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Country entry guide · South America

Traveling to Argentina with your dog

Difficulty: Easy — one uniform scheme for most origins ⏱ A few weeks to prepare

Argentina welcomes dogs, and its entry rules are refreshingly uniform: the same procedure applies to a personal pet arriving from almost anywhere. SENASA (the national animal-health authority) asks for a single document — an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) issued, signed and stamped by the official veterinary authority of the country you travel from, or a legalized official pet passport. It must show a health certificate, a valid rabies vaccination and internal and external antiparasitic treatment. There is no rabies antibody test, no import permit and no quarantine for a healthy pet travelling as accompanied baggage — SENASA simply inspects your dog on arrival. This guide explains exactly what to prepare, and the timing to respect, before you book your flight.

📋 At a glance

Dogs allowed	Yes
Microchip	Not required (recommended for ID)
Rabies vaccination	Required
Rabies antibody test	Not required
Veterinary certificate (CVI or legalized passport)	Required
Antiparasitic treatment (internal & external)	Required
Quarantine	Not required for a healthy pet

⚠️ Important

MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
Only a veterinarian can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
Requirements depend on: the country of origin, previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.

Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.

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Find a flight to Argentina

Compare the airlines that accept dogs and check their conditions.

🔎 Find a flight to Argentina

🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided

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Country of destination — Argentina★★★★★
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Country of departure★★★★★
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Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆

✅ Entry requirements

Requirement	Required?	Exceptions	Official reference
ISO microchip	Not required	Argentina does not require a microchip for pet entry, but one is strongly advised for identification and for the return trip.	SENASA — Ingresos con perros y/o gatos
Rabies vaccination	Required	A dog from a country/zone declared rabies-free by WOAH may enter if the CVI states this. The original vaccination proof is not retained — it stays with the owner.	SENASA — Res. GMC 17/15
Rabies antibody test	Not required	Argentina does not require a rabies antibody test for a personal pet from any origin.	SENASA — Res. GMC 17/15
Health certificate	Required	Its content is embedded in the International Veterinary Certificate (CVI).	SENASA — Res. GMC 17/15
International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or legalized passport	Required	A current official pet passport is accepted instead if it carries the same sanitary information and is endorsed by the origin's veterinary authority; English is then also accepted alongside Spanish.	SENASA — Ingresos con perros y/o gatos
Antiparasitic treatment (internal & external)	Required	—	SENASA — Res. GMC 17/15
Advance notification / import permit	Not required (accompanied pet)	For a pet as accompanied baggage, no prior import request, no advance notice to the border post and no internment/landing permit are needed. Unaccompanied cargo requires 24 working hours' advance notice and an internment-permit fee.	SENASA — Ingresos con perros y/o gatos
Border check (SENASA inspection)	Required on arrival	For accompanied pets the verification is free of charge.	SENASA — Ingresos con perros y/o gatos
Puppies / minimum age	Special certification under 3 months	Airline age rules and your home country's return rules may be stricter.	SENASA — Res. GMC 17/15
Quarantine	Not required	Only if the sanitary requirements are not met — SENASA may then apply whatever sanitary measures it deems appropriate, at the owner's expense.	SENASA — Ingresos con perros y/o gatos

🗓 In what order, and when

Some steps only count once the previous one is done — check each deadline against the official reference above.

Rabies vaccinationWith a vaccine authorised in the country of origin and immunity still valid per the manufacturer. A first (primary) vaccination must be given at least 21 days before entry.
Health certificateIssued within the 10 days before the CVI is issued, by an authorised vet, stating the dog is clinically healthy, free of parasitosis and fit to travel.
International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or legalized passportThe CVI is issued, signed and stamped by the official veterinary authority of the country of origin/departure; one of its languages must be Spanish. Valid 60 calendar days from issue for entry.
Antiparasitic treatment (internal & external)Treatment against internal and external parasites within the 15 days before the CVI is issued (or before the passport is endorsed), with products approved in the country of origin.
Border check (SENASA inspection)At the border post SENASA staff carry out a documentary (CVI or passport), physical and identity verification of the dog.
Puppies / minimum ageIf the dog is under 3 months old, the veterinary authority must certify the animal's age and that it has not been on any premises where urban rabies occurred in the 90 days before shipment.

🌍 The different cases

Standard scheme — CVI or legalized passport

For almost every origin the path is the same. Your dog needs an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) issued, signed and stamped by the official veterinary authority of the country you travel from, with Spanish as one of its languages. It must show a health certificate (within 10 days), a valid rabies vaccination and internal & external antiparasitic treatment (within 15 days). A current official pet passport carrying the same information and endorsed by the origin's authority is accepted instead.

