Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from Brazil → Mexico
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
How early to start
3 days
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)
3 days
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Counted only from the officially fixed waiting periods. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times are on top, so start earlier.
Which rules apply to you
Brazil is in the group “Any other country — Certificate of Good Health (15 days)” in Mexico’s published list.See every group
Headlines for Mexico
- Import permit needed
What your dog or cat needs
Permit
Zoosanitary Import Certificate (CZI) on arrival
On arrival, ask SENASICA staff at the airport, port or border for the CZI application form for your dog or cat (you can also download it beforehand).
Details and the official words
“you must request the Zoosanitary Import Certificate (CZI) at our offices located at all points of entry into the country (ports, airports, and borders).”
On arrival
Physical inspection on arrival
SENASICA inspects your pet on arrival to check its health. Pets with recent wounds or parasites need treatment first.
Details and the official words
“a physical inspection of your animal will be carried out to verify its health status”
Paperwork
Certificate of Good Health (issued within 15 days)
Bring the original and a copy of a Certificate of Good Health issued no more than 15 days before you arrive, by an official vet or a private vet on letterhead with their licence number. It must show your pet's rabies vaccination (date and validity), that it was healthy at the pre-travel exam, and that it was dewormed inside and out in the last 6 months and is free of external parasites.
Details and the official words
Request the CVI from MAPA: To travel abroad you must ask MAPA for an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI), the document that shows your pet is healthy enough to enter another country. For many destinations the request is made online, on Gov.br, and for several of them only by a vet registered on the platform; the request window depends on the destination (see the timing). Read the destination's 'Manual do Cidadão' on MAPA's page first.
For the United States, no physical stamp ('chancela') is needed on the CVI; the request is made only by a vet registered on Gov.br.
Japan: your private vet still has to stamp and sign the vet space on the CVI before the trip.
If this is missed: You must use a private vet in Mexico to treat your pet and issue the certificate, at your cost.
“you must present a Certificate of Good Health with a maximum validity of 15 days from its date of issuance”
“Os interessados precisam solicitar ao Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) a emissão do Certificado Veterinário Internacional (CVI), documento que comprova a boa condição sanitária do animal para ingressar em outro país.”
“Cães entre 5 e 2 dias anteriores ao embarque. Gatos entre 10 e 3 dias anteriores ao embarque.”
“Apenas para destino México a solicitação pode ser enviada de 14 e 3 dias anteriores ao embarque.”
“Solicitação do CVI eletrônico com destino ao Japão é feita exclusivamente por médicos veterinários habilitados no Gov.Br”
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination (recorded on the certificate)
Your pet's rabies vaccination date and its validity must be on the Certificate of Good Health. Pets under 3 months old are exempt.
Details and the official words
“Date of administration of the rabies vaccine and its period of validity (animals under 3 months of age are exempt).”
Treatment
Internal and external deworming
Your pet must be dewormed internally and externally within the 6 months before travel and be free of external parasites — this goes on the Certificate of Good Health.
Details and the official words
“That the animal(s) have been dewormed internally and externally within the six months prior to travel and are free of ectoparasites.”
Good to know
- Mexico removes and destroys crate bedding, diapers, newspaper, sawdust, rags, toys and treats made with ruminant ingredients. Travel with a clean crate — it will be sprayed on arrival. Collar and leash are fine.
- If parasites such as ticks are found at the inspection, you must pay a vet in Mexico to treat your pet before it's released.
- MAPA updates its 'Sair do Brasil' page country by country, and says the rest of the destinations will move to the online system by the end of the year. Check the destination's 'Manual do Cidadão' on that page before you apply: errors or missing documents send the request back and the review time starts again.
- For Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela the certificate is issued electronically but still needs a physical stamp from MAPA's official vet at a VIGIAGRO unit.
Common questions
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Brazil to Mexico?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Mexico?
Yes: On arrival, ask SENASICA staff at the airport, port or border for the CZI application form for your dog or cat (you can also download it beforehand).
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Mexico?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog or cat need a microchip?
The official rules we have verified for this route don't list a microchip requirement.