What your dog or cat needs to fly from the United States to Colombia and home again, including the papers you must get before you leave: certificates, vaccines, deadlines and the official sources, checked daily. Free.
Monitored DailyOfficial pages last read October 16, 2026 · Watched dailyICA
Things to Arrange
14
Tightest Window
5 days
Vet Check before Leaving Colombia
Coming Home
Harder than going
Watch Out For
The steps people miss most: short windows measured back from the flight, and papers you can only get before you leave the US.
Both an internal (worming) and an external (flea and tick) treatment, within 60 days before the flight, using products authorised for use in the United States (ICA, in writing, October 2026). The health certificate records each product's name, its active ingredient and the date given.
Register with ICA and Request the Entry Inspection
Within 10 days before you land You
Colombia's animal health authority, ICA, needs you to register online, then request the inspection certificate (called the CIS) in its SISPAP system and pay. ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that this is done within the 10 days before you land. Print the request and the payment receipt to show on arrival. Dogs and cats need separate requests; up to 10 animals of the same kind can share one. The US health certificate does not mention this step.
Within 10 days before your flight A USDA-accredited Vet
A USDA-accredited vet examines your dog and fills in the official USDA certificate for Colombia, then USDA endorses it (online is fine). Bring it printed: ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that it accepts only a paper certificate, not one on your phone. Carry the printed certificate, one photocopy, and the rabies vaccination certificate.
Before you leave the US. CDC suggests about 30 days ahead A USDA-accredited VetOnly Before you Leave the US
Because this trip includes Colombia, bringing your dog home needs CDC's "Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination". A USDA-accredited vet fills it in and USDA endorses it. It is not the ordinary rabies certificate, and it cannot be arranged once you are abroad. After a first-ever rabies shot, wait at least 28 days. You can reuse the form on later trips while the rabies shot is valid. Carry 3 printed copies. Instead of this form, CDC also accepts a USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued on or before July 31, 2025, if it shows the microchip, the dog's age, and a rabies shot still valid that was given after the microchip.
The US only accepts a rabies vaccination given after the microchip went in. If the shot came first, it has to be given again. Dogs coming home also need a microchip a universal scanner can read.
Pit Bull Types: Check the Police Rules and your Airline
Before you book You
ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that it has no health restriction on pit bull types (American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and their crosses), and that Colombia's ban on importing these breeds is about commercial imports, not a traveller's own dog. Rules for keeping one in Colombia, such as sterilisation or papers, come from Colombia's police and community code (Law 1801 of 2016) and are set by the National Police. Some airlines refuse these breeds too. Before you book, ask your airline whether your dog can fly, and ask ICA (cuarentena.animal@ica.gov.co) or the National Police what applies during your stay.
Must be current. The certificate has to show the vaccine's name, its batch (lot) number, the date given and the date it expires. A first-ever rabies shot, or one given after the earlier shot had run out, must be at least 21 days before the flight. A booster given on time has no wait.
Distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis and canine coronavirus, each recorded with the vaccine name, batch number, date given and expiry date. Canine coronavirus is not routine in the US, so ask your vet early.
The Official Sources Differ. USDA's certificate says a vaccine your dog is not currently protected by can be given after arrival in Colombia, at your cost. ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that a dog missing a vaccine given in its home country can face home quarantine or be sent back. Get them all before you go.
Colombia's minimum age for entry is 15 weeks. ICA confirmed this in writing (October 2026).
The Official Sources Differ. USDA's certificate lets animals under 15 weeks in, unvaccinated, if they do a home quarantine and are vaccinated in Colombia. ICA's own page just gives 15 weeks as the minimum.
On landing, take your dog and your papers to the ICA office at the airport. An inspector checks the documents and your dog, then issues the entry certificate. Cards only, no cash. ICA told us the fee is 78,200 Colombian pesos (written answer, October 2026, under Resolution 00034487 of 2025); ICA's fee list has the current amount.
Within 5 days before you leave Colombia A Government-Authorised Vet
A vet registered with ICA examines your dog and issues a health certificate, no more than 5 days before you leave. Vaccinations must be current, and any treatment your next country asks for must be done. Dogs under 12 months also need a readable 15-digit microchip.
How to Do It
Search ICA's official list below for the city you are in, then call or email a vet on it.
