Wheels Down: Your Pet's First Hours on US Soil

Before the wheels touch down

The arrival starts at the departure airport. For dogs, the airline must see the CDC Dog Import Form receipt before boarding (CDC). For high-risk dogs, the receipt names the arrival port, and the flight must match it.

Have these ready in a single folder, not spread across bags: the Dog Import Form receipt (paper or phone), the original export or health certificate, any USDA screwworm certificate, vaccination records, and for high-risk dogs the CDC certification form and facility reservation.

Where your pet comes out depends on how it flew

• In the cabin: your pet stays with you through immigration and customs.
• Checked baggage (hold): pets are usually brought to the baggage area or a special oversized-baggage point. Ask the crew or airline staff where.
• Manifest cargo: the pet goes to the airline's cargo terminal, often a separate building away from the passenger terminal. Collection usually involves customs clearance of the shipment, and many families use a broker or handling agent. We arrange this through local partners where available.

Cargo pickup takes longer. Plan for it, especially after a long flight when you'll want to get your pet out quickly.

The checks, step by step

1. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reviews the dog's CDC Dog Import Form receipt on arrival, along with your own entry.
2. Visual health check. Dogs and cats must appear healthy. Cats may be inspected; a pet that looks ill may need a veterinary exam at your cost (CDC cats).
3. Microchip scan for dogs, which must be readable with a universal scanner. A high-risk dog whose chip can't be read may be refused entry.
4. Documents: for high-risk dogs, the endorsed CDC certification; for dogs from regions on USDA's screwworm list, the official-vet certificate dated within five days of shipment (APHIS).
5. Release to you, or for foreign-vaccinated high-risk dogs, transfer to the CDC-registered animal care facility.

A dog that is refused entry is sent back by the airline to its last country of departure, at the owner's expense (CDC layovers).

Airports with CDC-registered facilities

Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries must fly directly into an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, where they get an exam and a US rabies vaccine, and sometimes a 28-day quarantine. As of September 1, 2026 (CDC list), those airports are ATL, DFW, LAX, MIA, JFK, PHL, SEA and IAD. Some practical notes from that list:

• DFW: the dog must arrive at DFW itself.
• JFK: the dog must land at JFK, not Newark or LaGuardia.
• LAX: cargo arrival is preferred; dogs arriving otherwise are moved to cargo and may face delays.
• SEA: cargo-only reservations; dogs in the cabin or as checked baggage can't use the Seattle facility.

Our US airports page covers each gateway in more detail.

Landing in Hawaii is different

Hawaii is rabies-free and inspects every arriving dog and cat. Pets that qualify for the "5 Day or Less" program can be released directly at Honolulu after inspection; others face up to 120 days of quarantine. Inspections at Honolulu run 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, and the state advises landing by 3:30 p.m. Kona, Kahului and Līhu‘e require a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit arranged in advance (Hawaii Department of Agriculture).

Foreign-vaccinated dogs from CDC high-risk countries cannot enter through Hawaii at all, since there is no CDC-registered facility there.

After release

• Water first, then a short walk or a quiet spot in the car. Most pets are tired and thirsty.
• Dogs from foot-and-mouth-disease regions: APHIS asks that you bathe the dog when it reaches its destination and keep it away from livestock for five days.
• Connecting domestic flight? Allow generous time between arrival and the next flight, and check that the domestic carrier accepts the pet in the mode you need.
• Home state rules may apply, such as a health certificate for entry or a local dog license after you settle.