It is relatively easy to travel with a pet to Colombia. You can travel to Colombia with a dog, cat or other household pet with only a few requirements.
Colombia does not require an import permit for personal pets from any country. And there is no pet microchip required for Colombia.
Several Medellin Readers asked about travel with a pet to Colombia. So, we we now have an up-to-date guide.
Also, be careful, as many websites in English I found on the Internet have inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date information about travel with a pet to Colombia.
Travel with a pet to Colombia
What Documents are Needed to Travel with a Pet to Colombia
Within 10 days of travel, an accredited veterinarian from the country of origin must complete a veterinary health certificate for your pet. If you are traveling from the U.S. or Canada, the veterinary health certificate must also be endorsed by the USDA in the U.S. or CFIA in Canada.
In the U.S, this veterinary health certificate is the APHIS Form 7001. And Canada has a trilingual Animal Health Certificate in English, French and Spanish that should be used.
In the U.S., the USDA has APHIS Veterinary Services Endorsement Offices in all the states where you can get health certificates and rabies certificates endorsed. Note that this endorsement should be from the state you a traveling from to Colombia.
You send your veterinary health certificate and rabies certificate that are endorsed by the USDA and returned to you within 48 hours. Keep in mind the 10-day limit. So, you don’t have much time to send this and get it back. So, use express mail. Canada’s CFIA works similarly and endorses and returns health certificates within 48 hours.
In addition, your pet must be vaccinated and you need a vaccination certificate with a record of vaccinations.
To enter Colombia with a pet, your cat or dog must be vaccinated for rabies more than 30 days before travel to Colombia and before the vaccination expires. Also, Colombia does honor the 3-year vaccine.
Dogs reportedly must also be vaccinated against Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis and Parvovirus. And cats must be vaccinated against Feline Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Feline Panleukopenia. And if entering Colombia from countries other than Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, your pet should also be vaccinated against Parainfluenza and Coronavirus (note this is Canine Coronavirus, not the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic impacting humans).
Avianca 767-200 at El Dorado Bogotá Airport, photo by Carlos Colina
Check with the Airline to Travel with a Pet
Airlines only allow a specific number of pets on each flight and the spots fill up. So, call and make a reservation for your pet. And most airlines require at least a 24-hour notice of a pet traveling with you. Also, it isn’t free to travel with a pet. In addition, don’t forget pet calming aids.
Pets can travel in the airplane cabin or air cargo, depending on the size. Large dogs can be more complicated to travel with, as not all airlines will take large dogs. So, make sure to check with the airline about their pet regulations.
Check with the airline about their pet regulations – like pet carrier size and weight restrictions
Pet Rules of International Airlines that Fly Non-Stop to Medellín
The following are the pet rules of several airlines with international non-stop flights to Medellín in Colombia:
- American Airlines – permits pet carries in the cabin of up to 19″L x 13″W x 9″H and a maximum weight of 20 pounds (10 kilograms) including the pet and carrier. American Airlines also does transportation of pets as checked baggage depending the the aircraft (checked pets can’t travel on Airbus A321, A321S, A321H, A320 and A319). In addition, American Airlines supports checked pets of up to 100 pounds including the pet container. See American Airlines website for more information about travel with a pet.
- Avianca – permits pets of up to 22 pounds (10 kilograms) in the cabin with a charge of $135 from the U.S. and Canada. In addition, Avianca permits pets weighing up to 110 pounds (50 kilograms) in the hold for flights of less than four hours with a charge of $210 from the U.S. or Canada. See Avianca’s website for more information about travel with a pet.
- Copa Airlines – permits pet carries in the cabin of up to 11″W x 18″D x 11H” and a maximum weight of 20 pounds (10 kilograms), including the pet and carrier. Copa does not transport pets as checked baggage. See Copa’s website for more information about travel with a pet.
