Dog Import GuideCDC formHigh-risk listAbout

South Africa to the U.S. with a dog: CDC rules

By Aaron Houston · Last checked 2026-11-02 against official CDC/USDA sources

Why South Africa is different

South Africa is on CDC's list of high-risk countries for dog rabies (CDC: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies). Unlike most high-risk countries, it has its own CDC-approved titer lab: the ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute near Pretoria (CDC: Approved Rabies Serology Laboratories, updated July 13, 2026). So a South African-vaccinated dog can usually avoid U.S. quarantine without shipping blood overseas. Going the other way is the hard part, because South Africa has some of the strictest import rules APHIS publishes. Source: CDC and USDA APHIS pages listed below, last checked 2026-11-02.

Emigrating with a South African-vaccinated dog

Step-by-step for a South African dog

  1. Microchip, then vaccinate. CDC requires the microchip to be implanted before the rabies vaccine the titer is based on. The first vaccine must be given at 12 weeks or older, and the dog must be at least 6 months old on arrival (CDC FAQ).
  2. Titer at Onderstepoort (or another approved lab). Draw blood 30+ days after the first vaccine and 28+ days before arrival; CDC recommends 60+ days ahead. The result has to come directly from the lab, in English or with a certified translation. It stays valid for life if vaccinations never lapse and the lab stays approved (CDC: Approved labs).
  3. Book a CDC-registered animal care facility. South African flights often land at Atlanta, New York JFK or Washington Dulles, and all three have facilities. The full list is ATL, DFW, LAX (cargo preferred), MIA, JFK, PHL (cargo only), SEA and IAD. Newark and Houston aren't on it (CDC: Animal Care Facilities, Sept 1, 2026).
  4. Paperwork within 30 days of arrival. Your vet completes CDC's foreign rabies vaccination and microchip form, and the official government veterinarian endorses it (CDC: Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs).
  5. CDC Dog Import Form for each dog, then the facility exam and U.S. revaccination on arrival.

Without a valid titer, the dog does a 28-day quarantine at the facility. A personal pet with at least two properly timed vaccines may qualify for prospective serologic monitoring to shorten it. Rescues being rehomed don't (CDC FAQ).

Unconfirmed: Onderstepoort's submission process, fees and turnaround for private pet samples, and which South African authority endorses CDC's foreign form as the "official government veterinarian" (typically a state veterinarian, but no U.S. source names it). Ask your vet and the lab before booking flights.

Taking a U.S. dog to South Africa

From USDA APHIS: Pet Travel From the U.S. to South Africa (last modified Jan 12, 2026):

Requirement Detail
Import permit Required for every dog. Apply via gov.za and send it to VetPermits@daff.gov.za. South Africa then issues the health certificate with the entry conditions
Surra test Trypanosoma evansi by both CATT and Giemsa smear, only at a reference lab: the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp, Belgium) or the National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases (Obihiro, Japan)
Other tests At an approved U.S. lab, with the microchip number on every lab report
Timing Accredited vet issues the certificate, and APHIS endorses it, within 10 days of travel
Endorsement E-signature accepted, but original ink signature and embossing required. Arrange return mail with a prepaid label
Service and support animals Must also be APHIS-endorsed

APHIS warns that a pet that doesn't meet the certificate's testing rules may be returned to the U.S. or euthanized. ITM Antwerp recommends shipping samples through your own DHL international account or a commercial lab, and forwarding the tracking number to the institute in advance (APHIS).

Getting the U.S. dog home again

Before departure, have a USDA-accredited vet complete CDC's Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination and get it endorsed. With it and an unexpired U.S. vaccine, the dog can return at any U.S. port on its CDC receipt, without a titer or animal care facility (CDC: U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries). If the U.S. vaccine would expire during a long stay, CDC still requires valid documentation of a U.S.-issued vaccination, so plan the booster before you leave (CDC FAQ). See returning with a U.S.-vaccinated dog.

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).

Related: Brazil to the U.S. · Common reasons dogs are denied entry · Airline and CDC timing · High-risk countries explained

Sources

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: Rabies vaccine and titer rules. Ready to act? See CDC Dog Import Form.

More guides