USA to Colombia
Pet Shipping from the USA to Colombia
We provide international pet transport from the USA to Colombia, planned around its import rules, the season and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The export and import paperwork
- Check-in at your US airport
- Pickup in Colombia with delivery to your new address
Colombia at a glance
Full requirementsAPHIS says a dog or cat going to Colombia needs a health certificate endorsed within 10 days of travel, and that the pet travels with its rabies vaccination record and at least one photocopy of the original health certificate.
- Health certificate
- Colombia specific APHIS form, completed by a USDA accredited veterinarian and endorsed by APHIS within 10 days of travel. Electronic signatures are accepted
- SISPAP request
- Filed with ICA before arrival, whether the pet flies with you or as cargo. ICA publishes no processing time
Pet Shipping from the USA to Colombia
Colombia welcomes pets from the United States without quarantine and without a titer test, but the preparation involves more steps than many first-time international pet movers expect. ICA requires a specific set of vaccinations beyond rabies, and there are breed restrictions covering more than a dozen types. The process starts with confirming your pet’s vaccination history and getting any missing shots current well ahead of travel. Your USDA-accredited veterinarian then completes Colombia’s specific APHIS health certificate form, and APHIS endorses it within 10 days of departure.
If you are still in the early stages of planning, our overview of how international pet shipping works walks through the general process. If you plan to bring your dog back to the US later, read our United States import guide carefully. Colombia’s CDC high-risk status for dog rabies means the return trip has its own set of strict requirements.
We coordinate the full process for you. That includes:
- Confirming Colombia's current ICA import requirements and your pet's vaccination compliance
- Completing the Colombia-specific APHIS health certificate and obtaining USDA endorsement
- Booking compliant flights and selecting the right crate for your pet's size and route
- Preparing you for the ICA veterinary inspection and fee payment at the Colombian port of entry
Confirming Colombia's current ICA import requirements and your pet's vaccination compliance
Approved Routes and Entry into Colombia
The US has more direct flight options to Colombia than almost any other South American destination. Multiple airlines operate daily nonstop routes from several major hubs, making routing straightforward for most pet relocations.
- Miami (MIA) is the most common departure point for pet cargo, with daily nonstop flights to Bogota (BOG), Medellin (MDE), Cartagena (CTG), and Cali (CLO) on multiple carriers.
- Houston (IAH), JFK, Fort Lauderdale (FLL), and Atlanta (ATL) also offer direct service to Bogota and Medellin. West Coast departures typically connect through Miami or Houston.
- Bogota's El Dorado International Airport (BOG) handles the largest volume of pet imports and has a staffed ICA veterinary inspection facility. Medellin (MDE), Cartagena (CTG), and Cali (CLO) also process pet arrivals.
Route details: USA to Colombia
- Route
- USA to Colombia
- Arrival airports
- Cleared at the ICA office of the entry airport; ICA lists offices at El Dorado (Bogotá), Rionegro, Cartagena, Palmira and other airports
- How the pet flies
- With the owner as accompanied baggage, or as cargo: the two ways ICA’s dog and cat entry page names
- Before arrival
- An ICA user account, then a CIS inspection request in SISPAP, printed with proof of payment; ICA’s airport office can take it instead
- Health certificate
- Vet exam within 10 days before shipment, APHIS endorsement within 10 days of travel; ICA: issued 10 days or less before entry
- Quarantine on arrival
- ICA checks the papers and the pet, then issues the CIS; if either fails: retention, home quarantine, reshipment or euthanasia, at owner cost
- Time to get ready
- At least 21 days: a pet’s first rabies vaccination must be given at least 21 days before shipment, per ICA and APHIS’s Colombia form
Work out your pet’s dates for this route
From official sources, read October 29, 2026: ICA, Ingreso de perros y gatos a Colombia; ICA, Registro de viajero importador y pago del Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria, PDF; ICA, Horario de atención de Puertos, Aeropuertos y Pasos de Frontera; USDA APHIS, Pet Travel From the United States to Colombia; USDA APHIS, Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs and Cats from the United States of America to Colombia; ICA, ABC para entrar a Colombia con tu mascota, PDF.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to Colombia?
