Moving Back to the US With a Pet: The Re-Entry Rules

This is for the returning expat, the finished tour, the ended posting, or the American coming home with a pet acquired abroad. The honest bottom line: US federal rules do not care that you are a citizen coming home. They care about your pet, specifically what species it is, whether it has a microchip, and where it has physically been in the last 6 months. Get that part right and the rest of the move is logistics.

Your pet's travel history matters more than your passport

It is tempting to assume that reentering your own country with your own pet should be simpler than any other international move. It mostly is, but the requirements are not waived because you are American. The federal agencies involved, the CDC for rabies risk in dogs and the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for the broader import framework, look at the animal's recent geography, not the owner's citizenship. A dog that spent the last year in a country the CDC classifies as high risk for dog rabies faces more paperwork than a dog that spent that year in a low risk country, even if both dogs are flying home with a returning American family on the same day. If you are new to how the whole international process fits together, from paperwork sequencing to booking a flight, our step by step relocation guide covers the mechanics end to end; this piece focuses on the specific situation of coming back to the United States.

Dogs: the high risk country distinction that changes your checklist

As of August 2024, every dog entering or reentering the United States must be at least 6 months old, have a working ISO compatible microchip that is readable and matches its paperwork, appear healthy on visual inspection, and be entered through the CDC Dog Import Form, submitted online before the dog arrives. That much is true for every dog, everywhere. What changes is the rabies documentation layer, and it hinges entirely on whether your dog was physically present in a country the CDC currently lists as high risk for dog rabies at any point in the 6 months before arrival.

If your dog has been only in the United States or in countries the CDC considers rabies free or low risk during that 6 month window, the Dog Import Form is typically the only extra step beyond a routine health check before flying. If your dog was in a high risk country during that window, expect one of two additional documents depending on where the dog's rabies vaccine was administered: a Certification of US Issued Rabies Vaccination completed by a USDA accredited vet before the dog ever left the country, or a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip completed abroad, sometimes paired with a rabies titer test. Because these lists and requirements change, always confirm your dog's specific status on the current CDC dog importation page before you book anything, and loop in a USDA accredited veterinarian early. This is education, not a substitute for checking the live rule.

None of this replaces the deeper mechanical walkthrough of the CDC process, which we cover fully in our guide to importing a dog into the US, including how to read the current high risk country list, how the two certification forms differ, and how the rabies titer requirement works for dogs that need one. Read that alongside this page if your dog spent real time in a high risk country.

The CDC Dog Import Form comes first, not last

A common mistake among returning families is treating the CDC Dog Import Form as paperwork to handle at the airport. It is not. It is an online form submitted in advance of travel, and CBP officers and airline staff can ask to see confirmation of it at check in and again on arrival. Build it into your packing timeline the same way you would a passport renewal: submit it once your travel dates are set, keep a digital and printed copy, and make sure the microchip number on the form matches the number your vet scans, not an old chip from a previous country if your dog was rechipped abroad. A mismatched chip number is one of the most common and most avoidable reasons a returning pet gets pulled aside for extra screening.

Cats: the federally light side of coming home

If your household includes a cat, the return leg is dramatically simpler on the federal side. The CDC does not require a rabies certificate or an import permit for cats entering the United States, and APHIS has no federal import requirements for pet cats at all. That is true whether the cat is coming from a low risk country or a country with a serious rabies problem. Rabies vaccination is still strongly recommended for the cat's own protection and for entry into some destinations you might travel through, and some individual US states require proof of rabies vaccination for cats regardless of the federal rule, so do not skip the vet visit just because the paperwork burden is lighter. Practically, this means a multi-pet returning household often has a much easier reentry for the cat than for the dog, and that asymmetry is worth planning around, especially if you are booking one flight for both animals. If your household is bringing home both species on the same trip, plan the dog's paperwork on the tighter timeline and treat the cat's health check as the easier item to finish last.

Timing the paperwork against your actual travel date

The single biggest source of last minute stress on a return move is treating the vet visit, the rabies documentation, and the CDC Dog Import Form as things to squeeze in during the final week. If your dog's history requires a Certification of US Issued Rabies Vaccination, that form has to be completed by a USDA accredited vet before the dog leaves the country, and if it is the dog's first rabies vaccine, the form cannot be finished until at least 28 days after the shot. That single rule alone means a dog on its first rabies vaccine needs at least a month of runway before departure, on top of however long it takes to get a vet appointment in a country where English speaking, USDA accredited vets may be scarce outside major cities. Work backward from your flight date the same way you would for any visa or passport deadline, and confirm appointment availability with the vet before you lock in the ticket, not after.

Crate standards and brachycephalic breeds still apply on the way home

Federal entry rules cover rabies risk and identification, but they do not cover how your pet actually flies, and airlines set their own crate and breed policies independently of CDC or APHIS. A flat faced dog that flew out of the US without issue years ago may face tighter airline restrictions on the return leg than it did before, since several major carriers have added or expanded brachycephalic breed limits in the years since. Confirm your airline's current crate size and material requirements, generally in line with IATA Live Animals Regulations standards, well before the flight, and if your dog is a snub nosed breed, build in extra lead time to find a carrier willing to fly it at all.

