What the CDC's Dog Import Rules Mean When You Fly Your Dog Into the U.S. by Private Jet

Every dog entering or returning to the United States must travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and a dog that has been in a high-risk country for dog rabies in the past six months needs additional documents. If that dog was vaccinated abroad, it may enter only through one of eight U.S. airports, which is why its status should be settled before a private flight is booked.

• Each dog needs its own Dog Import Form receipt, including dogs returning home.
• In all three CDC categories, dogs must be at least 6 months old at entry and microchipped.
• Which rules apply depends on the past six months of travel and where the dog was vaccinated.
• Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries need a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility and must arrive at that facility's airport.

What every dog needs

CDC requires a Dog Import Form for each dog, and its dog importation FAQ is explicit that this includes dogs coming home: "All dogs entering or returning to the U.S. must be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form receipt." Each form asks for a photo of the dog showing its face and body.

CDC's pages for all three categories of dog (dogs that have been only in rabies-free or low-risk countries, and U.S.-vaccinated or foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries) require the dog to be at least 6 months old at entry and to have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner. If a dog that has been in a high-risk country has a microchip that cannot be scanned on arrival, CDC says the dog may be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer's expense.

In CDC's words, requirements "are based on your dog's situation including whether it has been to a high-risk country for dog rabies in the last six months and where it was vaccinated."

Low-risk and high-risk countries

CDC publishes a list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, and a country that does not appear on it "is not considered high risk for importing dog rabies into the United States." Check every country the dog has been in during the past six months, not only the one the flight departs from.

For a dog that has been only in rabies-free or low-risk countries, CDC says the Dog Import Form is the only form needed. The dog must appear healthy on arrival and may enter at any airport, seaport or land border crossing, and one receipt covers multiple entries from the same country within six months of issue.

For a dog that has been in a high-risk country, the path splits on where it was vaccinated. For a U.S.-vaccinated dog, a USDA-accredited veterinarian completes a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form and submits it to the USDA for endorsement before the dog departs the United States. The dog can return through any airport, land border crossing or seaport "as long as the arrival location matches what is listed on the CDC Dog Import Form receipt." For a foreign-vaccinated dog, a veterinarian completes a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, which then requires the endorsement of an official government veterinarian in the country the dog is coming from. In both cases CDC says the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine or the vaccine is invalid, and a receipt for a dog from a high-risk country is valid for one entry.

The airport rule for dogs vaccinated abroad

For private flyers, this is the rule to plan around. CDC says foreign-vaccinated dogs that have been in a high-risk country within the last six months "must have a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility before entering the U.S.," and that all such dogs "must arrive to the U.S. at the airport where a CDC-registered animal care facility is located." Because there are currently no registered facilities in Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. territories, CDC says these dogs may not enter through those places.

As of September 2026, CDC's list of registered animal care facilities names nine facilities at eight airports:

• Atlanta, Georgia (ATL)
• Dallas, Texas (DFW)
• Los Angeles, California (LAX), two facilities
• Miami, Florida (MIA)
• New York, New York (JFK)
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL)
• Seattle, Washington (SEA)
• Washington, DC (IAD)

On a private trip, plan the aircraft's U.S. arrival at the airport where the dog's reserved facility is located.

At the facility, the dog is examined by a veterinarian and revaccinated with a U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine. If the dog does not have a valid rabies serology titer, CDC says the reservation must also include a 28-day quarantine. CDC advises contacting the facility "well in advance of your scheduled travel," and states that all costs at the facilities are the importer's responsibility.

Building the flight plan around the dog

1. Work out the dog's category: check every country visited in the past six months against CDC's list, and note where its rabies vaccine was given.
2. For a foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country, reserve the animal care facility first, then book the flight into that facility's airport.
3. Submit a form for each dog with the arrival details you intend to fly, and keep the receipts with any certification forms.

CDC tells travelers flying with a dog to show the receipt to the airline before boarding; on a private flight, ask the operator whether it wants to see it before departure. For the wider paperwork, see our guides to pet documents to confirm before departure and planning an international private jet trip with a pet.

Questions for your provider and the facility

• Can the aircraft arrive at the listed airport we need, and clear customs there?
• Where will the aircraft park, and how will the dog get from the aircraft to the animal care facility?
• If weather or another disruption forces a different arrival airport, what is the plan, and will the dog's receipt and reservation still match?
• For the facility: what does the reservation include, how far ahead should it be made, what will it cost, and does the dog's titer record mean a 28-day quarantine?

To compare operators, see choosing pet-friendly private jet providers. CDC's facility list was last updated on September 1, 2026; re-check it and the requirements pages close to departure.

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