Bringing a dog or cat from the US to Colombia

Colombia is one of the easier countries to move to with a dog or cat. There is no long quarantine for pets arriving from the US with correct paperwork, and the process mainly comes down to a vet visit within ten days of travel, a US government endorsement, an online request with Colombia's agricultural health authority, and an inspection at the airport. The details still matter, because a certificate issued too early or a missing vaccine can lead to your pet being held at arrival.

This guide is based on the entry page of the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA), the USDA APHIS page for pet travel from the US to Colombia, and the CDC rules for dogs entering the US.

Who sets the rules

Two governments are involved:

• ICA (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario) controls the entry of animals into Colombia and issues the Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria (CIS) that authorises your pet to enter.
• USDA APHIS endorses the US health certificate your vet issues, confirming it meets Colombia's requirements.

Your airline adds its own rules on crates, breeds and cabin or cargo transport. APHIS reminds owners that airlines have their own policies and that you should check them directly.

Before you travel: the ICA online request

ICA's page on bringing dogs and cats into Colombia, whether as accompanied baggage or as cargo, sets out these steps before arrival:

1. Register as an ICA user. You receive a username and password by email.
2. Log in to SISPAP, ICA's health information system for imports and exports, and request the Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria (CIS).
3. Enter the passenger's and the pet's details and make the payment.
4. Print the CIS request and the payment receipt. You must present both on arrival.

If you travel with a dog and a cat, you need a separate request for each species. Two or more pets of the same species can go on one request, up to 10 animals. ICA's fees are listed on its rates page.

The health certificate: the ten-day window

The core document is the original health certificate, issued or endorsed by the official animal health authority of the country of origin, with an original or electronic stamp and signature. For a pet leaving the US, that means a certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian, endorsed by APHIS.

ICA requires that the certificate be issued no more than ten calendar days before the pet enters Colombia, and that it state:

• The pet's characteristics: species, breed, sex, age, coat colour and other distinguishing marks.
• That the pet is free of transmissible infectious and parasitic diseases.
• That the pet received internal and external parasite treatment within the 60 days before travel, with the product name, active ingredient and date given.
• That the pet is in a suitable health condition to be transported.

APHIS says that for Colombia, accredited veterinarians can issue health certificates electronically through its Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS), and that APHIS can endorse them digitally and return them electronically. That saves the trip or courier to an endorsement office, which helps a lot with a ten-day deadline. Still, book the vet appointment so that the certificate date, the endorsement and your flight all fit inside the window.

Vaccines

ICA also requires a current vaccination certificate showing the vaccine name, batch number, date given and expiry date for:

• Dogs: rabies, distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis (canicola and icterohaemorrhagiae), parvovirus, coronavirus and parainfluenza.
• Cats: rabies, feline panleukopenia, feline viral rhinotracheitis and feline calicivirus.

If your pet is being vaccinated against rabies for the first time, the vaccine must be given at least 21 days before boarding. ICA sets the minimum age for a pet entering the country at 15 weeks.

At the airport in Colombia

On arrival, you go with your pet to the ICA office at the airport, port or border crossing. ICA describes three steps:

1. Document inspection. The inspector checks the printed CIS request and payment receipt, the original health certificate and the vaccination certificate.
2. Inspection of the pet. The inspector checks that the animal matches the documents and is fit to enter.
3. Issue of the CIS. If both checks are satisfactory, ICA issues the Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria.

If the inspection is not satisfactory, ICA may apply a sanitary measure depending on the pet's health: retention, home quarantine, return shipment or, in the most serious cases, humane euthanasia. The owner pays the costs. This is the main reason to get the paperwork exactly right.

If you could not complete the request online, ICA says you can do it at the ICA office at the point of entry, presenting the pet and the physical documents. Payment there is by debit or credit card (Credibanco, Mastercard, Visa and American Express). Cash is not accepted.

At Bogota's El Dorado airport, ICA lists an office in the cargo administrative centre for pets arriving as cargo.

Crates and travel gear

Airlines set crate rules, and most follow the IATA live animal container standards: a rigid crate large enough for the pet to stand, turn and lie down, with ventilation and a water dish attached. If you need a new one, look for an airline-compliant hard-sided pet crate and let your pet get used to it for a few weeks before the flight.

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Label the crate with your name, phone number and destination address in Colombia, and attach copies of the health certificate in a sleeve on the outside.

Coming back to the US

If you might return to the US with your pet, plan for it from the start:

• Dogs. The CDC is the main authority for dogs entering the US. Its requirements depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it has been in during the six months before entry. The CDC's Dog Importation Navigator tells you which rules apply. Check whether Colombia is on the CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies at the time you travel, since that decides which requirements you face.
• Cats. APHIS links to the US requirements for returning pets.
• Rabies antibody test. ICA recommends that pets returning to countries that require a rabies antibody test, such as EU countries, have it done before travelling to Colombia.

Living with a pet in Colombia

In my time in Colombia, pets were a common part of city life. Many apartment buildings accept them, but building rules ("reglamento de propiedad horizontal") can set conditions, so ask before you sign a lease. Parks in Bogota and Medellin are busy with dog walkers, and vet clinics and pet shops are easy to find in the cities.

A checklist with timing

1. Several weeks before: confirm airline rules and buy the crate.
2. At least 21 days before boarding: first rabies vaccine if your pet has never had one.
3. Within 60 days before travel: internal and external parasite treatment, recorded on the certificate.
4. Within 10 days before entry: health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet, endorsed by APHIS.
5. Before the flight: ICA user registration, SISPAP request and payment, printed copies.
6. On arrival: go to the ICA office with your pet and documents.

Common questions

Is there a quarantine for pets entering Colombia from the US? Not when the paperwork is correct. ICA inspects documents and the pet at the airport and issues a Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria. If the inspection fails, ICA can order measures such as retention or home quarantine at the owner's cost.

How long before travel must the health certificate be issued? ICA requires the health certificate to be issued no more than ten calendar days before the pet enters Colombia, by or endorsed by the official authority of the country of origin.

What is the minimum age for a puppy or kitten to enter Colombia? ICA sets a minimum age of 15 weeks. A first rabies vaccine must be given at least 21 days before boarding.

Can I pay ICA in cash at the airport? No. ICA says its offices at points of entry accept debit and credit cards (Credibanco, Mastercard, Visa and American Express) and do not accept cash.