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Bringing a dog from Thailand to the United States
Step-by-step checklist
| Step | What to do | When |
|---|---|---|
| Microchip | Microchip that can be read by a universal scanner, implanted BEFORE the rabies vaccination — a vaccination given before the chip is invalid. The chip number must appear on every form and supporting document. | Before anything else |
| Rabies vaccination | Valid rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older. If it is the dog's first vaccination, it must be given at least 28 days before entry to the US. Keep coverage unbroken — a lapse restarts the titer clock. | ≥28 days before entry |
| Rabies serology titer (to avoid quarantine) | Blood sample drawn by a vet at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before entry, sent to a CDC-approved laboratory. A passing result is valid for the life of the dog as long as vaccination coverage never lapses and the laboratory stays approved. Without a valid titer, your dog must serve a 28-day quarantine at the CDC-registered facility after examination and revaccination. | Draw ≥28 days before entry |
| Reserve a CDC-registered animal care facility | Book a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility before travel — every foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country is examined and revaccinated with a US-licensed rabies vaccine there. If there is no valid titer, the reservation must include the 28-day quarantine. All facility costs are yours. The reservation confirmation must travel with the dog and be shown to the airline and to Customs and Border Protection. | Well before travel |
| Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip | Your vet completes this CDC form no more than 30 days before travel, and an official government veterinarian in Thailand (the DLD service) must endorse it. It can be used only once and is valid for 30 days after the vet signs it. Print it — the printed, endorsed form must accompany the dog. | Final 30 days |
| Screwworm certificate (USDA APHIS) | Thailand is on APHIS's screwworm-affected list, so your dog must be inspected for screwworm within 5 days before shipment and travel with a certificate signed by an official government veterinarian stating it is free of screwworm (or was treated and cleared). The certificate can be part of the export health certificate. Separately, because Thailand is not on APHIS's FMD-free list: keep fur and bedding free of excessive dirt, hay or straw, bathe the dog on arrival and keep it away from livestock for 5 days — no document is required for the FMD part. | Final 5 days |
| Thai export inspection (DLD AQS) | Bring your pet, your passport and the originals plus copies of the microchip certificate and vaccination record to the Animal Quarantine Station at your departure airport (for most flights, Suvarnabhumi) 1–5 business days before departure, no appointment needed. The station examines the pet and issues the export permit and official health certificate/endorsement. Station fee: 250 THB per pet plus 10 THB per shipment, cash only; allow 2–3 hours. | 1–5 business days before departure |
| CDC Dog Import Form + fly to the right airport | Complete the free CDC Dog Import Form online — CDC recommends a few days before travel — and keep the receipt. Your dog must arrive by air at the airport where its reserved animal care facility is located, and that airport must match the receipt. No onward domestic travel until the facility has completed its services. | Week of travel |
Your preparation timeline
- 1~3 months out — Microchip check, rabies vaccination in date; start the airline and facility search
- 2≥30 days after vaccination — Titer blood draw to a CDC-approved laboratory (must also be ≥28 days before entry)
- 3Final 30 days — Reserve the animal care facility; vet completes the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip for DLD endorsement
- 4Final 5 days — Screwworm inspection and certificate; DLD AQS export inspection 1–5 business days before departure
- 5Week of travel — CDC Dog Import Form receipt; fly into the facility's airport
- 6Arrival — Facility examination and US-licensed rabies revaccination — plus 28 days' quarantine if there is no valid titer
Costs you can plan for
The CDC Dog Import Form is free. Everything else on this route is priced by providers, not published by CDC: the animal care facility's examination, revaccination and — without a valid titer — 28 days of quarantine boarding are all charged to the importer, and CDC tells you to contact the facility for its prices. On the Thai side, the Suvarnabhumi Animal Quarantine Station charges 250 THB per pet plus 10 THB per shipment (cash only) for the export inspection, health certificate and export permit. Add the CDC-approved laboratory's titer fee, your Thai vet's charges and air cargo.
Questions people ask about this route
Are any dog breeds banned from entering the United States?
No breed ban appears in the federal CDC or USDA APHIS dog import rules — entry turns on rabies risk, age, microchip and documents, not breed. Some US states and cities have their own breed rules for keeping a dog after you arrive, so check your destination before you move.
Can the titer test skip the animal care facility?
No. A valid titer only removes the 28-day quarantine. Every foreign-vaccinated dog that has been in a high-risk country in the last 6 months still needs a facility reservation, an examination and revaccination with a US-licensed rabies vaccine on arrival.
Can my puppy travel at 4 months old?
No. CDC requires every dog to be at least 6 months old at entry, with no exception on this pathway — and the Thai export station's own checklists also set minimum ages, so plan around the later date.
My dog was vaccinated in the US before we moved to Thailand. Is it easier?
It can be — US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries follow a different CDC pathway built around a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination completed and USDA-endorsed before the dog left the US. If that form was never obtained, CDC directs you to the foreign-vaccinated pathway described on this page.
Related guides
- Bringing a cat from Thailand to the United States
- Rabies titer tests (FAVN / RNATT): validity and waiting periods by country
- How many days before travel do you need a pet health certificate?
- Pet quarantine by country: how long, where, and how to avoid it
- Microchip before or after rabies vaccination?
- How far in advance should you start preparing?
Official sources for this page
- CDC — Entry requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
- CDC — High-risk countries for dog rabies
- USDA APHIS — Bring a pet dog into the United States (FMD and screwworm requirements)
- USDA APHIS — Animal health status of regions (screwworm and FMD lists)
- Thailand DLD — Suvarnabhumi Animal Quarantine Station: export inspection, certificate and fees
We check each rule against the exporting country's official page and the destination country's official page. If the two disagree, we show the disagreement instead of guessing.
Want a professional to run this route for you?
Licensed pet relocation companies handle permits, vet paperwork and flights daily. We are adding vetted partners for this route — check back soon.