Bringing your dog between the US and Brazil
A few months working from Brazil with your dog is very doable, but the trip is lopsided: getting into Brazil is the easy half. Coming home is where the paperwork bites, because the CDC treats Brazil as a high-risk country for dog rabies. Here is every requirement in both directions, what has to be redone on each trip, and a planner that turns your dates into a checklist.
The short version
Into Brazil: a USDA-endorsed International Veterinary Certificate (CVI), a current rabies vaccination, parasite treatments, and a vet exam. No import permit for a dog traveling with its owner, no rabies titer test, no quarantine.
Back into the US: two CDC documents. One of them, the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination, has to be completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before your dog ever leaves the US. The other, the CDC Dog Import Form receipt, is free and online but has to be redone for every single entry. On top of that, USDA APHIS requires a New World screwworm inspection certificate from a Brazilian government vet within 5 days of each return flight.
Before your dog ever leaves the US
Three things to lock in well ahead of the first trip. Getting the order right here is what makes every return simple.
Microchip first, then vaccine
- Order matters. For the CDC, the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination. A vaccine given before the chip goes in does not count for US re-entry.
- Universal-scanner readable. An ISO 11784/11785 (15-digit) chip is the safe standard. Brazil does not require a chip, but most airlines do, and the CDC does.
- The chip number goes on every form in both directions.
Source: CDC, US-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (verified live, Oct 7, 2026)
Get a 3-year rabies vaccine in the US
- Time it to cover the whole stay. A fresh 3-year US vaccine or booster before departure keeps the US-vaccinated status alive across a multi-month stay and every return.
- First-ever vaccine? The CDC certification form cannot be completed until at least 28 days after a first rabies vaccination, and it must be done before US departure.
- Never let it lapse abroad. See the warning below on Brazilian boosters.
Source: CDC (verified live, Oct 7, 2026)
Do not get the rabies booster in Brazil
If the vaccine expires mid-stay, the temptation is a quick booster at a Brazilian vet. Resist it if you can. A Brazil-issued vaccination moves your dog into the CDC's foreign-vaccinated pathway for high-risk countries: a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, possible serology and quarantine, and restricted ports of entry. That is a different league of hassle from the two-form return below. Plan the US vaccine so it outlasts the trip.
The certification form is not the export certificate
The Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination is a specific CDC form, filled out by a USDA-accredited veterinarian in the VEHCS system and endorsed by USDA. It is separate from the Brazil-bound health certificate. Note a recent change: USDA-endorsed export health certificates issued after July 31, 2025 are no longer accepted for US re-entry, so the Brazil certificate alone will not get your dog back in. You need the CDC form.
Source: CDC (page dated Apr 28, 2026, verified live Oct 7, 2026)
United States to Brazil
Brazil's rules come from MAPA Normative Instruction No. 5/2013, and the US implements them through the APHIS International Veterinary Certificate. Relative to the return trip, this direction is forgiving.
International Veterinary Certificate (CVI)
- Issued by a USDA-accredited vet, then endorsed by USDA APHIS. Electronic signature and digital endorsement through VEHCS are accepted.
- Clinical exam showing a healthy dog fit for transport, within 10 days before the certificate is issued.
- Broad-spectrum parasite treatment (internal and external) within 15 days before issuance.
- Valid for 60 days from issuance and must still be valid when you land in Brazil. Carry the printed, endorsed hard copy with the dog.
The $101 is the APHIS endorsement fee when no lab tests are documented (Brazil requires none). Your vet's exam and certificate fees are on top. Sources: APHIS pet travel to Brazil (verified live, last modified Jul 23, 2026); APHIS endorsement fee schedule
Rabies vaccination
- Required for dogs over 90 days old, with a vaccine authorized by the US veterinary authority. Standard USDA-licensed vaccines qualify.
- Primary vaccination: wait 21 days. Brazil authorizes travel 21 days after a first vaccination. Some third-party guides say 30 days; the official Brazilian figure is 21, but planning around the longer window costs you nothing.
- Must be unexpired on the travel date.
- No rabies titer (blood) test is required for US-origin dogs entering Brazil.
What Brazil does not require
- No microchip mandated by Brazil (the certificate lists it as optional), though you need one anyway for the airlines and the CDC return.
- No import permit for a pet traveling with its owner, per MAPA's norm. One pet shipper claims otherwise; flagged in Open questions below.
