Customs & Immigration
Travelling With Pets
Cats & Dogs
You are allowed to bring a maximum of 2 pets into Mexico, which can be either two dogs, two cats or one dog and one cat.
Before you arrange to travel to Mexico with any pets, you need to obtain two health certificates for each pet you plan to bring from your veterinary surgeon.
- A health certificate
- Proof of vaccines against rabies and Canine Distemper (for dogs) and or Feline Distemper (for cats), which should have been administered at least 2 weeks before your pet arrives in Mexico.
You will be required to present the above documents to the officers at the zoo sanitary kiosk with your pet(s) at the port of entry into Mexico before they will be granted access into the country.
Taking Pets to Mexico on Airlines
You need to check the policies for transporting animals with your airline as each airline has its own rules. Below are some general guidelines that apply to the majority of airlines. You should however confirm any policies and guidelines with your airline prior to arranging to travel to Mexico with your pets.
Transportation of Pets:
You cannot transport animals in cardboard or plastic boxes! There are readily available, standard airline compliant crates for transporting cats, and kennels for transporting dogs that you should be able to find in most pet stores.
Identification & Labelling:
Your pet(s) should also be properly tagged and you must ensure your full name, final destination and telephone contact details are clearly displayed on the Container. The words "LIVE ANIMALS" and an identification of which way is ‘UP’ should be prominently displayed on the exterior of the container.
Pet Welfare:
You should ensure the interior of your animal transportation container has adequate lining to absorb any urine or faeces, we recommend you obtain purpose made absorbent material from a pet store. Don’t place foods or water inside the container with your animal, instead, provide 2 dishes for the airline staff to make use of.
Bringing other animals in to Mexico
You will need to seek permission before you can bring other animals and creatures into Mexico. Contact your local Mexican Consulate for further advice and also contact your airline, and ask about rules for transporting animals other than cats and dogs.
Here is a list of useful links for bringing and maintaining your pets in Mexico.
SAGARPA - The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries & Food, also responsible for zoo sanitary matters in Mexico.
Mexican Kennel Association - Part of the International Kennel Association; this web site also has a link to the Mexican Cattery Association although the website is in Spanish, if you type the website (www.fmc.org.mx) address in to Google, Google will attempt to translate the site for you.
Obregon Veterinaries -- Click the link to see a list of veterinaries in Ciudad Obregon.
