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Country entry guide · South America

Traveling to Ecuador with your dog

Difficulty: Moderate — one uniform scheme, but several vaccinations and a short waiting period ⏱ Several weeks to a few months

Ecuador welcomes dogs, and it runs one uniform national scheme managed by AGROCALIDAD (Agencia de Regulación y Control Fito y Zoosanitario), the official animal-health authority. There is no EU pet passport here: the key document is an Export Zoosanitary Certificate (Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación) issued or endorsed by the official veterinary service of your country of origin, in Spanish or English, dated no more than 10 calendar days before entry. It must confirm a clinical examination, several current vaccinations (including rabies) and internal and external parasite treatment. Ecuador asks for no rabies antibody test and imposes no routine quarantine for a healthy, compliant pet. If your dog flies in the cabin or as accompanied baggage, that certificate alone clears it; only pets arriving as cargo need an Import Zoosanitary Permit requested in advance. This guide explains exactly what to prepare, and when, before you book.

📋 At a glance

Dogs allowed	Yes
Identification (name, tattoo or microchip)	Required (ISO microchip recommended)
Rabies vaccination	Required
Rabies antibody test	Not required to enter
Other canine vaccinations	Required (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus)
Export Zoosanitary Certificate	Required
Parasite treatment (internal & external)	Required
Quarantine	Not required for a healthy, compliant 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 Ecuador

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🔎 Find a flight to Ecuador

🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided

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

✅ Entry requirements

Requirement	Required?	Exceptions	Official reference
Identification (name, tattoo or ISO microchip)	Required	The origin country may require a microchip for the dog's return, so verify this before you arrive in Ecuador.	AGROCALIDAD — Requisitos zoosanitarios para la importación de animales de compañía
Rabies vaccination	Required	If rabies vaccination is not approved for use in the origin country, this must be stated on the certificate and administered during the stay in Ecuador.	AGROCALIDAD — Requisitos zoosanitarios para la importación de animales de compañía
Rabies antibody test	Not required to enter	Ecuador does not require a rabies antibody test to enter. AGROCALIDAD notes it only for pets returning to a country that demands a virus-neutralisation antibody level (minimum 0.5 IU/ml), done in a laboratory authorised by the origin country's official service — that is, before leaving Ecuador, not to enter it.	AGROCALIDAD — Ingreso al Ecuador de animales de compañía (perros y gatos)
Other canine vaccinations	Required	If one of these vaccines is not approved for use in the origin country, this must be stated on the Export Zoosanitary Certificate and the owner must administer it during the stay in Ecuador.	AGROCALIDAD — Requisitos zoosanitarios para la importación de animales de compañía
Clinical examination	Required	Its content is embedded in the Export Zoosanitary Certificate.	AGROCALIDAD — Requisitos zoosanitarios para la importación de animales de compañía
Parasite treatment (internal & external)	Required	—	AGROCALIDAD — Requisitos zoosanitarios para la importación de animales de compañía
Export Zoosanitary Certificate	Required	For a dog that left Ecuador temporarily, the same AGROCALIDAD-issued Export Zoosanitary Certificate may be reused to return, provided no more than 30 calendar days have passed since its issue.	AGROCALIDAD — Ingreso al Ecuador de animales de compañía (perros y gatos)
Import Zoosanitary Permit (cargo only)	Required only for pets arriving as cargo	A pet flying in the cabin, delivered as accompanied baggage, or crossing a land border does NOT need this permit — only the Export Zoosanitary Certificate. No cash payments are accepted for the permit.	AGROCALIDAD — Ingreso al Ecuador de animales de compañía (perros y gatos)
Border check (AGROCALIDAD inspection)	Required on arrival	—	AGROCALIDAD — Ingreso al Ecuador de animales de compañía (perros y gatos)
Minimum age	Over 4 months	Airline age rules and your home country's return rules may be stricter.	AGROCALIDAD — Requisitos zoosanitarios para la importación de animales de compañía
Quarantine	Not required	The Galápagos Islands have a separate, stricter biosecurity regime — see the restricted-dogs section.	AGROCALIDAD — Ingreso al Ecuador de animales de compañía (perros y gatos)

