Bringing a dog back from Mexico: check its six-month travel history

Reviewed against CDC sources on October 29, 2026.

Start with the previous six months

Check every country the dog visited in the six months before U.S. entry, using the CDC navigator. A Mexico vaccination alone does not put a dog on the high-risk pathway.

Only rabies-free or low-risk countries

CDC requires a Dog Import Form receipt. The dog must appear healthy, be at least six months old, and have a microchip readable by a universal scanner. CDC accepts any brand readable by a universal scanner; ask your veterinarian or chip company to confirm readability.

The receipt can cover multiple entries for six months while its conditions remain satisfied: no high-risk travel and the correct departure country. A different departure country requires a new receipt. Check the receipt’s expiration.

Read the low-risk requirements and complete the form.

Any high-risk country in that period

Use CDC’s separate high-risk requirements. Vaccination origin and required endorsed documents matter on that pathway; do not apply the low-risk checklist. Foreign-vaccinated dogs with high-risk travel cannot enter at a U.S. land border under CDC’s high-risk pathway. Follow the applicable CDC entry route.

CDC FAQs explain these distinctions. USDA and destination rules can also apply. This guide promises neither admission nor inspection timing.