PetGrit
Estimate — confirm with official authority

Flying to Costa Rica with a pet

Requirements reviewed: April 2026 · Official authority: Costa Rica SENASA — Pet import

Cat beside pet travel documents, microchip scanner, and a carrier

Entry requirements at a glance

Microchip
Not required
Rabies vaccine
Required. Current rabies vaccination. Must be given at least 30 days before travel.
Health certificate
USDA APHIS-endorsed health certificate issued within 15 days of travel.
Rabies titer test
Not required Not required.
Quarantine on arrival
None if all requirements are met None if requirements met.

Step-by-step process notes

Costa Rica is a popular destination for U.S. pet owners and requirements are relatively manageable. Pets must carry a current rabies vaccine certificate (issued by a licensed vet) and a USDA-endorsed health certificate. The certificate must be in Spanish or accompanied by a certified translation. Pets enter through the Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José.

Confirm with the official authority

This page summarizes Costa Rica's pet-import requirements as of April 2026. Pet-import rules change. Always verify with the official government authority before travel.

Costa Rica SENASA — Pet import

Build your travel checklist

Use the Pet Travel Readiness tool to turn Costa Rica's requirements into a sequenced, dated checklist — microchip, vaccines, titer test wait period, and USDA health certificate window — from your travel date.

Build my Costa Rica checklist

Useful guides

USDA health certificate, step by step Microchip and rabies rules

Other destinations

United Kingdom Microchip req. · No quarantine Canada No microchip · No quarantine Mexico No microchip · No quarantine Japan Microchip req. · Quarantine Australia Microchip req. · Quarantine
All destinations