The rabies titer test for dogs entering the US
What a rabies titer test is, when to draw the blood, the passing result, how long it stays valid and which CDC-approved labs can run it. With a worked example.
In short
- A titer test (or rabies serology) is a blood test that measures your dog’s rabies antibodies. It shows the vaccine worked.
- It concerns foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country. Without a valid titer, your dog faces a 28-day quarantine on arrival.
- Draw the blood at least 30 days after the rabies vaccine and at least 28 days before entry.
- The passing result is 0.5 IU/mL or more, from a CDC-approved laboratory only.
- A passing titer is valid for life if the rabies vaccination never lapses.
What a titer test is
A rabies vaccine teaches the body to make antibodies against rabies. A titer test counts those antibodies in a blood sample. The result is written in international units per milliliter (IU/mL).
A vaccination record shows that a vaccine was given. A passing titer shows that your dog’s body actually responded to it.
Who needs one
The titer is part of the pathway for foreign-vaccinated dogs: dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the last 6 months and were vaccinated against rabies outside the United States.
| Your dog | Titer test for CDC? |
|---|---|
| Only low-risk countries | Not needed |
| High risk, vaccinated in the US with the USDA-endorsed certification | Not needed |
| High risk, vaccinated abroad | Strongly recommended: without it, 28 days of quarantine |
Other destinations have their own titer rules (Hawaii, for example, has its own requirements: see Hawaii and Guam). This page covers the CDC rules for entering the US.
When to draw the blood
Two rules, both minimums:
- At least 30 days after the rabies vaccination. The body needs time to build antibodies.
- At least 28 days before your dog enters the US. CDC sets this as a fixed minimum, whatever the result.
- Day 0Rabies vaccination
- Day 30Blood draw for the titerat least 30 days after vaccination
- Day 58Earliest arrivalat least 28 days after the blood draw
The vaccination itself must follow the usual rules: the microchip implanted first, and the first vaccine given at 84 days (12 weeks) of age or older.
Dogs with several vaccines
If your dog has had several valid rabies vaccines since its microchip, with no lapse in coverage, CDC allows the blood to be drawn any time after a booster, provided the first vaccine was given at least 30 days before the draw.
If the vaccination lapsed at some point, your dog needs a new vaccine, and the blood must be drawn at least 30 days after that new dose.
The passing result
CDC’s pass mark is 0.5 IU/mL or higher. A result below that does not count. Talk to your vet about a new vaccine and a new test: the timing rules above then apply to the new blood draw.
Keep the lab report: a copy must travel with your dog.
How long a titer stays valid
A passing titer is valid for the rest of your dog’s life, under two conditions:
- your dog’s rabies vaccination never lapses (each booster is given before the previous vaccine expires);
- the laboratory that ran the test is still on the CDC-approved list. If a lab is removed, CDC asks for a new result from a lab that is approved.
So a dog that keeps its boosters on schedule only needs one passing titer for all its future trips.
The approved laboratories
Only results from a CDC-approved laboratory are accepted, and they must come directly from that lab, not from another lab that forwarded the sample. If there is no approved lab in your country, CDC says to use the closest one.
Your vet takes the blood and ships it. Ask your vet which approved lab they work with, and how long results take. The list below is the CDC list, grouped by country.
Australia1 laboratory
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP)
Austria1 laboratory
- AGES Institut für veterinärmedizinische Untersuchungen Mödling
Belgium2 laboratories
- Scientific Institute of Public Health (ISP), Communicable and Infectious Diseases, Operational Department, Viral Disease Service, Rabies Laboratory and Reference Center
- Sciensano Scientific Directorate Infectious Diseases in Humans Laboratory of Rabies
Brazil3 laboratories
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Raiva (Laboratório de Virologia Clínica e Molecular do Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas)
- TECSA LABORATÓRIOS LTDA
- TECPAR – Instituto de Tecnología do Paraná
Cambodia1 laboratory
- Pasteur Institute of Cambodia
Canada1 laboratory
- Public Health Agency of Canada
Chile1 laboratory
- Instituto de Salud Publica de Chile, Laboratorio Diagnostico de Rabia
China8 laboratories
- Centre for Rabies Antibody Assay, Laboratory of Epidemiology, Veterinary Research Institute, Academy of Medical Sciences
- Diagnostic Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife Associated Zoonoses (DLR), Changchun Veterinary Research Institute (CVRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)
- Guangdong Golden Standard Life Science & Technology
- Viral Disease Prevention and Control Laboratory (VDPCL), College of Veterinary Medicine/State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Jilin University
- National Reference Laboratory for Animal Rabies (Diagnostic Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife Associated Zoonoses), Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)
- Sino Tech World Biologicals Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (Beijing)
- South China Agricultural University
- Technical Centre for animal, plant and food inspection and quarantine of Shanghai customs. Laboratory of animal quarantine
