Colombia requires any foreign resident or visitor bringing a cat or dog into the country to obtain a Sanitary Inspection Certificate (Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria, or CIS) through SISPAP, the digital import portal of the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA), before boarding the flight; skipping this step does not mean the pet gets turned away at the border, but it does trigger a home quarantine process with two ICA follow-up visits and costs above US$138, which is easily avoidable with two to three weeks of preparation.
The process rewards preparation but punishes improvisation. Colombia’s ICA framework is more straightforward than most Latin American countries’ entry requirements, and the entire procedure starts online well before travel day.
What to do before leaving: ICA registration and the health certificate
The first step is to register as a user on ICA’s official portal to receive SISPAP credentials, then log in to the system, complete the passenger and pet details, pay the CIS inspection fee, and print both the application and the proof of payment to carry to the airport; if you travel with two pets of the same species, a single request covers both (ICA accepts up to 10 animals per request), but if you bring one dog and one cat, you must submit two separate applications.
The second step is the veterinary health certificate, which must come from a USDA-accredited veterinarian (for travelers from the United States) and must be issued within 10 calendar days before your pet’s arrival in Colombia, a deadline that is firm; travelers from the US also need the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to endorse the certificate, a process that routinely takes seven to 10 business days, so scheduling the vet visit at least three weeks before departure keeps the timeline manageable.
El viaje con mascotas entra en una nueva etapa en Colombia. 👉🏻 https://t.co/SDALOuoh2b pic.twitter.com/hNqioGaiKv
— El Espectador (@elespectador) March 23, 2026
Vaccines, breed rules, and what airlines actually allow
Colombia requires a specific vaccination record, and the pattern across species follows the same logic: protection against the diseases most likely to cross borders. Dogs must carry current vaccination for rabies (administered more than 30 days before travel and not expired), distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and coronavirus; cats must show panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and rabies.
Canine coronavirus is not available in the United States, so American pet owners traveling to Colombia must obtain official written certification from a USDA-accredited veterinarian confirming that veterinarians in the US do not administer the vaccine; according to ICA, that documentation allows pets to enter without home quarantine, so the obstacle is administrative, not medical, and a call to the vet resolves it.
In addition to vaccines, the record must show antiparasitic treatment, and staff must administer it within 60 days of travel; the law does not require a microchip for entry, though having one speeds up identification if ICA staff have questions at the inspection counter.
On breed restrictions, Ley 1801 de 2016 (Colombia’s National Police and Civic Coexistence Code), Article 132, prohibits the importation of the Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, and their hybrids; service animals of restricted breeds may enter under separate documentation, and travelers should confirm that status directly with ICA before booking.
Airline policies and the arrival inspection
Airlines add a separate layer of rules that can render an otherwise complete entry in order useless if you book the wrong carrier. Avianca accepts pets in the cabin or hold on most routes, including flights from the United States, with hold transport limited to pets under 44 lbs (20 kg) on flights under four hours; Copa Airlines accepts small cabin pets on any day except in Business Class and requires documentation 48 hours before departure; American Airlines does not permit pets in the cabin or as checked baggage to or from Colombia and routes all pet transport through its PetEmbark cargo service.
For smaller pets on budget carriers, JetBlue accepts cabin carriers up to 17″L x 12.5″W x 8.5″H with a maximum combined weight of 20 lbs, charging US$125 each way, while Spirit permits carriers up to 40 lbs combined for US$110 or more each way, with a limit of four carriers per flight; larger dogs traveling to Bogotá have cargo options on Delta and United.
Upon arrival in Colombia, declare the pet immediately, collect all luggage, and proceed directly to the ICA office at the port of entry with the printed CIS application, proof of payment, health certificate, and vaccination record; ICA staff conduct a physical inspection of the animal there, a process that typically takes 10 to 30 minutes when all documents are in order, and considerably longer when they are not.