The short answer
APHIS’s Colombia page says personal pet dogs and cats need no import permit, that the health certificate requires neither a notary nor a consular stamp, and that Colombia rejects a pet that does not meet the posted certificate.
Import Eligibility for Pets
Colombia does not quarantine compliant pets arriving from the United States. ICA gives 15 weeks as the minimum age for entry; APHIS’s Colombia certificate lets a younger puppy or kitten that has not had a rabies vaccination in only on home quarantine, during which a vet in Colombia vaccinates it against rabies. No rabies titer test is required for entry. A microchip is not mandatory under ICA rules, but we strongly recommend an ISO 11784/11785 microchip because it simplifies identification across documents and is essential if you plan to return to the US.
When a pet is vaccinated against rabies for the first time, ICA and the APHIS form want that shot given at least 21 days before the date of shipment. ICA’s entry page lists six more vaccines for dogs (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, parainfluenza and coronavirus) and three for cats (panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus). On the APHIS Colombia certificate the vet marks each of those dog vaccines yes or no, and the owner accepts that any the dog is not protected by may be given after arrival in Colombia at the owner’s expense; for cats the form asks only about panleukopenia, which may likewise be given after arrival at the owner’s expense. Internal and external parasite treatment must be completed within 60 days of travel.
Colombia restricts more than a dozen dog breeds, including American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull, Staffordshire Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Doberman, Bullmastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Mastiff, and crosses of these breeds. An ICA veterinarian inspects the pet and documents at the Colombian airport.
Before scheduling vet steps or flights, we confirm what rules apply to your pet and whether breed restrictions or CDC return requirements affect your plan. Request a quote to get a plan built around your travel date.
Health Preparation and Documentation
The United States has a Colombia-specific APHIS health certificate form (Colombia health certificate form, PDF). Your USDA-accredited veterinarian completes this form, and APHIS endorses it within 10 days of travel. Electronic signatures are accepted. ICA asks anyone bringing a dog or cat into Colombia, whether it flies with its owner as baggage or travels as cargo, to open an ICA user account and request a CIS (Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria) in SISPAP, ICA’s online system, before arrival. ICA’s registration guide, read October 29, 2026, gives no processing time, and says the ICA office at the entry airport can take the request, with payment by card, if it cannot be made online. The APHIS endorsement fee is $101 per certificate.
| Requirement | Colombia, from the United States |
|---|---|
| Health certificate | Colombia specific APHIS form, completed by a USDA accredited veterinarian and endorsed by APHIS within 10 days of travel. Electronic signatures are accepted |
| SISPAP request | Filed with ICA before arrival, whether the pet flies with you or as cargo. ICA publishes no processing time |
For the most current rules, refer to these official sources:
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to Colombia
Our own estimate is to start 8 to 10 weeks before your move date and to get all vaccinations current 6 to 8 weeks before departure, which leaves room for the wait after a first rabies shot. File the SISPAP request with ICA before your pet lands, whichever way it flies. Schedule the health certificate examination within 10 days of departure so the APHIS endorsement and your travel date both fall inside the validity window.
This is the detail that catches dog owners off guard. Colombia is classified by the CDC as a high-risk country for dog rabies. That does not affect your dog entering Colombia, but it creates strict requirements for any dog returning to the United States.
CDC’s page for US-vaccinated dogs coming back from high-risk countries, read October 29, 2026, asks that the dog be at least 6 months old on return, with a microchip that a universal scanner can read, implanted before its rabies vaccine. Two papers come back with it: a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form, completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the United States, and the receipt from CDC’s Dog Import Form, which can be filled in online any time before the return flight. That CDC page names no titer test. The rabies form cannot be done from Colombia, so plan the return before departure.