Croatia1 laboratory
- Croatian Veterinary Institute
Czechia1 laboratory
- State Veterinary Institute Prague The National Reference Laboratory for Rabies
Finland2 laboratories
- Finnish Food Authority
- Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira
France3 laboratories
- Anses–Rabies and wildlife laboratory at Nancy
- Laboratoire Departemental 31 EVA
- INOVALYS Le Mans
Germany3 laboratories
- Bavarian State Office for Health and Life Sciences
- Viro Vet Diagnostik UG
- IDEXX Reference Laboratories Vet Med Labor GmbH (Kornwestheim)
Greece2 laboratories
- Athens Center 25 of Veterinary Institutes Institute of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Department of Virology
- Hellenic Republic Ministry of Rural Development and Food; Department of Molecular Diagnostics, FMD, Virological, Ricketsial and Exotic Diseases Laboratory
Hungary1 laboratory
- NEBIH Laboratory for Virology
Israel1 laboratory
- Rabies Laboratory, Kimron Veterinary Institute
Italy3 laboratories
- IZS
- IZSLT
- IZSV
Japan1 laboratory
- Research Institute for Animal Science In Biochemistry and Toxicology
Latvia1 laboratory
- Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR
Lithuania1 laboratory
- National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute
Mexico1 laboratory
- SADER/SENASICA
Netherlands1 laboratory
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research
Philippines1 laboratory
- Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM)
Poland1 laboratory
- National Veterinary Research Institut in Pulawy
Portugal1 laboratory
- INIAV
Romania1 laboratory
- Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health
Russia2 laboratories
- Federal State Budgetary Institution: Federal Centre for Animal Health (FGBI ARRIAH)
- Federal State Budgetary Institution: "The Russian State Centre for Animal Feed and Drug Standardization and Quality" (FGBU "VGNKI")
Serbia1 laboratory
- Pasteur Institute of Novi Sad
Slovakia1 laboratory
- State Veterinary and Food Institute – Veterinary institute Zvolen
Slovenia1 laboratory
- University of Ljubljana, National Veterinary Institute
South Africa1 laboratory
- ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute
South Korea3 laboratories
- Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency
- Animal, Plant and Fisheries Quarantine and Inspection Agency (QIA)/ Seoul Regional Office of Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (QIA)
- KBNP, INC.
Spain2 laboratories
- Instituto Valenciano de Microbiología
- Laboratorio Central de Sanidad Animal Santa Fe (Granada)
Sweden1 laboratory
- Statens Veterinärmedicinska Anstalt (SVA)
Switzerland1 laboratory
- Swiss Rabies Center, Institute of Virology and Immunology, Universitat Bern
Taiwan1 laboratory
- Animal Health Research Institute
Thailand1 laboratory
- National Institute of Animal Health, Department of Livestock Development
Türkiye1 laboratory
- Veterinary Control Central Research Institute
Ukraine3 laboratories
- NeoVetlab Ukraine Ltd
- State Scientific Control Institute of Biotechnology and Strains of Microorganisms
- State Scientific and Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary Sanitary Expertise (Kyiv)
United Arab Emirates1 laboratory
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory
United Kingdom2 laboratories
- Animal and Plant Health Agency
- Biobest Laboratories Ltd.
United States4 laboratories
- Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Pathobiology
- DoD Food Analysis & Diagnostic LaboratoryDepartment of Defense personnel only
- Kansas State University
- University of Missouri Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Laboratory
A worked example
Your dog lives in Colombia, is microchipped, and is vaccinated against rabies on 2 March 2026. You want to fly to the US as soon as possible. With the current rules:
| Step | Rule | Earliest date |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies vaccine | After the microchip | 2 March 2026 |
| Titer blood draw | ≥30 days after the vaccine | 1 April 2026 |
| Entry into the US | ≥28 days after the blood draw | 29 April 2026 |
Then the other pieces fall into place around the flight date. Say you book a direct flight landing on 15 May 2026, to leave room for the lab result:
- the facility reservation is made at the airport you land at;
- the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip is completed and endorsed no earlier than 15 April 2026 (no more than 30 days before travel);
- the high-risk CDC Dog Import Form is submitted in the week before 15 May, with the flight and airport.
At the facility, your dog gets an exam and a rabies booster. With the passing titer, there is no 28-day quarantine.
Questions travelers ask
Does my dog need a titer test?
Only foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country need one, and even then it is technically optional. Without a valid titer, the dog must spend a quarantine period at a CDC-registered animal care facility.
Can I use any veterinary laboratory?
No. The blood must be tested by a laboratory on the CDC-approved list, and the result must come directly from that laboratory. If there is no approved lab in your country, CDC says to use the closest one.
Does the titer test expire?
A passing titer stays valid for the dog’s whole life, as long as its rabies vaccination never lapses and the lab stays on the CDC list. If the vaccine lapses, your dog needs a new vaccine and a new titer.
Can the blood be drawn on the same day as the vaccine?
No. The blood must be drawn a set number of days after the vaccination, so the antibodies have time to build up.
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.