Philippines
United States
Bringing your dog or cat from the Philippines to the USA
The Philippines is on the CDC's list of high-risk countries for dog rabies. A dog coming to the United States follows one of two CDC pathways, set by where its rabies vaccine was given, and most dogs vaccinated in the Philippines must land at one of eight U.S. airports. Cats have no CDC rabies requirement.
At a glance
Rules on this page apply to: dogs and cats.
- CDC status
- The Philippines is a high-risk country for dog rabies. The rules cover any dog that was there in the 6 months before entry.
- Minimum age
- Dogs must be at least 6 months old on arrival.
- Titer lab in Manila
- RITM in Muntinlupa City is on CDC's approved-lab list.
- Arrival airports
- Foreign-vaccinated dogs: only ATL, DFW, IAD, JFK, LAX, MIA, PHL or SEA, with a facility reservation.
- Screwworm certificate
- Philippine official veterinarian's inspection within 5 days before shipment (APHIS lists the Philippines).
- Cats
- No CDC rabies requirement; must appear healthy. States and airlines may ask for more.
Who this guide is for
Filipino families immigrating to the United States, Americans and military families returning after a tour, and anyone who adopted an aspin or a puspin in the Philippines. The rules also reach a dog that only passed through: CDC treats a dog as having entered a country if it cleared customs there, and the high-risk rules apply to any dog that was in a high-risk country in the 6 months before arriving in the U.S.
If your dog has spent the last 6 months only in low-risk countries, the high-risk rules no longer apply.
What we coordinate
- Identifying your dog's CDC pathway from its records.
- The titer test at RITM or a U.S. lab on CDC's list, timed to CDC's windows.
- The CDC-registered animal care facility reservation and a flight that lands at that airport.
- The CDC Dog Import Form, the CDC certification and the screwworm certificate from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
- Carrier, aircraft and mode, and U.S. arrival help through local partners where available. See U.S. pet import and, for service members, military relocation.
Bringing a pet from the Philippines?
Get My Free Quote (opens the enquiry form in a new tab)Dogs and cats
CDC's high-risk rules apply to dogs only. CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cats (it recommends it), and USDA APHIS has no animal health requirements for pet cats. A cat must appear healthy on arrival. Your destination state or airline may ask for a health certificate, and Hawaii and Guam apply their own quarantine rules to cats. See bringing a cat into the USA.
Timeline
For a dog vaccinated in the Philippines, plan two to three months at least:
- Day 0: microchip first, then rabies vaccination (at 12 weeks of age or older).
- Day 30 or later: titer blood draw. CDC recommends drawing at least 60 days before travel.
- 30+ days before travel: reserve the animal care facility and book the flight to its airport.
- Within 30 days before travel: the CDC foreign-vaccination form, completed by your veterinarian and endorsed by a government veterinarian.
- Within 5 days before shipment: the screwworm inspection.
- The week of travel: the CDC Dog Import Form.
A dog vaccinated in the U.S. whose endorsed CDC certification was done before it left can travel much sooner.
CDC rules for dogs from a high-risk country
Every dog must be at least 6 months old, carry a microchip that a universal scanner reads, look healthy and travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. For high-risk countries, the receipt is valid for one entry on the listed date; a new date or airport means a new form. It includes a photo of the dog's face and body, taken within 15 days of arrival for dogs under one year. The airline checks the receipt before boarding; CBP checks it on arrival.
Dogs vaccinated in the United States
- The CDC Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination, completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian at least 28 days after a first vaccine and endorsed by USDA before the dog left the U.S.
- Reusable while the vaccine is valid. No titer, no animal care facility.
- Arrival at any airport, seaport or land crossing that matches the receipt.
- A USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued no later than July 31, 2025 can stand in for the form; later ones are not accepted.
A dog whose certification was never done, or whose U.S. vaccine lapsed in the Philippines and was renewed there, enters as foreign-vaccinated.
Dogs vaccinated outside the United States
- The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, completed by a veterinarian and endorsed by an official government veterinarian of the exporting country, no more than 30 days before travel; single use.
- A valid titer, or 28 days of quarantine.
- A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility that includes an exam and revaccination with a U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine.
- Arrival by air on an international flight directly into that facility's airport; no onward domestic flight until the facility releases the dog.
- Documents in English or with a certified translation.
More: CDC dog import rules.
Microchip
The chip must be readable by a universal scanner and implanted before the rabies vaccine; otherwise CDC treats the vaccine as invalid. The number has to appear on every form. Dogs chipped after their last shot need a new vaccination and, if foreign-vaccinated, a new titer at least 30 days later.
Rabies vaccination
CDC accepts a first rabies vaccine only if it was given at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older; earlier vaccines do not count for dogs from high-risk countries. A first vaccine for a foreign-vaccinated dog must be given at least 28 days before entry. Keep boosters on time: a lapse means revaccination and a new titer.
Titer test
Required for foreign-vaccinated dogs that want to avoid quarantine. CDC accepts results only from its approved labs, sent directly by the approved lab. In the Philippines that is the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila; U.S. options include Kansas State, Auburn and the University of Missouri.
- Drawn at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccine.
- Drawn at least 28 days before entry.
- Valid for life while vaccination never lapses.
We confirm RITM's current submission process and turnaround for your dates. If you moved to the Philippines from the U.S. after January 1, 2027, your dog may already have a titer from BAI's import requirements; whether it can be reused for CDC depends on the lab being on CDC's list.
Import permit
The U.S. issues no import permit for pet dogs or cats. The CDC Dog Import Form receipt and, for foreign-vaccinated dogs, the animal care facility reservation take its place. The facility reviews your documents before it confirms a reservation.
