Pet import requirements for the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic at a glance

The detail

For Dominican Republic, start with this checkpoint: 16 Weeks. The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the west. Cargo and passenger-pet routings commonly use SDQ, LRM, STI, POP, and PUJ.

Import requirements

16 Weeks

• Microchip Implantation Record
• Rabies Certificate
• Vet Health Certificate Endorsed by governing authority
• Copy of pet owner's passport
• Vaccines update (more than 30 days into 360 days)
• Rabies Vaccine update
• Dewormed
• All the pets documentation must to be filled with owner name and dog or cat in formation (name, breed, sex, color, age, weight)...

For more in formation or to obtain an import permit, please contact:

• Dr. Farailda Troncoso

Direccion General de Ganaderia

Email: faraildat@gmail.com

• Ivelisse Figueroa

Departamento de Biodiversidad y Vida Silvestre

Ministerio de Medio Ambiente

Ivelisse.Figueroa@ambiente.gob.do

Import permit is not required when importing a personal pet to the Dominican Republic.

Cats and dogs imported for commercial purposes will require an import permit from the General Directorate of Livestock of the Dominican Republic.

*For Importing dogs and cats as commercial scale needed and import permit requested 10-15 days before arrival.

• All paper export work from origin country.
• All Health Certificate need to be endorsement for Agriculture department or Sanitary Direction

Identification and microchip

Each pet shall be identified by means of a microchip. No other form of identification is acceptable. The microchip used should comply with ISO Standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO standard 11785.

Rabies and vaccinations

Puppies must have received the Rabies vaccine at least 90 days after birth (3 months or 12 weeks) and wait 30 days after vaccination to travel. Adult dogs with a history of rabies vaccinations and boosters do not need to wait 30 days after rabies vaccination. All pets must have an original Rabies Certificate, and this certificate must state the microchip number, the date of in oculation and the validity of the particular vaccination you obtain.

Dogs: Rabies and DHPP: vaccines for Distemper, Adenovirus (Hepatitis), Parainfluenza and Parvovirus

CATS: Rabies, feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus, feline panleukopenia

Tests and treatments

Not Required

A veterinarian must evaluate your pet within 72 hours of the scheduled departure date. It must be clear of in fectious disorders and have been treated against in ternal and external parasites.

Health certificate and permits

A licensed veterinarian in the originating country must complete the Veterinary Certificate for the Dominican Republic 10 days prior to travel. Translated copy in Spanish is recommended. the Health Certificate must contain the name and address of the companion in the Dominican Republic and the complete identification of the animal/s (name, race, sex, color, date of birth, microchip and/or tattoo).he certificate should specify: Applied vaccines, in ternal and external parasite control (Vetrobligos must specify Manufacturer and active in gredients). This must be accompanied by a vaccination record with the stickers (stickers) of the vaccines, with their lot, manufacturing dates and expiration. Pet must be in spected for general health and parasites with 72 hour of transport.This certificate must be counter-signed and sealed by an of ficial veterinarian at the port of embarkation.

Accredited Veterinarians can submit health certificates for USDA endorsement electronically through VEHCS (Veterinary Export Health Certification System).

This country accepts USDA digital endorsement. This means the final, endorsed health certificate that travels with the animal(s) can be printed out directly from VEHCS and does NOT have to be mailed back to you.

The document must confirm that the animal comes from an area where there have not been serious illnesses in the last three months and is good health. Furthermore, the animal must have been vaccinated against rabies between a month and a year before the trip, in cluding in the certification the name and serial number of the product. (Adult dogs with a history of rabies vaccinations and boosters do not need to wait 30 days after rabies vaccination).

If you travel with another type of pet, you will need permission generated by the Director of Cattle of the Agriculture State of Santo Domingo. In this case, the authorization will set the quarantine period which would be applied, if the situation took place. The consequence of not fulfilling this import rules are: or destroy the animal, or deporting it to its home country, the charges always on the traveler.

The last step to formalize the documents is to talk to the person in charge of animal control at the airport to finalize the documents and the release forms and pay a fee of 10 US$

Health Certificate Example US

Import Permit Not required for personal pets. Needed for Commercial and birds.

For more in formation or to obtain an import permit, please contact:

• Dr. Farailda Troncoso

Direccion General de Ganaderia

Email: faraildat@gmail.com

• Ivelisse Figueroa

Departamento de Biodiversidad y Vida Silvestre

Ministerio de Medio Ambiente

Ivelisse.Figueroa@ambiente.gob.do

The DIGEGA import permit is emitted same they that animal departure or arrival.

Quarantine

• Dog and cat no quarantine required.
• Only for bird, pigs,goat, marine lion.

