How to Relocate to Latin America With Your Pet

You can bring your pets to any country in Latin America, as long as you get the paperwork right. The process looks intimidating at first, but it is more straightforward than it appears.

Professional pet relocation services will handle everything for you, but they add a high cost to a move that is already expensive. This guide covers doing it yourself.

Get the paperwork right

Start by researching the entry requirements for pets in your destination country. Most countries require a health certificate and proof of vaccinations completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian, and some add quarantine or import regulations. Requirements vary widely by country, so check well before your departure date. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) website has a step-by-step guide for each country.

A USDA-accredited veterinarian is one authorized by the US Department of Agriculture to complete export health requirements. To find one, use the USDA's accredited veterinarian search tool: enter your state and county, select Category I, and search.

Get the timing right

Health certificates are usually valid for ten days if traveling by air and 30 days by land, and yours must still be valid on the day you arrive. The certificate must also be USDA ink-signed and embossed before you travel, which means mailing it in and waiting for it to come back. Buy an overnight return shipping label with Saturday delivery so the endorsement does not blow your travel date.

Moving to Mexico? It's easier

If you're relocating to Mexico from the US, your pet does not need a health certificate unless the airline requests one.

If you'll be based in Mexico but crossing borders often, look at the Frequent Travels Pet Program ("Programa Mascota Viajero Frecuente") run by SENASICA, Mexico's agricultural safety agency. It gives you an import permit valid for multiple trips over six months, so you don't reapply every time you enter the country. Your pet needs current vaccinations and a microchip or tattoo for identification, and you register with SENASICA.

Driving into Mexico? No health certificate needed. Your pet crosses in a crate and is inspected at the border. If you're driving on through to other countries, you'll need to meet the pet import requirements of each country on your route.

Flying with your pet

Most airlines allow pets under 20 pounds (about 9 kg) in the cabin, in a travel bag under the seat in front of you. Larger pets travel in the cargo hold in a crate that meets the airline's specifications. Every airline sets its own rules, and each flight has limited pet spots, so confirm requirements and book your pet's place as early as possible.

A few things worth knowing:

• Crate size and training. Cargo crates must be tall enough for your pet to stand and wide enough to turn a full circle; your USDA-accredited vet can confirm the size that passes regulations. Buy the crate well in advance and crate-train so your pet learns to treat it as a safe space. It makes the journey far less stressful.
• Skip sedation. Sedating pets for air travel carries a high risk of heart and respiratory problems and impairs their balance. Ask your vet about anti-anxiety medication or a natural option like pet CBD instead.
• Pack scissors in your checked bag. Airlines secure cargo crates shut with cable ties. Scissors let you open the crate the moment you're reunited at the baggage carousel, which calms an anxious pet fast.
• Stopovers. If a layover doesn't require you to clear immigration, you don't need pet documentation for that country.

Service dogs and emotional support animals

Service dogs, including psychiatric service dogs trained to assist with conditions like PTSD, are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Airlines must allow them in the cabin. Contact your airline ahead of time about their process.

Emotional support animals are different. They are not service animals under the ADA, and airlines can refuse them; fewer honor them for in-cabin travel each year. ESA-friendly airlines serving Latin America include Aeromexico, Avianca, Copa, Viva, Latam, and Volaris.

The short version

Check your destination's requirements on the APHIS site, line up a USDA-accredited vet, time the endorsement carefully, and book your pet's flight spot early. Most of Latin America is genuinely dog-friendly, and your pet will settle in faster than you expect. If you want help planning the whole move, pets included, LATAM Plan B offers consultations.