What your dog or cat needs to fly from the United States to Puerto Rico: certificates, vaccines, deadlines and the official sources, checked daily. Free.
Within 30 days before you arrive A USDA-accredited Vet
A USDA-accredited vet examines your dog and fills in an official health certificate (a CVI, the usual interstate form) saying your dog does not come from an area under rabies quarantine. It is good for 30 days from the exam. Because the flea and tick treatment must be within 72 hours and written on this certificate, most people book this visit 1 to 3 days before flying. No import permit is needed for dogs and cats.
How to Do It
Book a USDA-accredited vet 1 to 3 days before your flight.
Ask for an official health certificate (CVI) for a pet travelling to Puerto Rico.
Ask the vet to treat for fleas and ticks at the same visit and write it on the certificate.
Bring the rabies certificate so the vet can copy the details.
Carry the signed certificate and rabies certificate on the flight.
Within 72 hours before you arrive A USDA-accredited Vet
Your dog needs treatment for external parasites (fleas and ticks) in the 72 hours before arriving, and the accredited vet must write it on the health certificate.
Puerto Rico's rule says dogs and cats over 4 months old must be vaccinated against rabies within the 6 months before shipment, with the rabies certificate travelling with your dog. That is stricter than most places, where any shot still in date counts. If your dog's shot is older than 6 months, ask your vet, or the Department of Agriculture's animal health office (787-796-0138), whether a booster is needed before you book.
Within 30 days before you arrive A USDA-accredited Vet
A USDA-accredited vet examines your cat and fills in an official health certificate (a CVI, the usual interstate form) saying your cat does not come from an area under rabies quarantine. It is good for 30 days from the exam. Because the flea and tick treatment must be within 72 hours and written on this certificate, most people book this visit 1 to 3 days before flying. No import permit is needed for dogs and cats.
How to Do It
Book a USDA-accredited vet 1 to 3 days before your flight.
Ask for an official health certificate (CVI) for a pet travelling to Puerto Rico.
Ask the vet to treat for fleas and ticks at the same visit and write it on the certificate.
Bring the rabies certificate so the vet can copy the details.
Carry the signed certificate and rabies certificate on the flight.
Within 72 hours before you arrive A USDA-accredited Vet
Your cat needs treatment for external parasites (fleas and ticks) in the 72 hours before arriving, and the accredited vet must write it on the health certificate.
Puerto Rico's rule says dogs and cats over 4 months old must be vaccinated against rabies within the 6 months before shipment, with the rabies certificate travelling with your cat. That is stricter than most places, where any shot still in date counts. If your cat's shot is older than 6 months, ask your vet, or the Department of Agriculture's animal health office (787-796-0138), whether a booster is needed before you book.
Puerto Rico is part of the United States, so there is no CDC form or customs on the way home.
Annual Subscription
What Annual Subscribers Get for Puerto Rico
This guide is free for everyone. For $79 a year, the Annual Subscription keeps watching your own trip:
Deadline RemindersA reminder before "Flea and Tick Treatment Within 72 Hours", which has a 72-hour 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 Shot Within 6 Months of Travel", so you see what is on file and what still needs doing.
Rule Change AlertsAn email if the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture or the official page 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 Puerto Rico" 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.