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Bringing a Cat from the USA to Colombia: Requirements & Timeline

Easy both ways for cats — about three weeks in, and none of the CDC return process dogs face.

Rules last verified against official sources: 2026-07-24

Planning for a dog instead? See the dog version of this route →

Pick your travel date to get a dated, backward-planned checklist. (This tool needs JavaScript; the full requirements are listed below either way.)

For a cat, Colombia is easy: no import permit, no quarantine. You need a rabies vaccination (for a first shot, at least 21 days before shipment; minimum entry age 15 weeks), an internal-and-external parasite treatment within 60 days, and a USDA-endorsed health certificate issued after an exam within the prior 10 days.

Minimum lead time: about 0.7 months (21 days). About three weeks from a standing start: a first rabies vaccination needs 21 days before shipment, and your cat must be at least 15 weeks old to enter. Coming home is simple.

The requirements, in order

Order matters — several steps are only valid if the earlier ones were done first. This is the same sequence the planner above turns into dated deadlines.

  1. Rabies vaccination (21 days before shipment)
    Pets 15 weeks or older must be rabies-vaccinated to enter Colombia, and the vaccination certificate must travel with them. For a first (primary) dose it must be given at least 21 days before shipment. Animals under 15 weeks may enter unvaccinated only under a conditional home quarantine during which they're vaccinated after arrival.
    The 15-week minimum age is Colombia's floor: a rabies-vaccinated pet can't enter younger than that.
    Official source ↗
  2. Internal & external parasite treatment
    Mandatory deworming (internal) and external antiparasitic treatment for both dogs and cats, applied within 60 days before shipment, with product and date recorded on the certificate.
    Official source ↗
  3. Health certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS
    The health certificate (form NL 0326), issued by a USDA-accredited vet after an exam within the prior 10 days and endorsed by USDA APHIS. Non-rabies vaccines (distemper, parvovirus, etc. for dogs; panleukopenia for cats) are recorded but can be given after arrival if missing.
    Official source ↗

No return hassle for cats

Colombia is CDC high-risk, complicating the return trip for dogs — but cats are exempt from all of it. Nothing special is needed to bring a cat back to the US.

The trip home: bringing your dog back to the US

Colombia is a CDC high-risk country for dog rabies — set up the return BEFORE you leave. The step people miss: a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination must be completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before your dog departs the US (and the microchip must have been implanted before the rabies shot, or the vaccination is invalid for re-entry). Before flying back, also file the free CDC Dog Import Form — a single-entry receipt for your arrival date. Your dog must be at least 6 months old and appear healthy. Skip the pre-departure certification and a US-vaccinated dog can face a CDC-registered facility, revaccination, and quarantine on return.

Cats are exempt — they aren't subject to the CDC dog-import rules and need no rabies paperwork to re-enter (Hawaii and Guam set their own quarantine even from the mainland).

Official sources

These are the only authorities on this route. If anything here disagrees with them, they win — and please tell us.

FAQ

How long does it take to bring a cat from the US to Colombia?
About three weeks if your cat needs a first rabies shot (21-day wait), and it must be at least 15 weeks old to enter. Parasite treatment within 60 days, and the endorsed certificate within 10 days.
Is the trip home easy for a cat?
Yes — cats skip the CDC high-risk return process that dogs face.
Do I need a permit for Colombia?
No — personal pet cats don't need an import permit, and there's no quarantine.

Other cat routes

Compare every country's lead time, titer and return requirements side by side →

Disclaimer: Preflight Pet is a planning aid, not legal or veterinary advice. Import rules change; airlines add their own requirements. Always confirm every step with the official government sources linked on this page, and with your airline and accredited veterinarian, before booking travel.
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