Moving a pet to Costa Rica
Permit-driven or window-sensitive: import permits, home quarantine registration or tight treatment timing.
Destination requirements apply to every origin. Document steps below reference USDA APHIS/VEHCS because they are the most common departure route; if you are moving from another country, the equivalent filing is handled by your national veterinary authority.
Quick rules summary
| Governing body | SENASA |
|---|---|
| Mandatory lead time | 1–2 months |
| Rabies titer test (FAVN) | No |
| Import permit | Yes, for manifest air cargo only |
| Post-arrival quarantine | 0 days for in-cabin or checked baggage |
| Microchip mandate | ISO chip required |
| Primary failure point | A rabies vaccine older than 365 days, or a certificate issued outside the 14-day window. |
Biosecurity & veterinary protocol
Entry rules depend on both your departure country and your destination. The endorsement steps below are written for the US-departure route (USDA APHIS via VEHCS); from any other origin, the equivalent step is an export health certificate endorsed by your national government veterinary authority.
- 1
Implant an ISO-compliant microchip.
- 2
Rabies vaccination administered between 31 and 364 days before entry — even a valid 3-year vaccine must have been given within the previous 12 months.
- 3
Core vaccinations (DHLPP for dogs, FVRCP for cats) within 30 days of travel.
- 4
Internal and external parasite treatment within 15 days of export.
- 5
USDA-endorsed health certificate issued within 14 days of departure.
- 6
Pets arriving in-cabin or as checked baggage bypass quarantine; unaccompanied manifest cargo requires a SENASA import permit obtained through a licensed broker.
Breed & airline warnings
No national breed ban, but airlines apply their own restricted-breed lists.
Heat embargoes are common on cargo routings into San José.
Crates must follow IATA Live Animals Regulations: L = A + ½B, W = 2C, H = D + bedding. Two compatible animals up to 14 kg (30 lbs) each may share a crate; heavier animals travel individually. Check your breed →
Your Costa Rica timeline
Build my pet's relocation plan
Your plan appears here
Tell us where your pet is travelling from and to, and we'll build a route-specific plan: the earliest realistic travel date, the steps that actually determine it, every deadline, and any quarantine on arrival.
- • Rules resolved per corridor — never a generic US or EU timeline.
- • Counts what your pet has already had done.
- • Tells you plainly when a corridor still needs verification.