Preparing to sail with a pet

Departure countdown

1. 1step

   Microchip the animalDogs

   An ISO 11784/11785 15-digit chip. Do this before the rabies vaccination — CDC requires the chip number to appear on the rabies documentation.

   Lead time

   No minimum interval published; the constraint is ordering, not elapsed time.confidence: Unknown. Not located in any source yet.

   Documented by^[1]

2. 2step

   Vaccinate against rabiesDogs

   Each destination sets its own rabies requirements — the waiting period and maximum vaccine age differ by country, so check each destination page. CDC requires that any rabies documentation accompanying a dog carry the animal's microchip number, which is why the chip must come first.

   Lead time

   Destination-dependent; see the longest waiting period across your route on the compare page.confidence: Unknown. Not located in any source yet.

   Documented by^[1]

3. 3step

   Have the US rabies certification form endorsed before you sailDogs

   ONLY NEEDED IF your route touches a country CDC treats as high risk for dog rabies — and it cannot be arranged once you have left. CDC readmits a US-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country on a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form, and "The form must be submitted to USDA and endorsed BEFORE the dog leaves the United States". "USDA endorsement of the form may take several weeks", so this is the step to start first. WITHOUT IT, YOUR DOG CANNOT COME HOME ON THE BOAT. It falls under the rules for foreign-vaccinated dogs from a high-risk country, and those close every seaport: such a dog "Can only enter at a U.S. airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility where the dog has a reservation". Land borders are closed to it as well. The only sea exception is a qualifying service dog with a titer, travelling with the person it assists. The alternative CDC used to accept — a USDA-endorsed export health certificate — covers only certificates issued "no later than July 31, 2025", so it is closed to anyone arranging travel now. Eight destinations on this site are on CDC's high-risk list — Belize, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Suriname and Venezuela — and the Dominican Republic is the one most likely to catch an eastern-Caribbean itinerary. The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the BVI are not on it.

   Lead time

   28 days ("Your dog must receive its first rabies vaccine at least 28 days before leaving the U.S.", and for a first vaccination the form "must be completed at least 28 days after the vaccine was administered". A booster counts immediately provided coverage never lapsed, so 28 days is the floor for a newly vaccinated dog rather than a wait everyone serves. USDA's endorsement comes on top: CDC says it "may take several weeks", and the dog has to stay in the United States until it arrives — so allow a month or more before sailing.)confidence: Inferred. Backed by an official source but not yet certified by a human reviewer.^[2]

   Documented by^[2,3]

4. 4step

   Submit the CDC Dog Import FormDogs

   Required for every dog entering the United States, including a US-vaccinated dog returning home — which for this route means your arrival into USVI or Puerto Rico from a foreign port, and your eventual return, not your initial departure. Submitted online before travel; carry the receipt aboard. CDC imposes no equivalent federal form on cats.

   Lead time

   Stated as "before travel" with no published minimum lead time.confidence: Unknown. Not located in any source yet.

   Documented by^[1]

5. 5step

   Confirm the animal is old enoughDogs

   A dog must be at least 6 months old to enter the United States. Some destinations set their own minimum ages as well — check each destination page.

   Lead time

   180 days (Six months from birth, not from departure.)confidence: Secondary. From a non-government source; treat as a lead, not gospel.^[1]

   Documented by^[1]