Moving to Mexico with a pet

The Mexican government agency in charge of pet imports is the Oficinas de Inspección de Sanidad Agropecuarias (OISA), also known as the Agricultural Health Inspection Offices. SENASICA is the appropriate sub-organization. They have offices in international airports, international seaports, and border crossings across the world.

How to bring cats and dogs with you to Mexico

A SENASICA employee will visually inspect your pet to check for rashes, healed wounds, infectious disorders, or external parasites. If any of these are found, you will be requested to call a veterinarian of your choice to have the animal assessed and, if necessary, treatment at your cost.

If ticks are discovered during the inspection, they will be collected and submitted to the lab for analysis to examine if they are an invasive species. The animal will be kept at the examination center until the results are available. You will be charged for all analyses and testing.

Suppose your animal is being treated for infections and/or lesions of the skin tissue, such as alopecia, dermafilosis, mande, or a disease of this sort, at the time of inspection. In that case, you must produce SENASICA with a letter from a registered veterinarian with the license number, or similar, that indicates both the diagnosis and treatment.

The address of the pet's importer/exporter and the address of the pet's eventual destination in Mexico must also be included on the certificate. Finally, a copy of the veterinarian's formal credentials must be included.

The SENASICA will give you an importing certificate when the pet is allowed to enter.

Either one or two pets are free of charge. There is a one-time fee of 1,620 pesos for 3 or more.

You can only pack enough food products to last for one day.

Read also Traveling to Mexico  

For other pets in Mexico

In Mexico, just cats and dogs are legally considered pets. For other animals (like reptiles, birds, and ferrets), you have to use this webpage to ask permission to bring them into Mexico. Should your animal not be listed on the website, you can also get in touch with the office via e-mail: reqzoosan.dgsa@senasica.gob.mx, and for aquatic animals: redacuicola@senasica.gob.mx

Important:

The airline you use determines the travel requirements for your dogs. Prior to booking your journey, check the airline's website for instructions on carrying the pet, including whether they need additional papers such as a health certificate.

In any case, you should check the government website before going on your trip:

Useful links:

Information about importing pets to Mexico

Information about importing pets to Mexico is on the webpage of the Mexican Consulate in the Netherlands

Web page for importing pets that are not cats or dogs