The USA route, honestly
There is no routine quarantine entering the United States — but that sentence hides a trap. In August 2024 the CDC overhauled its dog import rules, and South Africa is classified as a high-risk country for dog rabies. That single classification changes everything about this route.
It means your dog needs a rabies antibody (titre) test from a CDC-approved laboratory. Without an adequate result, your dog can be held in quarantine at a CDC-registered facility for around 28 days — at your expense. It also means a hard minimum age of six months, and a CDC Dog Import Form tied to one specific arrival date at one specific airport.
Cats are an entirely different story. The CDC's dog rules simply don't apply to them, which makes moving a cat to the US dramatically simpler than moving a dog. If you're moving both, expect two very different processes running side by side — and make sure any quote you receive reflects that.
What United States requires
Every requirement below is mandatory, and the order matters as much as the items themselves.
Minimum age: six months — dogs
A dog under six months old will not be admitted, no matter how good the paperwork is. There is no discretion on this.
ISO microchip — before the rabies vaccination
A 15-digit ISO microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccine. A rabies vaccination given before the chip went in is treated as invalid and must be redone, restarting the clock.
Rabies vaccination — first dose at 12 weeks or older
For dogs from high-risk countries, a rabies vaccine administered before 12 weeks (84 days) of age is not accepted, regardless of what the vaccine label allows.
Rabies titre test — CDC-approved laboratory
This is what South Africa's high-risk classification triggers. The blood sample must go to a laboratory the CDC recognises. An inadequate or missing result means roughly 28 days of quarantine on arrival, billed to you.
CDC Dog Import Form
Completed online before travel; you receive a receipt. For dogs from high-risk countries the receipt is valid for a single entry only, tied to the exact arrival date and airport named on it. If the flight changes, the form must be redone.
Arrival at the port named on the form
Your dog must arrive at the port listed on the CDC form — and foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries may need a port with a CDC-registered animal care facility. This constrains which flights are even possible.
Health certificate, endorsed by the SA State Vet
Your vet issues it; the South African State Veterinarian must then officially endorse it. A separate government appointment — and the item most often left out of quotes.
Healthy on arrival
A dog that appears unwell on arrival can be refused entry even with flawless paperwork.
The timeline, working backwards
Here is the sequence, and what drives it:
Microchip, then rabies vaccination
Chip first — always. The order is what makes the vaccination valid.
Titre blood draw
Drawn after the required interval from vaccination, and sent to a CDC-approved laboratory.
Titre result returned
An inadequate result means starting the vaccination and testing sequence again — so build in slack.
Before entry is permitted
A waiting period applies between the titre sample and entry. Confirm the current requirement with your partner — this is the single item most likely to move your travel date.
Crate, flight and arrival port confirmed
The arrival airport is not a free choice on this route — it has to satisfy the CDC's port rules.
CDC Dog Import Form submitted
Tied to the exact arrival date and airport. Change the flight and this has to be redone.
Vet exam and health certificate issued
The certificate has a limited validity window, so it is deliberately late in the sequence.
State Vet endorsement
A separate government appointment. Book it early — availability, not paperwork, is usually the bottleneck.
Collection, flight, port clearance, delivery
Your pet is collected, flown as manifest cargo, cleared on arrival, and driven to the new address.
What a USA quote should include
This is where comparing quotes earns its keep. A quote that looks cheaper is often just a quote that covers less. Before you accept anything, check that every line below is either included or explicitly priced:
- Flight as manifest cargo — with the airline, route and arrival airport named The airport must satisfy the CDC's port rules, so this isn't a detail
- IATA-compliant travel crate, correctly sized Ask whether you own it afterwards
- Rabies titre test — CDC-approved lab fee and courier Often quoted as one line, billed as two
- Handling of the CDC Dog Import Form Ask who is responsible if the flight date changes
- All veterinary visits and the pre-export examination
- The South African State Vet endorsement The most commonly excluded item — ask explicitly
- US port and customs clearance on arrival
- Ground transport in South Africa — collection from your home
- Ground transport in the US — delivery to the new address
- The coordinator's own fee, stated openly
Why USA quotes vary so much
Two quotes for the same dog on the same week can differ by thousands of rand. On the US route the gaps are usually these:
- Whether the titre test is included. It is not optional for a South African dog, so a quote that omits it isn't cheaper — it's incomplete.
- Who handles the CDC Dog Import Form. And crucially, who redoes it (and absorbs the cost) if the flight changes.
- The arrival airport. Port restrictions for high-risk countries limit routing, which affects both price and convenience.
- Door-to-door versus airport-to-airport. A quote that leaves you to solve both ends is not comparable to one that doesn't.
- The State Vet endorsement. Included by some, invoiced separately by others.
- The crate. Included, rented, or sold on top — and for a large dog that's a meaningful number.
- Dogs versus cats. If you're moving both, check the quote hasn't priced the cat as though the dog's requirements apply.
This is exactly why one enquiry to several partners beats one phone call to one company. Side by side, the gaps become obvious — and so does the fair price.