🗓 In what order, and when

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

Identification (name, tattoo or ISO microchip)Conventional companion animals must be identified by name, tattoo or a microchip. An ISO microchip is strongly recommended for reliable identification and for the return trip.
Rabies vaccinationThe rabies vaccination must be current on arrival. If it is the animal's first rabies vaccination for entry, at least 14 days must have passed since the day it was administered.
Other canine vaccinationsFor dogs, the following vaccinations must be current on arrival: distemper (Carré), hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus.
Clinical examinationA veterinarian recognised by the origin country's official veterinary service must examine the dog within the 10 days before travel, finding it free of clinical signs of infectious and parasitic diseases and of healing wounds; the record states species, breed, sex, age and coat colour.
Parasite treatment (internal & external)The dog must have received internal and external antiparasitic treatment within the 21 days before shipment, with products authorised in the origin country; the certificate states the product name, active ingredient and date of application.
Export Zoosanitary CertificateIssued or endorsed by the official veterinary service of the country of origin, in Spanish or English, with an issue date no more than 10 calendar days before the animal enters Ecuador. It attests all the sanitary requirements above.
Import Zoosanitary Permit (cargo only)If the pet arrives in the cargo hold, the owner emails the arrival airport's AGROCALIDAD office at least 72 hours before arrival with the air waybill, owner's passport, phone and email, the Export Zoosanitary Certificate and the vaccination record. AGROCALIDAD then issues a payment order (System GUIA) for the Import Zoosanitary Permit, after which SENAE clears the animal.
Border check (AGROCALIDAD inspection)At the airport or land border, AGROCALIDAD staff verify the Export Zoosanitary Certificate, the vaccination record and the dog. For a cabin or accompanied-baggage pet, presenting the certificate is enough to clear it; cargo pets are cleared by SENAE after the Import Zoosanitary Permit is issued.
Minimum ageConventional companion animals must be older than 4 months to enter Ecuador. This aligns with the requirement that a first rabies vaccination be at least 14 days old on arrival.
QuarantineAGROCALIDAD's published requirements establish no routine quarantine for a healthy, compliant pet.

🌍 The different cases

Standard scheme — Export Zoosanitary Certificate

For almost every origin the path is the same. Your dog needs an Export Zoosanitary Certificate issued or endorsed by the official veterinary service of the country you travel from, in Spanish or English, dated within 10 calendar days before entry. It must confirm the dog is over 4 months old and identified (name, tattoo or microchip), a clinical exam within 10 days, current vaccinations against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus, and internal & external parasite treatment within 21 days before shipment. A pet flying in the cabin or as accompanied baggage clears on this certificate alone.

⏱ Standard case (cabin or accompanied baggage): a few days to assemble the Export Zoosanitary Certificate once vaccinations are valid — the certificate is issued within 10 calendar days before entry.

Pets arriving as cargo

If your dog travels in the cargo hold (not with you in the cabin or as accompanied baggage), an Import Zoosanitary Permit is required before SENAE can clear it. At least 72 hours before arrival, email the arrival airport's AGROCALIDAD office (Quito or Guayaquil) with the air waybill, your passport, phone and email, the Export Zoosanitary Certificate and the vaccination record. AGROCALIDAD issues a payment order in the GUIA system for the permit; no cash is accepted. All the standard sanitary requirements still apply.

⏱ If the first rabies shot is still needed: plan at least ~2 weeks, as a primary rabies vaccination requires at least 14 days to pass before arrival. Minimum entry age is over 4 months.

Missing vaccines & special destinations

If one of the required vaccines is not approved for use in the origin country, the Export Zoosanitary Certificate must state this and the owner must administer it during the stay in Ecuador. For a first rabies vaccination, at least 14 days must pass before arrival. Separately, the Galápagos Islands apply a much stricter biosecurity regime run by the ABG (Agencia de Regulación y Control de la Bioseguridad y Cuarentena para Galápagos); anyone planning to take a dog there must consult the ABG in addition to AGROCALIDAD.