- JetBlue – permits pet carriers in the cabin of up to 17″L x 12.5″W x 8.5″H and a maximum weight of 20 pounds (10 kilograms), including the pet and carrier. Also, JetBlue charges a pet fee of $125 each way. AndJetBlue does not transport pets as checked baggage. See JetBlue’s website for more information about travel with a pet.
- Spirit – permits pets traveling in the cabin with a limit of a pet carrier of 18″ L x 14″ W x 9″ H with a maximum weight of 40 pounds (18 kilograms) for the pet carrier and pet. And Spirit permits only four pet carriers per flight and Spirit charges a pet fee since $110 each way. Also, Spirit does not transport pets as checked baggage. See Spirit’s website for more information about travel with a pet.
In addition, Bogotá has non-stop flights from the U.S. by Delta and United Airlines. Delta will transport larger pets as cargo and United Airlines also transports larger pets as cargo.
Avianca permits pets weighing up to 44 pounds (20 kilograms) in the hold for flights of less than 4 hours
Visit an ICA office at the Airport in Colombia
When you arrive in Colombia make sure to declare your pet. And upon arrival, get your luggage and proceed to the ICA office with your luggage, pet, heath certificate and vaccination record and a credit/debit card to pay the ICA fee.
All ports of entry into Colombia (airports, border entries and ports) will have an Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) office. This is the Colombian agency that handles pet and other animal importation into Colombia and also food safety and agricultural health.
When you arrive, visit the ICA office they will be looking for two documents:
- Health certificate – issued by the official veterinary service of the country of origin within 10 days prior to arrival. The certificate should describe the animal and certify that is has been examined and is free of infectious and parasitic diseases and without the presence of fresh wounds.
- Vaccination certificate – this must include the current vaccination plan according to age and species and a list of vaccinations including product names, batch numbers and dates of vaccinations.
According to ICA’s website, these documents must be original and translated to Spanish if not in Spanish. But two expats I talked to recently said the documents didn’t need to be translated. And there is no need for an apostille.
After the document inspection, ICA will perform a physical inspection of the animal to verify the health condition of the animal.
If the documents you have are accepted and the animal passes the physical inspection, a Certificate of Inspection (CIS) will be issued and the animal will be let in.
And the cost is more than 50,000 pesos (according to the case). This is for Monday to Friday between 8 am and 5 pm. Other hours have a surcharge except at the El Dorado International airport in Bogotá, which does not have a surcharge for extended hours and it operates 24 hours.
Also, you can pay this fee to ICA with a credit or debit card (Visa or Mastercard only). And no cash is accepted by ICA. But you can pay in cash at several banks including Banco Agrario, Bancolombia, Banco de Occidente and Davivienda. ICA has information for paying at a bank.
Dogs and cats and other household pets that do not meet the requirements for importation must comply with a period of post-entry home quarantine in Colombia, which includes two follow-up visits by an ICA official. And the cost becomes 537,572 pesos.
In addition, you can see the complete list of requirements for importation of dogs and cats into Colombia on the ICA website here (in Spanish).
American Pit Bull Terrier is one breed not permitted.
Warning: Several Dog Breeds are Not Permitted in Colombia
Several dog breeds are not permitted to be bought to Colombia. The following dog breeds are considered potentially dangerous and cannot be brought to Colombia:
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Argentine Mastiff
- Brazilian Mastiff
- Bull Terrier
- Doberman
- Japanese Mastiff Tosa
- Neapolitan Mastiff
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Rottweiler
- Staffordshire Terrier
- Any crosses or hybrids of the above 11
Doberman is another breed not permitted
You can find many of these dog breeds in Colombia. But you are not permitted to bring these 11 dog breeds or crosses or hybrids into Colombia.
It is relatively easy to travel with a pet to Colombia
The Bottom Line: Travel with a Pet to Colombia – Travel with a Dog or Cat to Colombia
It is relatively easy to travel with a pet to Colombia. You only need a health certificate, rabies certificate and vaccination certificate. And the cost with ICA in Colombia when you arrive with your pet isn’t very much. It’s between 50.000 pesos ($12 ) if your documents are accepted and your pet passes a simple examination.
