Bringing a Dog or Cat From Russia to the USA: CDC High-Risk Country Rules Step by Step

The flight out of Moscow, Yerevan or Almaty is booked, the crate is bought, and then the airline asks for a document you have never heard of and refuses boarding without it. As of August 2026 Russia sits on the CDC list of countries at high risk for dog rabies, and that one fact splits every dog into two separate paperwork tracks that land at different airports. Cats are not on that list and travel on far simpler terms. Below is what CDC, USDA APHIS and the states of New York, New Jersey and Florida actually require, checked against their live pages this month.

Which CDC rule applies to your animal: the answer in one table

Animal and situation	Route	Where it may land	Core documents
Cat, any country of departure	No CDC rabies route	Any U.S. airport, land port or seaport	None from CDC. The cat must appear healthy
Dog vaccinated in the U.S., present in Russia in the last 6 months	U.S.-vaccinated	Any airport, land border or seaport matching the form receipt	CDC Dog Import Form receipt plus Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination
Dog vaccinated in Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, Belarus or Ukraine	Foreign-vaccinated from a high-risk country	Only JFK, MIA, LAX, ATL, PHL or IAD	Form receipt, Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip, titer or 28-day quarantine, facility reservation
Dog that cleared customs in a high-risk country on a connection	Treated as coming from a high-risk country	Per the route matching where it was vaccinated	Same pack, regardless of where the trip started
Dog younger than 6 months on the arrival date	Inadmissible	Nowhere	Denied admission and returned to the country of departure

Everything below details those five rows. The governing regulation is 42 CFR 71.51, in force since the August 2024 overhaul.

Is Russia on the CDC high-risk list in 2026, and which other countries on your route are?

Yes. CDC last reviewed its High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies page on April 15, 2026, and Russia is listed. The list is long: 111 countries and political units. Do not read any short summary, including this one, as the complete list.

• Listed as high risk, among the countries this audience actually flies from or through: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Israel (including the West Bank and Gaza). China, India, Brazil, Egypt, Thailand, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman are listed too.
• Not on the list: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and the European Union generally. A country that is not listed is not high risk, and the extra requirements do not apply to a dog that has been only in unlisted countries.
• The trigger is presence, not citizenship: the question is which countries the dog was physically in during the 6 months before arrival.
• Check the full CDC list against your actual itinerary before you buy the ticket.

Two entries catch Russian-speaking families out more than any others. Turkey is on the list and Istanbul is the default connection out of Russia. Israel is on the list, so a family moving Tel Aviv to New York is under exactly the same rules as a family moving from Moscow, which surprises almost everyone.

Route A: the dog was vaccinated in the United States

The cheap route, available only if the paperwork is done before the dog leaves the United States. CDC requires two documents.

Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination is not your vet clinic certificate

A specific CDC form that a USDA-accredited veterinarian fills out in the USDA system and a USDA official veterinarian endorses. APHIS states plainly that it cannot be issued retroactively once the dog has left the country. For a first rabies shot the dog must be at least 12 weeks (84 days) old at vaccination, and the form is completed at least 28 days after the dose. Once endorsed it is reusable while the vaccine is valid, typically 1 or 3 years.

The USDA export health certificate and the July 31, 2025 cutoff

One substitute exists. A USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued no later than July 31, 2025 may replace the form if it is viewable in USDA's database and shows the dog's age (at least 6 months), the microchip number, and a current U.S.-issued rabies vaccination given after the chip was implanted. Certificates issued after July 31, 2025 are not accepted. With neither document the dog is processed as foreign-vaccinated.

With Route A documents in hand the dog may enter at any U.S. airport, land border crossing or seaport, as long as that port matches the CDC Dog Import Form receipt.

Route B: the dog was vaccinated in Russia or another high-risk country

The route for a dog that has always lived in Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia or Ukraine, and for any U.S. dog whose owner missed the pre-departure form. Four parts, each with its own clock.

Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip: a 30-day window

A veterinarian completes it and an official government veterinarian of the exporting country endorses it. It must be completed no more than 30 days before travel, is valid for 30 days after signature, and is good for one entry only. Documents must be in English or carry a certified translation on the translator's letterhead with license number.

The rabies titer: drawn at least 30 days after, at least 28 days before

The blood sample must be drawn at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before entry, and tested by a CDC-approved laboratory. Results must come directly from that lab, not through a third party. CDC recommends starting 60 days or more before travel because turnaround varies. A passing titer lasts the life of the dog while vaccination never lapses and the lab stays approved.

