If you are relocating a pet from Guyana to United States, the process is manageable once you know the sequence. Plan for approximately 10-14 weeks. This is a rigorous route with little room to compress the schedule. Pets with correct …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Guyana to United States
typically takes around 10-14 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test may be required depending on your pet's origin, so check the requirements below.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Guyana to United States pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Confirm the microchip is implanted and scanning, then administer the rabies vaccination for dogs. Cats need no CDC vaccination but should still be current per GLDA's own paperwork.
Responsible: Vet in Guyana
Start of planning, at least 10-12 weeks before travel.
2
Draw blood at least 30 days after vaccination for the rabies serology titre test, sent to a CDC-approved laboratory such as Kansas State's Rabies Laboratory.
Responsible: Vet and the CDC-approved laboratory
Roughly 8-10 weeks before travel.
3
Once a passing result is confirmed, complete the CDC Dog Import Form and book a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility at your intended US arrival airport.
Responsible: Owner
As soon as the titre result is confirmed, always before the flight.
4
Apply for the GLDA Animal Export Permit and International Export Health Certificate.
Responsible: Owner or a Guyana-based agent, via GLDA
4-6 weeks before travel.
5
Book Caribbean Airlines cargo space GEO-JFK for a dog, or American Airlines for a cat, confirming the arrival airport has a CDC-registered facility if the titre result isn't yet in hand.
Responsible: Owner or agent, with the airline's cargo desk
6-8 weeks before travel.
6
Collect the GLDA-endorsed health certificate, timed close to departure.
Responsible: GLDA-recognised vet
Within 10 days of travel.
7
Arrive at a CDC-registered facility airport in the US. If the titre result wasn't passing, the 28-day quarantine begins here.
Responsible: CDC-registered facility staff and CBP
Day of arrival.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter United States of America
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
Universal-scanner-readable microchip required before the rabies vaccination for dogs. A chip implanted after the vaccine means the vaccine doesn't count toward entry. Not a federal requirement for cats. Source: CDC, Bringing a Dog into the United States, cdc.gov/importation/dogs, 2026.
Rabies vaccination
Required for dogs, first dose given no earlier than 12 weeks old. Cats face no federal CDC rabies vaccination requirement at all, only a general health check on arrival. Source: cdc.gov/importation.
Rabies titre test
Required for a dog travelling on a Guyana-issued vaccination certificate, since Guyana sits on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies. Blood drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before the flight lands in the US, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory. Kansas State University's Rabies Laboratory, one approved option, charges around USD 90 for the FAVN test with a 3 to 4 week turnaround. Source: CDC, High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies, cdc.gov/importation/dogs/high-risk-countries.html, 2026, and ksvdl.org.
Quarantine
None for a dog arriving with a valid passing titre and a completed CDC Dog Import Form. Without the titre, a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility applies, at the owner's cost. Cats face no CDC quarantine requirement.
Import permit
CDC Dog Import Form, a free form completed online by the owner before travel, one per dog, with a current photograph. A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility must also be booked before departure, since Guyana is high-risk. No equivalent CDC form exists for cats.
Health certificate
CDC doesn't itself demand a Guyana-endorsed export certificate for entry, but airlines generally still want a veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days of travel, and a US Customs and Border Protection officer can refuse entry to any animal that appears unwell regardless of paperwork.
Export permit (Guyana)
Animal Export Permit application submitted to the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), naming the exporter, the destination and the animal's identifying details.
Costs
What this route typically costs
GLDA International Export Health Certificate: G$5,000 per animal, roughly USD 24
Guyana vet visits, vaccination and blood draw: USD 60-150
Rabies FAVN titre test at a CDC-approved laboratory: USD 90-200, plus courier costs for the sample
IATA-compliant travel crate: USD 100-350
Cargo fare, Georgetown to JFK on Caribbean Airlines (dogs) or Miami/JFK on American (cats): USD 800-2,000 depending on crate size and season
CDC-registered facility fee if the 28-day quarantine option applies: set individually by each facility, not published centrally, get a written quote before booking
Total typical range for a compliant pet with a passing titre (dogs) or standard paperwork (cats): USD 1,700-3,300
Critical points to read before you book
Guyana's CDC high-risk status for dog rabies means American Airlines Cargo, despite flying GEO to both Miami and JFK nonstop, won't accept a new dog booking on this route. This is an airline-specific commercial rule, not a CDC entry requirement itself, but it still rules American out for a dog. Cats aren't affected.
JetBlue also flies Georgetown to JFK, but it carries no dogs or cats in the cargo hold at all, only small pets under the seat. A scheduled nonstop service doesn't automatically mean a hold option exists.
Missing the 30-day-after-vaccination and 28-day-before-arrival titre test window doesn't stop your dog travelling. It converts the move into a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered facility, at your cost, so getting the blood draw date right matters more than almost anything else in this process.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
AMERICAN
American Airlines
Flies GEO nonstop to both Miami and New York-JFK, and on paper looks like the obvious choice. It isn't, for a dog: American Airlines Cargo won't take a new booking for a dog originating in a CDC-classified high-risk rabies country, and Guyana is on that list. Cats aren't affected, so American stays a genuine option for a cat on this route.
Cargo Only
CARIBBEAN
Caribbean Airlines
Also flies GEO to JFK nonstop, and its published cargo programme accepts dogs and cats without American's origin-country embargo. That makes it the practical carrier for a dog on this route, landing at one of the CDC's registered animal care facility airports into the bargain. Confirm current cargo capacity and any seasonal embargoes directly, since space on a single scheduled service can tighten with little notice.
Cargo Only
JETBLUE
JetBlue
Also serves GEO to JFK nonstop, but its pet programme stops at small animals in the cabin, maximum 20 lb combined with the carrier. There's no hold or cargo option on JetBlue, so it isn't a fallback for a dog too large to travel under the seat.
Cabin Only
United States import rules, explained
United States runs a strict import regime, so every document is checked closely on arrival. Build your plan around the fixed waiting periods, because they set the pace for everything else.
Practical tips for this move
Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.
Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.
Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.
Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.
FAQ
Common questions about Guyana to United States pet transport
Not currently for a new booking. American Airlines Cargo won’t accept a dog originating in a country on the CDC’s high-risk list for dog rabies, and Guyana is on that list. Caribbean Airlines’ nonstop Georgetown-JFK service doesn’t carry the same restriction and is the practical option for a dog. Cats aren’t affected and can fly American Airlines as normal.
The CDC maintains a list of more than 100 countries it considers high-risk for dog rabies, based on the disease’s presence in the local dog population, and Guyana has been on that list for several years. The classification triggers the full foreign-vaccinated-dog pathway: microchip before vaccination, a titre test from a CDC-approved laboratory, and arrival at a US airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility. Source: CDC, High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies, cdc.gov/importation/dogs/high-risk-countries.html, 2026.
Your dog can still travel, but must complete a mandatory 28-day quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility on arrival, at your cost. This is why timing the blood draw correctly, at least 30 days after vaccination and 28 days before the flight, is one of the most important steps in the whole process.
No. Cats face no CDC rabies vaccination or titre test requirement at all when entering the United States. Guyana’s own GLDA export paperwork still applies to cats, and airlines typically still want a standard veterinary health certificate, but the federal US side is far lighter for cats than for dogs.
Airline guides
American Airlines
Caribbean Airlines
JetBlue
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.