Pet Transport South Africa to USA: High-Risk Country Process
Delta flies nonstop from Johannesburg to Atlanta, and your dog cannot be on it: Delta and United both keep their pet cargo programmes closed to the public, so every South African pet crosses via a hub. The bigger constraint is the …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from South Africa to United States
typically takes around 10-20 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 South Africa 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 microchip pre-dates rabies vaccination
Responsible: Vet
Verify now. South Africa is high-risk; correct sequencing is essential.
2
Decide: titre test route OR CDC facility quarantine route
Responsible: Owner, ideally with agent guidance
Decision shapes the whole timeline. Titre route adds 2+ months prep; facility route means 28 days quarantine on arrival.
3
If titre route: blood draw, tested at a CDC-approved laboratory
Responsible: CDC-approved laboratory
At least 30 days after rabies vaccination AND at least 28 days before US arrival
4
Complete CDC Dog Import Form at cdc.gov/importation
Responsible: Owner
Before travel. For a high-risk country the receipt covers a single entry on the stated arrival date.
5
Foreign Vaccination certification form completed and government-endorsed in SA
Responsible: SA vet, then State Vet endorsement
Before departure. Valid 30 days after vet signature, single use.
6
Reserve the CDC-registered facility at the arrival airport
Responsible: Owner or agent
Before booking flights. Required for every high-risk-country dog; the stay is same-day with a titre, 28 days without.
7
DALRRD export documentation completed
Responsible: SA vet, DALRRD
3-5 weeks before travel
8
Fly via Doha, Dubai or London to the facility airport
Responsible: Airline cargo
On travel date. Only six US airports currently host a registered facility.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter United States
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
Required for all dogs. Must be readable by a universal scanner and implanted before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination is invalid. The chip number must match on every form.
Rabies vaccination
Required for dogs from high-risk countries. Foreign-issued vaccination must be certified on the CDC form, endorsed by an official government vet, valid 30 days from signature. Dogs must be at least 6 months old at entry.
Rabies titre test
Required for entry without quarantine. Dogs from high-risk countries (including South Africa) need a valid rabies serology titre from a CDC-approved laboratory: blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before US arrival. A pass lasts the dog's life if vaccination never lapses.
Quarantine
No quarantine with a valid titre: the CDC facility visit is an exam and same-day release. Without a titre, a 28-day facility stay applies at the owner's expense.
Import permit
No formal import permit. The CDC Dog Import Form is the registration mechanism: free, online, receipt in about 15 minutes, single-entry for high-risk countries.
Health certificate
Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, completed by a vet and endorsed by a government vet in South Africa. Valid 30 days, single use.
Export permit (South Africa)
DALRRD export documentation with State Veterinarian endorsement (Directorate Animal Health, Pretoria).
Costs
What this route typically costs
Published Johannesburg shipper (PETport) door-to-door ranges: R55,000-R85,000 up to 10kg, R70,000-R100,000 for 10-25kg, R85,000-R130,000 above 25kg
Airline cargo is typically 30-50 percent of the total bill
CDC-registered facility stay if no titre: 100 to 400 US dollars per day for 28 days
Titre test at CDC-approved laboratory: ZAR 2,000 to ZAR 5,000
Foreign Vaccination certification and SA State Vet endorsement: ZAR 1,500 to ZAR 4,000
IATA-compliant travel crate: ZAR 1,500 to ZAR 5,000
Critical points to read before you book
South Africa is on the CDC's high-risk country list (confirmed April 2026). Dogs face a far more demanding process than dogs from low-risk countries.
Every high-risk-country dog needs a CDC-registered facility reservation before it flies. Only six US airports have one: Atlanta, Los Angeles (two facilities), Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles.
The Foreign Vaccination certification form is valid for 30 days from the vet's signature and is single-use. Do not sign it until your travel date is confirmed.
Cats from South Africa face essentially no US federal requirements. The CDC high-risk rules apply to dogs only.
Delta's Johannesburg nonstop takes no civilian pets, so every pet journey routes via Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt or London.
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.
QATAR AIRWAYS
Qatar Airways
Johannesburg to the USA via Doha. The most used routing on this corridor; Hamad International's animal centre handled around half a million animals in 2024.
Cargo Only
EMIRATES
Emirates
Via Dubai hub. Emirates SkyCargo from South Africa to US cities. Refuses flat-nosed breeds (French Bulldog, Pug, Shih Tzu, Persian and crosses).
Cargo Only
BRITISH
British Airways
Via London Heathrow with IAG Cargo. Adds a UK transit but reaches the US east coast facility airports.
