How to Bring a Dog to Brazil: Step-by-Step Pet Travel Guide
I was happily surprised to see that the requirements for bringing your dog to Brazil aren't all that complicated — at least compared to other places we've been, like Japan. We flew with Tishka in the cabin on Air France from Paris to Rio de Janeiro last June for a two-week vacation (you can read my review of that flight here).
As for the pet paperwork, it's the same no matter where you're coming from — Brazil's rules apply equally to every country of origin. So this post works as a guide whether your dog (or cat) is starting the trip in Paris or anywhere else. Read on for exactly what we had to do before the trip to bring Tishka along.
Most destinations require a pet passport and a microchip, but neither is mandatory for Brazil. The main thing you need is an international health certificate from your vet that you get certified by your country's official veterinary authority. In Portuguese, this document is called the Certificado Veterinário Internacional (CVI). Here's everything that goes into getting one.
1. Current Rabies Vaccine
If you have a puppy, they need to be at least 90 days old and have had their rabies shot at least 21 days before your vet paperwork is issued.
2. Parasite Treatment
Brazil requires your pet to have "internal and external" parasite treatment (think deworming plus tick/flea meds) within fifteen days of the CVI being issued. Your vet will note down the date and product name for the paperwork.
We had a little hiccup here — we'd read "15 days before" as meaning do it 15 days before, which is more specific than what's actually required (within 15 days). When we saw the vet authority, they pointed out we hadn't needed to do it that early, and that we'd actually cut it close on timing. We also got put on standby for our flight and could have ended up arriving a day late, which might have caused problems if Brazil had wanted to be strict about it. Lesson learned: do the treatment within the 15-day window, but leave yourself some wiggle room rather than doing it exactly 15 days before departure.
3. See Your Vet
Within ten days of your departure, you'll need to visit your vet for a checkup and to get the international health certificate (the CVI) written up. If you haven’t done the parasite treatment yet, you can do it at the same time since it’s required within 15 days before your departure.
4. Get It Endorsed by Your Government's Veterinary Authority
A vet's signature alone isn't enough — the CVI also needs to be endorsed by your country's official veterinary authority (USDA in the US, APHA in the UK). Since we were coming from France, we went to the DDPP (Direction Départementale de la Protection des Populations), which is free. We saw them the same day as our vet, and they checked our documents and stamped everything in just a few minutes.
One thing worth flagging: Brazil moved to a new official CVI template in September 2025, so make sure whoever issues yours is using the current version!
5. Arrival in Brazil
At customs, you'll declare that you have a dog, and VIGIAGRO (Brazil's agricultural inspection agency) checks the paperwork. Ours took just a few minutes, and then we were off to enjoy our vacation.
What Do You Need to Leave Brazil With Your Dog?
Whenever we leave a foreign country with our dog, we check what that country requires to “export” your pet, and what your home country requires to “import” your pet. Unlike entry requirements being the same for everyone, leaving Brazil with your dog might require extra steps depending on where you’re going. Since we were on a short trip from France, we didn’t have to do anything to come back to the EU since we could use the same health paperwork. For countries like the USA, you’ll need to fill out forms with the CDC.
We're careful about researching pet export requirements every time now, because we once forgot to check the details for leaving Japan and nearly got stuck there with our dog. Don't assume your import paperwork will last you the whole trip.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post helps if you're planning a trip to Brazil with your dog. We had an amazing time, and I highly recommend it as a dog-friendly destination. Stay tuned for our full two weeks in Rio including where we stayed, what we did, and more.
Rules can change, so always confirm current requirements with VIGIAGRO.