Book the visit for 1 to 5 days before you leave Colombia. Earlier than 5 days is too early.
Bring your dog, the vaccination record with the rabies batch number, your flight details, and what your next country asks for.
At the visit, the vet examines your dog, issues the health certificate and files the exit inspection request (the next step on this list).
Keep the certificate with you for the ICA office at the airport.
Within 5 days before you leave Colombia A Local Vet
The same vet files the request for the exit certificate in ICA's SISPAP system and gives you its number. The request is only good for 5 days. Pay online, or by card at the airport ICA office. You need your own ICA registration too.
Within 5 days before your flight home A Government-Authorised Vet
Dogs flying from Colombia to the US need a certificate saying a vet inspected them for screwworm no more than 5 days before the flight and found none. ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that the ICA-registered vet who issues your dog's health certificate for leaving Colombia certifies this, and ICA then issues its official exit certificate (the CIS).
How to Do It
Search ICA's official list below for the city you are in, and book a registered vet for 1 to 5 days before your flight home. Earlier than 5 days is too early.
Ask the vet to include the screwworm inspection, with the result that no screwworm was found, on your dog's health certificate for the United States.
Take the certificate to the ICA office at the airport for the exit certificate (the steps under Before you Leave Colombia).
Keep both with you and photos on your phone. The airline and US officials can ask to see them.
If your flight moves to more than 5 days after the visit, book a new inspection.
The Official Sources Differ. USDA's leaflet says an official government vet signs this certificate. ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that an ICA-registered private vet certifies it, backed by ICA's official exit certificate. If you want to be doubly sure, ask your airline which they accept.
Before your flight, the ICA office at the airport issues the exit certificate. Cards only, no cash. Outside normal office hours you must ask in writing 48 hours ahead.
Free, online, and filled in by you. Every dog needs its own form. Because this trip includes Colombia, the receipt covers one arrival only, so each trip home needs a new form.
How to Do It
Open CDC's Dog Import Form (link below). Answer Yes to the high-risk question, because Colombia is on CDC's high-risk list.
About you: date of birth, passport or driver's licence number, email and phone, and the US address where your dog will stay.
About your dog: name, age, sex, breed (choose Mixed Breed/Other if it is not listed), colour and markings, microchip number, and a photo showing face and body (JPG or PNG, under 10 MB). A dog under 1 year needs a photo taken within 15 days of arrival.
Purpose: Personal Pet, or Service Animal only for a trained service dog travelling with the person it helps. An emotional support dog is a Personal Pet.
Answer Yes when asked about the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination (see Before you Leave the United States).
Your trip: Colombia as the country you fly from, every country your dog has been in during the last 6 months, the arrival date, the US airport, the airline and flight number, and how your dog flies (in the cabin is "hand-carried").
Type your name as the signature and press Submit. CDC emails you from 1cdpwebsurvey@cdc.gov to confirm your email address (check spam), then emails the receipt.
Show the receipt, on your phone or printed, to the airline before you board and to US Customs when you land.
Rabies Certificate and Microchip Papers in your Bag
You
Your dog needs a microchip a universal scanner can read, and the CDC rabies form from before you left the US. Carry the ordinary rabies certificate as well.
How to Do It
Pack the rabies certificate (the original and a copy) and a note of the microchip number.
Save photos of both on your phone, or upload them to your dog's documents here.
At the screwworm visit, ask the vet to scan the microchip and check the number matches your papers.
At the customs counter, hand the officer the CDC Dog Import Form receipt, the CDC rabies form and the screwworm certificate, and have the rabies certificate with you in case they ask. There is no separate office to visit. Your dog must look healthy and be at least 6 months old. The arrival airport must match the one on the receipt.
Both an internal (worming) and an external (flea and tick) treatment, within 60 days before the flight, using products authorised for use in the United States (ICA, in writing, October 2026). The health certificate records each product's name, its active ingredient and the date given.
Register with ICA and Request the Entry Inspection
Within 10 days before you land You
Colombia's animal health authority, ICA, needs you to register online, then request the inspection certificate (called the CIS) in its SISPAP system and pay. ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that this is done within the 10 days before you land. Print the request and the payment receipt to show on arrival. Dogs and cats need separate requests; up to 10 animals of the same kind can share one. The US health certificate does not mention this step.
