Bringing Pets to Costa Rica: SENASA Requirements for Dogs and Cats

What Costa Rica requires, in one table

SENASA's requirements apply to dogs and cats imported temporarily or permanently as companion animals or for breeding. There is a general document and a version specific to animals from the United States; the health requirements are the same.

Two points differ from what some older guides say. SENASA's documents do not set a minimum number of days between the rabies vaccine and arrival; the requirement is that the vaccine is valid on the day of entry. And they do not make a microchip mandatory; they ask for its number if the pet has one.

For pets leaving the United States

SENASA's U.S. document says dogs and cats must travel with a health certificate issued by a veterinarian accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and endorsed by USDA Veterinary Services (IN-007, sec. 6.1). USDA APHIS publishes the specific bilingual certificate for Costa Rica.

The APHIS Costa Rica page (updated 6 February 2026) sets out the process:

• An accredited veterinarian examines the pet and completes the Costa Rica certificate.
• APHIS endorsement is required after the accredited veterinarian issues it.
• Veterinarians can issue the certificate electronically through VEHCS, APHIS's Veterinary Export Health Certification System. The endorsed certificate can be printed directly from VEHCS rather than mailed back.
• An import permit issued by Costa Rica is required for pets that travel unaccompanied.

The APHIS certificate repeats SENASA's timing: an exam within two weeks of the departure date, and treatment for internal and external parasites within the 15 days before export, with the product, active ingredient and lot number for each. APHIS also lists certificates for rabbits and guinea pigs, and states that Costa Rica does not allow the importation of pet birds.

For pets leaving Canada

The CFIA publishes a Costa Rica-specific health certificate for dogs and cats (form HA2809, amended 7 January 2022). A veterinarian licensed in Canada completes it, and an official CFIA veterinarian endorses it. The form states:

• The animal was examined within 14 days of the departure date and found clinically healthy and fit to travel.
• It was treated for internal and external parasites within the 15 days before export.
• Dogs and cats over three months have a rabies vaccine that is valid on the day of entry.
• The certificate is valid for 14 days from the date of the veterinarian's inspection.

The CFIA says endorsement cannot be done after the animal leaves Canada, that owners should book the appointment with an official CFIA veterinarian with as much notice as possible, and that a fee applies to the endorsement. The form's notes add that a pet in the cabin with its owner needs only the CFIA certificate at the Costa Rican border post, while a pet travelling as cargo or unaccompanied needs SENASA's import forms and a customs agency before travel. The residency side for Canadians is covered in Costa Rica residency for Canadians.

Travelling with your pet, or shipping it as cargo

How the pet flies changes the paperwork on the Costa Rican side.

For cargo and unaccompanied pets, SENASA resolves the permit request within a maximum of 24 business hours, counted from receipt of the original document and measured against the working hours of the Animal Quarantine Directorate's central offices (IN-006, sec. 6.3 and 6.4). Build in extra days around weekends and holidays; the clock does not run outside office hours.

Airlines. Each airline sets its own rules on which animals it accepts in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo, including size and weight limits for carriers, breed restrictions, minimum ages and seasonal temperature embargoes. Those rules are separate from Costa Rica's requirements and change more often. Confirm them with the airline, in writing where possible, before you schedule the veterinary exam, because the two-week window leaves little room to rebook.

Step-by-step timeline

The table works backward from the departure date. The two-week exam and 15-day parasite windows come from SENASA, APHIS and the CFIA; the earlier steps are planning allowances, not official deadlines.

Because the Canadian certificate is valid for 14 days from the veterinarian's inspection, a delayed flight can push it out of date. Ask your veterinarian how late the exam can reasonably be scheduled for your itinerary.

Arrival inspection

At the border inspection post, SENASA inspects dogs and cats as they enter. Its requirements state that pets showing tumors, fresh wounds or wounds in the process of healing, or external parasites will be refused entry (sec. 7.1). That is why the parasite treatment is timed so close to departure, and why a pet should be checked for ticks again before the flight.

SENASA's documents do not describe a quarantine period for dogs and cats that meet the requirements. They also do not publish an inspection fee in the sections we reviewed; ask SENASA or your customs agency whether one applies to your arrival.

Other animals

SENASA's documents cover domestic dogs and cats only. For the United States, APHIS publishes Costa Rica certificates for rabbits and guinea pigs, states that Costa Rica does not allow pet birds, and says that for other species it has not been told Costa Rica's requirements. For any animal other than a dog or cat, contact SENASA before you make plans.

Confirming with SENASA

SENASA's pet import requirements are published on its website under the Animal Quarantine Directorate's pet section, and its central line is (506) 2587-1600. Its documents carry a disclaimer that the requirements are a guide, can change without prior notice if the exporting country's health status changes, and must be confirmed by the importer. Check the version number and effective date of the document on SENASA's site shortly before you book the veterinary exam.

Where this fits in the move

Pet paperwork is a two-week task at the end of a move. Residency is the long one. The relocation guide sets out the order of the whole move, shipping household goods covers the customs side of your belongings, and the pensionado guide and residency requirements explain what the application needs. Meridian's program fee is a flat $3,750 per application, with an approved-or-you-don't-pay guarantee. If you are not yet sure which category fits, start with the assessment.

Sources and legal basis

1. SENASA, Dirección de Cuarentena Animal, Requisitos para importar a Costa Rica: perros y gatos: DCA-PG-02-RS-01-IN-006 version 11, Requisitos para la importación de perros y gatos, and DCA-PG-02-RS-01-IN-007 version 09, Requisitos para la importación de perros y gatos de Estados Unidos de América, both in force from 19 July 2024.
2. SENASA, home page (contact line).
3. USDA APHIS, Pet Travel From the United States to Costa Rica, updated 6 February 2026, and the Costa Rica dog and cat health certificate.
4. Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Pets: export certificates; Health certificate for the export of dogs and cats to Costa Rica, HA2809, amended 7 January 2022; Canadian International Health Certificate (endorsement fee).