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Pet travel route

Dog or cat from the Dominican Republic to Brazil: the rules

Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead. The main steps: rabies vaccination, clinical examination by a vet and health certificate from a vet, with an up-to-date vaccination record and 2 more.

Rules checked up to 12 October 2026From 3 official pages

In short

Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving the Dominican Republic publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. DIGEGA's page lists the steps and documents but gives no deadline before departure and doesn't say when the Dominican veterinary college (COLVET) stamp or the VUCE single-window process is needed. Start early and ask DIGEGA (809-535-9689, ext. 307) what applies to your destination.

At a glance

The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.

How early to start

3 weeks

if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet

Set by: Rabies vaccination (leave at least 21 days after a first vaccination)

1 day

if it is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) (before departure; DIGEGA answers within 1 to 24 hours: one day is our margin, not an official figure)

The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.

On this route

  • No rabies blood test
  • No import permit
  • No quarantine
  • Parasite treatment before travel

Prefer a feed reader? Dominican Republic rule changes · Brazil rule changes

Dominican Republic → Brazil

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether the Dominican Republic (leaving) or Brazil (entering) asks for it.

  1. Get ready

    1. VaccinationEntering Brazil

      Rabies vaccination

      Dogs and cats aged 90 days or older must arrive vaccinated against rabies, with a vaccine authorised by the vet authority of the country where it was given and still in date. After a first (primary) vaccination your pet may only leave 21 days or more after the shot; a pet whose vaccine lapsed before a booster counts as a first-time vaccinate again.

      Details and the official words

      Our age cut-off is 3 calendar months at arrival (Brazil says 90 days). If your pet is close to 90 days old, ask VIGIAGRO.

      The 21-day wait only applies after a first (or lapsed) vaccination; the engine shows it for every vaccine date, so a pet with an in-date booster can ignore it.

      If this is missed: The animal can be refused, returned or held (Art. 18), at the owner's cost.

      “Todos os animais a partir de noventa (90) dias de idade devem ingressar vacinados contra a raiva, tendo sido utilizadas, no país de sua aplicação, vacinas autorizadas pela autoridade veterinária, que devem estar dentro do seu período de vigência.”

      “o embarque pelo país exportador deve ser autorizado uma vez transcorridos vinte e um (21) dias da aplicação da referida vacina.”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. Vet examEntering Brazil

      Clinical examination by a vet

      A registered vet in the exporting country examines your pet within the 10 days before the CVI is issued and certifies that it shows no signs of infectious or parasitic disease and is fit to travel.

      Details and the official words

      “no prazo de dez (10) dias anteriores à data de emissão do CVI, a um exame clínico realizado por um médico veterinário registrado no país exportador”

    2. Vet examLeaving the Dominican Republic

      Health certificate from a vet, with an up-to-date vaccination record

      Take your pet to a vet for a health certificate. Bring an up-to-date vaccination record with a current rabies vaccination and a current parasite treatment, a microchip where your destination requires one, and any extra document your destination asks for (such as a rabies blood test). Get the Dominican veterinary college (COLVET) signature and stamp when it is required.

      Details and the official words

      “Certificado de salud emitido por médico veterinario.”

      “Récord o tarjeta de vacunación actualizado.”

      “Vacuna antirrábica vigente.”

      “Documentación adicional exigida por el país de destino (Serología vacuna de Rabia).”

      “Obtener firma/sello del COLVET cuando sea requerido.”

    3. TreatmentEntering Brazil

      Treatment against internal and external parasites

      A broad-spectrum treatment against internal and external parasites, with a product approved by the exporting country's authority and following the maker's instructions, within the 15 days before the CVI is issued. It is recorded on the CVI.

      Details and the official words

      “no prazo de quinze (15) dias antes da data de emissão do CVI, a um tratamento de amplo espectro contra parasitos internos e externos”

    4. PaperworkThe Dominican Republic and Brazil

      International Veterinary Certificate (CVI)

      The original CVI, issued by the exporting country's veterinary authority, using the model the Brazilian ministry requires (mandatory since 6 September 2025). It is valid for 60 days from issue, as long as the rabies vaccination is still valid on arrival. Keep the original: border staff must not keep it.