To travel with a pet to Colombia the fee will be higher with the airlines than the fee once you arrive in Colombia. The airlines charge at least $120 to travel with a pet to Colombia. Also, larger pets will be more difficult to travel with, as not all airlines support traveling with large pets.
In addition, Medellín is a pet-friendly city. For example, most shopping malls and some restaurants permit you to bring your dog.
Note that this article will be kept up-to-date, as things like pet importation regulations and costs change in Colombia each year.
In addition, “Can I travel with my pet to Colombia?” is question asked by some expats visiting Colombia or moving to the country. So, we included this question in our list of Medellín frequently asked questions (FAQ).
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Editors note: updated on October 15, 2018 with addition pet transportation rules for American Airline and Copa Airlines to Medellín based on several readers questions about transporting larger pets from the U.S. and also pets from Panama.
Editors note: update on November 20, 2020 to clarify the vaccination for coronavirus in this article is for Canine Coronavirus, not COVID-19.
Editors note: updated on June 26, 2023 with new prices, rules about the pets and images.
64 thoughts on “Guide to Travel with a Pet to Colombia: Travel with a Dog or Cat – Update 2023”
Hello, Thought I would follow up on my post with the info I have found. My sister in law spoke in person to an ICA rep at El Dorado in Bogota. As long as the animal in question is a service animal with the appropriate documentation from the traveller’s doctor the animal can enter. Banned breeds ARE allowed as service animals. The ICA rep confirmed that a Staffordshire pitbull terrier can enter as a service animal. I plan to make the trip this summer and I’ll update the post.
Any update on this ? Did they let you in without an issue ?
What about for birds?
Never have been asked about birds so haven’t researched this.
We recommend asking on the big Medellin Expat Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/159461177529433
Hi Jeff,
We are Canadian citizens and when we fly home we will have been in Santa Marta for 5 months with our 4kg Jack Russell terrier.
She came here with all the required shots and inspections and we have the papers. When we fly back to Canada (in March 2020) do we need any paperwork from ICA for her to leave Colombia? I have a contact for CFIA in Canada so will see what they need, which seems to be minimal so far, but my Spanish is not very good and I have trouble following the speedy talking here.
All help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Bill
Hey thanks for info. I have service dog and visiting family for some time in Colombia. I’m worried about bringing him back to the USA. Will I have to put him through a quarantine of some kind if so it would not be possible for me to go. Thanks. Who should I call for the updated rules.
They did remove her from the kennel but no behavioral assessments.
I went through the process on October 2, 2019 (last week) in the Bogota airport. The USDA document doesn’t need to be translated and it doesn’t need an apostille. You deliver it by hand at the ICA office along with the vaccinations report and rabies certificate. The whole process took me 10 minutes.
Did ICA remove your dog from the kennel or perform any behavioral assessments?
Hi, do you happen to know if the dog must be neutered if it’s a male? Also I have a 6 year old male pitbull that I am trying to move from US to Colombia in early 2020, will I have problems doing so? Does Colombia have breed restrictions? He has no history of aggression and current on all shots and is healthy.
No doesn’t have to be neutered. And see this list of breed restrictions in the article above. Several dog breeds are not permitted to be bought to Colombia. Pit Bulls are not permitted.
Hi,
With regards to the breed restrictions, do you have any information on a Staffordshire pitbull terrier entering as an emotional support animal for a stay of 2 weeks?
We have checked with United and the dog can fly in the cabin as an ESA with no problems. My niece wants to visit Colombia with her ESA.
Sorry, Colombia has a breed restriction listed in the article including hybrids. No hybrid that is Staffordshire and Pit Bull Terrier would be permitted.
