US airports for pet departures and arrivals

Leaving the US: your city matters less than you think

Moving from California to Japan, from Texas to Taiwan or from New York to Singapore, the official paperwork runs the same way. Your USDA-accredited veterinarian prepares the destination's health certificate and, through APHIS's online system VEHCS, submits it with lab results and permits for endorsement (APHIS process overview). Some destinations accept APHIS's digital endorsement; for others, the original endorsed paper is shipped back to you, and it must travel with your pet. Either way, nobody has to live near a particular endorsement office.

What the departure airport does change is the flight: which carriers fly from it to your destination, whether they take pets in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo, and how hot it gets on the ramp. Airlines limit pet travel in heat and cold; Delta, for example, does not ship pets when ground temperatures exceed 80 °F or fall below 20 °F (Delta). A summer departure from Dallas or Miami can need a different plan from a winter one out of Seattle. See US pet export.

Arriving in the US: the dog's last 6 months decide the airport

For dogs, CDC rules depend on where the dog was in the 6 months before arrival (CDC FAQ).

• Only rabies-free or low-risk countries (for example Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore or Hong Kong, none of which is on CDC's high-risk list): the dog can enter at any airport, seaport or land border, with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip, good health and an age of at least 6 months (CDC).
• A high-risk country, with a US rabies vaccination (for example a US dog returning from the Philippines or Thailand): any port of entry, but it must match the one on the Dog Import Form receipt, and the USDA-endorsed rabies certification must be done before the dog left the US (CDC).
• A high-risk country, with a foreign rabies vaccination (for example a dog adopted in Vietnam, or one from mainland China): the dog must have a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility and arrive at the airport where that facility is (CDC facilities). Layovers at other US airports are not allowed (CDC layovers).

Cats are simpler at the federal level: no proof of rabies vaccination is required and they must appear healthy, but some states and airlines ask for a health certificate (CDC). For what happens in the arrival hall, see arriving at a US airport with a pet.

The nine gateways compared

The column that genuinely differs between these airports is the CDC-registered animal care facility, which only matters for foreign-vaccinated dogs coming from a high-risk country. CDC's list was updated September 1, 2026.

• LAX (Los Angeles): facilities at the airport. CDC notes that for LAX, shipping dogs as cargo is preferred to avoid clearance delays.
• SFO (San Francisco): no CDC-registered facility. Fine for cats and for dogs from low-risk countries.
• SEA (Seattle-Tacoma): a facility, but CDC lists it as cargo-only: a dog flying in the cabin or as checked baggage cannot reserve it.
• JFK (New York): a facility, and CDC says the dog must land at JFK itself.
• EWR (Newark): no facility, and CDC specifically excludes Newark and LaGuardia from the JFK reservation.
• ORD (Chicago O'Hare): no CDC-registered facility.
• DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth): a facility, and CDC says dogs must arrive at DFW only.
• IAH (Houston): no CDC-registered facility.
• ATL (Atlanta): a facility.
• MIA (Miami): a facility.

CDC's list also includes facilities at Philadelphia (PHL) and Washington Dulles (IAD). There are none in Alaska, Hawaii or US territories, so a foreign-vaccinated high-risk dog cannot enter there.

Short notes by airport

Los Angeles (LAX) A natural starting point for families moving from Southern California to Asia, and a CDC-facility airport for high-risk dogs arriving from Southeast Asia or mainland China. Plan cargo rather than cabin for such a dog, as CDC recommends.

San Francisco (SFO) Works well for Bay Area departures and for low-risk arrivals. A foreign-vaccinated dog coming from a high-risk country has to be routed to a facility airport such as LAX or SEA instead, with no domestic layover in between.

Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) Convenient for Pacific Northwest moves to Japan or Korea. For a high-risk dog, the facility only takes cargo reservations, so the travel mode has to be cargo from the start.

New York (JFK) and Newark (EWR) For a high-risk dog, the arrival airport must be JFK; Newark will not work for the facility reservation. For departures from New York or New Jersey, either airport can work, depending on which carrier accepts your pet on your route.

Chicago (ORD) Fine for departures and low-risk arrivals. Without a facility, high-risk dogs are routed elsewhere.

Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston (IAH) Families moving from Texas to Taiwan or Japan often fly from one of these two. Only DFW has a CDC-registered facility, so a foreign-vaccinated high-risk dog headed for Houston lands at DFW, not IAH. Summer heat is the other Texas factor for pets in the hold.

Atlanta (ATL) and Miami (MIA) Both have CDC-registered facilities. Both also have long hot seasons, which affects airline acceptance for pets in the hold.

Hawaii is its own case

Hawaii is rabies-free and every dog and cat arriving there, including from the US mainland, must meet state rules (Hawaii Department of Agriculture). Pets that qualify for the 5 Day Or Less program can be released directly at Honolulu (HNL) after inspection, or at Kona, Kahului or Lihue with a neighbor island inspection permit. The program requires two rabies vaccinations and a passing FAVN test from Kansas State, Auburn, the University of Missouri or the DoD laboratory (DoD beneficiaries only). Pets that do not qualify can be quarantined for up to 120 days. A pet flying from Asia to Honolulu needs a Hawaii plan, not just a federal one.

State rules and CBP at your arrival airport

Federal rules are not the only layer. CBP notes that importing pets may be subject to state or municipal veterinary regulations, and recommends contacting the arrival port before your pet travels (CBP). A pet refused entry is returned at the owner's expense, and may be held at the port, also at the owner's expense, while that is decided. We check the destination state's requirements for your pet as part of the plan.

How we use this when we plan your move

We start from your pet, not the map: species, where it has been, how it was vaccinated, its size and breed. That decides which airports are possible; then we look at carriers, travel mode and season. For moves into the US, see US pet import; for the flight side, airline and cargo arrangements. Route pages: Taiwan to USA, Japan to USA, Philippines to USA, USA to Japan.