If you are planning to import a dog into the United States from a high-risk rabies country and your dog's rabies vaccine was issued in the United States and is not expired, there are two options available to you. The first option is to obtain a special permit from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which allows you to import your dog directly into the United States. The second option is to travel to a low-risk country for at least six months before entering the United States with your dog.
Visit the Center for Disease Control website here for the most up-to-date information
Option 1: How to Obtain a CDC Special Permit
To obtain the special permit from the CDC, you will need to provide documentation that shows your dog's rabies vaccine was issued in the United States and is not expired. This can be in the form of a vaccination certificate or a letter from a licensed veterinarian. Once you have this documentation, you can apply for the special permit from the CDC, which will allow you to import your dog directly into the United States.
Option 2: Traveling to a Low-risk Country First
Alternatively, you can choose to travel to a low-risk country for at least six months before entering the United States with your dog. If you and your dog spend at least six months in a low-risk country before entering the United States, your dog will be considered low-risk as well. This means that you will not need to meet the CDC's requirements for importing dogs from high-risk countries.
To choose a low-risk country, you can refer to the CDC's list of low-risk countries, which is regularly updated on their website. It is important to note that you will need to find a place to stay for at least six months, and you may need to obtain a visa or other documentation to live in the country for that length of time.
High-Risk Rabie Countries:
Here is a list of the countries that the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers high-risk for importing dog rabies into the United States:
AFRICA: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt (temporary suspension of importation of dogs from Egypt until further notice), Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Eswatini (Swaziland), Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
AMERICAS AND THE CARIBBEAN: Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
ASIA, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND EASTERN EUROPE: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.
Summary:
In summary, if your dog's rabies vaccine was issued in the United States and is not expired, you have options for importing your dog into the United States from a high-risk rabies country. You can obtain a special permit from the CDC, or you can travel to a low-risk country for at least six months before entering the United States with your dog. It is important to carefully consider which option is best for you and your pet, and to ensure that all necessary documentation and requirements are met before embarking on the journey.
If you have any questions, or need help navigating the import restrictions, please do not hesitate to email us at info@thewanderlustingdog.com