I am worried about this too as one of my dogs physically resembles a pitbull. From what I’ve seen the answer is yes. Colombia prohibits any line of pitbull or mix from entering the country. I’ve seen this on multiple sites although the actual Colombian agricultural department is vague on many requirements. I think alot depends on the breed identified on the USDA certification. Also be aware that pit bulls are considered a snub-nosed breed which are banned on most airlines. My dog is also a chow mix and I had to go to a new vet to have her reclassified as a Shepherd so that she can fly. What port are you planning on entering in Colombia? I do have an email address to the agricultural inspectors in Medellin if you would like that?
Hi Devon,
Were you able to have a resolution for this? – I am having a similar issue. Please share any additional info you have on the matter.
Hi Ashley,
Were you able to have a resolution for this? – I am having a similar issue. Please share any additional info you have on the matter
Hi Milton. I had the vet reclassify her breed to a Shepard mix. I had to take her to a new vet to do this and played stupid as to her breed. She doesn’t have a snub nose which would’ve prevented her from flying so the vet was willing to classify her as a herding dog. As for entry into Colombia the agricultural officer didn’t even look at my dogs. She only looked at the paperwork. I flew into Medellin so it might be different at other locations. Hope this helps but if yours has a snub nose you’re probably out of luck.
Who do I mail the USDA certification to after receiving it? Your article makes it sound like I have to send it to a Colombian authority before travel? I see nothing about having to send my USDA certification prior to travel for Colombian approval prior to travel on the ICA website.
Also… does the translation of documents need to be official or can my Colombian wife do it?
Thanks!
No, you don’t send anything you bring with you to the ICA office at the airport. According to ICA’s website, these documents must be original and translated to Spanish if not in Spanish. As far as I know no official translation is needed and two expats I talked to said the documents didn’t need to be translated. And there is no need for an apostille.
Thank you very much.
coronavirus is rare in Canada. What if my pet has all except for this one? Will my pet be detained? Also what is the exam by ICA? I’m afraid that they’ll scam me and say my dog failed the exams to charge me the 500 pesos more. Unfortunately, I am always scam in Colombia despite the fact that I was born there.
As it says in the article ICA will inspect your docs and perform a physical inspection of the animal to verify the health condition of the animal. And you should get the coronavirus vaccination if entering Colombia from countries other than Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
I will be traveling to Medellin on the 30th of next month with my dog. Her rabies runs out on the 4th of next month. So my question is, if I take care of her shot prior to the 4th will I be ok with the 30day requirement for the shot prior to entry? Thanks in advance
To enter Colombia with a pet, your cat or dog reportedly must be vaccinated for rabies more than 30 days before travel to Colombia and before the vaccination expires.
Ok what would happen if I brought her anyway
Hard to tell – may not be a problem, but if your arrive and the ICA office determines does not meet the requirements, must comply with a period of post-entry home quarantine in Colombia, which includes two follow-up visits by an ICA official and a cost of over 500,000 pesos, as it says in the article.
Hi Jeff, you do a great job of keeping up with questions. I plan to obtain a real estate-oriented visa to Colombia in the very near future as I just finished my TESOL certification and I have a dog and a cat. My dog is an emotional support animal so I should be able to get him on the plane from the US, and I have a friend who will bring the cat behind me. I really appreciate your information! Thanks again
Very helpful.
Hi there,
looking to bring my puppy from the US to stay with me. However, I have hit a snag and l looking to get resolved asap. He’s 2 1/2 months old, and he has all of his shots required at this age and for ready to travel, except it looks like Colombia wants him to have a rabies shot before he’s arrives.
Unfortunately, they don’t give rabies shots until 4 months old and then he would have to wait an additional 30 days as well. I read online that if under 3 month, he wouldn’t have to get a rabies shot but if planning to come to Colombia, he would have to be quarantined and visited by officials until he’s of age to get the shot, there in Colombia.
Does anyone know if this is true? Has anyone been through this process before?
Searching the internet for immediate answers. Thanks so much.
Hi Michael, did you ever find information on this? I’m in the EXACT same situation.
Just what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing this,
An extra question about once you arrive in Medellin with a pet. Are they allowed on public transport? What about a small dog in a carrier bag that is zipped up?
