Guidelines for traveling with pets on international flights

» General Information on Traveling with Pets
» Traveling to the United States
» Traveling to Aruba
» Traveling to the Bahamas
» Traveling to Barbados
» Traveling to Bermuda
» Traveling to Colombia
» Traveling to the Dominican Republic
» Traveling to Jamaica
» Traveling to Mexico
» Traveling to/from Puerto Rico
» Traveling to Saint Lucia
» Traveling to San Jose, Costa Rica
» Traveling to St. Maarten

 
General Information on Traveling with Pets

JetBlue gladly accepts small cats and dogs in the aircraft cabin on both domestic and international flights (with the exception of flights to Jamaica, Barbados, and Saint Lucia). To book your pet, call 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583). Please note: Pets cannot be booked online.

Keep in mind:

  • There is a nonrefundable pet fee of $100 each way.
  • The booking fee will be waived for customers traveling with a pet
  • The combined weight of the pet and carrier may not exceed 20 pounds.
  • Only four pets are allowed per flight. The fourth and final pet must be booked at the airport at the ticket counter and is available on a first-come first-serve basis. 
  • Pets cannot travel alone; they must be accompanied by a customer.
  • Only one pet is allowed per customer, with a few exceptions. Please contact a JetBlue representative at 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583) for more information.
  • A pet will count as your one personal carry-on item
  • You will not be assigned an exit row or bulkhead seat, and you will be seated in a window or aisle seat.

Please note: These requirements listed above do not apply to certified service animals or emotional support animals; click here for guidelines pertaining to certified service animals and emotional support animals.


Traveling to the United States

A general certificate of health is not required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for entry of pet dogs into the United States, although some airlines or states may require them. However:

  • Dogs are subject to inspection at ports of entry and may be denied entry into the United States if they have evidence of an infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans.
  • If a dog appears to be ill, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the owner's expense might be required at the port of entry.

For more important information on vaccinations and importing dogs and cats to the United States click here


Traveling to Aruba

Cats and dogs from the United States are required to have the following upon arrival in Aruba:

  • A veterinary health certificate issued from the originating country a maximum of 14 days prior to arrival.
  • A rabies inoculation certificate issued within 30 days prior to arrival.

Animals traveling or originating from South and Central America are prohibited in Aruba.

For more important information on vaccinations and importing pets to Aruba click here. For Aruba entry-requirement contact information click here.


Traveling to the Bahamas

Cats and dogs are required to have an Import Permit issued in advance by the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and Industry (Nassau), to be brought into the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

For the U.S. and Canada, the main provisions required for an import permit as it applies to dogs and cats are:

  • Pet must be over six months old
  • The animal must be accompanied by a Veterinary Health Certificate presented within 48 hours of arrival in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to a licensed veterinarian for an examination.
  • The animal must be accompanied by a valid certificate which substantiates that it has been vaccinated against rabies within not less than one (1) month and not more than ten (10) months prior to importation for the one (1) year vaccine. For the three (3) year vaccine it must be within no less than one (1) month and not more than thirty-four (34) months prior to importation into The Bahamas.

Import permits must be acquired in advance. For more information on import permits click here

For more information on vaccinations and importing pets to the Bahamas and to apply for the import permit please click here


Traveling to Barbados

Due to the strict requirements mandated by the local government for transport of live animals, we will NOT accept pets on flights to Barbados.

In the event that you are traveling with a service animal or emotional support animal, you will be required to obtain an export health certificate as well as an import permit from the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Barbados prior to arrival at the airport.

For more information, contact the Veterinary Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture at 246-427-5073 or  246-427-5492 or by fax at 246-429-2143


Traveling to Bermuda

Cats and dogs are required to have an Import Permit issued in advance by the Department of Environmental Protection to be brought into Bermuda.

 

The main provisions required for an import permit as it applies to dogs and cats are include, but are not limited to:

  • A veterinary health certificate issued within 10 days before your arrival in Bermuda
  • The animal has been implanted with a microchip that may be read by a standard microchip reader, i.e. ISO, FECAVA, European/International or AVID-USA chip
  • A veterinary statement that the animal has been treated on the day of examination with an acaricidal preparation
  • A veterinary statement that, as best as can be ascertained by your knowledge and through questioning, the animal has not been exposed to rabies nor been present in an officially quarantined rabies area within the last 6 months.

Import permits must be acquired in advance. For a full list of requirements and information on how to obtain a permit click here, send and email to animals@gov.bm or call 441-236-4201.

 

Animals arriving without proper documentation are immediately returned to country of origin, or are destroyed, at the owner's expense.