- No quarantine for compliant pets, and no banned-breed list. Airline breed rules are a separate matter.
- No consulate legalization in current APHIS requirements, despite older guides mentioning it.
Sources: APHIS; pettravel.com
On arrival in Brazil
- Vigiagro inspection. MAPA's agricultural surveillance service inspects pets at international airports such as GRU (São Paulo) and GIG (Rio).
- Be present at customs clearance, and where possible notify veterinary officials in advance. The dog must show no evidence of disease communicable to humans, or it faces further examination at your expense.
- Leishmaniasis caveat: Brazil refuses entry to any animal previously diagnosed with leishmaniasis. Worth knowing before a long stay, since a diagnosis there could complicate a later re-entry.
Sources: pettravel.com; MAPA IN 5/2013, Art. 18
Brazil to the United States
The CDC classifies Brazil as a high-risk country for dog rabies. Because your dog is US-vaccinated, you qualify for the simpler of the two high-risk pathways. It comes down to two CDC documents plus one USDA APHIS requirement that is easy to miss.
1. Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination
- Done before you leave the US. Completed by a USDA-accredited vet in VEHCS and endorsed by USDA prior to departure. This is the form from the setup section above.
- Reusable. It covers multiple re-entries for as long as the US-issued rabies vaccine stays valid, typically 1 to 3 years.
- It is a specific CDC form, not your vet's standard rabies certificate.
Source: CDC (verified live, Oct 7, 2026)
2. CDC Dog Import Form receipt
- Free, online, filled out by you (the importer) with a recent photo of the dog and the microchip number.
- Single-entry. For high-risk-country arrivals the receipt is valid only on the arrival date printed on it. Every return from Brazil needs a fresh one, with the right date and port.
- Any port of entry works as long as it matches the receipt: airport, seaport, or land crossing. No animal care facility reservation is needed on this pathway.
Sources: CDC; CDC Dog Import Form instructions
3. New World screwworm certificate
- Separate from the CDC rules. This is a USDA APHIS requirement, and Brazil is a screwworm-affected country.
- Signed by a full-time salaried government veterinarian of Brazil, certifying the dog was inspected for New World screwworm within 5 days before travel and is free of infestation (or was quarantined and treated until free).
- Every return, no exceptions. Missing it can mean denial of entry and return at your expense.
Sources: APHIS screwworm guidance for traveling dogs and cats; CBP enforcement reminder, 2026
Baseline conditions
- At least 6 months old at entry into the US.
- Microchip detectable by a universal scanner, implanted before the rabies vaccination, with the number on all forms.
- No rabies titer required on the US-vaccinated pathway. Titers belong to the foreign-vaccinated route you are avoiding.
- Must appear healthy on arrival.
Source: CDC (verified live, Oct 7, 2026)
What each trip costs you in paperwork
Since the plan is a few months in Brazil, possibly with trips back and forth, here is the split between what carries over and what starts from zero each time.
| Leg | Must be redone | Carries over |
|---|---|---|
| Each US to Brazil flightOutbound | Redo A new International Veterinary Certificate: clinical exam within 10 days before issuance, parasite treatments within 15 days before issuance, and a new USDA APHIS endorsement at $101 each time. The certificate's 60-day validity means a months-long stay always needs a fresh one for the next entry. |
Keep The still-valid US rabies vaccination and the microchip. |
| Each Brazil to US flightReturn | Redo A new CDC Dog Import Form receipt (single-entry, tied to that arrival date). A new screwworm inspection certificate from a Brazilian government vet within 5 days of travel. A fresh airline health certificate within 10 days of the flight. |
Keep The Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination, reusable until the US rabies vaccine expires. The microchip. |
The planning rule that falls out of this
Anchor everything to the US rabies vaccine. Get a 3-year vaccine before the first departure, keep the certification form with your travel documents, and each return becomes three short-fuse tasks (import form, screwworm inspection, airline certificate) instead of a regulatory project. The only long-fuse item per outbound leg is the Brazil certificate, and that is a routine vet visit plus the $101 endorsement.
Trip planner
Pick a departure date (and a return date, if you have one) and this builds the dated checklist working backward from each flight. It runs entirely on this page; nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Your dated checklist will appear here.
