The Dominican Republic keeps it short: a health certificate, a rabies vaccination, and no import permit to chase. The one number that matters is ten — the certificate is good for ten days after issuance, and that is the entire scheduling problem. Pixel's own file for a trip like this would be two documents thick, which is about as light as international travel gets.

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

How Dominican Republic handles your pet

Key points

  • Dogs and cats entering the Dominican Republic from the United States must be accompanied by a USDA-endorsed health certificate (the USDA/DIGEGA bilateral form), which is valid for 10 days from the date of issuance
  • Rabies vaccination is required for animals aged 12 weeks or older, and at least 30 days must have elapsed since vaccination before travel
  • Pet birds require an import permit from the Direccion General de Ganaderia (DIGEGA) or the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente before arrival

Downloadable forms

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

Health & documents

Import permit · Required Noverified 2026-09-09
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Health certificate · Validity days10 daysverified 2026-09-09
Health certificate · Original required Yesverified 2026-10-18
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-10-18
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Rabies vaccination · Booster required Noverified 2026-10-18
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination30 daysverified 2026-09-09
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-09-09

Timing chain

Day -30 rabies vaccine deadline · Day -10 health certificate issued · Day 0 arrive at customs

The certificate is valid for 10 days after issuance. That is ten days from the veterinarian's signature, and it has to still be inside the window when the animal is presented on arrival, not when the flight departs. Book the signing appointment against the arrival date. A rebooked or delayed flight can take the certificate past day ten in transit.
With no import permit to apply for, the cost of this entry is the veterinary appointment itself, repeated only if the ten-day window is missed. A second certificate is the most common avoidable expense here. Schedule one appointment as late as the window allows rather than an early one plus a replacement, and keep the vet's contact details for the return leg.
Short list, one deadline. Certificate, rabies vaccination, ten days. Because nothing else has a lead time, this is a destination you can genuinely plan inside a fortnight, provided the vet appointment lands in the right place. Put your arrival date into the plan builder and it will tell you the earliest and latest day the certificate can be signed.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Dominican Republic →

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.