Within 10 days before your flight A USDA-accredited Vet
A USDA-accredited vet examines your cat and fills in the official USDA certificate for Colombia, then USDA endorses it (online is fine). Bring it printed: ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that it accepts only a paper certificate, not one on your phone. Carry the printed certificate, one photocopy, and the rabies vaccination certificate.
Must be current. The certificate has to show the vaccine's name, its batch (lot) number, the date given and the date it expires. A first-ever rabies shot, or one given after the earlier shot had run out, must be at least 21 days before the flight. A booster given on time has no wait.
ICA lists feline panleukopenia, feline viral rhinotracheitis and feline calicivirus, each recorded with the vaccine name, batch number, date given and expiry date.
The Official Sources Differ. USDA's certificate only asks about panleukopenia, and says it can be given after arrival at your cost. ICA's rules list all three, and ICA told us in writing (October 2026) that a pet missing a vaccine given in its home country can face home quarantine or be sent back. Get them before you go.
Colombia's minimum age for entry is 15 weeks. ICA confirmed this in writing (October 2026).
The Official Sources Differ. USDA's certificate lets animals under 15 weeks in, unvaccinated, if they do a home quarantine and are vaccinated in Colombia. ICA's own page just gives 15 weeks as the minimum.
On landing, take your cat and your papers to the ICA office at the airport. An inspector checks the documents and your cat, then issues the entry certificate. Cards only, no cash. ICA told us the fee is 78,200 Colombian pesos (written answer, October 2026, under Resolution 00034487 of 2025); ICA's fee list has the current amount.
Within 5 days before you leave Colombia A Government-Authorised Vet
A vet registered with ICA examines your cat and issues a health certificate, no more than 5 days before you leave. Vaccinations must be current, and any treatment your next country asks for must be done. Dogs under 12 months also need a readable 15-digit microchip.
How to Do It
Search ICA's official list below for the city you are in, then call or email a vet on it.
Book the visit for 1 to 5 days before you leave Colombia. Earlier than 5 days is too early.
Bring your cat, the vaccination record with the rabies batch number, your flight details, and what your next country asks for.
At the visit, the vet examines your cat, issues the health certificate and files the exit inspection request (the next step on this list).
Keep the certificate with you for the ICA office at the airport.
Within 5 days before you leave Colombia A Local Vet
The same vet files the request for the exit certificate in ICA's SISPAP system and gives you its number. The request is only good for 5 days. Pay online, or by card at the airport ICA office. You need your own ICA registration too.
Before your flight, the ICA office at the airport issues the exit certificate. Cards only, no cash. Outside normal office hours you must ask in writing 48 hours ahead.
Airlines set their own rules, separate from the government's. These Latin American airlines count the pet and the carrier together in the cabin. Confirm with the airline before you book.
Aeroméxico9 kg (19.8 lb) with the carrierseen September 20, 2026
Copa10 kg (22 lb) with the carrierseen September 20, 2026
Avianca10 kg (22 lb) with the carrierseen September 20, 2026
Volaris10 kg (22 lb) with the carrierseen September 22, 2026
Annual Subscription
What Annual Subscribers Get for Colombia
This guide is free for everyone. For $79 a year, the Annual Subscription keeps watching your own trip:
Deadline RemindersA reminder before "Vet Check before Leaving Colombia", which has a 5-day window, and before every other deadline, counted from your real flight dates.
Each Pet's Records CheckedYour pet's saved records checked against every rule here, starting with "Rabies Vaccination", so you see what is on file and what still needs doing.
Rule Change AlertsAn email if ICA or any of the 14 official pages behind this guide changes a rule on your trip.
Vet Visit PacketA page for your vet with exactly what goes on the "Health Certificate for Colombia" and the dates it must fall between.
Scan a DocumentPhotograph any vet record or certificate: we read it, you check it, and it fills your pet's profile, files the paper and ticks off the trip tasks it covers.
While we launch, every feature is free for everyone with an account, the Annual Subscription included. Nothing is charged, and we will tell you well before that changes.
Compass & Collar explains the rules; your vet issues the certificates and border officials make the decisions. Rules change, so check the official pages and call your airline before you travel.