Colombia is an adventure destination worth every kilometer of prep, and the ICA-run entry process is more predictable than the forms suggest. The critical decision: the health certificate must be dated within 10 days of arrival, so the vet visit gets scheduled tight against the flight, not weeks out. Nala rates Colombian trails high, and the paperwork side is very doable when the timing is right.

Pet import to Colombia is overseen by the national veterinary authority. Confirmed against an official source so far: a rabies vaccination, a health certificate and a tapeworm treatment. Anything else — commonly a microchip, rabies vaccination and health certificate — is not yet confirmed for Colombia against an official source, so it's flagged in the table below rather than assumed.

How Colombia handles your pet

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

Health & documents

Quarantine · Typehomeverified 2026-06-25
Quarantine · Required Noverified 2026-08-28
Import permit · Required Noverified 2026-07-20
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-08-13
Health certificate · Validity days10 daysverified 2026-08-28
Health certificate · Original required Yesverified 2026-08-15
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-08-28
Other vaccinations · Distemper Yesverified 2026-07-20
Other vaccinations · Adenovirus Yesverified 2026-06-25
Other vaccinations · Parvovirus Yesverified 2026-07-20
Other vaccinations · Leptospirosis Yesverified 2026-07-20
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-08-28
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination21 daysverified 2026-06-25
Tapeworm treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Internal parasite treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Internal parasite treatment · Timing notesWithin 60 days before shipmentverified 2026-08-28

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-07-20

Timing chain

Day -21 rabies vaccine deadline · Day -10 health certificate issued · Day 0 arrive at customs

Colombia requires the export health certificate to carry an issue date no more than 10 days before arrival. A certificate that predates the trip further is rejected at the ICA counter regardless of vaccine status. Book the vet appointment 8-9 days ahead of the flight so the 10-day window covers the entire journey, including any overnight layover en route.
Colombia does not publish a fixed quarantine duration for arriving pets. The workaround: if any non-rabies vaccination is missing from the animal's record, the owner must present an equivalent certification from the country of origin's official sanitary service. Carry the vet-signed sanitary certification at customs; without it, the ICA officer reserves the option to hold the animal pending clarification.
Colombia's quarantine leaf carries no fixed duration or fee, but the vaccination-substitution paperwork has a real cost. When a non-rabies vaccination is absent from the pet's record, the traveler must fund the equivalent sanitary certification from the origin country's official vet service — a fee set by that authority, not by ICA. Budget the vet-service line item alongside the standard health certificate.
Colombia rewards pet-owner travelers who front-load the vet timing and paperwork: a 10-day health-certificate window, ICA-accepted vaccination records, and no fixed quarantine to worry about when documents are clean. Push the flight date and vet options into Pawgo to receive a personalized plan that lines up the timing against your specific arrival airport and city.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Colombia →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.