The reservation, the exam and the 28-day quarantine

Every foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country needs a confirmed reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility for examination and revaccination with a USDA-licensed vaccine. Before issuing it the facility must hold the foreign certification form, the serology result if any, photos of the dog's teeth for age verification, the itinerary and the CDC form receipt, under 42 CFR 71.51(k)(3). No valid titer means the reservation must also include a 28-day quarantine under 42 CFR 71.51(k)(7)(v), at your expense. Airlines must deny boarding without that confirmation.

The 28 days are not always 28 days: CDC's shortened quarantine

CDC states on both its foreign-vaccinated page and its dog importation FAQ that the quarantine period can be shortened if certain criteria are met. This is the single most valuable paragraph on this page for anyone already facing a quarantine bill, and it is the one almost no relocation guide mentions. CDC lists the conditions, all of which must be satisfied:

• The dog is a personal pet or service dog. Dogs imported for rescue, resale, adoption or transfer of ownership are not eligible.
• The importer provides documentation of at least 2 rabies vaccines given in line with U.S. schedules, meaning one or three years apart per manufacturer guidance.
• The dog is healthy on veterinary examination.
• The facility requests and receives CDC approval to run a prospective serologic monitoring (PSM) assessment.
• The dog receives a U.S.-issued rabies vaccine as part of the PSM protocol.
• The PSM protocol is followed to obtain a titer from a CDC-approved U.S. laboratory, and a passing result proves prior vaccination.

The practical reading: keep every old vaccination certificate your dog has ever had, and ask the facility about PSM before you accept a full 28-day quote. A pet that has been properly vaccinated for years is exactly the profile this pathway is written for.

The six U.S. airports that accept a foreign-vaccinated dog from Russia

Such a dog arrives only by air, at an airport with both a CDC quarantine station and a registered animal care facility. Land borders and seaports are closed to it outright.

Airport	Facility	Note for Russian-speaking families
JFK, New York	The ARK Pet Oasis	Must land at JFK specifically. Newark and LaGuardia are not options
MIA, Miami	Pet Limo	The arrival point for South Florida, including Sunny Isles Beach
PHL, Philadelphia	Gateway Animal Care Center	A workable alternative for northern New Jersey
IAD, Washington Dulles	Pender Pet Retreat	Useful when JFK pet cargo slots are full
ATL, Atlanta	Dandie Scottie Kennel	Reservations by email only
LAX, Los Angeles	Kennel Club LAX, Rue's Kennels at LAX	LAX prefers dogs arriving as cargo to avoid clearance delays

There are no registered facilities in Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. territories, so entry through them is closed. Onward domestic travel is allowed only after the facility releases the dog.

CDC Dog Import Form, the microchip rule and the six-month floor

CDC Dog Import Form: free, one per dog, one arrival date

Submitted online, costs nothing, receipt emailed and shown on paper or phone. One form per dog. It covers a single entry on the arrival date printed on it, so a changed flight or port means a new submission. You upload a photo showing face and body; for a dog under one year old it must be taken within 15 days before travel. Under 42 CFR 71.51(h)(6) the airline must deny boarding without this receipt, and under 71.51(h)(2) a dog that arrives without one may be denied admission.

The microchip goes in before the vaccine, not after

The most common way a Russian file collapses. The chip must be readable by a universal scanner and implanted on or before the date of the current rabies vaccine. A vaccine given before the chip is invalid, and the fix is revaccination plus a new 28-day wait plus a new titer 30 days later. A dog with no chip, an unreadable chip, or a number that does not match the paperwork is denied admission.

Six months old on the day of arrival

Every dog must be at least 6 months old when it arrives, with no exception for puppies bought abroad or for rescues. How age gets checked depends on the route. For a foreign-vaccinated dog it is confirmed by dental examination at the CDC-registered facility under 42 CFR 71.51(k)(7)(iii), and photos of the teeth are required even earlier, before the reservation is issued. For any other dog CDC may order confinement and examination if age is in doubt, which 42 CFR 71.51(i)(3) describes as discretionary. A dog short by a few days is returned at the importer's expense.

Cats from Russia: what CDC does not require, and what still applies

CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cats, and cats may arrive through any U.S. airport, land port or seaport. CDC does require the cat to appear healthy; a sick one can be held for veterinary examination at the owner's expense. Three caveats:

• CDC neither issues nor requires a general pet health certificate, but states and airlines do, and that is what stops people at check-in.
• Hawaii and Guam quarantine all arriving cats, including cats from the U.S. mainland.
• CDC still recommends rabies vaccination, and the destination state may require it. New York and Florida both do at 3 months.