Airline rules sit on top of all of this
Government paperwork gets your dog across the border. The airline decides whether it boards, and its rules are independent, size-dependent, and change often. Confirm your carrier's current pet policy before ticketing.
Health certificate timing
Most airlines want a vet-issued health certificate within 10 days of travel, regardless of the destination country's longer windows. Brazil's certificate is good for 60 days, but that does not satisfy an airline on the way home, so budget for a fresh certificate from a Brazilian vet before each return flight.
Sources: Center for Pet Safety; United PetSafe policy
Cabin vs. cargo
In-cabin is for small dogs only, commonly around 8 kg (17 to 20 lb) including the carrier, and the carrier has to fit under the seat. Bigger dogs fly as checked baggage or cargo in a rigid, IATA-compliant crate (no collapsible or wire crates on most carriers) with room to stand, turn, and lie down, marked "Live Animal" with your contact details.
Heat embargoes and breed limits
Many airlines embargo pet cargo in summer, roughly May through September, with ground-temperature cutoffs. United's PetSafe program, for example, will not carry pets as cargo above 85°F (29°C) or below 45°F (7°C) anywhere on the route. Snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds face the strictest limits, often year-round. For a Miami to Brazil route in warm months, this can decide your travel dates.
Source: United Airlines pet policy; Center for Pet Safety
Booking advice
Start the airline pet reservation early; the CDC suggests 60 or more days out. Book direct nonstop flights where you can, since every connection is another temperature check, another embargo risk, and another chance for paperwork to be questioned.
Open questions to settle before you travel
Most of this guide rests on official CDC, APHIS, and MAPA pages read on October 7, 2026. Four points could not be fully pinned down. None of them should stop planning, but each deserves one verification before you book.
Is a MAPA import permit ever required?
- MAPA's published norm and pettravel.com say no permit for pets traveling with their owners.
- One pet shipper claims a MAPA import permit must be in hand before the health certificate. Unverified, and possibly about unaccompanied cargo shipments.
- Settle it: ask your local APHIS Service Center or MAPA/Vigiagro directly.
Consulate legalization
- Older guides mention Brazilian consular authentication of the health certificate.
- Current APHIS requirements contain no such step. Treat as outdated, but confirm with your accredited vet when you book the exam.
Foot-and-mouth disease precautions
- APHIS guidance circulated for other livestock diseases suggests measures like bathing the dog and keeping it away from livestock for 5 days after return.
- Confidence is lower here; it came via secondary summaries. Check the APHIS import pages before your return.
GRU arrival mechanics
- Vigiagro inspection on arrival, with advance notice and your presence at clearance, is confirmed in general terms.
- The exact notification channel and hours at São Paulo GRU were not pinned down. If you fly into GRU, confirm the procedure when you book.
Sources
Researched October 7, 2026. Items marked verified live were read on the official site in a real browser that day. Re-check the CDC and APHIS pages before traveling, since these rules change without much notice. Your trip is next year, so treat every date window here as the current rule, not a guarantee.
- CDC, "Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries" (page dated Apr 28, 2026) Verified live
cdc.gov/importation/dogs/us-vaccinated-high-risk-countries.html - USDA APHIS, "Pet Travel From the United States to Brazil" (last modified Jul 23, 2026) Verified live
aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/us-to-another-country-export/pet-travel-us-brazil - USDA APHIS, Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs and Cats to Brazil (form NL 0325)
aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/brazil-dogs-cats.pdf - Brazil MAPA, Normative Instruction No. 5/2013 (MERCOSUL GMC/RES 52/12), English version
gov.br MAPA IN 5/2013 (PDF) - USDA APHIS, "Cost To Endorse Your Pet's Health Certificate" (official fee schedule)
aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/us-to-foreign-country/cost-to-endorse - USDA APHIS, "New World Screwworm: Veterinary Considerations for Dogs and Cats that Travel Internationally"
aphis.usda.gov NWS vet guidance (PDF) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2026 reminder on the APHIS screwworm certificate rule
cbp.gov newsroom release - CDC, Dog Import Form instructions (single-entry receipts for high-risk arrivals)
cdc.gov/importation/dogs/dog-import-form-instructions.html - pettravel.com, Brazil pet import requirements (arrival inspection, permits, breeds)
pettravel.com Brazil pet import requirements - Center for Pet Safety, air travel guidance (10-day certificates, breed and seasonal limits)
centerforpetsafety.org/air-travel