Bringing a dog or cat to Brazil
Easy for dogs and cats from every origin group the authority lists.
Requirements
It depends on where you're coming from. Pick your country, or compare the origin groups the authority itself uses below.
Dog from Germany (All other (every country not listed elsewhere)): 9 requirements
Open as my dated checklist- 01Animal health certificateInternational Veterinary Certificate (CVI) on MAPA's bilingual model "RIG.CO.GA.AGO.25" (Annex II of Portaria 741/2024; mandatory from 6 September 2025), in the original, issued or signed by the veterinary authority of the country of origin (a private vet's certificate alone is not enough; in most countries the private vet fills it in and the official vet endorses it). Valid 60 days from issue for entry, provided the rabies vaccination stays valid. The Annex III "additional requirements" page is used only if needed. Consular legalisation is not required (Decreto 6.946/2009, embassy page).
- At most 60 days before arrival
- 02OPTIONALMicrochipNot compulsory for entry into Brazil (Brazil has not made identification mandatory for pets). If the pet has a microchip it must be ISO 11784/11785 and the CVI must state its number, implant date and body location. Strongly advisable — the return trip to the EU/UK and most other countries requires one.
- 03Rabies vaccinationEvery animal aged 90 days or more arrives vaccinated against rabies with a vaccine authorised in the country where it was given, within the vaccine's validity period (the validity stated by the manufacturer/label — no fixed one-year rule in the text). First vaccination (or a booster given after the previous one expired): departure only 21 days after the shot. Boosters given while the previous vaccination was still valid have no waiting time. The certificate must name the vaccine, manufacturer, batch and expiry.
- At least 21 days after the rabies vaccination — only after a first vaccination, or after a booster given once the previous vaccination had expired
- Only if: For pets aged 3 months or more
- 04Parasite treatmentBroad-spectrum treatment against internal AND external parasites within the 15 days before the CVI is issued, with products approved in the exporting country, following the manufacturer's instructions. The CVI lists date, manufacturer, product name and active ingredient of each treatment.
- At most 15 days before the certificate is issued
- 05Clinical examinationClinical examination within the 10 days before the CVI is issued, by a veterinarian registered in the exporting country, attesting no clinical signs of infectious or parasitic disease and fitness for transport.
- At most 10 days before the certificate is issued
- 06Condition of the animalBrazil may refuse entry to an animal previously diagnosed with leishmaniasis. No test is required; the exam and certificate must not show the disease.
- 07Customs declarationDeclare the pet on the e-DBV (Declaração Eletrônica de Bens do Viajante) and go through the "Bens a Declarar" (goods to declare) channel to the Vigiagro unit at the airport, port or border post. Where there is no such channel, go straight to the customs inspection. Unaccompanied baggage or cargo: a DAT-PF (agricultural transit declaration for individuals) and the air waybill / cargo manifest instead of the e-DBV.
- 08Arrival inspectionThe Vigiagro inspector (AFFA) checks the documents, verifies the animal's identity against the certificate and inspects its health; the original CVI stays with the owner. A pet travelling on to another Brazilian state is released with a Vigiagro transit attestation. Pets with clinical signs of disease are refused (returned or destroyed); with no papers at all, refused and returned; with errors or missing items in the papers, the inspector may impose home quarantine supervised by a private vet at the owner's cost (TC-IAC undertaking: exam, rabies shot, parasite treatments, isolation for a set number of days).
- 09Pet foodIndustrialised (commercially made, heat-processed, canned, pouch, pelleted or extruded) pet food and treats for the pet's own use may enter from any country in the original, intact, labelled packaging; the pack used during the trip may be open. Raw or home-made food and treats, raw hides/ears/hooves and feed additives are prohibited. (MAPA's older FAQ says leftover food is prohibited outright — the 2026 list, made under Portaria 872/2025, is the current rule.)
Dog from Germany: 9 requirements.
In short: No import permit, no rabies titer, no quarantine. An official CVI on MAPA's model (RIG.CO.GA.AGO.25) from the exporting country's veterinary authority: rabies vaccination (from 90 days of age; 21 days after a first shot), internal + external parasite treatment within 15 days and a clinical exam within 10 days before the certificate, valid 60 days. From a standing start about 4 weeks (first rabies shot + 21 days + certificate).
Always confirm with the destination's official authority and your airline before travelling.