Layovers, crates and temperature: what actually gets enforced

Istanbul, Dubai, Yerevan and Tel Aviv can change your dog's category

The rule is mechanical: a dog is considered to have entered a country if it clears customs there. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Armenia and Israel are all on the high-risk list, so a dog clearing customs in Istanbul, Dubai, Yerevan or Tel Aviv falls under high-risk requirements even if it started in a rabies-free country. Dogs in the cabin, and dogs switching airlines, are the most likely to be pushed through customs on a connection. Ask the carrier in writing before buying the ticket.

The crate and the 85°F rule

Under 9 CFR 3.20 a dog or cat may not be exposed to a temperature above 85°F (29.5°C) for more than 45 minutes while being moved to or from an aircraft or terminal, nor below 45°F (7.2°C) for more than 45 minutes without a certificate of acclimation under 9 CFR 3.14(e). Transport devices must be covered below 50°F (10°C). Read these as the federal floor: the section binds persons subject to the Animal Welfare regulations who move animals to, from or within a terminal or aircraft. The seasonal pet embargoes airlines publish are the carrier's own policy, usually stricter and broader than this floor, so read the airline's rules as well as the regulation. By air only one animal aged 6 months or older may travel per crate.

Where a rabies titer can actually be run: CDC-approved labs by country

This is where plans made in Almaty or Tbilisi fall apart. The approved-laboratory list was updated July 13, 2026 and it is short. A result from a lab not on it is rejected, however well accredited it is locally.

Country of departure	CDC-approved rabies serology lab on site?	Practical consequence
Russia	Yes: FGBI ARRIAH and FGBU VGNKI	Titer can be run domestically, so quarantine is avoidable
Ukraine	Yes, three, including NeoVetlab Ukraine	Same, with the usual logistics caveats
Israel, United Arab Emirates, Turkey	Yes: Kimron Veterinary Institute, Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Veterinary Control Central Research Institute	High risk for rabies but self-sufficient for testing, so a titer avoids quarantine without shipping serum
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan	No	Serum ships abroad; budget extra weeks or plan the 28-day quarantine
Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova	No	Same. Approved labs sit in Turkey, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland
Any country	Result must come straight from the approved lab	A result forwarded by an intermediate laboratory is rejected

If the titer will not be ready in time, book the 28-day quarantine rather than gamble at the gate, then ask the facility whether your dog qualifies for the shortened PSM pathway described above.

New York, New Jersey and Florida: what the destination state adds

Federal clearance is not the end. The state where the animal will live has its own rules, and they differ enough to matter. Sources: New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, New Jersey Department of Health (document dated May 2026) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

State	Document for a dog arriving from abroad	Rabies	Cats
New York	Explicit from-abroad rule: CVI or health certificate issued 30 days or less before entry; vet letterhead in English accepted if the country has no form; full NY address with no PO box and a statement of no infectious disease, external parasites or fungi	Required at 3 months; 1-year or 3-year vaccine; product name and date on the certificate	Same as dogs
New Jersey	Health certificate from a veterinarian licensed in the country of origin, within 30 days of travel, per N.J.A.C. 8:23-1.1, stating breed, sex, age, point of origin, destination and owner's address	Not required for import as such, but every dog 7 months and older must be municipally licensed, and rabies vaccination is a prerequisite	No state import requirement
Florida	No separate from-abroad document is published. FDACS states its 30-day Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection rule under Rule 5C-3.009 F.A.C. for arrivals from other states, with an exception for a privately owned pet travelling with its owner, and refers international arrivals to USDA and CDC. Plan on the OCVI and confirm with FDACS	Required at 3 months in the interstate rule; inside Florida every dog and cat 4 months and older needs a current USDA-approved vaccination	Same as dogs

Three details worth writing down. New York states in plain text that it does not accept the Pet Passport, exactly the booklet most European and Russian clinics hand out. A destination inside New York City adds the city health department's rules on top of the state's: the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Veterinary Public Health Services, (646) 364-1783. And New Jersey's licensing clock is short: a dog that is unlicensed and staying more than 10 days must apply immediately in its municipality, while a dog licensed in another state must apply once it has been in New Jersey 90 days. New Jersey's Communicable Disease Service takes import questions at 609-826-4872.

