Dominican Republic to the U.S. with a dog: CDC rules

By Aaron Houston · Last checked 2026-10-29 against official CDC/USDA sources

Why the Dominican Republic needs extra paperwork

The Dominican Republic is on CDC's list of countries at high risk for dog rabies. Any dog that has been there in the 6 months before arriving in the U.S. falls under the high-risk rules, including a U.S. family dog that only went for a two-week visit (CDC: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies). Source: CDC and USDA APHIS pages listed below, last checked 2026-10-29.

Most dogs that make this trip fit one of three situations:

Trip	What decides the rules	Hardest part
U.S. dog going to the DR for a visit and coming back	A USDA-endorsed Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form, done before the dog leaves	Getting the form endorsed in time
Dog vaccinated in the DR (relocation to the U.S.)	Foreign-vaccinated rules: animal care facility reservation, titer or quarantine	No CDC-approved titer lab in the DR
Rescue or adoption from the DR	Foreign-vaccinated rules, with no shortened quarantine	Full 28-day quarantine unless a valid titer exists

(CDC: Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations)

Visiting family in the DR with your U.S. dog

This is the trip that most often goes wrong, because owners only plan the outbound leg. Do the U.S. paperwork before you fly to Santo Domingo, Santiago or Punta Cana:

Microchip check: the chip must be readable by a universal scanner and must have gone in before the current rabies vaccine. If the number starts with something other than 9, ask your vet to confirm it scans (CDC FAQ).
Age: the dog must be at least 6 months old when it comes back, and its first rabies shot must have been given at 12 weeks or older.
U.S. rabies form: a USDA-accredited vet completes the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form and USDA must endorse it before departure. For a first vaccine, the form can only be completed 28 days after the shot. Boosters with no lapse count right away.
The DR's health certificate for the outbound trip (see below), valid only 10 days.
CDC Dog Import Form for the return, listing the exact U.S. port where you'll land.

With a valid endorsed U.S. form, the dog can return at any U.S. airport or seaport listed on its CDC receipt. No titer and no facility reservation needed (CDC: U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries). If you leave without it, there's no fixing it from the DR: the dog returns under the foreign-vaccinated rules. An old-style USDA export health certificate only works if it was issued no later than July 31, 2025 (CDC FAQ). See returning with a U.S.-vaccinated dog.

Puppy trap: the DR's certificate lets a vet note that a puppy under 12 weeks wasn't vaccinated because of age (APHIS DR health certificate). That gets a young puppy into the DR, but the U.S. won't let it back in until it's 6 months old with a valid vaccine. Don't take a puppy you can't leave behind.

Bringing a Dominican-vaccinated dog to the U.S.

A dog whose current rabies vaccine was given in the DR, whether it's a family pet moving with you or a dog you adopted there, enters as foreign-vaccinated from a high-risk country (CDC: foreign-vaccinated dogs):

Facility reservation: the dog must land at a U.S. airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, with a reservation in hand. On the Sept 1, 2026 list, the closest options for flights from the DR are Miami (MIA) and New York JFK. Newark and LaGuardia aren't on the list. The other facilities are at ATL, DFW, LAX, PHL (cargo only), SEA and IAD (CDC: CDC-registered Animal Care Facilities).
Titer or quarantine: a passing rabies titer from a CDC-approved lab avoids the 28-day quarantine. CDC's list (updated July 13, 2026) has no lab in the Dominican Republic, and CDC says the vet can send the sample to the "closest" approved lab (CDC: Approved Rabies Serology Laboratories). Draw the blood at least 30 days after the first valid vaccine and at least 28 days before arrival.
Foreign rabies form: your Dominican vet completes the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form and an official government veterinarian endorses it. It's good for 30 days and one entry.
Arrival: the facility examines the dog and gives a U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine.

Rescues and adoptions: CDC says dogs imported for rescue, resale, adoption or transfer of ownership can't use the shortened-quarantine route (PSM). Without a valid titer from an approved lab, plan on the full 28 days at your cost (CDC FAQ). A personal pet with records of at least two rabies vaccines on U.S.-style schedules may qualify for PSM if the facility gets CDC approval.

Unconfirmed: Which approved lab is "closest" in practice for the DR (CDC lists labs in Mexico, Brazil and Chile among others), whether Dominican rules allow shipping serum abroad, and which Dominican office acts as the official government veterinarian for endorsing CDC's form. None of these are stated on official U.S. sources we checked. Ask your Dominican vet and the lab before you book.

Routes that don't work

Via Puerto Rico: there are no CDC-registered animal care facilities in Alaska, Hawaii or any U.S. territory, so a foreign-vaccinated dog from the DR can't enter through San Juan (CDC FAQ).
By land: foreign-vaccinated high-risk dogs can't enter at a land border, so flying to Mexico and driving in doesn't get around the rules.
Connecting flights: the dog has to arrive by air at the facility's airport. A connection is fine only if the final leg lands there.

Cruises that stop in the DR

Many Caribbean cruises call at DR ports. CDC's cruise guidance is written for service dogs. A service dog that stays aboard while the ship is docked in a high-risk country isn't treated as having been there. A U.S.-vaccinated service dog that goes ashore needs a valid U.S. rabies form and a CDC receipt listing the arrival seaport. A foreign-vaccinated service dog needs the foreign form, a valid titer from an approved lab and a receipt, presented before leaving the ship (CDC FAQ). APHIS adds that a pet on a cruise must meet the entry rules of every port where it leaves the ship (USDA APHIS: Pet Travel From the U.S. to the Dominican Republic).

The Dominican Republic's own entry rules

From USDA APHIS (Pet Travel From the U.S. to the Dominican Republic, last modified July 30, 2025, and the DR health certificate):

A USDA health certificate in English and Spanish. Electronic signature and digital endorsement through VEHCS are accepted, so you can print the endorsed certificate yourself.
The dog must be vaccinated against rabies with a current vaccine. A first vaccine must be given at least 30 days before departure.
The certificate is valid for 10 days after it's issued. That's a tighter window than many countries.
No consular endorsement is needed for personal dogs and cats.
Commercial imports need a permit from the DR's Dirección General de Ganadería.

These are the DR's rules, not CDC's, and APHIS says they can change without notice.

Want it on one page? Dog travel document checklist by scenario (paid PDF; everything in it is also free on this site and cdc.gov).

Sources

CDC: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies
CDC: Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
CDC: Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
CDC: Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations (updated Aug 27, 2026)
CDC: Approved Rabies Serology Laboratories (updated July 13, 2026)
CDC: CDC-registered Animal Care Facilities (updated Sept 1, 2026)
USDA APHIS: Pet Travel From the U.S. to the Dominican Republic and health certificate (PDF)

Keep going: This page is part of our main guide to bringing a dog into the U.S., which walks through every decision in order. Related questions: Returning with a U.S.-vaccinated dog. Ready to act? See CDC Dog Import Form.