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BRINGING A CAT FROMThailand to United States

Cat · Moving

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Prep time about 0 weeks

No quarantine. Needs arrival inspection.

Always confirm with the destination's official authority and your airline before travelling.

Entry requirements

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Source:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (opens official site: Bringing an Animal into the U.S. (section "Cats"))· checked 04 Oct 2026

No federal documents for pet cats: they only have to look healthy on arrival. No rabies proof, no CDC form, any airport, seaport or land border. The destination state (Hawaii: see us-hi-* rules) and the airline may require more.

01
Arrival inspection
before travel

Cats must appear healthy; they are inspected at the port and may be refused or sent for a veterinary examination at the owner's expense if they show signs of a disease transmissible to people.

DETAILS +

Cats must appear healthy; they are inspected at the port and may be refused or sent for a veterinary examination at the owner's expense if they show signs of a disease transmissible to people.

  • No rabies vaccination proof is required federally (recommended; states may require it). — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • USDA APHIS has no animal-health requirements for pet cats. — USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
  • Any U.S. airport, land port or seaport (see the entry points).
  • Cats arriving in Hawaii or Guam face local quarantine rules even from the mainland. — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

No quarantine

Source:HHS / CDC, Federal Register (opens official site: Control of Communicable Diseases; Foreign Quarantine: Importation of Dogs and Cats — final rule (89 FR 41726))· checked 04 Oct 2026

Timeline

Working out your dates…

Documents

The published steps for this route produce no paper we can name.

Official fees

The official pages we researched for this route name no fee. Vet, lab and airline charges are not covered here.

Entry points

Where a pet may enter the United States, per the rules.

Airlines

Airline rules are separate from entry rules and change without notice — confirm in writing when you book. Only what the carriers' own pages say, read 25 Sep 2026. All airlines

  • Lufthansa LH
    CabinYes
    HoldYes
    Snub-nosedHold: no · Cargo: restricted
  • Emirates EK
    CabinNo
    HoldYes
    Snub-nosedCargo: only Nov – Apr
  • ANA (All Nippon Airways) NH
    CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 45 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: not 1 May – 31 Oct
  • Qantas QF
    CabinNo
    HoldCargo only
    Snub-nosedNot stated
  • Delta Air Lines DLcabin: not on this route
    CabinYes
    HoldNo
    Snub-nosedHold, cargo: no
  • KLM KL
    CabinYes, up to 8 kg incl. carrier46 × 28 × 24 cm
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: no
  • Air France AF
    CabinYes, up to 8 kg incl. carrier46 × 28 × 24 cm
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: no · Cargo: restricted
  • British Airways BA
    CabinNo
    HoldCargo only
    Snub-nosedCargo: restricted
  • Qatar Airways QR
    CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: restricted

Announced changes

Return trip to Thailand

Moderate for a returning pet (no separate returning-resident rule; standard import rules apply), about 5 weeks of preparation. No quarantine when the paperwork is in order.

  • Import permit — 7+ working days before arrival: In advance: apply to the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS) of the arrival airport for the notice of import approval (form R.6, called the "import permit") at least 7 working days before arrival — through the DLD e-Movement system or by e-mail (Suvarnabhumi: qsap_bkk_import@dld.go.th) with form R1/1, a copy of the owner's passport, a photo of the pet and an English vaccination record showing the microchip number, one PDF per animal. Mandatory in advance for air cargo. The permit is valid 60 days and comes with the health "Requirement" for the exporting country's vet.
  • Import permit: On arrival: for hand-carried pets the advance application does not apply — at the discretion of the port veterinarian the owner may apply at the AQS on arrival (Suvarnabhumi "option C") with the complete documents: original endorsed health certificate, original vaccination record or pet passport in English with the microchip number, form R1/1. Not recommended with a short connection; airlines may refuse boarding without a permit issued in advance.
Source:Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine Station, DLD (opens official site: B. Pet in cabin/Checked baggage — import permit in advance (PDF, created 2023-12-20))· checked 04 Oct 2026
+4 more
Also:Royal Thai Government Gazette (hosted on the Suvarnabhumi Airport AQS site, DLD),Department of Livestock Development, Division of Animal Quarantine and Inspection (citizen's manual under the Licensing Facilitation Act B.E. 2558),Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine Station, DLD,Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine Station, DLD

Full checklist for a cat from United States to Thailand

Leaving United States with the pet

  • Taking a U.S.-vaccinated dog to a CDC high-risk country and back: have a USDA-accredited vet complete the CDC Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination and get it endorsed by USDA BEFORE leaving; it cannot be issued afterwards.
  • Pets living in Hawaii must finish the rabies vaccines and pass the FAVN test before leaving the state to avoid quarantine on return.
  • Taking a dog to Mexico (or any other screwworm-affected country) and back: on return it needs the screwworm certificate (inspection within 5 days before shipment). From Mexico a SENASICA-trained and approved clinical vet may sign it (SENASICA's MVRA directory).
  • Export papers for the destination country (USDA APHIS endorsement of the health certificate) were not researched.
Source:USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) (opens official site: Dog Imports: Check Country Disease Status (page and its data file dog-imports-country-disease-status.csv))· checked 25 Sep 2026
+2 more
Also:Hawaii Department of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Biosecurity), Animal Quarantine Station,USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services

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Sources

Every requirement above comes from one of these pages. Last researched 25 Sep 2026. Seen a change? Tell us.

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