Good question. Pets like dogs and cats can be taken on the Medellín metro system on Monday to Friday between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays between 9:00 am and 12:00 noon. The pet must go in a crate, container or cage whose maximum measures are 60 cm wide, high and deep, which must be located on the floor and be solid enough to prevent it from escaping.
hi, thanks for taking the time to manage this site – i have a stafforshire terrier and was told i can get a waiver for her to enter the country from an informal call to the agency that manages animal entry – i have attempted to hire an attorney to help with this paperwork and also other paperwork (i am a Canadian with US businesses and a Colombian fiancee) and have had little luck – i see you list a few resources on this page https://medellinguru.com/colombian-visa/ but i was wondering if you have any tips for me to hire someone that is proactive- thanks again.
Greetings Jeff – Much appreciation here for your wonderfully informative site. I’m wondering what dog owners recommend in terms of the kinds of rentals that lend themselves to a happy experience for all concerned – pet, owner, neighbors. . Are there rentals with courtyards that allow you to ‘walk’ your dog (& clean up after of course) without going out on the street, for instance? What about pet deposits in rental contracts? And are there many casita type rentals for solo women expats?
A few rentals have courtyards or other areas to walk dogs. And no pet deposit in rental contracts that I am aware of – I have had pets for over five years with no pet deposits. A few places have casitas but aren’t only for women expats.
Amazing Information Sir, Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thanks for the tips
Ten days ago I travelled with my 34-lbs Brittany (Spaniel) and my 46-lbs English Cocker Spaniel via Copa Airlines. They travelled in the temperature-controlled and pressurized cargo hold. I’m grateful to have my dogs with me during my 3-month stay here in Medellín. Having said that, I’m here to tell you that making these arrangements was extremely complicated, stressful and super-super expensive. I mean, crazy-expensive!…
Most of the information in this blog post fits my experience. But, in my experience, this post is most useful for those who have a pet small enough to ride in the cabin. For dogs of medium size, the only practical options between the U.S. and Medellín are Copa and, to a far lesser extent, Avianca; because Avianza doesn’t fly pets over 44 lbs. American Airlines isn’t an option–period–because of the type of aircraft they use to fly between the U.S. and Medellín. For whatever reason, American disqualifies pets from traveling as cargo on the only type of aircraft they use to serve this area.
So for dogs 44 lbs or over, Copa is the one and only option. My dogs and I flew from LAX to MDE through Panama City. Keep in mind that there are just a few points-of-origin for flying pets as cargo. I think that Copa’s options include San Francisco, Miami, Orlando and Chicago; but don’t quote me on that.
Once you arrive at MDE with your dogs, be prepared for several hours of bureaucracy. It took us about 2.5 hours to get through all of it, and we had everything perfectly in order. The delays included the fact that ICA is located off-site in a facility currently under construction. Further, DIAN needs to get involved for some reason (and charge you a minimal amount) and then there’s also the paperwork associated with the airline/shipper verifying the pickup. While complaining about the time/dis-organization involved for pick-up, we were told that it usually takes 5 hours to claim a pet. So be prepared.
Painful as it was (and I’ve not shared all the pain-points with Copa) I hope to do it again. In the future, I plan to have the pets sent ahead of me and picked up by a trusted friend and associate who is great at dealing with situations like this. Then I’ll follow immediately upon the pets safe arrival and transport to my home in Medellín. The reason for this is that Copa requires that you drop the pet off only 2.5 to 3 hours before the flight, and frankly they were extremely disorganized. Because of that, I didn’t leave the drop-off facility until about 2 hours before the flight. At LAX that is simply not enough time. Had I not been flying business class, with priority status at check-in and security, I probably would have missed the flight. Therefore, I think the most secure method is to stay behind 12 to 24 hours to make sure all goes well for my pets, then follow them in.
If I have a service dog with me. Will I also been out through the same interrogation and pain?
