Traveling to Colombia with Pets: Complete Import & Export Guide

My neighbor in El Poblado moved here with two rescue mutts and a cat she'd had since college. Getting all three to Colombia took about three months of planning — mostly because she didn't know about the ICA registration until two weeks before departure and had to scramble for an emergency vet appointment. She made it. The animals made it. But she'd be the first to tell you: do this earlier than you think you need to.

The good news is that Colombia doesn't require quarantine for dogs and cats, and the process — while bureaucratic — is genuinely manageable if you start early. There's no microchip requirement, no weeks-long isolation at a government facility, and no surprise fees beyond a modest ICA inspection fee at the airport. Get your vaccines, register online, get a health cert within 10 days of travel, and you're through.

This guide covers everything: what Colombia's ICA requires, the full vaccine list for dogs and cats, how to navigate the SISPAP online system, airline pet policies for Avianca, LATAM, and Copa, what to do if you're taking your pet OUT of Colombia, and where to find a good vet once you arrive.

What Colombia Actually Requires — The Short Version

Before going deep, here's the summary for skimmers:

• Up-to-date vaccines — dogs need 7, cats need 4 (listed below)
• Antiparasitic treatment — administered within 60 days of arrival
• Veterinary health certificate — issued within 10 calendar days of your flight
• USDA or CFIA endorsement on the certificate (for US/Canadian travelers)
• ICA SISPAP registration — create an account and submit an application online before you travel
• Airport inspection fee — approximately 50,000 COP (~$12 USD), paid by credit/debit card at the ICA desk

No quarantine required if your documentation is in order. If something's wrong, your options are: return the animal, pay for quarantine (around 575,000 COP), or in the worst case, euthanasia. That last outcome is extremely rare and happens only with serious violations — but it's worth understanding the stakes.

Vaccine Requirements for Dogs and Cats

Colombia's ICA has specific vaccine requirements, and the list is longer than most countries. All vaccines must be recorded on the health certificate with the vaccine name, lot number, administration date, and expiration date.

Dogs

• Rabies — must be administered more than 30 days before travel but not expired
• Distemper
• Canine Hepatitis
• Leptospirosis (both canicola and icterohemorragiae strains)
• Parvovirus
• Parainfluenza
• Canine Coronavirus — see note below

The coronavirus vaccine is the one that trips up American dog owners. It's simply not available in the United States. You don't get penalized for this — but your vet needs to write an official signed statement confirming that the canine coronavirus vaccine is not commercially available in the US. Bring that letter with your documents and the ICA inspector will accept it. Get this letter in writing before you leave, not as an afterthought at the airport.

Cats

• Rabies
• Feline Panleukopenia
• Rhinotracheitis
• Calicivirus

The last three are typically combined in the FVRCP vaccine, so most cats that are up to date on their annual shots will already have those covered. Confirm expiration dates — the vaccine must not have expired by the time you travel.

The ICA SISPAP Process: Step by Step

The Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) manages all animal imports through SISPAP, their online sanitary inspection platform. Here's how the process works:

1. Register on ICA's system — Go to ica.gov.co and create a user account. This part can be slow. If registration fails, email [email protected] for support. Do this at least 2–3 weeks before travel.
2. Submit your application via SISPAP — Enter your pet's details, vaccine information, and travel dates. Up to 10 animals of the same species can be included in one application; different species require separate applications.
3. Pay the inspection fee online — Approximately 50,000 COP ($12 USD). Print the payment confirmation — you'll need it at the airport.
4. Print everything — Colombia wants originals and paper. Print the SISPAP application, proof of payment, health certificate, and vaccination records.
5. At the airport — After customs, find the ICA office. Present all documents, undergo a physical inspection of your pet, and receive your Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria (CIS). El Dorado in Bogotá operates 24/7, so late-night arrivals won't have a problem.

The whole thing at the airport takes 30–60 minutes if your documents are complete. The fee can only be paid at the airport by credit or debit card — cash is not accepted. Accepted cards: CREDIBANCO, MASTERCARD, VISA, AMEX.

