Cruises and sea arrivals with a dog

In short

• Every dog arriving in the US by sea needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt that lists the arrival seaport.
• A dog that has only been in low-risk countries can arrive at any seaport with the form alone.
• Service dogs that stay on board while the ship docks in a high-risk country are not considered to have been there.
• For pet dogs on cruises, the CDC has published no equivalent rule. It is not known how high-risk port stops are treated, so ask before you book.

Arriving in the US by sea: the basics

The CDC rule covers every way into the country, including seaports. Your dog needs:

• a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, free and online, with the seaport where you disembark;
• an age of at least 6 months, a microchip, and to look healthy;
• the documents that match its pathway, based on every country it has been in during the last 6 months.

What changes with a ship is the list of countries. A cruise can touch several countries in a week, and some of them may be on the high-risk list.

What the CDC says clearly

The CDC answers sea arrivals in its FAQ, but only for service dogs:

• A service dog that stays on the cruise ship while it is docked in a high-risk country is not considered to have been in that country.
• A US-vaccinated service dog can enter at a US seaport with a valid Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccination and a receipt listing the arrival port.
• A foreign-vaccinated service dog can enter at a US seaport without an animal care facility reservation, if before disembarking the owner has the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip, a valid titer test (a blood test that measures rabies antibodies) from a CDC-approved lab, and a receipt listing the arrival port.

For more on who counts as a service dog, see service dogs.

Two other points are clear for all dogs:

• A dog that has only been in low-risk countries can arrive at any seaport with the CDC form only.
• A US-vaccinated dog with valid, USDA-endorsed paperwork can arrive at any port, seaports included, as long as it matches the receipt.

What is unclear for pet dogs

In practice, this leaves two open questions for pet dogs:

1. High-risk port stops. If your cruise docks in a high-risk country, does your dog become a high-risk dog for the CDC? The CDC does not say.
2. Foreign-vaccinated pet dogs. The sea arrival exception (no animal care facility reservation needed) is written for service dogs. Foreign-vaccinated pet dogs are told to arrive by air at the airport of their facility, so a sea arrival does not seem possible for them.

How to get a clear answer before you sail

• Ask your cruise line first. Many lines accept only service dogs, and policies vary by ship and itinerary. Ask whether pet dogs are accepted, where they stay on board, and whether they ever leave the ship in port.
• Ask the CDC in writing. Describe your exact itinerary (ports, dates, whether your dog leaves the ship) and ask how your dog will be treated on arrival. The CDC’s animal import team can be reached at cdcanimalimports@cdc.gov. Keep the reply with your travel documents.
• Choose the safer itinerary. An itinerary with low-risk ports only, or a dog that is US-vaccinated with a valid certification, removes most of the doubt.

A safe plan, port by port

1. List every port of call and check each one against the high-risk list.
2. If all ports are low-risk: file the CDC form with your arrival seaport and you are set for the CDC.
3. If any port is high-risk and your dog was vaccinated in the US: get the USDA-endorsed Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccination before leaving the US, so your dog is covered whatever the CDC decides. See US-vaccinated dogs.
4. If any port is high-risk and your dog was vaccinated abroad: get a written answer from the CDC before booking.
5. Remember the ports themselves: each country you visit may have its own rules for dogs going ashore, set by its own authorities.

If anything goes wrong at arrival, the dog can be refused entry. See why dogs get refused at the border.