Bringing animals ( dogs and cats) to Brazil

@kawakasbah Ok, I will come out of retirement (I am non-commenting to finish up my YouTube Channel by the Spring) because this means a lot to me. There are many, many threads on this topic so I will be brief.

I flew my 38lb.  Beagle Mix from Logan Airport in Boston to Jericoacoara in Northeastern Brazil. Hands down this was the MOST challenging thing I have ever done in my life.

To help you please be more specific. Is it a dog or a cat? if a dog is it small enough for carry-on or does it have to be cargo.

1. Preparation is Vital
2. There is a 10-day window between YOUR flight and the PET`S flight where Everything has to be done.
3. You will need to get a vet to provide a signed form, which you will have to send to the USDA and receive it back to be presented at your departure point.
4. The paperwork is a monster, (rabies shots etc.) and I suggest being organized and have a folder etc.
5. You need to purchase a regulation crate that "fits" your pet
6. There is an abundance of documents that need to be signed. The pet has to be weighed and measured for the crate and provided water and food attached to the crate.
7. You will not be able to BOOK your pet's departure until right before on that day. I had to book mine at 4am in the morning on-site. This is because the airline needs to check the temperature of your destination the temperature of your destination if your dog is flying in cargo.
8. Chances are there is no way to coordinate your flight with theirs, so they may need to stay in a pet hotel along the way.
9. You will need a "broker"? at the location you cross from the USA to Brazil for customs protocol.

GOOD LUCK!

Roddie in Retirement🕵

Roddie in Retirement1f575.svg

@roddiesho

They updated some regs in December 2024. I’m sure it’s even more complicated now. What year did you bring your dog to Brazil?

Thank you very much for all this informative information. I will definitely follow your guidelines. May be challenging in my situation as I have to bring 5 dogs and 5 cats. 

PS: I have already contacted the broker here in Brazil

@kawakasbah Congratulations, you must really love pets. I would bring a copilot or a young child etc.  It is hard to do by yourself. Just going to the mens room when you have the pet with you can be a challenge.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

@bepmoht 22 SIMBA and I came here in 2022. Please let us know what the changes are if you find out. This is a common question.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

02/25/25 @kawakasbah.  Check with the Brazilian Consulate serving the area where you're currently living for any updated regulations.  Here's a thread from 2024:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1072203

@kawakasbah

Please let me know if you get a response. I am trying to bring my dog from the USA

02/28/25 Thank you very much for all this informative information. I will definitely follow your guidelines. May be challenging in my situation as I have to bring 5 dogs and 5 cats.
PS: I have already contacted the broker here in Brazil - @kawakasbah

The trip to Brazil from almost anywhere in the world is a long and arduous one for a pet.  In transporting ten animals, even if all are young and healthy, some of them probably will not make it.  If any are elderly or have health problems,  "probably" becomes a near certainty.  You'll need to be prepared for that.

Thanks . I was wondering about that myself but my family won’t leave them behind and move to Brazil . Quite a conundrum….thanks again.

@kawakasbah I will leave this open to the EXPAT.COM BrainTrust. Is it possible to take them on a ship etc.? Will a cruise allow that many pets?

Roddie in Retirement🕵

@roddiesho

I tried numerous times to contact cargo ships. They used to allow pets pre Covid. But l never got a reply from any of them despite sending emails and chat requests through their websites. When you look at the posts, they are all several years old. As far as l know no cruise ships allow animals. If anyone finds out different please post here.

@KenAquarius Thanx, I agree. I haven't heard of bringing 5 Dogs and 5 Cats on a Ship since some guy named Noah did it on his Ark.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

@kawakasbah

FYI- I have no clue what city you’re in but you could potentially reduce time in flight depending on your departure and arrival airports. For example, if you fly from Fort Lauderdale on Azul Flight 8721 direct to Belem it’s only a 6 hour flight. Most flights from the USA are in the 9-10 hour range! The 3-4 hour shorter duration might be the difference between Fido or Fluffy making it to Brazil intact. This flight isn’t available everyday of the week so you have to search patiently. Of course then you’d have to rent a couple of small Vans, one for your animals and one for the family and drive to your FINAL DESTINATION. There may be other options. As a person who doesn’t like being locked in a Tin box at 30,000 feet for an eternity I am always searching for ways to spend less time in the skys above.

Good luck and God speed!

That’s a good suggestion. Definitely will look into that possibility . Thanks

@kawakasbah

You are going to need some help with the paperwork.

lf you can find a vet with travel experience to Brazil it would be a big help. Brazil is one big bureaucratic mess. You can get different answers on different days depending on who you ask. So having someone familiar with the way things are is a huge plus. I have put off my retirement to Brazil because I’m concerned about my dog’s age and health. I just can’t risk it. With that being said l do wish you the best and admire you for making the effort to take your pets rather than just abandoning them.

hey so I went down this rabbit hole recently because I was looking into bringing my dog to Brazil and honestly it's way less complicated than most countries.

no microchip requirement, no quarantine, no import permit. the main stuff is:

- rabies vaccine at least 30 days old (but less than 1 year, or 3 years if your vet noted that on the certificate)

- health certificate from your vet within 10 days of the flight, then you gotta get it USDA endorsed — that's the annoying part because the USDA office can take a few days

- parasite treatment (internal + external) within 15 days of departure

one thing that kept coming up in my research that nobody here mentioned — CDC now classifies Brazil as high-risk for dog rabies. doesn't change what Brazil asks for on their end, but it makes your re-entry to the US a headache if your rabies paperwork isn't perfect. heads up that this only applies to dogs, cats are fine.

for airlines, United does cabin on some Brazil routes for $150 each way (small pets only obviously). bigger dogs = cargo, and that gets pricey fast — saw quotes from $500 to $2000+ depending on size. book the pet spot early, they limit how many per flight.

found a pretty solid breakdown with the full timeline and checklist that saved me a bunch of time: https://airpaws.travel/countries/brazil-pet-travel

seems to be up to date but still double check the details with your vet. hope it helps!

@roddiesho that 10-day window is no joke. did you end up doing the USDA endorsement by mail or did you go in person? I've heard the turnaround can vary a lot depending on which office you're dealing with. also curious if you had any issues at the Brazilian side — like did customs actually check everything or was it more of a rubber stamp?

@bepmoht from what I can tell the December 2024 update actually simplified things a bit on the Brazilian side — they dropped some of the extra vaccination requirements and streamlined the health certificate format. the bigger headache now is on the US re-entry side because of the CDC update classifying Brazil as high-risk for dog rabies. so getting INTO Brazil is easier than it used to be, but coming back is where you need to be careful with your paperwork.

03/13/26 found a pretty solid breakdown with the full timeline and checklist that saved me a bunch of time: https://airpaws.travel/countries/brazil-pet-travel

seems to be up to date but still double check the details with your vet. hope it helps! - @ArthurLandson

That does look pretty current -- thanks.

Don't forget about the "last mile" though, which can easily be the last 1000+ miles in this vast country.  Connecting flights within Brazil have gotten more difficult and more expensive since the covid pandemic, and anyone traveling with a dog who's traveling beyond the port of entry will want to make sure that all the details are nailed down with all the airlines to the final destination.