Health certificate
CDC does not require a general health certificate. Dogs need the CDC rabies certification for their pathway and the screwworm certificate. Many airlines and some states require a recent health certificate, so we usually plan one.
Philippine official endorsement
Two U.S. documents need a Philippine government veterinarian:
- CDC foreign-vaccination form: endorsed by an official government veterinarian of the exporting country.
- Screwworm certificate: USDA APHIS lists the Philippines among regions where screwworm exists. A dog needs a certificate signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin, stating it was inspected within 5 days before shipment and is free of screwworm. It can be standalone or part of an export certificate.
BAI is the Philippine veterinary authority, but its pet export page had no published procedure when we checked on October 29, 2026. We confirm the export steps and lead time with BAI for your dates.
Airlines
The airline must see the CDC receipt before boarding, and a foreign-vaccinated dog's flight has to land at the airport of its facility reservation. Routing through another country adds risk only if the dog clears customs there. Breed, size and season limits differ by carrier. Airline policies change; we confirm the carrier, aircraft and mode for your pet.
Cabin, checked baggage or cargo
CDC notes that the Seattle facility takes cargo-only reservations and that at Los Angeles cargo is preferred; other dogs are moved to cargo on arrival and may wait. Cabin travel depends on the airline and the dog's size and is never guaranteed. See airline cargo for pets.
Arrival in the United States
Foreign-vaccinated dogs land at Atlanta (ATL), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York JFK, Philadelphia (PHL), Seattle (SEA) or Washington Dulles (IAD). JFK means JFK: Newark and LaGuardia do not count. The facility examines and revaccinates the dog before release. See U.S. arrival airports.
APHIS rules for regions not declared free of foot-and-mouth disease also apply to the Philippines: bathe the dog as soon as it reaches its destination and keep it away from livestock for 5 days.
Quarantine
A foreign-vaccinated dog without a valid titer stays 28 days at the animal care facility, at the importer's expense. With a valid titer there is no quarantine, but the facility exam and revaccination remain. A U.S.-vaccinated dog with its endorsed certification is not quarantined by CDC. A dog showing signs of disease may be denied entry.
State and territory rules
CDC states there are no registered animal care facilities in Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. territories, so a foreign-vaccinated dog from the Philippines cannot enter through Guam or Honolulu. Hawaii and Guam also apply their own entry and quarantine rules to dogs and cats. We check them, and your destination state's rules, for your move.
What drives the cost
- The CDC pathway: facility reservation, exam, revaccination and any quarantine are paid by the importer at each facility's prices.
- The titer test and sample shipping.
- Philippine export certification and the screwworm inspection.
- Flight mode, crate size and routing to an eligible airport.
- Onward travel inside the U.S. after release.
The CDC Dog Import Form is free. We quote once we know your dog's records, route and dates.
Mistakes we see on this route
- Booking Manila–Honolulu or Manila–Guam for a foreign-vaccinated dog. There is no CDC facility there.
- A connection inside the U.S. The dog must arrive on the international flight at the facility's airport.
- A titer from a lab not on CDC's list, or drawn less than 28 days before entry.
- Assuming a U.S. vaccine still counts without the endorsed certification made before departure.
- Leaving the screwworm certificate to the last day. The inspection window is 5 days before shipment, and BAI's export steps have to be confirmed in advance.
Questions about this route
My dog was vaccinated in the Philippines. Can it fly into San Francisco?
No. A foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country must arrive at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility: ATL, DFW, IAD, JFK, LAX, MIA, PHL or SEA.
Can I do the titer test in Manila?
Yes. The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City is on CDC's approved-lab list. Draw the blood at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before entry.
We are a military family returning from the Philippines. Does anything change?
The CDC rules are the same. If your dog was vaccinated in the U.S. and the CDC certification was endorsed before you left, it can return without a titer or care facility. The DoD lab on CDC's list serves DoD personnel and eligible beneficiaries only.
Does my cat need anything from CDC?
No rabies proof is required for cats, but they must look healthy. Check your destination state and your airline, and Hawaii or Guam if that is where you are going.
How long is a CDC Dog Import Form receipt valid for a dog from the Philippines?
For a high-risk country, one entry on the arrival date listed. If the date or airport changes, submit a new form.
Official sources
The requirements on this page come from these authorities.
- CDC — High-risk countries for dog rabies (April 15, 2026)
- CDC — Entry requirements for U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (April 28, 2026)
- CDC — Entry requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (July 22, 2024)
- CDC — FAQs on dog importations (August 27, 2026)
- CDC — Dog Import Form and instructions (April 28, 2026)
- CDC — Layovers (April 29, 2026)
- CDC — CDC-registered animal care facilities (September 1, 2026)
- CDC — Approved rabies serology laboratories (July 13, 2026): Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Muntinlupa City
- CDC — Bringing a cat into the United States (August 22, 2025)
- USDA APHIS — Bring a pet dog into the United States (modified April 1, 2026)
- USDA APHIS — Animal health status of regions (modified October 27, 2026): Philippines listed as screwworm-affected; not on the FMD-free list
- 9 CFR 93.600 — Importation of dogs (screwworm certificate)
- 9 CFR 94.1 — Regions where FMD exists (all regions except those declared free)
- USDA APHIS — Bring a pet cat into the United States (modified December 24, 2025)
- Bureau of Animal Industry — International movements (export): Pet (dog/cat)
Requirements last verified against these sources on .
Requirements change. Before anything is booked, we confirm each one again with the authorities, the airline and your veterinarian for your pet and your dates.
Going the other way?
Other destinations
Bringing a pet from the Philippines?
Send us your dog's vaccination records and your dates. We tell you which CDC pathway applies and plan the titer, facility, documents and flight.
Takes a few minutes. No account needed.