      Details and the official words

      DIGEGA validates the documents; official inspection at the port of exit: Present the documents to DIGEGA (Ciudad Ganadera, Santo Domingo, Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm) to be signed and stamped (RD$ 500), and complete the VUCE single-window process where it applies. DIGEGA answers within 1 to 24 hours. Then go to the port of exit, where an official vet inspects your pet and issues the zoosanitary certificate.

      If this is missed: The animal can be refused, returned or held (Art. 18), at the owner's cost.

      “Para o ingresso de cães e gatos é necessário apresentar Certificado Veterinário Internacional (CVI) ou Passaporte oficial emitido por Autoridade Veterinária do país de origem atendendo aos requisitos sanitários do Brasil.”

      “Os animais devem ingressar, retornar, transitar ou circular pelos Estados Partes amparados pelo Certificado Veterinário Internacional (CVI) original, emitido pela autoridade veterinária do país exportador”

      “O CVI é válido para o ingresso, retorno, trânsito ou circulação entre os Estados Partes por um período de sessenta (60) dias corridos, contados a partir da data de sua emissão, sempre que a certificação de vacinação contra a raiva se encontre vigente.”

      “Presentar la documentación ante DIGEGA para validación (Firma y sellado).”

      “Realizar el proceso correspondiente en VUCE cuando aplique.”

      “Dirigirse al puerto de salida para la inspección veterinaria oficial y emisión del certificado zoosanitario correspondiente.”

      “Lunes a Viernes de 8:00 am – 4:00 pm”

      “1-24 Horas”

      “RD$ 500.00 pesos según el protocolo específico publicado por DIGEGA; conviene validar si existen costos adicionales asociados al trámite/VUCE o al destino.”

Good to know

  • Countries or zones officially free of rabies (per WOAH) can be exempt from the rabies vaccination, but only if Brazil has recognised that status beforehand and the CVI states it. We don't hold Brazil's list of recognised countries, so we ask for the vaccination from every pet aged 90 days or older. If you come from a rabies-free country, ask MAPA/VIGIAGRO whether the exemption applies.
  • Brazil may refuse entry to an animal that has previously been diagnosed with leishmaniasis.
  • The Portaria does not make a microchip compulsory in itself, but if your pet has an electronic chip it must follow ISO 11784 and/or ISO 11785, and the CVI must say where on the body it sits. Check with VIGIAGRO whether your port of entry expects one.
  • A pet that arrives without meeting the rules can be refused, sent back to where it came from, held, or otherwise dealt with by the Brazilian veterinary authority, and all costs fall on the owner.
  • Brazil may also accept an official pet passport in place of the CVI, if it carries all the data the CVI asks for and is valid in the country that issued it. The CVI is the safe choice.
  • Meeting DIGEGA's requirements doesn't replace your destination's entry requirements: check them before you start, as some countries ask for a microchip, a rabies blood test or other certificates. DIGEGA recommends starting well ahead of your travel date.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in the Dominican Republic publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.

Government fees on this route

Government fees in total: 500 DOP (each currency separately)

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

We have no published vet or lab prices for the Dominican Republic yet.

Prices that businesses publish on their own pages, quoted as we read them; yours can differ. Ranges are the lowest to highest of these examples, never our estimate. How we collect prices

Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.

Round trip

Coming back to the Dominican Republic

Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves the Dominican Republic.

The trip back asks for 6 steps: vet examination within 72 hours before departure, internal and external parasite treatment before the vet examination, rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure and rabies vaccination within the 12 months before departure and more.

Every step from Brazil to the Dominican Republic

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from the Dominican Republic to Brazil?

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 Brazil?

No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Brazil?

Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.

How early should I start preparing my pet for the Dominican Republic to Brazil?

With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead. The main steps: rabies vaccination, clinical examination by a vet and health certificate from a vet, with an up-to-date vaccination record and 2 more.

Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake

Read next

Turn this into dates for your pet

Where from, where to, when. You get every step with its deadline and the official page it comes from.

Make a dated plan