Viva Aerobus, the Mexican low-cost airline based in Monterrey, carries dogs and cats in the cabin and dogs in the hold. A pet can fly in the cabin if it weighs 12 kg or less with its carrier, in a carrier no larger than 44 x 35 x 21 cm. Dogs too big for the cabin can travel in the hold, up to 45 kg with a rigid crate. Each passenger can bring one pet, each flight takes no more than 11 (6 in the cabin and 5 in the hold), and the fee is roughly MXN 1,129 to 1,229 per segment in the cabin. Flights between Mexico and the US carry extra paperwork, including a screwworm certificate for dogs signed within 5 days of travel.
This guide follows Viva Aerobus's own Spanish-language pages for pets in the cabin and dogs in the hold, plus its published charges, as read in October 2026. The English version of the pet page was not available when we checked, so the details below are our translation. Confirm with Viva before you book, and check the entry rules for every country on your route.
Viva Aerobus pet rules at a glance
The table brings together the numbers most people look for first. Fees are in Mexican pesos, per passenger and per flight segment, and vary by route, season and how you buy.
| Rule | Cabin | Hold |
|---|---|---|
| Animals | Dogs and cats | Dogs only |
| Weight | 12 kg including carrier | 45 kg including crate |
| Container | Rigid or semi-rigid, max 44 x 35 x 21 cm | Rigid, max 319 linear cm |
| Minimum age | Over 8 weeks | Over 16 weeks |
| Pets per flight | 6 | 5 |
| Pets per passenger | 1 | |
| Fee (domestic / international) | MXN 1,129 / 1,129 to 1,229 | MXN 1,039 / 1,039 to 1,129 |
| Connections | Allowed | Not on connecting or Escala Express flights |
Four ways to travel with an animal
Viva splits animal travel into four services: pets in the cabin, dogs in the hold, emotional support animals and service animals. Emotional support animals and service animals travel without an extra fee, under their own rules, which are set out on separate pages. This guide focuses on pets.
Flying with a pet in the Viva cabin
Viva welcomes dogs and cats in the cabin if they meet these conditions:
- Weight: up to 12 kg including the carrier.
- Carrier: no larger than 44 cm long, 35 cm wide and 21 cm high, made of rigid or semi-rigid material. The pet must be able to stand and turn around inside without trouble.
- Age: more than 8 weeks old.
The pet stays in its carrier from the moment you present it at the counter until you leave the destination airport, and the carrier goes under the seat in front of you for the whole flight. Cabin pets sit at a window seat, never next to an emergency exit. To avoid conflicts between animals, two pets cannot sit in adjacent seats or rows, so Viva may move passengers around. You cannot give your pet food or treats during the flight, and pets cannot use supplemental oxygen at any time.
Note that Viva asks for a rigid or semi-rigid carrier rather than a soft bag, which is the opposite of some US airlines. Our guide to flying with a dog in the cabin covers practical preparation.
Flying with a dog in the Viva hold
Only dogs can travel in the hold, which Viva describes as pressurized and temperature controlled. The conditions:
- Weight: up to 45 kg including the crate.
- Crate: rigid, no larger than 319 linear cm (length plus width plus height).
- Age: more than 16 weeks old.
The big restriction is connections. For safety reasons, Viva does not carry pets in the hold on connecting flights or on its Escala Express flights, so a dog in the hold must be on a direct flight. Our guide to choosing a pet transport crate explains how to size one.
Snub-nosed breeds
Viva does not allow brachycephalic breeds in the hold, because they often have breathing problems when stressed or hot. The dogs it names include the Affenpinscher, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Brussels Griffon, Boxer, Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Bull Terrier, Cane Corso, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chow Chow, Dogue de Bordeaux, English Toy Spaniel, Japanese Spaniel, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, all mastiffs, Pekingese, Pug, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu and Tibetan Spaniel, among others. A small dog of one of these breeds can still fly in the cabin if it fits the 12 kg limit. Our guide to snub-nosed breeds and flying covers the alternatives for bigger dogs.
Other restrictions
- One pet per passenger, and no more than 11 per flight: 6 in the cabin and 5 in the hold.
- Unaccompanied minors cannot bring pets.
- The pet must be in good health, and the carrier must give it enough space and ventilation to move freely.
- Viva recommends the pet has up-to-date external parasite treatment on the day of travel.
Fees
Viva lists the pet fee in its table of charges. For a pet in the cabin it shows MXN 1,129 on domestic flights and MXN 1,129 to 1,229 on international flights. For a pet in the hold (checked), it shows MXN 1,039 domestic and MXN 1,039 to 1,129 international. The charges are per passenger and per segment, and Viva says the final amount can vary by route, season, sales channel and how far ahead you buy, with the actual price shown during purchase. At recent exchange rates that is roughly USD 55 to 70 per segment. Buy the service as early as you can, because space is limited to 6 pets in the cabin and 5 in the hold on each flight.