Compare by origin group
The groups are the authority's own lists. Pick a cell to see that group's checklist above.
| From | Dog | Cat |
|---|---|---|
All other (every country not listed elsewhere) | ||
Mercosur 3 placesArgentina, Paraguay, Uruguay | ||
United states 1 placeUnited States | ||
Canada 1 placeCanada | ||
United kingdom 1 placeUnited Kingdom | ||
Portugal 1 placePortugal |
Quarantine
No quarantine when the paperwork is in order
If the pet does not meet the rules: Refusal, re-export to the country of departure, detention or other measures at the owner's cost. In practice (IN 39/2017): no papers at all → refused and returned; errors or gaps in the papers → home quarantine at the inspector's discretion, supervised by a private vet paid by the owner; clinical signs of disease → returned or destroyed..
Official fees
The researched rules name no official fee for this route. Vet, airline and courier prices are not part of the rules.
Going back to Germany
Returning to Germany from Brazil: 0 weeks; a rabies antibody test is needed. Timing set by: Rabies antibody (titer) test.
Germany guideApproved entry points
Airports: MCZ, MAO, SSA, FOR, BSB, CNF, CGR, CGB, BEL, REC, PHB, CWB, GIG, NAT, PVH, BVB, POA, FLN, VCP, GRU
Note on this list
Not an official list of authorised entry points: it is MAPA's undated phone list of Vigiagro airport units, linked from the pets FAQ (Uvagro Cuiabá and Uvagro Roraima are given without "aeroporto"). The rule is "any port, airport or border post with a Vigiagro unit" (IN 39/2017); seaports and land crossings (e.g. Foz do Iguaçu, Uruguaiana, Chuí, Corumbá, Pacaraima) also have units — MAPA's spreadsheet "Contato das Unidades do MAPA para CVIs" lists them all. Confirm the unit's hours before booking a night or weekend arrival.
List as of 25 Sep 2026Sources disagree — confirm with the authority
Breed bans
The researched rules of Brazil name no breed ban. Airlines may still refuse flat-faced and restricted breeds.
Transit through Brazil
Airside transit through Brazil is not addressed by MAPA's pages. The MERCOSUR requirements (and the CVI) cover transit through a State Party's territory, so a pet that enters Brazilian territory in transit needs the same CVI.
Leaving Brazil with your pet
MAPA issues the CVI; for the USA, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina/Paraguay/Uruguay, Japan, the EU/Norway/Switzerland/Northern Ireland and Great Britain it is an electronic CVI requested on gov.br — for most of them exclusively by a vet registered on the platform.
Timing of the e-CVI request: USA — dogs 5 to 2 days before departure, cats 10 to 3 days; the other e-CVI countries 9 to 3 days (Mexico 14 to 3 days). Some destinations still need a physical stamp ("chancela") at a Vigiagro unit.
Countries without an e-CVI get an in-person CVI at a Vigiagro unit — MAPA suggests contacting the unit at least 60 days ahead because appointments are required.
Transit through the EU with a pet shipped as cargo needs a separate "transit CVI" meeting all EU requirements besides the destination CVI; a pet connecting with its owner (cabin or hold) that stays airside does not.
The Brazilian pet passport (IN 54/2013, lifelong, free, issued by Vigiagro units and SFAs) replaces the CVI only for countries that accept it; check MAPA's list before relying on it.
Rule changes
No dated change in the researched rules of Brazil. Tell us if you know of one.
Good to know
Every dog or cat enters with an original International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) issued by the veterinary authority of the exporting country, or an official passport that Brazil accepts. The health requirements are the MERCOSUR ones incorporated by Portaria MAPA 741/2024.
Legal basis — Portaria MAPA 741/2024 incorporates MERCOSUL/GMC/RES. nº 20/24 (requirements, CVI model, additional requirements model) and repeals IN MAPA 5/2013. MAPA's FAQ still cites IN 5/2013 in several answers; the requirements did not change in substance.
MAPA publishes a bilingual (EN/PT) CVI model on the Annex II template and says it is mandatory from 6 September 2025. Countries with an older bilateral model (USA, Canada, UK…) still publish those.
No quarantine on arrival. A pet with incomplete papers is sent back at the owner's cost (embassy wording); the law lets Vigiagro refuse, re-export, hold or take other measures, and IN 39/2017 allows home quarantine at the inspector's discretion when the papers have errors.
