Traveling to Baja with pets.
The big change: the US now requires a microchip and the CDC Dog Import Form to bring a dog home — see coming back →
At a glance, both directions.
Mexico made entry easier a few years ago; the US made the return trip stricter. Most surprises happen on the way home — so read both columns before you point south.
Inspection at the border
Rules effective Aug 2024
Into Mexico, with SENASICA.
Simpler than it used to be — but not paperwork-free. Mexico dropped the old comprehensive health certificate in 2019, yet you still need a current rabies vaccination and a parasite record, then a visual inspection at the border.
Rabies is still required — the health certificate isn't.
On December 16, 2019, Mexico dropped the comprehensive zoosanitary health certificate — so you no longer hand over a vet-signed import certificate. It did not drop the rabies requirement: you still need a current rabies vaccination certificate and a parasite-treatment record, which SENASICA reviews at the inspection.
A current rabies vaccination
Required for dogs and cats. Give it at least 30 days before crossing; a 3-year vaccine is fine if still valid. Carry the certificate. Under 3 months are exempt.
A parasite-treatment record
Internal and external parasite treatment within the prior six months, alongside the rabies certificate.
Inspection at the border (OISA)
Present your pet to SENASICA staff — free of ticks and fleas, with no fresh or healing wounds.
Empty the carrier first
Clean and empty — no food, treats, toys, or bedding, which can be confiscated at inspection.
Dogs and cats only
Up to three travel as personal pets; four or more may be treated as a commercial import.
Crossing often? Ask about PMVF
The Programa Mascota Viajero Frecuente streamlines repeat crossings, for 3+ a year.
Coming back into the US, with two authorities.
This is the hard part now. A dog returning from Baja has to satisfy two US agencies — the CDC (rabies & dog import) and USDA/APHIS (screwworm). Miss either and the dog can be held or refused at the border.
1
CDC — rabies & dog import
Mexico is a low-risk country for dog rabies
On the rabies side the CDC path is the simpler one — no titer test, no foreign certificate — as long as the dog has only been in the US / Canada / Mexico in the prior six months. The screwworm certificate below still applies.
Be at least 6 months old
Have a readable microchip
Appear healthy on arrival
Have a CDC form receipt
Free
File it online before you cross.
The CDC Dog Import Form is free and takes minutes. File it online and carry the receipt — valid for six months and multiple entries.
Carry a current rabies certificate
CDC doesn’t mandate it for a dog from Mexico, but airlines and most US states do — effectively required in practice.
Re-enter at any land crossing
The form receipt works at any port of entry, by land or air.
2
USDA / APHIS — screwworm
≤ 5 days
Your dog needs a vet sign-off to come home.
Since November 2024, Mexico is classed as screwworm-affected — so every dog re-entering the US from Mexico needs a certificate stating it was inspected and found free of screwworm within five days of crossing. Applies whether you drive or fly, including US dogs that just went to Baja.
Use an APHIS-authorized Mexican vet
Signed by a clinical vet authorized to act for the official government vet; APHIS publishes the SENASICA MVRA directory.
Confirm before every trip
Dog-travel rules shifted several times through 2025–26; re-check the APHIS page near departure and before heading home.
A quick note on cats.
Cats cross more simply — but check before you go
Into Mexico, cats follow the same inspection as dogs. Coming home, the CDC doesn’t require a general import form or rabies vaccination for cats — though they may be inspected, and some states or airlines have their own rules. Confirm yours before you travel.
On the road with your dog.
A few things sixty years of members have learned that no government page will tell you.
Keep pets restrained in the vehicle
Members have reported checkpoint fines for loose, unrestrained pets — a harness or secured crate keeps it simple.
Put an email on the ID tag
Not just a US phone number. A finder in Baja can email at no cost but may not be able to call across the border.
Bring proof of ownership
Registration or adoption papers, just in case.
Check the official sources.
Pet-import rules change periodically and differ by agency. We link out rather than reprint the legal text — go to the source close to your travel date.
CDC — Bringing a dog into the United States
Current rules, microchip and form requirements.
CDC Dog Import Form — instructions
How to file the free online form before you cross.
USDA APHIS — US to Mexico pet travel
Export requirements heading south.
SENASICA (gob.mx) — traveling with your pet
Mexico’s official animal-health authority.
USDA APHIS — Bring a pet dog into the US
The screwworm-freedom certificate for the return trip.
SENASICA — directory of authorized vets (MVRA)
Find an APHIS-authorized clinic in Mexico.
Pet-import rules are updated periodically — and the screwworm rule shifted several times through 2025–26. Confirm the current requirements at these links close to your travel date.
Sort the rest of the trip, too.
Required the moment you cross.
Your US or Canadian policy isn’t valid in Mexico, and you need proof at the border. Get an instant, Chubb-backed policy.
The people who've crossed with dogs a thousand times.
Caravans, real-time road intel, and a phone answered by humans in Rio Vista who’ve made the trip with pets.
Traveling with pets, answered.
Do I need a health certificate to bring my dog into Mexico?
No — Mexico dropped that requirement in 2019. Your pet is inspected at the border instead. You do still need a current rabies certificate and a parasite-treatment record.
Does my dog need a microchip to come back into the US?
Yes — the CDC requires a universal-scanner-readable microchip and a CDC Dog Import Form for all dogs entering the US.
Do I need a vet certificate to bring my dog back from Baja?
Yes — since late 2024 Mexico is screwworm-affected, so dogs re-entering the US need a USDA/APHIS screwworm-freedom certificate (a vet inspection within 5 days of entry), on top of the CDC Dog Import Form. It applies whether you drive or fly.
Does my dog need a rabies vaccine to come back from Baja?
Get one. CDC’s high-risk rabies requirements don’t apply because Mexico isn’t a high-risk country — but a current rabies vaccine is required by airlines and most US states, so carry the certificate. A rabies titer is not required for Mexico.
Can I bring a puppy under 6 months?
Not back into the US — the CDC requires dogs to be at least 6 months old to enter.
How many pets can I bring?
Up to 3 travel as personal pets. 4 or more may be treated as a commercial import.