Bringing Your Pet to Colombia: The Complete Guide
Colombia · Step by Step
Key Facts
- Good news. Any foreigner can bring a pet dog or cat to Colombia, and personal pets do not need an import permit.
- The key document. You need an official health certificate from your home country's veterinary authority, issued within 10 days of travel.
- Rabies first. A valid rabies vaccination is required, and a first-time shot must be given at least 21 days before you fly.
- On arrival. Colombia's animal authority, the ICA, inspects your pet at the airport and issues a sanitary certificate (the CIS) for a small fee.
- Register ahead. Set up the inspection in advance through the ICA's online system (SISPAP) so your arrival goes smoothly.
Do not leave a family member behind: bringing your pet to Colombia is straightforward if you follow the steps. Here is a clear guide to the paperwork, the timing and what happens when you land.
Can I bring my pet?
Yes, and more easily than many newcomers fear. Foreigners may bring pet dogs and cats into Colombia, and a personal pet does not need an import permit; only commercial shipments or other species do.
The authority in charge is the ICA, the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario, Colombia’s animal and agricultural health agency, and its veterinarians inspect every arriving animal at the port, airport or land border. Because the rules are about health rather than breed or nationality, the whole process comes down to having the right documents, in date, and presenting a healthy animal on arrival.
The health certificate
The central document is an official health certificate issued by your country’s competent veterinary authority, not just any vet note. In the United States that means a certificate completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and then endorsed by USDA APHIS; other countries have their equivalent official channel.
It must be issued within ten calendar days of your pet’s entry into Colombia and must certify the species, breed, sex, age, coat and any microchip, along with a clean bill of health. For travellers from the US, the certificate does not need to be notarised or stamped by a Colombian consulate, which removes a step people often assume is required.
The rabies rule and cat vaccines
A current rabies vaccination certificate must accompany your pet, and the timing trips people up: if this is the animal’s first-ever rabies shot, it has to be given at least twenty-one days before the date of travel. If your country does not vaccinate for rabies, Colombia allows entry on condition of a home quarantine during which the animal is vaccinated locally.
Cats need more than rabies; they should also be vaccinated against panleukopenia, feline viral rhinotracheitis and calicivirus. Because the health certificate is valid for only ten days but the first rabies shot needs three weeks’ lead time, plan the vaccination calendar a month or more ahead of your flight.
Registering and the airport inspection
Before you fly, set up the process online through the ICA’s SISPAP system, the platform for requesting the sanitary inspection, so that your file is already lodged when you land. On arrival, an ICA veterinarian at the entry point carries out a documentary check and a physical inspection of the animal, and on confirming everything is in order issues the Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria, the CIS.
The fee for the CIS is paid by card, bank transfer or an authorised payment point rather than cash, because ICA officials are not allowed to take cash. Carrying the originals plus a photocopy of every document keeps this final step quick.
If something is missing
If the paperwork does not meet the requirements, the ICA gives you two options, and neither is pleasant: reship the animal back out of the country, or place it in a paid home quarantine until the situation is regularised. That is why the single best investment is double-checking dates and signatures before you leave, ideally with the airline’s live-animal desk and your vet, since airlines also impose their own cabin and cargo rules on top of Colombia’s.
Build a buffer into the rabies and certificate timing rather than cutting it fine, and confirm your specific airline’s crate and booking rules early.
Life with a pet once you arrive
The reward for the paperwork is a genuinely pet-friendly country. Dogs are welcome in many parks, cafés and apartment buildings, professional dog-walkers and veterinarians are plentiful and affordable, and pet shops and grooming are easy to find in any city.
Veterinary care is good value, routine consultations cost a fraction of US or European prices, and the big cities have 24-hour animal hospitals. When you rent, mention your pet up front, because while many buildings allow animals, some condominium rules restrict size or number, and it is better to confirm before you sign your lease than after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an import permit for my pet?
No. Personal pet dogs and cats do not need an import permit for Colombia; only commercial shipments do.
How recent must the health certificate be?
It must be issued within 10 calendar days before your pet enters Colombia, by your country's official veterinary authority.
What about rabies?
A valid rabies certificate is required, and a first-time shot must be given at least 21 days before travel. Cats also need panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus vaccines.
What happens at the airport?
The ICA inspects your pet's papers and health and issues a sanitary certificate (CIS) for a fee paid by card. Register in advance through the SISPAP system.
Is Colombia pet-friendly?
Very. Dogs are welcome in many parks, cafés and apartment buildings, and veterinary care is widely available and affordable.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, immigration or financial advice. Colombian rules change often, so confirm current requirements with official sources — the DIAN, Migración Colombia, the Cancillería and the Banco de la República — and consult a qualified Colombian lawyer or contador before acting. Information is current as of June 2026.
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