Pets traveling to Costa Rica

More information about pets traveling to Costa Rica….When you are bringing a dog/cat from another country to Costa Rica, the entry requirements vary depending on where they are coming from.  Some things that never change….

Rabies must be over 30 days and less than 1 year old

Yearly vaccinations must be current within one year

You MUST have an International Health Certificate signed and sealed by the government of your country.  If you are coming from the U.S. you need APHIS form 7001 issued by a USDA approved veterinarian then signed and sealed by the closest USDA office to where you live.

Since this document can not be more than 10 days old when you arrive in Costa Rica, you must send it overnight to the local USDA office with a return overnight envelope.  They are accustomed to doing these the day that they arrive and sending them out the same day.

If you are not flying with your pet, you will need assistance from someone that is accustomed to dealing with customs or it can take you days to get your pets out of the customs warehouse.

Working with our company before you make the actual move, we can pre-clear your pets and they are often out within 2-3 hours or sooner.  We are members of IPATA (www.ipata.com) and have experience importing and exporting pets.