Foreign pet passports are accepted only from countries that recognise the Brazilian pet passport (MERCOSUR members plus, per MAPA's 2016 list, Brunei, Colombia, Gambia and Taiwan) and, outside MERCOSUR, must be legalised by the origin's veterinary authority no more than 10 days before entry. The EU pet passport is NOT accepted for entry (Brazilian embassy in Stockholm, 2024) — EU pets need a CVI.
EU pet passport not valid for entry into Brazil (embassy page dated 2024, before Portaria 741/2024).
Pets are agricultural goods "with requirements" in the travellers' baggage regulation: declare them on the e-DBV (electronic traveller's declaration) and go to the Vigiagro unit through the "Goods to declare" channel.
Pets bought abroad are taxed as the traveller's goods (customs allowance and quantity limits apply); commercial purposes are not allowed under the baggage regime.
Humanitarian exception (Ofício 254/2025/DSA/SDA/MAPA, June 2025): dogs and cats of repatriated Brazilians or refugees from the Middle East conflicts arriving on repatriation flights are admitted without CVI or rabies certificate; Vigiagro applies its irregular-documentation procedure (a signed undertaking, TC-IAC). Not for ordinary travellers or unaccompanied cargo.
Fees: no source states a MAPA fee for the entry inspection or for the CVI/passport check on arrival; the Brazilian pet passport itself is issued free (MAPA note of 2014).
Our note, not a rule.
Questions about Brazil
Answered in plain words from the authorities' own pages, each linked to the page it comes from. Confirm with the authority before travelling.
01What are the rabies vaccination requirements for bringing a pet into Brazil?
Dogs and cats over 90 days old must be vaccinated against rabies using vaccines approved by the veterinary authority of their home country.
02Is there a waiting period after the first rabies shot before traveling to Brazil?
Yes, if the animal is receiving its first rabies vaccination, it may only leave its country of origin 21 days after the vaccine was administered.
03Can I bring a puppy or kitten under 3 months old into Brazil?
Pets under 90 days old can enter if the origin authority certifies their age and confirms they have not been in an area with urban rabies for the last 90 days.
04Does my pet need parasite treatment before entering Brazil?
Within 15 days before the CVI is issued, the animal must receive an effective broad-spectrum treatment for both internal and external parasites.
05When should the clinical examination be done for entry into Brazil?
A veterinarian in the origin country must perform a clinical exam within 10 days before the CVI is issued to certify the animal is healthy and fit for travel.
06Are there any disease restrictions for pets entering Brazil?
Brazil may refuse entry to animals that have been previously diagnosed with Leishmaniasis.
07What happens if my pet comes from a country that is free of rabies?
Animals from countries or zones officially declared free of rabies are exempt from the vaccination requirement, provided this status is certified in the health document.
08Can I return to Brazil with my pet without new documents?
If the animal left Brazil with a CVI or legalized passport, it can return within 60 days without additional documents, provided the rabies vaccine is still valid.
09Can I bring leftover pet food into Brazil?
No, pet food is prohibited from entering Brazil because these products pose sanitary risks to agriculture.
10How long is a foreign CVI valid for entry into Brazil?
A CVI issued by another country is valid for 60 days for entry into Brazil, as long as it was issued according to IN 05/2013.
11What microchip is required to get a Brazilian transit passport?
The animal must have an electronic identification chip that complies with ISO 11784 or the Annex A of ISO 11785.
12How long does it take to issue a Brazilian transit passport?
The processing time for the passport is 30 business days from the date the application is submitted to the MAPA unit.
13Do I need to declare my pet when arriving in Brazil?
Yes, you must declare your pet upon arrival because they are classified as restricted goods.
14Will I have to pay taxes if I bought my pet abroad and am bringing it to Brazil?
Yes, domestic animals bought abroad are treated as traveler's goods and are subject to standard taxation, although exemption quotas and quantity limits apply. They cannot be imported for commercial purposes.
Checklists to Brazil
Step-by-step route pages for the origins people move from most, dated timeline and all.
No traveller reports for Brazil yet. If you have made this trip, tell the next person what was actually checked at the border.
Share your tripEvery official page behind this guide, with the last day its text was confirmed unchanged.