⏱ Standard case: a few days to assemble the CVI once vaccination is valid — the health certificate is issued within 10 days before the CVI, and the CVI is valid 60 days.

From a rabies-free country or zone

If your dog comes from a country or zone declared free of rabies by WOAH, it may enter when the veterinary authority states this condition on the CVI or passport. The rest of the scheme — health certificate and antiparasitic treatment — still applies, and there is no antibody test in any case.

⏱ If the first rabies shot is still needed: plan ~3 weeks, as a primary vaccination must be given at least 21 days before entry.

Puppies & non-compliant arrivals

A puppy under 3 months needs the CVI to certify its age and that no urban-rabies case occurred where it lived in the previous 90 days. If a dog arrives without meeting the sanitary requirements, SENASA may apply the sanitary measures it deems appropriate to protect the country's animal-health status; the resulting costs and losses fall on the owner.

⏱ Puppies under 3 months: extra certification (age + no urban-rabies case where the pup lived in the last 90 days), so allow more preparation time.

🛬 Arrival

What happens when your dog reaches Argentina depends on how it travels.

As accompanied baggage (in cabin or hold, with you): SENASA staff at the border post carry out a documentary (CVI or passport), physical and identity check — free of charge.
No prior import request, no advance notice and no internment/landing permit are required for an accompanied pet.
As unaccompanied cargo (commercial or not): the transport agent must notify the border post at least 24 working hours in advance and pay the internment-permit fee.
The CVI or legalized passport is valid for 60 calendar days from issue, provided the rabies vaccination is still valid on the day of entry.
Keep the original rabies vaccination proof — it is not retained and must stay with you.
If the requirements are not met, SENASA may apply the sanitary measures it considers appropriate; all resulting costs are borne by the owner.

🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)

Argentina is a listed country, so no rabies titer is needed to return — SENASA issues the international veterinary certificate (CVI) for your dog.

On site, before the flight A private vet handles the microchip, rabies vaccination and health certificate; present them at a SENASA office, which issues the CVI, valid 10 days up to the EU border check.

⚠️ The rabies vaccination must be at least 21 days old before EU arrival; time the SENASA CVI within its 10-day window.

🔗 Authority: SENASA

🚫 Restricted dogs

Argentina has no national breed-specific import ban. Federal law does not prohibit any dog breed from entering the country, and there is no national dangerous-dog list applied at the border. Some provinces and cities regulate 'potentially dangerous' dogs for ownership, not for import.

Category 1

No banned category at entry: no breed is refused entry to Argentina on the basis of its breed, provided the SENASA sanitary requirements (CVI, rabies vaccination, antiparasitic treatment) are met.

Category 2

Local ownership rules: cities and provinces set their own rules for potentially dangerous dogs. For example, the City of Buenos Aires (Law 4078/12) and the Province of Buenos Aires (Law 14107) list breeds — such as pit bull terrier, dogo argentino, rottweiler and others — that owners must register and handle responsibly (leash, muzzle, insurance). These are ownership obligations, not entry bans.

Because there is no national breed ban, focus on the SENASA sanitary rules for entry. If you will stay in a specific city or province, check its local ordinances for any registration, leash, muzzle or insurance requirements.

✈️ Airlines flying to Argentina with a dog

Carriers we document that serve this country and accept dogs. The verdict is the airline's general policy — it does not prejudge your breed, your crate or your exact route.

Aerolíneas Argentinas🇦🇷 2 airports Cabin LATAM 2 airports Cabin Avianca 2 airports Cabin Delta Air Lines 1 airport Cabin United Airlines 1 airport Cabin American Airlines 1 airport Cabin

+16 more documented airlines accept dogs to this country. See all airlines →

🛂 Airports in Argentina

Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.

Buenos Aires AEP Buenos Aires EZE

Argentina with a dog: common questions

Argentina: What does my dog need to enter?

Argentina requires: Rabies vaccination, Health certificate, International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or legalized passport, Antiparasitic treatment (internal & external), Border check (SENASA inspection).

Argentina: Is a rabies antibody test required?

Argentina — Rabies antibody test: Not required.

Argentina: Are any dog breeds banned?

Argentina: How long does it take to prepare a dog?

Standard case: a few days to assemble the CVI once vaccination is valid — the health certificate is issued within 10 days before the CVI, and the CVI is valid 60 days. Puppies under 3 months: extra certification (age + no urban-rabies case where the pup lived in the last 90 days), so allow more preparation time.

Argentina: Do domestic flights have the same requirements?

Domestic flight in Argentina: the State has no specific rule — the vet certificate is asked for by the airlines. SENASA states it has no specific regulation for domestic pet transport, and that its involvement is requested by the airlines rather than imposed by law.…

Argentina: What is needed to leave with a dog?