Traveling to Colombia

The following is required when transporting cats and dogs to Colombia:

  • An animal health certificate (original and photocopy) issued by a veterinarian, including breed, sex, age of the animal issued within eight days prior to arrival
  • Original and photocopy of vaccination certificates (including rabies) by age and type

Pets brought into Colombia must be registered with DIAN (Customs) and then taken with the above documents to the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) Port Health office for a Certificate of Health Inspection. The cost of this certificate is 31,000 (approx. $16) Colombian pesos from Monday to Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM and 46,500 (approx. $24) Colombian pesos during night hours, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. These prices vary according to current rates set by the ICA.

Please note: the importation of the dogs of the following breeds or crosses or hybrids of the following breeds is prohibited: Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull.

For cats, the importation of cats from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and other Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies endemic countries is prohibited 

Cats and dogs leaving Colombia for the United States require the following:

  • An animal health certificate (original and photocopy) issued by a veterinarian, including breed, sex, age of the animal issued within eight days prior to departure.
  • Original and photocopy of vaccination certificates (including rabies) by age and type

The Customer should visit the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA) Port Health Office at the airport with the pet and the following documents for inspection within 24 hours prior to departure.

The ICA will issue the Certificate of Health Inspection (Certificado de Inspección Sanitaria) valid for 24 hours which has a value of 31,000 Colombian pesos (approximately $16) from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 05:00 pm and evening hours, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 46,500 Colombian pesos (approximately $24). These prices vary according to current rates set by the ICA.

The above requirements apply to all animals traveling to and from Colombia including service animals and emotional support animals. For more information check with the ICA or USDA.

ICA

USDA


Traveling to the Dominican Republic

Cats and dogs are required to have the following upon arrival in the Dominican Republic:

The animals must be accompanied by a health certificate issued and signed by a licensed veterinarian.

  • The animal was examined within 30 days prior to departure and found to be free of any infectious diseases, and treated for external and internal parasites.
  • The animal was vaccinated against rabies. (The rabies vaccination Certificate should include date of vaccination, established period of immunity, product name and serial number.)

Upon arrival ask to speak to the animal control person who will review your veterinarian certificates and fill in the official pet entry permission form required at a cost of approximately US $10.

For more important information on vaccinations and importing pets to the Dominican Republic click here


Traveling to Jamaica

Due to the strict requirements mandated by the Jamaican government for transport of live animals, we will NOT accept pets on flights to Jamaica.

In the event that you are traveling with a service animal or emotional support animal, you will be required to obtain an import permit from the Veterinary Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture prior to arrival at the airport. Please note: All animals traveling to Jamaica must be rabies-free, and must never have been rabies vaccinated.

For more information, contact the Veterinary Services Division at 876-977-2489 or 876-977-2492. To secure a permit, fax a letter of request to 876-977-0885.


Traveling to Mexico

JetBlue will accept pets (small dogs and cats) for transportation to and from Mexico. Cats and dogs arriving in Mexico are required to be accompanied by:

  • A health certificate on headed paper along with a copy of the veterinarian’s license, with date no older than five days, indicating the health status of the pet.
  • A vaccination card, no older than a year, specifying the application of rabies vaccine.

For more important information on vaccinations and importing pets to Mexico, click here


Traveling to/from Puerto Rico

Cats and dogs from the United States are required to have the following upon arrival in Puerto Rico:

  • A veterinary health certificate stating that the animals do not originate in an area quarantined for rabies.
  • A certificate of vaccination against rabies within six months prior to travel for pets more than four months of age.
  • Proper identification tags.  A sturdy collar and two identification tags. The tags should include both your permanent address and telephone number, along with an address and telephone number where you can be reached while traveling.

For more important information on vaccinations and importing pets to Puerto Rico click here or call 787-796-1650.


Traveling to Saint Lucia

Due to the strict requirements mandated by the local government for transport of live animals, we will NOT accept pets on flights to Saint Lucia.

In the event that you are traveling with a service animal or emotional support animal, you will be required to obtain an export health certificate as well as an import permit from the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Saint Lucia  prior to arrival at the airport.

For more information, contact the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division at 758-454-3470 or 758-454-6254 or by fax at 758-454-5932.


Traveling to San Jose, Costa Rica

Cats and dogs from the United States are required to have the following upon arrival in San José, Costa Rica:

  • A health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian and endorsed by a Veterinary Service (VS) veterinarian
  • The examination for the certificate must be conducted within the two weeks prior to travel to Costa Rica.

For more important information on vaccinations and importing pets to San José, Costa Rica, click here.


Traveling to St. Maarten

Cats and dogs from the United States are required to have the following upon arrival in St. Maarten:

  • A USDA veterinary health certificate should be issued maximum of 14 days prior to arrival.
  • A  rabies vaccination certificate, administered between 30 days and one year before travel.

Dogs and cats from Central and South America that transit through the United States are prohibited from entry into St. Maarten.

For more important information on vaccinations and importing pets to St. Maarten click here or call (202) 244-5300.


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