Hi!
During Christmas, we’re travelling with our medium sized dog (20lbs) from Vancouver, Canada to Barranquilla, Colombia. To be honest, I am a bit unsure of the process of returning my pet back to Canada. Do I need to get another health certificate in Colombia to be able to get back to Canada with my pet?
I’d appreciate your response if you have any information
See this site that has Canada pet travel information – https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/canada.cfm.
I always get afraid when people travel with their pets.
Thank you..very useful information
How are all of these dogs so cute. I can’t even deal.
American Airlines doesn’t appear to have any flights to Medellín that allow live-animal transport in the cargo hold. All their direct flights form the US to Medellín air on an Airbus, which they report they do not use for live-animal transport.
I’m wondering what airlines have flights between the U.S, and Medellin, which allow the transportation of dogs in the cargo holds.
The article says that Avianca permits pets weighing up to 44 pounds (20 kilograms) in the hold for flights of less than four hours with a charge of $150 from the U.S. Avianca has flights to Medellín from Miami.
Thank you. After several hours of research, and a lot of inaccurate information from the customer service reps, that appears to be the only option from the United States for dogs that can’t ride in the cabin.
I’m going to Medellin on Thursday and my dog just had all her vaccinations updated today, including rabies. Can she still travel?
You need health and rabies certificates for your dog. Dogs and cats must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by a USDA Accredited Veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS Veterinary Services within 10 days of travel. The rabies vaccination certificate must accompany your pet and the health certificate to Colombia.
THANKS I JUST WANT TO CHANGE PLANES IN PANAMA DON’T EVEN WANT TO LEAVE THE INTERNATIONAL DECK IT WILL BE NICE IF WE CAN ITS A LONG STORY
THANK YOU SIR DO YOU HAVE ANY INFO ON TRAVELING THRU PANAMA WITH BIRDS
According to https://www.pettravel.com/immigration/panama.cfm, to bring your pet bird with you to Panama, you must have an import permit. This permit is issued by Panama’s National Environmental Authority (ANAM).
ANY FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE MOVING BIRDS I READ THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES BIRDS CANNOT GO THRU PANAMA
Hi Ed, according to this https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/by-country/pettravel-colombia, Pet birds must be accompanied by an import permit issued in advance by Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA). Upon arrival into Colombia, the birds will undergo home quarantine for at least 21 days under the supervision of a veterinarian from ICA.
Great report. We are moving from Panama to Medellin in December with our two dogs that will be in Cargo on Copa. BTW we shipped them in Cargo on Copa from LA to PTY over 3 years ago and was very impressed with Copa Cargo.
Thanks for the ICA info at the airport.
Cheers!
Hi John, thanks and happy that you found the article helpful. Several readers asked for up-to-date information about travel with pets to Colombia, as so much in English is out of date about Colombia on the Internet.
Hello. What exactly do you mean by CoronaVirus vaccine? I have a service dog with full vaccines and rabies shots with health certificate. Where and how do I find a coronavirus vaccine?
Ask your vet. Canine coronavirus is not the same as COVID-19 – see – https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/coronavirus-disease-in-dogs
The article is updated to clarify this.
Perfect timing!!! I’m moving to Medellin at the end of September with my pets, this article is so helpful.
Thank you for most useful information. I would eventually be traveling between Medellin and Mexico City on Aeromexico’s direct non-stop flight. But the arrival in Medellín is around 11:30 pm. Are there ICA staff at the Medellín airport at that time ? If not, then what ?
Hi Giles, thanks. Yes, ICA staff will be at the Medellin airport at that time.
Hi – I will be landing in Medellin on a Sunday. Will there be a Iva official available on the weekend?
I think there is also a process to get the pet back out of Colombia. We did a local vet visit and a trip to ICA the day before departure. We were led to believe ICA paperwork needed to be done a day in advance, but that may be so if the process is backed up, you don’t miss your flight. You can do it at the downtown airport, saving a trip over the hill.