Get the app

Travelling with your dog or cat to Brazil: requirements

Requirements change. Check with the country's authority and your airline before you travel.

To travel to Brazil with your dog or cat, you need an endorsed International Veterinary Certificate confirming a clinical health inspection, current rabies vaccination, and parasite treatments. Brazil inspects accompanied pets free of charge at the border without requiring an import permit or microchip.

Brazil admits domestic dogs and cats under sanitary standards established by the Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária. Completing veterinary requirements within official deadlines guarantees smooth entry clearance through border control.

This is general guidance. Always ask your vet.

What documents do dogs and cats need to enter Brazil?

Your pet needs an original International Veterinary Certificate issued by the exporting country or an official pet passport.

The Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) regulates pet entry through the International Agricultural Surveillance system, VIGIAGRO. Portaria MAPA No. 741 establishes a standardized certificate format under updated Mercosur rules, mandatory starting September 6, 2025.

The International Veterinary Certificate remains valid for 60 calendar days from its issue date for entry, transit, and movement within Brazil. The 60-day validity requires your pet's rabies vaccination to remain active during the entire timeframe.

[S1][S3][S4]

What vaccines and health treatments does Brazil require for pets?

Brazil requires a clinical health exam within 10 days before certificate issuance, an active rabies vaccine, and internal and external parasite treatments.

A licensed veterinarian must examine your pet within 10 days before issuing the certificate to certify freedom from infectious diseases and fitness for transport. MAPA mandates rabies vaccination for dogs and cats aged 90 days or older, requiring primary vaccination at least 21 days before departure.

Your veterinarian must apply broad-spectrum products for internal and external parasites within 15 days before certificate issuance and record the product details on the certificate. Animals younger than 90 days qualify for vaccination exemption when the exporting authority certifies zero contact with urban rabies during the prior 90 days.

[S1][S4]

Does Brazil require a microchip, rabies titer test, or import permit?

Brazil treats microchips as optional, waives rabies titer tests for domestic dogs and cats, and exempts accompanied pets from import permits.

VIGIAGRO accepts entry certificates without a microchip number. When your pet carries an ISO microchip, your veterinarian records the chip number, implantation date, and anatomical location on the certificate.

Dogs and cats entering as accompanied baggage travel without a MAPA import permit. Other companion animals, including ferrets, rabbits, and rodents, require a formal import permit from the Federal Superintendence of Agriculture before travel.

[S1][S3][S4]

How do you travel with a dog or cat from Mexico to Brazil?

You obtain an official Zoosanitary Export Certificate from SENASICA in Mexico after completing veterinary checks.

SENASICA issues the pet export certificate free of charge. The Mexican certificate carries an 8-day validity window unless Brazil's 60-day rule applies.

  1. Submit the veterinary documentation to SENASICA to obtain the official Zoosanitary Export Certificate.
  2. Present your pet and original paperwork to VIGIAGRO inspectors upon arrival in Brazil for free entry clearance.
[S1][S4][S5]

How do you prepare a pet to travel from the United States to Brazil?

You must obtain an international health certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian and secure digital endorsement through USDA APHIS.

The United States Department of Agriculture handles electronic endorsements through the VEHCS platform.

  1. Schedule an examination with a USDA-accredited veterinarian within 10 days before certificate issuance.
  2. Administer required broad-spectrum internal and external parasite treatments within 15 days before certificate issuance.
  3. Have your veterinarian submit the certificate through VEHCS for USDA APHIS electronic endorsement.
  4. Print a physical paper copy of the endorsed electronic certificate to present during travel.
[S1][S3][S4]

What happens during pet border inspection in Brazil?

VIGIAGRO inspectors verify your pet and documents free of charge upon arrival at the Brazilian port of entry.

You must present your pet and original paperwork to VIGIAGRO agricultural surveillance officials. In cases of irregular or missing rabies paperwork, VIGIAGRO procedures permit entry under a signed Conduct Agreement enforcing strict home isolation.

[S1]

What airline rules apply when flying a pet to Brazil?

Airlines set minimum age limits and specific carrier size limits for pets flying in the passenger cabin.

LATAM Airlines requires pets to be at least 16 weeks old for international travel. Cabin travel bags with soft sides must measure up to 40 cm x 28 cm x 25 cm, and rigid kennels must measure up to 36 cm x 33 cm x 19 cm.

[S9]

What rules apply when returning from Brazil to Mexico or the United States?

Returning to Mexico requires a SENASICA airport inspection, while returning dogs to the United States requires complying with CDC rabies regulations.

A Brazilian certificate allows entry back into Brazil from Mexico or the United States within 60 days if the rabies vaccine stays current. For travel into Mexico, SENASICA conducts a physical inspection and requires a veterinary health certificate issued within 15 days of arrival showing active rabies vaccination and parasite treatment within 6 months.

The United States CDC designates Brazil as a high-risk rabies country. Dogs entering the United States must be at least 6 months old and have an ISO microchip implanted prior to their latest rabies vaccine. Foreign-vaccinated dogs require a CDC-approved serological titer test sampled at least 28 days before arrival and an advance booking at a CDC animal facility, or they must complete a mandatory 28-day quarantine at your expense.

[S1][S6][S7]

This is general guidance. Always ask your vet.

Checked against sources; veterinary review pending. Information checked on September 30, 2026. Updated on September 30, 2026.

Written with AI help from the cited sources. A second model checked every fact against them.

Sources

Related guides

Flying with your pet: cabin or cargo

Small pets travel in the passenger cabin under the seat in front of you. Larger animals travel in the cargo hold as checked baggage or manifest cargo depending on airline weight limits, breed anatomy, and outdoor temperatures.

What documents your pet needs to travel

To travel internationally, your pet needs an endorsed veterinary health certificate, an ISO-compliant microchip, and an up-to-date rabies vaccination record. Specific destinations also mandate an import permit, parasite treatments, or advance rabies titer testing.

Car travel with your pet

Secure your pet with an anchored crate or harness, take hydration breaks every two hours, and pack familiar food and water. Never leave an animal unattended inside a parked vehicle under any conditions.

Car sickness and stress in the car: signs and how to help

Car sickness in pets produces nausea, drooling, distress, and vomiting through inner ear stimulation and travel anxiety. You can help your pet through gradual desensitization, structured feeding schedules, secure vehicle setups, and veterinary support.