Documents for flights within Mexico
For a domestic flight, Viva asks for three things:
- A signed responsibility letter (carta responsiva) for carrying a pet, which you can sign digitally in your booking or print and bring in two signed copies.
- A vaccination certificate on the vet's letterhead with their professional license number, showing a rabies vaccine given within the last year and deworming within the last 6 months.
- A health certificate from a vet issued no more than 5 days before the flight, with the owner's name and address, stating the pet is healthy, has no healing wounds and is fit to fly. It can cover the return flight if that is within 2 weeks, with the same passenger, and you show it on both legs.
Flying from Mexico to the US with a pet
Cats and dogs flying into the US on Viva need the signed responsibility letter. Dogs also need to be at least 6 months old, look healthy on arrival, have a microchip and its implant certificate, a receipt for the completed CDC import form and an emergency contact in Mexico or the US. If the country they are leaving is on the US screwworm list, they need a certificate signed by an official vet within 5 days of travel showing they are free of screwworm, or were treated and cleared.
Viva adds an important limit: for now it only carries dogs that have not been in a high-risk country for dog rabies in the 6 months before the flight. Mexico is not on the CDC's high-risk list, so a dog that has lived only in Mexico can usually fly. The CDC dog import page has the full rules, and our guide to pet transport from Mexico to the US walks through them.
Flying from the US to Mexico with a pet
Pets flying into Mexico need the responsibility letter and a physical inspection by SENASICA, Mexico's agricultural health service, at the airport. Dogs also need a screwworm inspection certificate for export from the US to Mexico, signed by a USDA-accredited vet within 5 days of travel; the USDA format is accepted. Viva says this was last updated in August 2026. Our guide to pet transport to Mexico explains the screwworm rule in more detail.
Colombia and Costa Rica
Viva's page also lists detailed rules for its flights between Mexico and Colombia and between Mexico and Costa Rica. In both directions you need an official health certificate issued within a short window (10 days for Colombia, 8 days for a SENASICA certificate to Costa Rica), proof of internal and external parasite treatment, and specific vaccinations, plus Colombia's ICA inspection on arrival or departure and SENASICA's import certificate and inspection when entering Mexico. For other international routes, check each country's rules well ahead.
On travel day
Viva's own advice: buy the pet service as early as possible, get your pet used to the carrier at home, line it with absorbent padding, and do not sedate the pet without asking your vet. Feed normally, give small snacks before the flight, exercise the pet and offer water. Arrive 2 hours before a domestic flight or 3 hours before an international one, use the Express line, present every document at the counter and security, sign the responsibility letter at check-in and make sure a label with your details and the pet's is fixed to the carrier. You can tape the carrier door for extra security.
A sample plan: Monterrey to a US city with a small dog
- Confirm the dog is at least 6 months old, microchipped and has not been in a high-risk rabies country in the last 6 months.
- Complete the CDC import form and keep the receipt.
- Book the flight and add the pet in the cabin, with a rigid or semi-rigid carrier under 44 x 35 x 21 cm.
- Get the screwworm certificate signed by an official vet within 5 days of travel if required, and sign the responsibility letter in your booking.
- Arrive 3 hours early with every document.
Choosing the right carrier
The cabin carrier is where most problems start. Viva's limit of 44 x 35 x 21 cm is generous on length and width but low on height, so a dog with long legs may not be able to stand inside even if it is under 12 kg. Measure your pet standing, with its head up, and add a little room. Because Viva asks for rigid or semi-rigid material, a hard-sided carrier with a solid top or a structured bag with firm panels is the safer choice; a floppy fabric bag may be turned away at the counter. Put an absorbent pad on the floor and a familiar blanket on top, and fix the door so it cannot pop open.
For the hold, the 319 linear cm limit allows a large crate, but the crate still has to fit the aircraft and the dog plus crate must stay under 45 kg. A big dog in a heavy plastic crate can reach that limit quickly, so weigh both together before you book.
Big dogs and the direct-flight rule
Because hold pets cannot connect, the route you can take with a large dog depends on where Viva flies nonstop. If there is no direct Viva flight between your two cities, the options are to drive to a city with a direct flight, use a different airline that accepts connecting hold pets, or hire a ground pet transporter. Ground transport is often simpler for moves within Mexico or across the US border, since there is no crate weight limit and no hot-weather risk on the ramp.
Common mistakes with Viva Aerobus pet bookings
- Bringing a soft bag when Viva asks for a rigid or semi-rigid carrier.
- Booking a connecting itinerary with a dog in the hold.
- Trying to bring two pets on one ticket.
- Arriving with a health certificate older than 5 days on a domestic flight.
- Planning to fly a cat in the hold; only dogs are accepted there.
Viva compared with Volaris
The other big Mexican low-cost carrier, Volaris, has different weight limits, a longer breed ban and its own fees, so compare both for your route.