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Costa Rica
BRINGING YOUR CAT OR DOG TO COSTA RICA
All cats and dogs traveling to Costa Rica accompanied by their owners as pets in cabin or checked luggage must have the Health Certificate for the Export of Dogs and Cats to Costa Rica, endorsed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). It is mandatory to use the specific bilingual certificate English/Spanish for Costa Rica that you can find on the CFIA webpage:
The International Heath Certificate has to be completed by a veterinarian licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Canada and then presented to a CFIA official to be endorsed and stamped. The clinical examination for the certificate must be conducted within 2 weeks prior to departure to Costa Rica.
THE REQUIRED VACCINATIONS
For Dogs
- distemper
- hepatitis
- leptospirosis
- parvovirus
- rabies (for animals 3 months or older)
For Cats
- rhinotracheitis
- calicivirus
- panleukopenia
- feline leukemia
- rabies (for animals 3 months or older)
IMPORTANT
Please make sure that the International Heath Certificate is filled out following all the requirements and timeframes set by the Directorate of Animal Quarantine of Costa Rica (SENASA) in the following document, including the external and internal parasite control requirements of the documents. The animal must be treated within the fifteen (15) days prior to exportation with approved products for endo and ectoparasites, ensuring that animals are free of ticks and other external and internal parasites. This shall include date of treatment, brand name, lot number, and the active ingredient of the product.
As indicated by the Directorate of Animal Quarantine of Costa Rica (SENASA), in cases where the dog/cat is traveling with you, and is not cargo, Canadian International Health Certificates are being accepted in Costa Rica, as long as they bear the CFIA stamp and are in the bilingual English/Spanish without having to be legalized in the Consulate of Costa Rica.
The Costa Rican Border Authority at the Airport will retrieve and keep the original of the international health certificate of the animal upon entry to Costa Rica.
You can contact the Canadian Consulate in Costa Rica to inquire about Canadian requirements for dogs/cats entry into Canada.
Costa Rican Tourism Board