The 10-Day Health Certificate: The Most Stressful Part

This is where most people mess up. Colombia requires the veterinary health certificate to be issued within 10 calendar days of your pet's arrival. Not departure date — arrival. If your flight takes 2 days with a layover, your cert needs to be issued before the 8-day mark.

For US-based travelers, that certificate then needs to be endorsed by USDA APHIS Veterinary Services. This usually takes 1–3 business days through their online system, or up to a week by mail. Book your vet appointment and USDA appointment back-to-back, leaving enough buffer. Using the USDA's online endorsement service (VSPS) is faster than mailing. Canadian travelers need CFIA endorsement, which follows a similar timeline.

Practically: if you're flying on a Thursday, aim to have your vet appointment the Friday before. That gives you a full week for the USDA endorsement to come back before you need to travel. Don't get the cert on Monday of the same week — that's cutting it dangerously close once you factor in shipping the endorsed document back to you.

The cert needs to say that the pet is "free from infectious, contagious, and parasitic diseases" — your USDA-accredited vet knows the language. Make sure they've done this for Colombia before, not just generic international travel.

Airline Pet Policies for Flights to Colombia

The three main carriers for Colombia routes each handle pets differently. Book pet travel as early as possible — airlines have strict per-flight limits on how many animals can travel in cabin.

Avianca

Avianca allows dogs and cats in cabin on flights under 4 hours; longer routes require the hold. Pets must be at least 4 months old. Small pets only in cabin — combined carrier + pet weight must stay under the limits set per route. Book through Avianca's call center; you can't always add a pet online. They require the original health certificate.

LATAM

LATAM is generally the most flexible option. For flights within Colombia, the pet fee in cabin is COP 60,000 (~$14 USD). For international routes into Colombia, fees are higher. Carrier dimensions for cabin: maximum 40cm × 28cm × 25cm (soft-sided) or 36cm × 33cm × 19cm (hard-sided). Pets must be at least 16 weeks old. Brachycephalic breeds (flat-faced dogs and cats — French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, etc.) cannot travel in the hold on LATAM, and some restrictions apply in cabin too depending on route.

LATAM has temporarily suspended direct pet-in-cabin service between the US and Colombia on certain routes due to CDC restrictions on dogs returning to the US. Check current policies before booking if you're flying back.

Copa Airlines

Copa allows small dogs and cats in cabin; they replace your personal item or carry-on. Documentation needs to be submitted 48 hours before departure. Copa is generally reliable for this route but has stricter size limits than LATAM.

One practical note: if you're flying economy on any carrier, the under-seat space is smaller than you think. Measure your carrier before you buy a ticket — a carrier that fits perfectly on your last flight might not meet a different airline's exact dimensions.

Breed Restrictions: What Colombia Bans

Under Colombian law (Ley 746 of 2002), the following breeds are prohibited from import and cannot legally be brought into Colombia:

• American Pit Bull Terrier / Pit Bull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Terrier / Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Any crossbreed or hybrid of the above

Rottweilers and Dobermans appear in some older versions of the legislation but current enforcement focuses primarily on Pit Bull-type dogs. If your dog is a mixed breed that might visually resemble a restricted breed, this is worth looking into before you book. The ICA inspector has discretion, and "it's just a mutt" may not be a winning argument at customs.

Taking Your Pet OUT of Colombia

Less talked about but equally important — if you adopted a pet in Colombia and want to bring it home, or if you're leaving after living here, you need Colombia's exit paperwork too.

ICA issues a Certificado Zoosanitario para Exportación (CZE) through the same SISPAP system. You'll need a veterinary health certificate issued by a registered Colombian vet, valid for no more than 3 days before travel — tighter than the import window. Register as an "exportador" in SISPAP, submit the application, pay the fee, and visit the ICA desk at the airport on departure.

