Country entry guide · South America
Traveling to Bolivia with your dog
Bolivia welcomes dogs, but its entry procedure is a little more formal than some of its neighbours. SENASAG (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria e Inocuidad Alimentaria, the national animal-health authority) works through two documents. First, a Zoosanitary Import Permit (Permiso Zoosanitario de Importación) must be obtained from SENASAG before your dog leaves the country of origin. Second, your dog travels with an original zoosanitary certificate issued by the official veterinary authority of the departure country, showing current vaccinations — including rabies for a dog over three months old — and internal and external parasite treatment. SENASAG then certifies the animal on arrival at customs. There is no published rabies antibody test, and there is no routine quarantine for a healthy, compliant pet, though SENASAG may impose one if requirements are not met. 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 specified by SENASAG (recommended) |
| Rabies vaccination | Required from 3 months of age |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required |
| SENASAG Zoosanitary Import Permit | Required (before departure) |
| Zoosanitary certificate (official authority of origin) | Required |
| Internal & external parasite treatment | Required |
| Quarantine | Not routine; possible if non-compliant |
⏱️ Estimated preparation time
Times are indicative. The rabies antibody test alone adds a fixed 3-month wait.
⚠️ 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.
Find a flight to Bolivia
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Bolivia (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Bolivia★★★★★
Bolivia applies its own SENASAG scheme (REGENSA): a Zoosanitary Import Permit obtained before departure, plus an original zoosanitary certificate covering current vaccinations (rabies from 3 months) and internal and external parasite treatment, then certification on arrival. No rabies antibody test is published, and quarantine is not routine.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
The zoosanitary certificate must be issued by the official veterinary authority of the country you depart from, one per animal, with all information in Spanish. Its content and timing — vaccinations and parasite treatment done within the required windows — drive your whole preparation.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
Bolivia runs two published schemes: one for Andean Community member countries (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia) and one for all other third countries, including the EU. Which timing rules apply to your dog depends on where it is exported from. Confirm your dog's history with your vet.
So read the requirements below as Bolivia's framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin and history with your vet.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO microchip | Not specified by SENASAG (recommended) | SENASAG's published pet import requirements ask that the animal be inspected and identified at shipment, but do not specify an ISO microchip. A microchip is strongly advised for identification and for the return trip, and other countries' rules may require it. | Confirm with the certifying vet how your dog's identity is recorded on the zoosanitary certificate. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía (terceros países) |
| SENASAG Zoosanitary Import Permit (PIZ) | Required before departure | The Zoosanitary Import Permit for pets (dogs and cats) is issued by SENASAG before the animal leaves the country of origin, and must be presented on entry. Application needs form SENASAGIMPFOR001, a letter to the SENASAG Departmental Head, bank-deposit proof, a liquidation form and the zoosanitary certificate of origin per animal. | The permit is valid 60 days for air or land transport (90 days maritime-land), extendable once by 30 days if inspection has not yet taken place. A commercial invoice and packing list are also needed if the pet was purchased. | VUCE / SENASAG — Permiso de Importación de animales de compañía (perros y gatos); REGENSA cap. 7.1 |
| Zoosanitary certificate of origin | Required | An original zoosanitary certificate, one per animal, issued by the official animal-health authority of the exporting country, attesting the vaccinations, the parasite treatment and the departure inspection. All information must be in Spanish. | The certificate is verified at the point of entry; SENASAG then issues its certification at destination customs. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía |
| Rabies vaccination | Required from 3 months | Mandatory for a dog over three months old. For third countries (incl. the EU), the vaccination must have been done within the 60 days before shipment; the certificate states the date, type and brand of the product used. | From an Andean Community country (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia), the vaccine must instead have been given between 1 month and 1 year before export, and no vaccine may be given in the 14 days before shipment. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía (terceros países / países miembros CAN) |
| Other core vaccinations | Required | For third countries the certificate must record vaccination (within 60 days before shipment) against canine distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and coronavirus, and parainfluenza, in addition to rabies. | From an Andean Community country the required diseases are distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and rabies, given between 1 month and 1 year before export. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required | — | SENASAG's published pet import requirements do not call for a rabies antibody test for a dog from any origin. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía |
| Internal & external parasite treatment | Required | Treatment against internal and external parasites, with products authorised in the country of origin, done within the 30 days before shipment for third countries. | From an Andean Community country the treatment window is the 14 days before shipment. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía |
| Departure inspection & crate | Required | At shipment an official veterinarian inspects and identifies the dog, finding it in normal health with no tumours, fresh or healing wounds, or signs of quarantinable/transmissible disease or ectoparasites. The dog travels in a crate washed and disinfected before use. | No waste may accompany the animal; packaging, bedding and equipment must be disinfected with products authorised by the origin country. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía |
| SENASAG certification on arrival | Required on arrival | SENASAG grants its certification when the pets arrive at destination customs, on presentation of the original import permit and the original documentation used to obtain it. | Keep every document in original; all paperwork is handled in Spanish. | VUCE / SENASAG — Certificación de animales de compañía (perros y gatos) |
| Quarantine | Not routine; possible | There is no routine quarantine for a healthy, compliant pet. | If necessary, SENASAG may require the animal to remain in quarantine under the sanitary authority's supervision for at least 30 days after entry. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía (Parágrafo II) |
| Minimum age | No fixed minimum; rabies from 3 months | SENASAG does not publish a fixed minimum entry age, but rabies vaccination becomes mandatory once the dog is over three months old. | Airline age rules and your home country's return rules may be stricter. | SENASAG — Requisitos sanitarios para importar animales de compañía |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
From the EU & other third countries — the standard scheme
For a dog arriving from the European Union, the EU pet passport is not the operative document for Bolivia. Your dog needs a SENASAG Zoosanitary Import Permit obtained before departure, plus an original zoosanitary certificate (one per animal, in Spanish) issued by the official veterinary authority of the country you travel from. The certificate must record vaccination within the 60 days before shipment against rabies (from 3 months), distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and coronavirus, and parainfluenza, and internal and external parasite treatment within 30 days. SENASAG certifies the dog at destination customs.