Cargo Only
DELTA
Delta
Flies the only nonstop (Johannesburg to Atlanta) but does not carry civilian pets: Delta Cargo's pet service is limited to US military and State Department moves. United's PetSafe programme is likewise closed to the public.
No Pets
The two pathways for dogs
Because South Africa is a CDC high-risk country, dogs have two routes to US entry:
Pathway 1 (titre test): Your dog has a valid rabies serology titre from a CDC-approved laboratory, with blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before US entry. With the titre, the CDC facility visit on arrival is an exam and same-day release, and a pass holds for the dog’s lifetime provided boosters never lapse.
Pathway 2 (CDC facility): Without a valid titre, your dog is held at the CDC-registered facility for 28 days on arrival, at your expense (typically 100 to 400 dollars per day). The facility may administer a US rabies vaccine and titre test during the stay, with possible early release under strict criteria.
Most owners choose the titre pathway. Twenty-eight days of facility boarding costs more than the titre in every scenario, before counting the welfare impact on the dog.
Two absolutes either way: the microchip must have been implanted before the rabies vaccination or the CDC treats the vaccination as invalid, and the dog must be at least six months old to enter at all.
Cats are completely different
It is worth stating clearly: the CDC high-risk rules above apply to dogs only. Cats entering the USA from South Africa face essentially no US federal requirements.
Your cat will need DALRRD export documentation and airline paperwork for the cargo booking, but at the US border, cats are not subject to CDC inspection or quarantine. A healthy cat from South Africa arrives and is released. Some US states have their own requirements, so check your destination state, but the federal process for cats is negligible. Hawaii and Guam, which run their own quarantine schemes, are the exceptions.
Routing and the six-airport constraint
The corridor quirk: Delta operates the only Johannesburg to USA nonstop (Atlanta), and it is closed to civilian pets, as is United’s cargo programme across the network. Pet journeys therefore route via Doha (Qatar Airways), Dubai (Emirates) or London (British Airways), as manifested cargo.
Every high-risk-country dog, titre or not, must arrive at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, reserved before departure. The CDC’s current list names seven facilities across six airports: Atlanta, Los Angeles (two), Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles. No onward domestic flight is allowed until the facility releases the dog, so choose the facility airport closest to your final destination and verify the live list at cdc.gov before booking.
On the South African side, DALRRD requires State Veterinarian certification, and only vaccinations administered by a registered veterinarian count. A specialist agent earns their fee on this corridor.
FAQ
Common questions about South Africa to United States pet transport
The difference is the CDC’s high-risk classification. The UK treats South Africa as an approved country (standard entry, no titre test). The US CDC classifies South Africa as high-risk for dog rabies, which triggers the titre-test-or-quarantine requirement, the Foreign Vaccination certification form, and the six-airport arrival constraint. The same dog faces a simple process to the UK and a complex one to the USA, purely because of how each country classifies South Africa.
Only airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility, reserved before travel: Atlanta, Los Angeles (which has two facilities), Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia and Washington Dulles. The list changes, so verify it at cdc.gov before booking. Note that Delta’s Johannesburg to Atlanta nonstop does not carry civilian pets, so arrival is by cargo carrier via a hub.
Allow 10-16 weeks at minimum if your dog already has a current rabies vaccination. The blood draw must be at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before US entry, and results take 1-2 weeks. Combined with DALRRD export documentation, the CDC forms and indirect cargo routing, a 10-20 week total is realistic.
PETport, a Johannesburg shipper, publishes corridor pricing: R55,000 to R85,000 for pets up to 10kg, R70,000 to R100,000 for 10-25kg, and R85,000 to R130,000 for large dogs, door to door, with airline cargo taking 30 to 50 percent of the total. US facility fees are extra, and a dog without a titre adds 28 days of facility boarding at 100 to 400 dollars per day.
No. The CDC high-risk rules apply to dogs only. Cats entering the USA from South Africa face no US federal import requirements: no titre test, no quarantine, no CDC form. Your cat needs DALRRD export documentation and airline paperwork, but the US border process for cats is minimal. Check your destination state for any state-level rules.
Your dog is held at the CDC-registered facility for 28 days at your expense, typically 100 to 400 dollars per day. The facility may give a US-licensed rabies vaccine and run a titre during the stay, with early release possible only under strict CDC criteria. The facility must be pre-booked, and the dog must land at one of the six facility airports. Doing the titre at home is cheaper in every case.
Airline guides
Qatar Airways
Emirates
British Airways
Delta
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.
Get a free, fully itemised quote for your South Africa to United States pet move. Our specialists will map out the entire timeline and costs. No surprises.