State rules do not stop at the federal border

Clearing CBP and CDC requirements gets your pet into the country, but it does not automatically satisfy your destination state. A number of states have their own entry health certificate rules, rabies vaccination requirements, or import permit processes for pets arriving from outside the United States, layered on top of the federal framework. These vary by state and occasionally by county, and they are enforced separately from the federal checks at the airport. Before you land, check your destination state's department of agriculture or state veterinarian's requirements for pets entering from abroad, and keep your pet's international health certificate and vaccination records on hand for at least the first few weeks after arrival in case a landlord, boarding kennel, groomer, or new vet asks for them.

Airlines, cargo, and what the State Department wants you to know

Do not assume the airline policy that worked for your outbound move will work coming home. According to the US State Department's guidance for returning to the US with pets, changes in airline policy can mean a pet that traveled as accompanied baggage on the way out has to travel as cargo on the way back, sometimes on a separate flight from its owner. Confirm your specific airline's current live animal policy directly with the airline well before booking, not from a general knowledge of how pet travel usually works, and if your pet will be arriving as unaccompanied cargo, make sure whoever collects it at the US airport has the paperwork and written authorization to do so on your behalf. For families that also need a broader lens on how the return compares with the outbound leg, or that are weighing whether to handle this reentry themselves or hand it to a professional, our DIY versus hiring a shipper comparison walks through the tradeoffs, and a full document run down lives in our international pet document checklist.

What actually happens at the US port of entry

Per US Customs and Border Protection guidance on bringing pets into the United States, dogs may enter if they appear healthy, and CBP works alongside CDC to check the rabies and import form paperwork for dogs specifically. Have your CDC Dog Import Form confirmation, microchip documentation, and any required rabies certification ready to present, whether you are walking through with your pet in cabin or picking it up from a cargo or animal handling area after a separate flight. If any requirement is missing or your dog does not appear healthy, it can be denied entry and returned to the country of origin at your expense, or held pending resolution, so it is worth over preparing rather than assuming a quick wave through. Building slack into your travel dates around the paperwork, rather than scheduling the flight first and scrambling for documents second, avoids most of the stress at this stage.

DIY reentry vs. bringing in a shipper for the last leg

Many returning families handle the reentry themselves, especially if the pet is a cat, a small dog that can fly in cabin with its owner, or a dog whose recent travel history keeps the paperwork simple. Where it makes sense to bring in an IPATA registered international pet shipper is when your dog must fly as unaccompanied cargo, when the household is juggling a full relocation move at the same time as the pet paperwork, when the dog's high risk country history makes the rabies documentation genuinely complex, or when you simply will not be present to receive the pet on arrival. A good shipper handles the export side paperwork from your departure country, books the correct crate and flight, and coordinates the US arrival and any state level requirements, which is often worth the fee when your own bandwidth is already spent on the rest of the move home, including the household goods, housing, and job transition most returning families are managing at the same time.

Building your own returning-home checklist

Start the paperwork clock the moment your return date has a real shape to it, not once tickets are booked. Confirm your dog's country history against the current CDC high risk list, get the microchip scanned and matched to your records, book the vet visit for whichever certification form your dog's situation requires, submit the CDC Dog Import Form once travel dates are firm, confirm the airline's current live animal policy directly with the airline, and check your destination state's separate entry rules. If you want the fuller countdown style checklist that walks through every document and deadline for an international move, not just the return leg, our international pet relocation checklist lays out the full sequence, and our broader guide to moving to the US with a pet covers the inbound journey for anyone, expat or not, bringing a pet into the country for the first time.

Your dog's situation | Microchip required | CDC Dog Import Form | Extra rabies documentation
Only in low risk or rabies free countries, last 6 months | Yes | Yes | Typically none beyond standard health check
In a high risk country, US issued rabies vaccine | Yes | Yes | Certification of US Issued Rabies Vaccination, completed before departure
In a high risk country, foreign issued rabies vaccine | Yes | Yes | Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip, possibly a titer test
Cat, any country history | Recommended, not federally required | Not applicable to cats | No CDC rabies certificate or import permit required
Puppy under 6 months old | Yes | Yes | Generally not eligible for entry regardless of country history

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens get different pet entry rules than foreign visitors?

No. The CDC and USDA APHIS rules apply to the pet's recent travel history and species, not the owner's citizenship. A US citizen's dog that spent time in a high risk country for rabies faces the same extra documentation as anyone else's dog with that history.

What is the CDC Dog Import Form and when do I submit it?

It is an online form required for every dog entering or reentering the United States, submitted before travel, not at the airport. Confirmation should be ready to show at check in and on arrival, alongside your dog's microchip and any required rabies documentation.

Do cats need any special paperwork to enter the US?

Federally, no. The CDC does not require a rabies certificate or import permit for cats, and USDA APHIS has no import requirements for pet cats. Rabies vaccination is still recommended, and check whether your destination state requires it separately.

My dog was in a high risk country. What extra documents do I need?

Depending on where the rabies vaccine was given, you will need either a Certification of US Issued Rabies Vaccination completed by a USDA accredited vet before departure, or a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip completed abroad, sometimes with a rabies titer test. Confirm the current list of high risk countries and required forms directly with the CDC before booking travel.

Should I hire an international pet shipper just for the return leg?

It depends on complexity. A cat or a small dog with simple paperwork often flies home fine with the owner handling it directly. A dog flying as unaccompanied cargo, a high risk country rabies history, or a family with no bandwidth left after the rest of the move are all good reasons to bring in an IPATA registered shipper for the return.