From an Andean Community country (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia)
Bolivia publishes a distinct scheme for pets coming from fellow Andean Community member countries. The core vaccinations — distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and rabies — must have been given between 1 month and 1 year before export, and no vaccine (active or inactivated) may be given in the 14 days before shipment. Parasite treatment is done within the 14 days before shipment. A departure inspection by an official vet, a disinfected crate and the SENASAG import permit still apply, and there is no antibody test.
Non-compliant arrivals & quarantine
If a dog arrives without meeting the sanitary requirements, or shows signs of disease, SENASAG may — if it deems it necessary — require the animal to remain in quarantine under the sanitary authority's supervision for at least 30 days after entry, at the owner's expense. Obtaining the import permit before departure and presenting a complete zoosanitary certificate is the way to avoid this.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Bolivia depends on your documents and the permit obtained beforehand.
- SENASAG staff verify the original Zoosanitary Import Permit and the original zoosanitary certificate of origin, then grant SENASAG certification at destination customs (aduana).
- The import permit must be valid on arrival (60 days for air or land transport), so plan the trip within that window; it can be extended once by 30 days if inspection has not yet happened.
- Keep every document in original and in Spanish; the bank-deposit proof and liquidation form are part of the file.
- If a document is missing or the dog appears ill, SENASAG may require quarantine of at least 30 days under its supervision, at the owner's expense.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Bolivia has no SENASAG breed-specific import ban. National Law No. 553 (2014) regulates the keeping of dogs considered dangerous, but this governs ownership and public safety within Bolivia — it is not an entry ban applied at the border by the animal-health authority.
No banned category at entry: no breed is refused entry to Bolivia on the basis of its breed, provided the SENASAG sanitary requirements (import permit, zoosanitary certificate, vaccinations, parasite treatment, inspection) are met.
Ownership rules: Law No. 553 on the keeping of dangerous dogs for citizen security lists breeds treated as dangerous — including American Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Bullmastiff, Doberman, Dogo Argentino, Dogo de Burdeos, Fila Brasileiro, Rottweiler and Tosa Inu, and their crosses. Owners must obtain police authorisation and register the dog with the municipality; breeding for profit and training for fighting are prohibited. These are ownership obligations, not entry bans.
Because there is no national breed ban at the border, focus on the SENASAG sanitary rules for entry. If you will live in Bolivia with a listed breed, check the police authorisation and municipal registration obligations under Law No. 553.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐SENASAG Zoosanitary Import Permit obtained before departure (form SENASAGIMPFOR001, letter to the Departmental Head, bank-deposit proof, liquidation form)
- ☐Original zoosanitary certificate, one per animal, from the official veterinary authority of the departure country — all information in Spanish
- ☐Rabies vaccination (from 3 months) plus core vaccinations recorded within the required window (60 days for third countries)
- ☐Internal & external parasite treatment within 30 days before shipment (14 days from an Andean Community country), recorded on the certificate
- ☐Official departure inspection recorded; crate washed and disinfected before use, with no waste accompanying the animal
- ☐Commercial invoice and packing list if the pet was purchased (sale/purchase)
- ☐Travel planned within the import permit validity (60 days air/land), and rabies vaccine still valid on arrival
- ☐Microchip recommended for identification (and required by many other countries / for the return)
- ☐Airline reservation confirming your dog's travel option and a suitable IATA crate if in the hold
📚 Official sources
- VUCE / SENASAG (Aduana Nacional de Bolivia) — Import permit for pets (dogs and cats): requirements
- VUCE / SENASAG — Import of pets (dogs and cats): procedure
- SENASAG — Sanitary requirements to import pets from third countries (PDF)
- SENASAG — Sanitary requirements to import pets from Andean Community member countries (PDF)
- SENASAG — REGENSA ch. 7.1: issuance of zoosanitary import permits
- gob.bo / SENASAG — Zoosanitary certificate for pets (dogs and cats)
- Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia — Law No. 553 (keeping of dangerous dogs for citizen security)