- gov.uk — Export cats and dogs to Brazil: certificate 2906 (page) (opens official site)Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- CFIA — HA2348 Veterinary health certificate for export of dogs and cats from Canada to Brazil (bilingual form) (opens official site)Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA); linked from the Brazilian embassy in Ottawa · checked 25 Sep 2026
- APHA (UK) — Export of cats/dogs from the United Kingdom to Brazil, health certificate 2906EHC version 4 (specimen) and notes for guidance 2906NFG (opens official site)Defra / Scottish Government / Welsh Government / DAERA, via the Animal and Plant Health Agency · checked 04 Oct 2026
- DGAV (Portugal) — Certificado veterinário para cães e gatos como animais de companhia, de Portugal para o Brasil (2026) (opens official site)Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV), Portugal · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Países que aceitam o Passaporte para Trânsito de Cães e Gatos do Brasil (versão 1/2016) (opens official site)MAPA — SDA — Coordenação Geral da Vigilância Agropecuária (Vigiagro) · checked 04 Oct 2026
Show all 24 sources
- TC-IAC — Termo de Compromisso no Ingresso de Animais de Companhia (cães e gatos), Vigiagro form used when papers are irregular (opens official site)MAPA — SDA — Vigiagro · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Portaria MAPA nº 741, de 10 de dezembro de 2024 — incorporates MERCOSUL/GMC/RES. nº 20/24 (requirements for entry and movement of domestic dogs and cats, CVI model, additional requirements model) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária — Gabinete do Ministro (DOU 2024-12-12, Seção 1, p. 24; MAPA's print of the DOU page) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Portaria MAPA nº 872, de 12 de dezembro de 2025 — Regulamento para Ingresso de Bens Agropecuários Transportados como Bagagem de Viajantes (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária — Gabinete do Ministro (DOU 2026-01-05) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Lista de Bens Agropecuários Proibidos e Permitidos de Ingressar no Brasil como Bagagem de Viajantes, versão 2026.01 (item 1.1 dogs and cats, item 3.1 pet food) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária — Secretaria de Defesa Agropecuária · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Modelo do Certificado Veterinário Internacional para exportação de cães e gatos para o Brasil (RIG.CO.GA.AGO.25), per Annex II/III of Portaria MAPA 741/2024 (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 39/2017 (Manual do Vigiagro) — Annex XLVI, import of animals; Vigiagro unit requirements for companion animals (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) — HTML rendering of the IN and annexes · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Entrar no Brasil (MAPA — entering Brazil with a dog or cat; return within 60 days; humanitarian exception) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) — Vigiagro · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Passaporte Cães e Gatos (MAPA page on the Brazilian pet passport) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) — Vigiagro · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Perguntas e Respostas frequentes sobre Viagens Internacionais com Cães e Gatos (MAPA FAQ) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) — Vigiagro · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Sair do Brasil — Viajar com animal de estimação para o exterior (MAPA; CVI issued in Brazil, e-CVI, agreed models) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) — Vigiagro · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Telefones das unidades Vigiagro em aeroportos (image linked from the MAPA pets FAQ; transcribed) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) — Vigiagro · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Viajantes e bagagens — Animais vivos — Cães e Gatos (MAPA travellers' page) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) — Vigiagro · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 54, de 18 de novembro de 2013 — Passaporte para Trânsito de Cães e Gatos (Arts. 27–37) (opens official site)Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento — Gabinete do Ministro · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Bruxelas — Animais domésticos e plantas (opens official site)Ministério das Relações Exteriores — Consulado-Geral em Bruxelas · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Embaixada do Brasil em Estocolmo — Animais e Plantas, Entrada no Brasil (opens official site)Ministério das Relações Exteriores — Embaixada em Estocolmo · checked 05 Oct 2026
- Embaixada do Brasil em Ottawa — Transporte de Animais Domésticos (opens official site)Ministério das Relações Exteriores — Embaixada em Ottawa · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Receita Federal — Guia do Viajante, Perguntas e Respostas (3.1 declaration; 3.22 animals bought abroad) (opens official site)Receita Federal do Brasil · checked 04 Oct 2026
- USDA APHIS — Pet Travel From the United States to Brazil (opens official site)U.S. Department of Agriculture — APHIS · checked 04 Oct 2026
- USDA APHIS — Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs and Cats from the United States of America to Brazil (bilingual form) (opens official site)U.S. Department of Agriculture — APHIS · checked 04 Oct 2026