What goes wrong: six failure points at the counter and the gate

1. Refused boarding in Moscow. Cause: no CDC Dog Import Form receipt, or no facility reservation. Both are checked at departure, not only on arrival: the airline is required to refuse boarding under 42 CFR 71.51(h)(6), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection checks the same papers again when you land. Submit the form before leaving for the airport and print the reservation.
2. A forum tells you to get a "CDC Dog Import Permit" and fly into one of "18 approved airports". Cause: that describes the pre-August-2024 system. The permit now exists only for DMRVV-restricted countries under 42 CFR 71.51(ff), a different and much shorter list. For Russia the mechanism is the facility reservation, and there are six airports.
3. The titer is rejected. Cause: blood drawn under 30 days after the first vaccine, or under 28 days before arrival, or run by a lab not on the CDC list, or forwarded through an intermediary. Confirm the lab before the blood is drawn.
4. The vaccination is declared invalid at the facility. Cause: chip implanted after the shot, or first shot given before 12 weeks of age. Revaccinate after chipping and restart the 28-day and 30-day clocks. There is no waiver.
5. A U.S. dog that spent the summer in Russia is suddenly quarantined. Cause: the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination was not obtained before departure and cannot be issued retroactively. The dog now travels under the foreign-vaccinated rules.
6. Everything federal is fine but the dog is stopped in the state. Cause: no state health certificate, or a European pet passport offered instead. Ask the foreign veterinarian for a separate certificate on letterhead, in English, with the full U.S. destination address.

Denial is not a delay. A dog refused entry is returned by the carrier to the last country of departure at the owner's expense and may not continue on the next flight. Violations carry penalties up to one year of imprisonment under 42 U.S.C. 271 and six-figure fines.

Typical scenarios

Typical scenario 1, foreign-vaccinated dog into JFK. Zhanna relocates from Moscow to Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410 with a spaniel vaccinated in Russia. Because there is no facility at Newark she rebooks onto a flight landing at JFK, runs the titer at an approved Russian laboratory 70 days out, and has the foreign certification form signed 22 days before departure and endorsed by a government veterinarian. Illustrative composite, not a client file.

Typical scenario 2, U.S. dog that visited relatives. Artem lives in Staten Island, New York 10314 and takes his U.S.-vaccinated terrier to Almaty for two months. He has the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination endorsed before leaving and lands at Newark on return with no facility reservation, which this route permits. A neighbour who skipped that form came back under the foreign-vaccinated rules. Illustrative composite.

Decision table: route, document pack and port

Your situation	What to do	Why
Flying a dog from the U.S. to Russia and back	Get the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination endorsed before departure	It cannot be issued retroactively and keeps every U.S. port open
Dog has always lived in Russia, 3 months to plan	Chip, then vaccinate, then titer at an approved Russian lab, then book the facility	The 30-day and 28-day intervals bind, not the flight schedule
Dog is in Kazakhstan, Armenia or Georgia	Assume serum ships abroad, or book the 28-day quarantine from the start	Those countries have no CDC-approved rabies serology laboratory
Moving from Israel or the UAE, not from Russia	Follow the full high-risk track, but run the titer locally	Both are on the high-risk list and both have a CDC-approved laboratory
Facing a 28-day quarantine bill for a long-owned pet	Ask the facility about the shortened PSM pathway before paying	CDC allows a shortened quarantine for personal pets with at least 2 documented vaccines
Destination New Jersey, dog foreign-vaccinated	Fly into JFK or PHL, not Newark	Such a dog may only land where a CDC-registered facility exists
Moving a cat, not a dog	Skip the CDC rabies track; handle the airline and the destination state	CDC requires no rabies proof for cats, but NY and FL require it at 3 months
The puppy will be 5 months old on arrival	Move the flight, not the dog	Under 6 months is inadmissible and means return at your cost

How SafeBridge helps, and what this page is not

This is general information, not veterinary, legal or immigration advice, and not a personal consultation. Rules move: verify the country, laboratory and facility lists on CDC's own pages on the day you book. For the rest of a relocation see the first month checklist, registering a car brought from Russia, certified translations and powers of attorney, homeowners policy questions dog ownership raises in New Jersey, and renting with a pet.

SafeBridge Insurance Group serves Russian-, English- and Ukrainian-speaking clients in New York, New Jersey and Florida. Phone (315) 871-0833, email data@truckernavi.com.