Bringing a dog from Mexico to the U.S. (CDC rules for 2026)
Is Mexico high-risk?
No. Mexico is not on CDC's high-risk list, so it counts as rabies-free/low-risk. (CDC: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies)
What you need (dog only in the U.S., Mexico or Canada for 6 months)
- The free CDC Dog Import Form receipt listing Mexico as the departure country.
- Dog at least 6 months old, microchipped (readable by a universal scanner), and healthy.
- Enter at any airport, seaport or land border crossing.
For dogs that have not been outside Canada, Mexico and the U.S., the receipt works for multiple entries for 6 months as long as the departure country stays the same. If you switch between Canada and Mexico, get a new receipt. (CDC: Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations; CDC: Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries)
Exceptions
- If the dog was in any high-risk country in the last 6 months (e.g. it came to Mexico from Colombia or Brazil), the high-risk rules apply. Foreign-vaccinated high-risk dogs cannot cross at a land border and must fly into an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility. (CDC: Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations)
- Driving through the U.S. still counts as entry; the same rules apply. (CDC: Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations)
- Rescue or adoption dogs are "Commercial" on the form, and USDA has additional requirements for commercial (resale) dogs. (CDC: Dog Import Form and Instructions; CDC: Bringing a Dog into the U.S.)
- The CDC form is available in Spanish; the receipt comes in both languages. (CDC: Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries)
Not covered / unconfirmed: Mexico's own rules for taking a dog into Mexico (SENASICA) and any U.S. state rules at your destination are separate; we have not verified them here.
Sources
- CDC: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies
- CDC: Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations
- CDC: Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries
- CDC: Dog Import Form and Instructions
- CDC: Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
More guides
- Airline and CDC timing: a countdown for flying your dog into the U.S.
- CDC Dog Import Form: step-by-step guide (2026)
- Bringing a dog from Colombia to the U.S. (CDC high-risk rules)
- Common reasons dogs are denied entry to the U.S. (and how to avoid them)
- Microchip rules for dogs entering the U.S. (is ISO required?)
- CDC high-risk countries for dog rabies: the list explained
- Bringing a dog from the Philippines to the U.S. (CDC high-risk rules)
- Rabies vaccine, titer and certificate rules for dogs entering the U.S.
- U.S. dog entry requirements by risk category (comparison table)
- Returning to the U.S. with your U.S.-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country
- Bringing a dog from Thailand to the U.S. (CDC high-risk rules)