Traveling with Pets

Should you bring your pet?

For a one-week resort vacation, the honest answer is usually no. Almost all the big all-inclusives in Punta Cana, La Romana and Puerto Plata do not accept pets, the paperwork costs a few hundred dollars and several vet visits, and the heat is hard on animals used to a US climate. A good pet sitter or boarding kennel at home is the easier choice.

It makes much more sense for longer stays: a winter in Cabarete or Las Terrenas, a few months in a Santo Domingo apartment, a family visit in the Cibao, or a move. Dominicans love dogs, plenty of expats live here with pets, and good vets practice in every city. If you are staying long-term, read our long stays page too.

The timeline, step by step

1. Two months or more before travel: Book a visit with a USDA-accredited veterinarian (ask your regular vet; many are accredited). Confirm your dog or cat has an ISO-compatible microchip, implanted before its current rabies vaccine. If not, microchip first, then vaccinate.
2. Same time: Make sure the rabies vaccine will stay valid through your return date. If it expires during the trip, get the booster now. A first rabies shot must be given at 12 weeks of age or older.
3. Same time: Book your pet's spot on the flight. Airlines limit the number of pets per cabin, and spots on popular Caribbean routes fill early.
4. At least 30 days before departure (dogs): Have the vet complete the CDC's Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccination form and submit it to USDA for endorsement. For a first-ever rabies shot, the form can only be completed 28 days or more after that vaccination.
5. About 7 to 10 days before departure: Return to the vet for the exam, deworming and the international health certificate for the Dominican Republic, then have it endorsed by USDA APHIS.
6. A few days before flying home (dogs): Complete the free CDC Dog Import Form online with a recent photo.
7. Departure day, both directions: Carry the originals and at least three printed copies of everything.

Entering the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic does not require an import permit for pet dogs and cats, and there is no quarantine for a healthy animal with correct papers. The requirements, as USDA APHIS lists them for pets going from the US, are a health certificate and a rabies vaccination.

Rabies vaccination

Any dog or cat 12 weeks or older must be vaccinated against rabies, and at least 30 days must have passed since vaccination before travel. Pets younger than that travel under a separate statement on the certificate; ask your vet. The certificate records the vaccination date, how long the immunity lasts, the product name and its serial or lot number, so bring your pet's rabies certificate to the appointment.

The health certificate

Your accredited vet fills out the APHIS international health certificate for the Dominican Republic, which is bilingual English and Spanish. On it, the vet certifies that your pet is healthy and free of infectious disease, has been treated for internal and external parasites, and is vaccinated against rabies. Dominican consular guidance says the certificate should be issued within 30 days of arrival. Airlines often want a health certificate issued within 10 days of the flight, so a visit about a week before departure satisfies both.

USDA endorsement

After your vet signs, USDA APHIS must endorse the certificate. Most vets submit it electronically through USDA's online system, and USDA returns it endorsed. The APHIS page for the Dominican Republic also refers to an original ink endorsement, so ask your vet whether the endorsed certificate needs to be a paper original with an ink signature and seal for this country, and allow time to mail it to an APHIS endorsement office or book an appointment. The endorsed original travels with your pet.

At the Dominican airport

When you land at Punta Cana (PUJ), Santo Domingo (SDQ), Puerto Plata (POP) or Santiago (STI), tell immigration or the customs officer you have a pet. You will be directed to the Ministry of Agriculture's animal quarantine officer (Cuarentena Animal, part of the Dirección General de Ganadería), who checks the health certificate and has you fill out an entry form for the pet. Keep the paperwork in your carry-on, not in checked luggage. For general arrival steps, including the e-Ticket, see our entry page.

Flying with your pet

In the cabin

Small dogs and cats that fit in a soft carrier under the seat in front of you can fly in the cabin on many nonstop routes to the Dominican Republic. American, Delta, JetBlue and United all carry pets in the cabin on at least some of their DR routes; rules for budget carriers vary, and some do not accept pets on international flights at all. Fees typically run around $125 to $200 each way per pet. Check the airline's pet page for your exact route, the carrier size limit and whether the pet counts as your carry-on.

• Call or book online as early as possible; most airlines allow only a few pets per cabin.
• Choose a nonstop. Connecting through Miami, New York or Atlanta doubles your chances of missed connections and long waits.
• Fly early in the morning, when it is coolest on the ground at both ends.
• Bring absorbent pads, a collapsible bowl and a leash. Your pet stays in the carrier on board.

Checked and cargo

Larger dogs are much harder. Most major US airlines no longer accept pets as checked baggage for ordinary travelers, and the few that fly animals as cargo apply heat embargoes, typically refusing animals when temperatures anywhere on the route are forecast above about 85°F (29°C). In the Dominican Republic, midday temperatures on the tarmac exceed that for much of the year. Many airlines also refuse snub-nosed breeds such as bulldogs, pugs and Persian cats in the hold, because they struggle to breathe in heat and stress.

If you must move a large dog, a professional pet shipper (look for members of IPATA, the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association) can arrange cargo routing, crates and paperwork. Expect costs in the thousands of dollars, and plan travel for the cooler months, December through March. See when to go for temperatures by month.

Bringing your dog back to the US

The CDC lists the Dominican Republic as a high-risk country for dog rabies. Any dog that has been in the DR in the six months before entering the US, including your own American dog coming home from vacation, must meet the CDC's high-risk country rules. Dogs vaccinated in the US have a much simpler route than dogs vaccinated abroad, but only if you finish the paperwork before you leave the US.

Requirements for a US-vaccinated dog

Show the CDC receipt and the endorsed certification to the airline at check-in in the DR and to US Customs and Border Protection on arrival. The CDC suggests carrying at least three copies. If your arrival date or airport changes, submit a new Dog Import Form marked as a change to the old one.