Restrictions and banned breeds

None

Customs, agents, and airports

Highly Recommended

SDQ (Santo Domingo International Airport (of ficially Las Américas International Airport) is the main in ternational airport in Dominican Republic.

Airports listed on this destination file: SDQ, LRM, STI, POP, PUJ.

In order to successfully clear customs you will need at Copy of pet owner's passport prior to the pet’s arrival.

Animal Control at your chosen airport must release your pet and check necessary documents upon arrival for a fee of $10.

Is obligatory declared and clearance all live animal that arrival to any airport.

• Pay taxes in base of total CIF value. CIF(COST +INSURANCE +FREIGHT)
• The customs process take around 3-4 hours after flight arrival and dog is into warehouse
• A DIGEGA of ficial needs to in spect the origin documents and physical animal

Export notes

The normal requirements will depend of Destination country, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC is considered a High Risk Country for rabies.

• Vaccines record update
• Rabies vaccine
• Rabies titer for (EU) and also other country that required.

Always is good to ask to IPATA members the destiny country regulations.

Other pets / CITES / extra rules

Required for Birds, rabbits, rodents, exotics species, horses, little pigs.

Pet Birds –

All birds must be in quarantine at least 10 days.Ask for an import permit and in formation to: Direccion General de Ganaderia – Dr. Farailda Troncoso Email: faraildat@gmail.com AND Ivelisse Figueroa Departamento de Biodiversidad y Vida Silvestre Ministerio de Medio Ambiente Ivelisse.Figueroa@ambiente.gob.do.

*Birds, rabbits, rodents, exotics species, horses,little pigs... need and CITES (if apply), Agriculture Dept Import Permit and biodiversity Direction. Also will spend 10-21 days into in stallation.

An Import Permit is required to bring your pet bird(s) into the Dominican Republic.

For more in formation or to obtain an import permit, please contact:

Dr. Farailda Troncoso

Direccion General de Ganaderia

Email: faraildat@gmail.com

Ivelisse Figueroa

Departamento de Biodiversidad y Vida Silvestre Ministerio de Medio Ambiente

Ivelisse.Figueroa@ambiente.gob.do

Animal Welfare Regulations

In 2025, the Dominican Republic enforces Law 248-12 for the Protection and Responsible Possession of Animals, which criminalizes cruelty, abuse, and neglect of animals

As every IPATA member knows, every day it is more and more difficult for transporting dogs into kennel #700.

Here are the some airlines that can do it for their aircraft dimensions:

AVIANCA (Bogota)

AMERIJET (Miami)

ABX AIR (Miami)

Official contacts

DIGEGA

AGRICULTURE DEPARTAMENT

Livestock General Direction

Dr. Jorge A. Monsanto Valdez

Autopista 30 de Mayo,Ciudad Ganadera

Santo Domingo, Rep. Dom

Tel: +1 809 535-9689

Airport office: +1 809 549-1302

digega@ganaderia.gob.do

Monday-Friday

Not work at Holydays

Hours: 8:00am-3:00pm

DIRECCIÓN GENERAL DE ADUANAS (Customs Headquater)

Abraham Lincoln 1101, Edif. Miguel Cocco,

Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional

Repulica Dominicana

Tel: +1 809-547-7070

ayuda@aduanas.gob.do

GOVERNMENT FORMS:

The DIGEGA import permit is emitted same they that animal departure or arrival.

For pets travel to LATAM, EUROPE, ASIA, OCEANIA, AFRICA

VHC need to be certificate by DIGEGA and apostilled by Ministry of External Relations (MIREX)

Cancel this contact in formation.Dr. Farailda Troncoso Direccion General de GanaderiaEmail: faraildat@gmail.comMINISTERIO DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y RECURSOS NATURALESDIRECCION DE BIODIVERSIDAD Y VIDA SILVESTRE (

Ave Cayetano Germosén, Esq Avenida Luperón

Tel. +1 809 567-4300 ext 6380

Whatsapp 1+849-356-6400/1+809-200-6400

Email: info@ambiente.gob.do

Monday-Friday, hours: 8:00am-4:00pm

NOTE: please add the rabies titer requirements for USA and CDC import permit in export box.

Current as MAY 2025

Disclaimer

Import rules change without much warning. Confirm every vaccine date, test, permit, and crate routing with the destination veterinary authority before you travel. This page is a planning brief for Furry Freight customers, last checked against the IPATA country profile dated 2025-05-01.

Next: measure your dog, find the kennel size, then get a free travel quote. Moving on military orders? PCS moves. Going to Hawaiʻi instead? Hawaiʻi has its own regime.

Other destinations: Anguilla · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · all destinations