Heading further south? We also cover Argentina and Chile.
For a line by line breakdown of what this move costs, from freight to the USDA endorsement fee, see our USA to Colombia pet shipping cost page.
Every Pet Travels
Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Your pet’s vaccination history, breed, and travel method all shape the plan. ICA’s vaccine list is long, and Colombia restricts more than a dozen breeds. We build each plan from scratch.
Destination-Focused Planning
Colombia's import authority is ICA (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario), and its vaccine list goes further than you might expect. We confirm the full vaccination checklist for your species, and which shots the APHIS form allows after arrival, before your first vet visit so nothing is missed.
Smart Routing and Logistics
The US has excellent direct flight options to Colombia. Miami (MIA), Houston (IAH), JFK, Fort Lauderdale (FLL), and Atlanta (ATL) all offer direct routes to Bogota (BOG), Medellin (MDE), Cartagena (CTG), and Cali (CLO). We match the best routing to your departure city, your pet's size, and each airline's live-animal policy.
Personalized Support
One coordinator handles your file from the first call through arrival and ICA inspection at the Colombian airport. They track vaccination schedules, document timelines, and airline booking windows so you always know what is happening and what comes next.
Questions about moving a pet to Colombia
Request a QuoteWhat does it cost to ship a pet from the USA to Colombia?
The cost of a move depends on several things: your pet’s size and weight, which set the crate and cargo price, the airline and departure city, veterinary fees for the health certificate and any required tests, government endorsement and permit fees, and how much of the process you would like us to coordinate. Because those pieces change from one pet and route to the next, we quote the full journey up front, including government fees, so there are no surprises later. Tell us your pet and your destination and we will send a clear plan and a price.
What extra vaccinations does Colombia require beyond rabies?
ICA’s entry page names six vaccines a dog needs besides rabies, and three for a cat, all listed in the requirements section of this page. APHIS’s Colombia certificate lets a missing dog vaccine, or a cat’s panleukopenia shot, be given after arrival in Colombia at the owner’s expense, so a gap does not stop the move. Closing it before the certificate exam avoids that, and it is usually the first thing to address when planning the move.
Which dog breeds are restricted in Colombia?
Colombia restricts more than a dozen breeds. The list includes American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull, Staffordshire Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Doberman, Bullmastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Mastiff, and crosses of these breeds. Restricted does not always mean banned outright, but there are strict ownership requirements, muzzle and leash rules, and liability insurance obligations in Colombia. We check the current rules for your specific breed before you commit to anything.
Will my dog need a titer test to return to the US from Colombia?
No titer test, going by CDC’s page for US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries, read October 29, 2026. Colombia is on CDC’s high-risk list for dog rabies, so the two documents that page asks for matter instead: a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form, which a USDA-accredited vet completes and USDA endorses before the dog leaves the US, and the receipt CDC emails once its Dog Import Form is filled in. CDC’s age and microchip conditions also apply. These dog rules do not apply to cats.
Does my pet need an import permit for Colombia?
APHIS’s Colombia page says personal pet dogs and cats need no import permit. What ICA, Colombia’s agricultural authority, wants instead is an online application in its SISPAP system for the CIS, its certificate of sanitary inspection, made before the pet arrives, whether the pet flies with its owner or as cargo; ICA’s pages make no exception for a pet in the cabin. No processing time is published by ICA, and its staff at the airport of entry can take the request if it cannot be made online.
How can Pet Travel Advisors help with a USA to Colombia move?
We handle every step from your first call through arrival and ICA inspection at the Colombian airport. That means confirming current vaccination requirements, getting missing shots scheduled, completing the Colombia-specific APHIS health certificate, filing the SISPAP request with ICA, selecting a compliant crate and flight, and preparing you for the arrival inspection. If you plan to bring your dog back to the US, we also walk you through the CDC return requirements before you leave. One coordinator manages your file the entire way. Request a quote to get started with a plan built around your move date.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.