Once you have the Colombian CZE, the hard part starts: meeting your destination country's import requirements. For the US, you'll need USDA APHIS endorsement on a US-formatted health certificate — which is awkward when you're in Colombia. The solution most expats use is to get the Colombian vet to issue a certificate in the format required by USDA, then email it to a USDA-accredited vet in the US who re-issues and submits it for endorsement. A few relocation companies specialize in exactly this.

For returning to Canada, EU countries, or the UK, requirements vary significantly — especially for rabies titer tests (blood tests that verify immunity). Some countries require a titer test performed at an approved lab at least 3 months before travel. If you're planning to eventually take a Colombian pet back to the EU, start planning 6+ months out.

Finding a Vet in Colombia — and What It Costs

Vet care in Colombia is genuinely excellent and significantly cheaper than in the US, UK, or Canada. Medellín and Bogotá both have well-trained veterinarians, modern clinics, and 24-hour emergency facilities.

• Routine consultation: 30,000–60,000 COP ($7–15 USD)
• Vaccine visit: 40,000–80,000 COP ($10–20 USD) including the vaccine
• Antiparasitic treatment: 20,000–40,000 COP ($5–10 USD)
• Emergency consultation: 80,000–150,000 COP ($20–35 USD)

In Medellín, good areas to find clinics include Laureles, El Poblado, and Envigado. In Bogotá, Chapinero, Usaquén, and Cedritos have multiple well-reviewed options. Search on Google Maps for "veterinaria 24 horas" if you need late-night emergency care.

One thing worth having before you move: SafetyWing Nomad Insurance covers the human side of expat life — medical, travel emergencies, and unexpected trip disruptions. It doesn't cover your pet, but knowing your own healthcare is sorted makes the pet logistics feel less overwhelming.

FAQ: Traveling to Colombia with Pets

❓ Does Colombia require quarantine for dogs and cats?

No quarantine is required if you have all documentation in order — health certificate, vaccines, ICA SISPAP registration, and the antiparasitic treatment. If documents are incomplete, you may face a home quarantine (575,000 COP for two ICA visits) or be required to return the animal.

❓ Is microchipping required to bring a pet to Colombia?

No. Colombia does not require microchipping for imported dogs or cats. That said, it's still a good idea — if your pet escapes in an unfamiliar city, a microchip is one of the only reliable ways to get them back.

❓ How far in advance should I start preparing?

Start 8–10 weeks out at minimum. The timeline looks like: 6–8 weeks out — make sure vaccines are current and schedule any boosters needed (rabies needs to be administered more than 30 days before travel). 3–4 weeks out — register in ICA SISPAP and submit your application. 10 days before — vet appointment for health certificate. 7 days before — USDA/CFIA endorsement submitted. 1–2 days before — receive endorsed certificate.

❓ Can I bring a Pit Bull or American Staffordshire Terrier to Colombia?

No. These breeds are prohibited under Colombian law (Ley 746 of 2002). The ban covers Pit Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and any recognized crosses. This is enforced at the ICA inspection point.

❓ How do I take a Colombian rescue dog or cat back to the US?

You need an ICA Certificado Zoosanitario para Exportación (CZE) from Colombia, plus a health certificate that meets USDA requirements for import into the US. The US certificate should be issued by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA APHIS. Contact the USDA APHIS NIES program for the specific Colombian requirements — they'll tell you exactly what's needed for your destination state.

The Bottom Line

Bringing pets to Colombia is completely doable — it just requires getting organized early. The ICA paperwork is the most unfamiliar part, but once you've done it once you'll realize it's not that different from any other bureaucratic process here: register online, pay a fee, show up with paper documents. The animals are going to be fine.

The hardest part for most people is the 10-day health certificate window combined with the USDA endorsement timing. Give yourself more room than you think you need, find a vet who's familiar with international travel health certs, and don't leave the SISPAP registration until the last week.

Got questions about the specific process for your country or your pet's breed? Drop them in the comments below — or head over to colombiamove.com/comunidad where other expats who've been through this can share what worked for them.