entering the United States, without exception:
- dogs flying in, crossing a land border from Canada or Mexico, or arriving by sea;
- dogs that live in the US and are coming home from a trip;
- service dogs;
- puppies and adult dogs alike (and a dog must be at least 6 months old to enter at all).
One form covers one dog. Traveling with two dogs means two forms and two receipts.
The only exception is a dog that changes planes in the US without entering the country, under strict conditions. See layovers and connecting flights.
The question that decides everything
Before you open the form, answer this: where has your dog been in the last 6 months?
- Only low-risk countries (most of Europe, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia and many more): the form is short. No photo, no microchip number, no vet document.
- At least one high-risk country, even for a weekend: the form asks for more, and your dog needs extra documents before travelling. The rules then depend on where the rabies vaccination was given. See the high-risk country list.
If your dog… has not been in a high-risk country in the last 6 months
Low risk
The form only. Any airport, land or sea. Receipt valid 6 months.
If your dog… has been in a high-risk country and has a US rabies vaccination with the USDA-endorsed certification
High risk, US-vaccinated
The form, a photo and the USDA-endorsed certification. Any airport.
If your dog… has been in a high-risk country and was vaccinated outside the US, or in the US without the USDA-endorsed certification
High risk, vaccinated abroad
An endorsed certificate, a booking at an animal care facility and a direct flight to one of 8 airports. A titer test is strongly advised.
If your dog… has been in a high-risk country and is not vaccinated against rabies
Not admissible yet
Vaccinate first, then follow the rules for dogs vaccinated abroad.
How to fill it in
The form is online, in English (CDC also publishes instructions in Spanish). You do not need an account, but you will confirm your email address with a code sent by the CDC system, so use an address you can open right away.
1. Importer
The importer is the person responsible for the dog on arrival: usually you. You give your name, contact details and an identification document. If you travel with your dog, you are the importer even if someone else fills in the form.
2. Dog
Name, breed, sex, color, date of birth. For a dog that has been in a high-risk country, you also add:
- the microchip number;
- a photo showing the dog’s face and body (.jpg, .jpeg or .png, up to 10 MB). For a dog under 1 year old, the photo must be taken within 15 days before arrival.
3. Travel
Your arrival date and how the dog arrives. For high-risk dogs, the form also asks for every country visited in the last 6 months, the flight details, the US arrival airport and a US address, plus the vaccination document or the animal care facility reservation.
4. Signature
You confirm that the information is true and submit. The receipt arrives by email within minutes. If nothing arrives, check your spam folder and the spelling of your email address before submitting again.
When to fill it in
- Low-risk dogs: any time before travel, even on the day of departure. The receipt stays valid for 6 months for multiple entries, as long as you always leave from the same country.
- High-risk dogs: in the days before travel, once your flight and documents are final. The receipt covers a single entry, on the date and at the airport you declared.
The details are in how long the receipt is valid.
What happens with the receipt
- At check-in, the airline asks for the receipt. Airlines must refuse dogs without one, dogs that look under 6 months old and dogs that look sick.
- On arrival, US Customs and Border Protection can check the receipt, the microchip and the documents.
- If something is wrong, the dog can be refused entry and sent back to its departure country, within 72 hours and at the owner’s cost.
Keep the receipt on your phone and on paper, together with any vet documents. More on what it shows and what to do if it is lost or late: the CDC receipt explained. The most common reasons for refusal are listed in why dogs get refused at the border.
Questions travelers ask
Do I need the form if my dog is American and just coming home?
Yes. Since 1 August 2024, every dog entering the United States needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, including dogs that live in the US and are returning from a trip.
Can someone else fill in the form for me?
Yes. A family member, a friend, a pet shipper or airline staff can fill it in on your behalf. The details must still be yours and your dog’s.
What if I have several dogs?
Fill in one form per dog. There is no limit on the number of dogs, but each one gets its own receipt.
Ready to fill in the form?
Do it yourself, for free
The official CDC Dog Import Form is free. Use this page and fill it in on cdc.gov.
Or let us do it
We check your documents, file the form and send you the receipt. Our fee covers this service only.