What your dog or cat needs to fly from the United States to Mexico 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 September 27, 2026 · Watched dailySENASICA
Official Rules Being Checked
An official Mexico page this trip depends on changed on October 3, 2026. We are checking what it means. Until we finish, confirm on the official page before you travel.
Within 5 days before your flight A USDA-accredited Vet
A USDA-accredited vet examines your dog for New World screwworm and signs the official inspection document for pet dogs going to Mexico, no more than 5 days before you fly. It does not need a USDA stamp. Mexico does not ask for a health certificate or vaccination record from US dogs, but carry the rabies certificate anyway: airlines may ask for it, and the US needs it when you come home.
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.
Mexico sprays the carrier at inspection and throws away anything inside it: bedding, pads, newspaper, toys and treats. Bring only the food your dog needs for the day you arrive. A collar and lead are fine.
On landing, take your dog to the SENASICA animal health office (OISA) and ask for the import certificate form for dogs or cats. An officer checks your dog for signs of illness, fleas, ticks and fresh wounds. If ticks are found, a vet of your choice treats your dog at your cost, and your dog may be held until a lab checks them. On our founder's trips, the SENASICA desk was near baggage claim.
Within 5 days before your flight home A Government-Authorised Vet
Dogs flying from Mexico to the US need a health certificate saying a vet inspected them for screwworm no more than 5 days before the flight and found none. In Mexico it must come from a vet SENASICA has authorised for it; an ordinary vet's signature is not enough. You do not need Mexico's export certificate for this trip.
How to Do It
Search the official list below for the town where you are staying, then call or email a vet on it.
Book the visit for 1 to 5 days before your flight home. Earlier than 5 days is too early.
Bring your dog, your flight date, the rabies certificate and your dog's microchip number.
The vet examines your dog and signs the certificate. Check it says no screwworm was found, and that the date is no more than 5 days before your flight.
Keep the original with you and a photo on your phone. The airline and US officials can ask to see it.
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. Mexico's SENASICA says the vets it has authorised (MVRA) issue it, and publishes the list below. If you want to be doubly sure, ask your airline which they accept.
Any time before your flight home; a few days ahead is safest You
Free, online, and filled in by you. Every dog needs its own form. The receipt is good for 6 months of trips into the US from Mexico, so one form can cover this flight home and later ones.
How to Do It
Open CDC's Dog Import Form (link below). Answer No to the high-risk question if your dog has only been in low-risk countries like Mexico for the last 6 months.
About you: date of birth, passport or driver's licence number, email and phone. You can add one other owner, who can then travel with your dog on the same receipt.
About your dog: name, age, sex, breed (choose Mixed Breed/Other if it is not listed), and colour and markings.
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.
Your trip: by air, Mexico as the country you fly from, and your arrival date. A rough date is fine.
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.
The official pages we checked cover arriving in Mexico, not leaving it. What your next country needs is listed with your next flight. Ask SENASICA at the airport whether Mexico issues anything when you leave.
Rabies Certificate and Microchip Papers in your Bag
You
Your dog needs a microchip a universal scanner can read. CDC does not ask for the rabies certificate for a trip home from Mexico, but carry it anyway: airlines, vets and border officials may ask to see it.
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 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.
Mexico sprays the carrier at inspection and throws away anything inside it: bedding, pads, newspaper, toys and treats. Bring only the food your cat needs for the day you arrive. A collar and lead are fine.
On landing, take your cat to the SENASICA animal health office (OISA) and ask for the import certificate form for dogs or cats. An officer checks your cat for signs of illness, fleas, ticks and fresh wounds. If ticks are found, a vet of your choice treats your cat at your cost, and your cat may be held until a lab checks them. On our founder's trips, the SENASICA desk was near baggage claim.
The official pages we checked cover arriving in Mexico, not leaving it. What your next country needs is listed with your next flight. Ask SENASICA at the airport whether Mexico issues anything when you leave.
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 Mexico
This guide is free for everyone. For $79 a year, the Annual Subscription keeps watching your own trip:
Deadline RemindersA reminder before "Screwworm Inspection for Mexico", which has a 5-day window, and before every other deadline, counted from your real flight dates.
Each Pet's Records CheckedEach pet's own records checked against every border, so you see what is on file and what still needs doing.
Rule Change AlertsAn email if SENASICA or any of the 7 official pages behind this guide changes a rule on your trip.
Vet Visit PacketA page for your vet with exactly what goes on the "Screwworm Inspection for Mexico" 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.