⏱ Pets arriving as cargo: allow more time — an Import Zoosanitary Permit must be requested by email at least 72 hours before arrival, and SENAE clears the animal afterwards.

🛬 Arrival

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

In the cabin, as accompanied baggage, or across a land border: no Import Zoosanitary Permit is needed. Present the Export Zoosanitary Certificate (and vaccination record) to AGROCALIDAD staff, who verify the documents and the dog before it is cleared.
As cargo: request the Import Zoosanitary Permit by email at least 72 hours before arrival at the Quito (aeropuerto.quito@agrocalidad.gob.ec) or Guayaquil (aeropuerto.guayaquil@agrocalidad.gob.ec) office; SENAE then completes clearance. Fees follow the current tariff and are paid through the authorised banks — never in cash.
The Export Zoosanitary Certificate must have been issued within the 10 calendar days before entry, so time your departure accordingly.
For a dog returning to Ecuador after a temporary trip abroad, the same AGROCALIDAD-issued certificate can be reused if no more than 30 calendar days have passed since issue.
If documents are missing or invalid, the dog cannot be cleared until the requirements are met; check every detail before you fly.

🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)

Ecuador is non-listed, so a valid rabies antibody titer is mandatory to return to the EU — plus an export health certificate endorsed by AGROCALIDAD.

⚠️ 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 A registered vet submits the request at least 72h before travel; an AGROCALIDAD official signs and stamps the export certificate (valid 10 days) and endorses the EU model.

⚠️ If your dog already had a valid EU rabies titer before leaving, it stays valid for life as long as the rabies vaccination is kept up — check this before you travel.

🔗 Authority: AGROCALIDAD

🚫 Restricted dogs

AGROCALIDAD's zoosanitary import requirements do not refuse any dog at the border on the basis of its breed. However, Ecuador has a national responsible-ownership regulation for certain breeds, and the Galápagos Islands apply a separate, much stricter biosecurity regime.

Category 1

Responsible-ownership regulation: Ecuador's Reglamento de Tenencia y Manejo Responsable de Perros (Acuerdo Ministerial 116, Registro Oficial 532, 2009) lists breeds considered not recommended as pets — notably Pit Bull and Rottweiler and their crosses — and restricts their breeding and sale to AGROCALIDAD-authorised kennels. This governs ownership and breeding inside the country, not a breed-based refusal at the border.

Category 2

Galápagos biosecurity: taking a dog to the Galápagos Islands is governed separately by the ABG (Agencia de Regulación y Control de la Bioseguridad y Cuarentena para Galápagos), which controls and restricts the introduction of species to protect the archipelago. Its rules are far stricter than mainland entry and must be checked directly with the ABG before any travel to the islands with a pet.

For mainland entry, focus on the AGROCALIDAD sanitary rules; if you own a listed breed, check the national ownership regulation, and if you plan to reach Galápagos, consult the ABG in advance.

✈️ Airlines flying to Ecuador 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.

Delta Air Lines 1 airport Cabin United Airlines 1 airport Cabin American Airlines 1 airport Cabin Air Canada 1 airport Cabin KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 1 airport Cabin ≤8 kg Iberia 1 airport Cabin ≤8 kg

+5 more documented airlines accept dogs to this country. See all airlines →

🛂 Airports in Ecuador

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

Quito UIO

Ecuador with a dog: common questions

Ecuador: What does my dog need to enter?

Ecuador requires: Identification (name, tattoo or ISO microchip), Rabies vaccination, Other canine vaccinations, Clinical examination, Parasite treatment (internal & external).

Ecuador: Is a rabies antibody test required?

Ecuador — Rabies antibody test: Not required to enter.

Ecuador: Are any dog breeds banned?

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

Standard case (cabin or accompanied baggage): a few days to assemble the Export Zoosanitary Certificate once vaccinations are valid — the certificate is issued within 10 calendar days before entry. Pets arriving as cargo: allow more time…

Ecuador: What is needed to leave with a dog?