RVing outside the U.S with a dog? Pay attention to new rules

Are you planning on traveling out of the U.S. with your dog? Heads up! Come August 1, dogs coming back into the U.S. have new rules. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says the rules apply to dogs coming into the country, even those that have only traveled across a single international border, and set out stringent regulations.

Starting on August 1, 2024, dogs entering or returning to the United States must meet new, specific requirements depending on where they have been in the six months before entering the U.S. and where they received their rabies vaccines (if required).

Requirements for all dogs

All dogs must meet the following requirements:

First, they must be at least six months of age at the time of entry or return to the United States.

Second, they must have an implanted International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip. That chip must have been implanted before any required rabies vaccination. The microchip number must be documented on all required forms and in all accompanying veterinary records..

Third, your dog must appear healthy on arrival at the border. Dogs can’t enter the United States if they’re carrying a disease contagious to people. What happens if your dog looks sick? Then you may be on the hook to pay for the dog’s isolation, a veterinary examination, and additional testing. All of this may be required to determine if the dog has a contagious disease and to prevent spreading it.

Dogs coming back into the U.S. have new rules and paperwork!

You’ll also need to have a “CDC Dog Import Form Receipt.” The CDC says that ideally, you’ll fill out a form, online, anywhere between two and ten days before you arrive at the border. But, you can complete it right before arrival—even while sitting in line at the border crossing, provided you have internet access.

But let’s say you fill out the form days before you hit the border crossing—and then something changes. Then you’ll need to submit a new form and indicate you are making changes to an existing form. All information, including the port of entry where the dog is arriving, must be correct at the time of arrival.

When completing the form, you’ll need a doggy mugshot. That translates to a clear photograph of your dog showing its face and body. If your dog will be younger than a year old when you hit the border, you’ll need to have a fresh photo—one taken within 10 days of your border crossing. You’ll upload the picture, along with the form. Happily, there’s no charge for that. No, don’t use one like this one—the head and body need to be in the same picture.

Finally, additional “documentation which varies depending on where the dog has been in the 6 months before entering or returning to the United States, or if the dog has a current rabies vaccine administered in the United States” will be needed.

What sort of “additional documentation”?

If your dog got a rabies shot in the U.S., and the vaccination is current, and the dog HAS NOT been in a high-risk country in the last 6 months, you’ll need to do these things:

First, your dog must meet all of the requirements in the section, “Requirements for all dogs,” above.

Second, it will need to have one of the following documents:

Either a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccine form that was endorsed by USDA before the dog departed the United States;

Or, a USDA-endorsed export health certificate. The export certificate must demonstrate the dog is six months of age or older, and list the microchip number. It will also need to “Be for the dog rabies-free or low-risk country where the dog’s return itinerary originated (the form will only be valid for 30 days if it does not contain rabies vaccination information).” OR the export certificate will document a valid (unexpired) rabies vaccination administered in the United States (the form will be valid for the duration of the rabies vaccination [1 or 3 years]).

Finally, if you and Fido have “dotted your I’s and crossed your T’s, there’s that dratted CDC Dog Import Form receipt. When you fill out the form and submit it, BE SURE you list the land border crossing that you’ll be coming though for your return.

What if you don’t have the “appropriate documentation” or a current U.S. rabies shot?

There are additional requirements for dogs that have been in a country at high risk for dog rabies within the six months before entry and do NOT have appropriate documentation of current U.S.-issued rabies vaccine. You may be able to heave a sigh of relief here. As long as your travels have only taken you only to Mexico or Canada, then you have not traveled to a country at high risk for dog rabies.

If your dog HAS BEEN in another country, other than the U.S., Mexico, or Canada, we urge you to click here for more information.

But wait! There’s more!

Dogs coming back into the U.S. have new rules, and there are also additional requirements for dogs that have been ONLY in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk in the six months before entry, for example, in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.

Dogs, including service dogs, that have been ONLY in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries during the six months before entry into the United States must:

First, meet all requirements in the “All Dogs” section above.

Second, have one of the five following (note: any documentation that is not from the United States must be completed in the country where the dog’s travel originates):

ONE: Either a certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, including the endorsement by an official veterinarian of the dog rabies-free or low-risk country where the dog has been located. Then add to that, EITHER (1) a valid rabies serology titer, OR (2) veterinary records [see note below] (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the previous six months. The form must be completed within 30 days before arrival to the United States.

OR, TWO: Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form that was endorsed by USDA before the dog departed the United States.

OR, THREE: A valid USDA-endorsed export health certificate. If you have this, then it must meet one of these requirements: EITHER it is for the dog rabies-free or low-risk country where the dog’s return itinerary originated (the form will only be valid for 30 days if it does not contain rabies vaccination information), OR will document a valid (unexpired) rabies vaccination administered in the United States (the form will be valid for the duration of the rabies vaccination [1 or 3 years]).

OR, FOUR: A Certification of Dog Arriving from DMRVV-free or Low-Risk Country into the United States form endorsed by an official veterinarian in the exporting country; AND veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the six months before traveling to the U.S. The form must be completed within the 30 days before arriving at the United States.

OR, FIVE: A foreign export certificate that documents the dog is at least six months of age, lists the dog’s International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip number, and has been endorsed by an official veterinarian of the exporting country; AND veterinary records* (which list the microchip number) for the dog from the exporting country for the previous six months.

And, once again, that CDC Dog Import Form receipt must list the land border crossing that you’ll be coming through.

Are you panting yet?

If this complicated information has you panting, your dog commiserates with you. Here’s one more note on this business. Any documentation that is not from the United States must be completed in the country where the dog’s travel originates. For example, if the dog’s documents were issued in France, the dog may not enter the U.S. via a land-border crossing from Mexico to the U.S.

*And here’s the note about “veterinary records.” Examples of veterinary records that must accompany completed forms are European Union pet passports or proof of payment for veterinary services received in the exporting low-risk country for the previous six months. Records must include the dog’s microchip number.

Can you “slide” on any of these requirements?

Think you just might be able to “slide by” on these requirements? Hop in the motorhome with Fido, head on into Canada for a few weeks, then just pop on back to the U.S. without the necessary documents? Read this, slowly: “Dogs that do not meet all entry requirements or do not have accurate and valid forms will be denied entry to the United States and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense. These requirements apply to all dogs, including service dogs and dogs that were born in the United States.”

“DogBot” may make this easier.

As we completed this article, we ran across an “electronic helper” that could make this process a lot less hair-pulling. The CDC has an electronic help system, where you can click many “yes or no” answers into the system. It will then guide you through the requirements. You’ll find Bowser’s DogBot on this web page—it’s highlighted in blue and easy to find. Hopefully, it’s as easy having DogBot walk you through the process as it is to take Bowser for a walk. Everybody say, “Who’s a good human?”

Just proofreading this article made us glad we used to only travel with a cat. [And made this proofreader glad she doesn’t travel out of the country.]

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