Country entry guide · Caribbean
Traveling to The Bahamas with your dog
The Bahamas welcomes dogs, but unlike many destinations it requires an import permit obtained in advance for every dog and cat — you cannot simply arrive with your pet. Permits are issued by the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) through the Customs Click2Clear platform, and the permit must accompany the animal on entry. Beyond the permit, your dog must be more than six months old, carry an ISO microchip, be vaccinated against rabies and several core diseases, be free of internal and external parasites, and travel with an international veterinary certificate issued shortly before departure. What exactly you must prepare also depends on whether your dog is leaving a country that is rabies-free or not, because that changes the rabies-vaccine timing. This guide explains each step before you book your flight.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes, with an import permit |
| Import permit | Required in advance (BAHFSA / Click2Clear) |
| Microchip | ISO microchip required |
| Minimum age | More than 6 months |
| Rabies vaccination | Required |
| Core vaccinations & parasite treatment | Required |
| Rabies antibody test | Not in BAHFSA's published conditions |
| Veterinary certificate | Required (within 10 days of import) |
| Quarantine | No routine quarantine if compliant |
⚠️ 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 The Bahamas
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
- 1 Country of destination — The Bahamas★★★★★
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import permit (BAHFSA / Click2Clear) | Required in advance | Application fee published on the online service page is US$10 + 12% VAT (US$11.20); the Department of Agriculture paper form (Rev. July 2023) lists US$40 + 10% VAT (US$44) for a first permit and US$11 for each additional permit, maximum ten per animal. Confirm the current fee with BAHFSA. | Bahamas Customs — Pet Import Rules; Application for Permit to Import Domestic Animals |
| ISO microchip | Required | No published tattoo alternative for the microchip requirement. | Bahamas Department of Agriculture — Animal import requirements / application form |
| Minimum age | More than 6 months | No published exception for younger puppies. | BAHFSA — Conditions for importation of Cats and Dogs (Appendix 1) |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Boosters must be given before the previous vaccination expires. The vaccination must not lapse during the trip. | BAHFSA — Conditions for importation of Cats and Dogs (Appendix 1) |
| Core vaccinations | Required | Confirm the exact schedule and any booster timing with your vet. | BAHFSA — Conditions for importation of Cats and Dogs (Appendix 1) |
| Internal and external parasite freedom | Required | Ectoparasites found on arrival can lead to refused entry. | BAHFSA — Conditions for importation of Cats and Dogs (Appendix 1) |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required | BAHFSA's published import conditions for dogs do not include a rabies antibody test. Confirm with BAHFSA if your dog is coming from a high-risk origin. | BAHFSA — Conditions for importation of Cats and Dogs (Appendix 1) |
| International veterinary certificate | Required | A separate BAHFSA veterinarian form (AGR/VS/1A) must also be completed by a registered veterinarian 24 hours before travel and presented with the permit at the port. | BAHFSA — Conditions for importation of Cats and Dogs (Appendix 1); Application for Permit to Import Domestic Animals |
| Advance notification | Required | — | Bahamas Department of Agriculture — Animal import requirements |
| Inspection on arrival | Required | Incomplete documentation, or a communicable disease or ectoparasites found on the animal, may result in refused entry, or confiscation and disposal as a disease risk. | Bahamas Customs — Pet Import Rules; Department of Agriculture application |
| Quarantine | No routine quarantine | A non-compliant animal may instead be refused entry or confiscated at the port. | Bahamas Customs — Pet Import Rules |
| Restricted or banned breeds | Confirm with BAHFSA | Whether any breed is restricted for import is not confirmed in the official documents reviewed — confirm the current breed policy directly with BAHFSA before booking. | BAHFSA — Conditions for importation of Cats and Dogs (Appendix 1) |
🗓 In what order, and when
Some steps only count once the previous one is done — check each deadline against the official reference above.
- Import permit (BAHFSA / Click2Clear)A permit is required for every dog and must accompany the animal at import. Since 1 September 2024 it is applied for online: register on Click2Clear, email click2clear@bahamas.gov.bs to activate a pet-permit login, pay the fee, and download the approved permit. Processed within about two business days.
- ISO microchipThe dog must carry an ISO microchip, and all documents (permit, certificate, vaccination record) must reflect the microchip number, which is recorded on the import-permit application.
- Minimum ageThe international veterinary certificate must attest that the dog is more than six (6) months of age.
- Rabies vaccinationFrom a country not free of rabies: a 1-year vaccine must be given no more than 10 months and no less than 1 month before import; a 3-year vaccine no more than 34 months and no less than 1 month before import. From a rabies-free country: the dog must be actively immunized against rabies (no specific window is published).
- Core vaccinationsThe dog must be actively immunized against Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus and Adenovirus, in addition to rabies. These vaccinations are certified on the international veterinary certificate.
- Internal and external parasite freedomThe dog must be free of internal parasites (certified by a negative faecal/stool test) and free of external parasites; both are attested on the international veterinary certificate.
- International veterinary certificateIssued within ten (10) days of importation by a licensed veterinarian, in English, attesting the dog's age, vaccinations, parasite freedom and general health (including active immunity against rabies).
- Advance notificationBAHFSA Veterinary Services must be given 72 hours' notice before the animal arrives in The Bahamas.
- Inspection on arrivalAt the first port of entry, all documents and animals are inspected and examined by a BAHFSA Veterinary Officer.
- QuarantineThere is no published routine quarantine for a compliant dog.
- Restricted or banned breedsBAHFSA's published import conditions for dogs do not list breed-specific rules.