Start at the CDC's requirements for US-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries, which links to the Dog Import Form and the vet instructions. The Dog Importation Navigator walks you through the questions.

If you forget the form

A dog that left the US without the certification is treated like a dog vaccinated abroad. That means arriving only at a US airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, a reservation and fees at that facility, and extra requirements that can include a rabies antibody blood test and revaccination or quarantine. It is expensive and limits your flight choices, so do not leave without the form.

Puppies under 6 months

Because of the age rule, a puppy younger than 6 months cannot be brought into the US after time in the Dominican Republic. If you travel with a young dog, do the math on its age at your return date.

The USDA screwworm rule

Separately from the CDC rabies rules, USDA has its own requirements for dogs coming from regions where New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae infest wounds, is present. The Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean countries where screwworm has long been endemic, and USDA has tightened and revised its dog import rules repeatedly as the pest spread north through Central America and Mexico.

For dogs from regions on its screwworm list, USDA requires a certificate signed by a full-time government veterinarian of the country of origin, stating that the dog was inspected for screwworm within 5 days before departure and was found free of it, or was treated until free. If the DR is on that list when you travel, plan a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture's animal health services in the last few days before your flight home. Check the current list and rules on the USDA APHIS dog import page a few weeks before you return, since they have changed several times recently, and ask your airline whether it checks this document at boarding.

Bringing your cat back

Cats are far simpler. The CDC does not require a rabies vaccination certificate for cats entering the US, only that they look healthy on arrival. Many US states do require rabies vaccination for cats, and airlines may ask for a recent health certificate, so keep your cat's rabies certificate and the DR health certificate with you. Cats are not covered by the CDC Dog Import Form or the USDA dog screwworm rules described above, but check the APHIS site for any new requirements before you fly.

Adopting a Dominican dog

Many visitors fall for a perro de la calle (street dog) on the beach in Las Terrenas or outside a colmado in Sosúa, and local rescue groups do place dogs with Americans. It can be done, but it is a project, and it takes months.

• The dog must be at least 6 months old, microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.
• Because it was vaccinated abroad, it falls under the CDC's foreign-vaccinated rules: a rabies antibody test from a CDC-approved laboratory, entry only through a US airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, a paid reservation there for an exam and revaccination, and possibly a quarantine.
• It may also need the USDA screwworm certificate from a Dominican government vet, described above.
• Dogs brought in for resale or for a rescue organization to rehome fall under additional USDA rules.

Work with an established rescue that has sent dogs to the US before and understands the current CDC process. The details are on the CDC's foreign-vaccinated dog requirements page.

Heat and health in the DR

Dominican heat is the biggest everyday risk for a dog from the US. Daytime highs sit around 86 to 90°F (30 to 32°C) on the coast most of the year, with high humidity, and sidewalks and sand get hot enough to burn paw pads.

• Walk early in the morning and after sunset. Test the pavement with the back of your hand; if you cannot hold it there for seven seconds, it is too hot for paws.
• Carry water on every walk, and never leave a pet in a parked car, even for a few minutes.
• Watch for heatstroke: heavy panting, drooling, stumbling, bright red gums. Cool the dog with lukewarm water and get to a vet.
• Thick-coated and snub-nosed breeds struggle most. The mountains around Jarabacoa and Constanza are much cooler; see Jarabacoa and Constanza.

Parasites and diseases

• Ticks are common and carry diseases such as ehrlichiosis. Use a reliable tick preventive and check your dog daily.
• Heartworm spreads by mosquitoes, which are active all year. Keep your dog on heartworm prevention before, during and after the trip, as your vet advises.
• Leptospirosis spreads through water contaminated by animal urine, especially after rain. Ask your vet about the vaccine, and keep dogs out of puddles, rivers and floodwater.
• Stray dogs roam in most towns and on many beaches. Keep your pet leashed, avoid confrontations, and know that rabies is present in animals here. If your pet is bitten, see a vet the same day.

Where pets are welcome

Lodging

Few hotels in resort areas take pets. Your best options are villas and apartments that state they are pet-friendly on the booking platform, some small boutique hotels in the Zona Colonial and on the north coast, and long-term rentals where you can negotiate with the owner. Confirm the pet policy in writing before you pay, and ask about a pet deposit. Our where to stay page covers booking safely.

Getting around

The easiest way to travel with a pet is your own rental car; see driving. Uber and taxi drivers decide for themselves whether to take a pet, so message the driver before pickup and use a carrier or a seat cover. Long-distance bus companies set their own rules, and you should ask before buying a ticket. Our getting around page has the options.

Beaches, restaurants and towns

Leashed dogs are a common sight on public beaches and in small-town streets, though hotel beach areas usually ban them. Outdoor restaurant terraces in Cabarete, Las Terrenas and parts of Santo Domingo often welcome a well-behaved dog; ask first. Churches, museums, supermarkets and the Santo Domingo Metro do not.

Pet travel checklist

• ISO microchip implanted before the current rabies vaccine.
• Rabies vaccine at least 30 days old at departure and valid through your return.
• For dogs: Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccination, endorsed by USDA before you leave the US.
• APHIS international health certificate for the Dominican Republic, with deworming, endorsed by USDA.
• Airline pet reservation, approved carrier, and the airline's own health certificate rules.
• Before flying home: the CDC Dog Import Form receipt and, if USDA lists the DR for screwworm, a Dominican government vet's inspection certificate for dogs.
• Originals plus three copies of every document, in your carry-on.
• Tick, flea and heartworm preventives, and enough food and medication for the trip plus extra.
• A pet-friendly rental confirmed in writing, and the nearest vet saved in your phone.

For your own health on the trip, see our health page, and for everything else to pack, our packing list.