The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has placed a “temporary suspension” for dogs to enter the country.
The move follows the US’ efforts to curb rabies, and the suspension will remain in place until July 31, 2023.
According to the CDC website, all foreign-vaccinated dogs entering the United States from rabies high-risk countries must have a valid CDC Rabies Vaccination and Microchip Record, as well as a CDC Dog Import Permit or a reservation at a CDC-approved animal care facility.
The authority also stressed that it will not accept foreign-issued pet passports or any other certificates for foreign rabies vaccinations.
Some GCC countries included in the US ‘high-risk’ rabies list
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar have been included in the “high-risk” countries list for importing dog rabies into the US, according to the CDC. The number of high-risk countries totalled up to 110. The list is as follows:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Ceuta
- Chad
- China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan)
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
- Cuba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini (Swaziland)
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Melilla
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Republic of the Congo
- Russia
- Rwanda
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania (Including Zanzibar)
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Bringing your dog to the US from a high-risk country
To bring your dog to the US from a high-risk country, you will need “CDC’s advance written approval (CDC Dog Import Permit), a reservation at a CDC-approved animal care facility, or a US-issued rabies vaccination certificate.”
This is also applicable to dogs imported from a country that is not included in the high-risk countries list, but the dogs have been in a high-risk country in the past six months.
The CDC Dog Import Permit approvals may be granted for up to “two foreign-vaccinated dogs per applicant during the temporary suspension,” the authority said, adding that if the request for a CDC Dog Import Permit is denied, “CDC’s written denial will constitute final agency action. No appeals will be allowed.”
If you want to request advance written approval, follow the instructions at How to Apply for a CDC Dog Import Permit at least 40 business days (8 weeks) ahead of your intention for your dog to enter the US, the CDC said. “Requests cannot be made at the port of entry upon the dog’s arrival into the United States.”
If a dog arrives in the US from a high-risk country and doesn’t have a valid rabies vaccination certificate issued by the US, a CDC Dog Import Permit, or a reservation at a CDC-approved animal care facility, it won’t be allowed to enter and will be sent back to the country of departure at the importer’s cost.
Before bringing a dog to the US, importers should verify other federal regulations and also the rabies vaccination requirements of state and local governments at the dog’s final destination, the CDC emphasised.
Follow us on