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Standard — the Bahamian permit scheme
The Bahamas is not part of the EU pet-passport system. Every dog needs a BAHFSA import permit obtained in advance through Click2Clear, an ISO microchip, and an international veterinary certificate (issued within 10 days of import) confirming it is over 6 months old, vaccinated against rabies plus distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and adenovirus, and free of internal and external parasites. BAHFSA must be notified 72 hours before arrival, and the animal and papers are inspected at the port of entry.
⏱ Core timeline: apply for the BAHFSA import permit through Click2Clear (processed within about two business days), then have a vet complete the veterinarian form 24 hours before travel and the international certificate within 10 days of import.
From a rabies-free country
If the dog is exported from a country, zone or compartment recognised as free of rabies by the World Organisation for Animal Health, the international veterinary certificate must attest that the dog is over 6 months old, actively immunised against rabies plus the five core diseases, and free of internal parasites (negative faecal test) and external parasites. No specific rabies-vaccine timing window is published for this pathway — but the import permit and the certificate rules still apply.
⏱ From a rabies-free country: quickest, provided the dog is already immunized against rabies and the core diseases — you mainly need the permit and the certificate within the required windows.
From a country not free of rabies
If the departure country is not recognised as rabies-free, the rabies vaccination is time-bound: a one-year vaccine must have been given no more than 10 months and no less than 1 month before import, or a three-year vaccine no more than 34 months and no less than 1 month before import. The dog must still be over 6 months old, immunised against the five core diseases, parasite-free, hold the import permit and travel with the international certificate issued within 10 days of import.
⏱ From a country not free of rabies: allow at least about one month — a one-year rabies vaccine must be given at least 1 month (and no more than 10 months) before import; a three-year vaccine no more than 34 months and no less than 1 month before.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches The Bahamas depends on whether its permit and documents are complete.
- Give BAHFSA Veterinary Services 72 hours' notice before the animal arrives in The Bahamas.
- At the first port of entry, a BAHFSA Veterinary Officer inspects and examines the animal and all documents; present the import permit and the completed veterinarian form.
- The import permit must accompany the animal, and all conditions listed on it must be satisfied.
- Incomplete documentation, or a communicable disease or ectoparasites found on the dog, may result in refused entry, or confiscation and disposal as a disease risk.
- Carry original documents in English; the international veterinary certificate is valid only within 10 days of import.
- Airlines have their own crate, breed and booking rules — confirm them separately before you fly.
🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)
Bahamas is non-listed, so a valid rabies antibody titer is mandatory to return to the EU — plus an export health certificate endorsed by the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA).
- ⚠️ Start before you leave Anticipate the rabies antibody titer: blood test in an EU-approved lab, at least 30 days after vaccination — a valid result is essential to re-enter the EU and cannot be arranged at the last minute.
- On site, before the flight BAHFSA's Veterinary Services Unit is the national competent authority; an international veterinary certificate endorsed by a registered official vet is required to leave.
🚫 Restricted dogs
BAHFSA's published import conditions for cats and dogs are framed around health, vaccination and parasite status, not breed. They do not contain a breed-specific import list.
In the official import documents reviewed, no dog breed is expressly listed as prohibited from entering The Bahamas: any dog meeting the permit, microchip, age, vaccination, parasite and certificate requirements is addressed by the health rules regardless of breed.
However, whether The Bahamas restricts certain breeds (for example pit-bull-type dogs) could not be confirmed from the official sources accessed for this guide. Because breed policy can change and may be handled at the permit stage, confirm the current breed rules directly with BAHFSA before booking.
Airlines may also set their own rules for certain breeds. Confirm both the national breed policy (with BAHFSA) and your airline's breed policy before you book.
✈️ Airlines flying to The Bahamas 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.
+3 more documented airlines accept dogs to this country. See all airlines →
🛂 Airports in The Bahamas
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
The Bahamas with a dog: common questions
The Bahamas: What does my dog need to enter?
The Bahamas requires: Import permit (BAHFSA / Click2Clear), ISO microchip, Rabies vaccination, Core vaccinations, Internal and external parasite freedom.
The Bahamas: Is a rabies antibody test required?
The Bahamas — Rabies antibody test: Not required.
The Bahamas: Are any dog breeds banned?
BAHFSA's published import conditions for cats and dogs are framed around health, vaccination and parasite status, not breed. They do not contain a breed-specific import list.
The Bahamas: How long does it take to prepare a dog?
Core timeline: apply for the BAHFSA import permit through Click2Clear (processed within about two business days), then have a vet complete the veterinarian form 24 hours before travel and the international certificate within 10 days of import. From a country not free of rabies: allow at least about one month…
The Bahamas: What is needed to leave with a dog?
Bahamas is non-listed, so a valid rabies antibody titer is mandatory to return to the EU — plus an export health certificate endorsed by the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA).
The Bahamas: Is it difficult to travel there with a dog?
The Bahamas — Moderate — a prior import permit is mandatory, plus vaccines and a vet certificate. MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
Answers drawn from the official sources listed below; entry information last verified 15 July 2026. Rules change — confirm with the authorities of The Bahamas and your vet before booking.
📚 Official sources
- Bahamas Customs — Pet Import Rules (bringing pets)
- Government of The Bahamas — Application for Permit to Import Domestic Animals
- BAHFSA — Trade Facilitation Unit: Cats and Dogs (import conditions, Appendix 1)
- Bahamas Department of Agriculture — Application form to Import Domestic Animals (PDF, Rev. July 2023)
- BAHFSA — Pet Import Permits: Click2Clear step-by-step user guide (PDF, 2025)