🇭🇳

Country entry guide · Central America

Traveling to Honduras with your dog

Difficulty: Easy — one export certificate, no prior permit for one or two pets ⏱ A few weeks to prepare

Honduras welcomes dogs, and its rules are handled by its own animal-health authority — the National Service for Agri-Food Health and Safety (SENASA, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad e Inocuidad Agroalimentaria), part of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG), not the EU pet-passport system. A dog travelling with its owner needs an official export veterinary certificate issued in the country of departure, together with an up-to-date vaccination card showing current vaccines. When only one or two pets travel at a time, no advance SENASA import permit is required: the documents are presented to the quarantine authority at the customs point of entry, where a SENASA officer inspects the animal and charges a fixed inspection fee. What you must prepare still depends on your dog's country of departure and recent history, because the export certificate is issued by the veterinary authority of that country. This guide explains what to prepare before you book your flight.

📋 At a glance

Dogs allowed	Yes
Microchip	Not in SENASA's published import requirements
Rabies / current vaccinations	Vaccination card with current vaccines required
Rabies antibody test	Not in SENASA's published import requirements
Export veterinary certificate	Required
Import permit (1–2 pets)	Not required
Import permit (3+ pets)	Required (Zoosanitary Import Permit)
Border inspection & fee	Required — Lps. 525.00 for 1–2 pets
Quarantine	None for 1–2 pets; home fiduciary quarantine for 3+

⚠️ 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 Honduras

Compare the airlines that accept dogs and check their conditions.

🔎 Find a flight to Honduras

🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided

1
Country of destination — Honduras★★★★★
2
Country of departure★★★★★
3
Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆

✅ Entry requirements

Requirement	Required?	Exceptions	Official reference
Identification (microchip)	Not published	A microchip is not required by SENASA but is strongly advised for identification, for the return trip and because most airlines require it.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures to Honduras
Vaccination card / rabies	Required	The exact required vaccines and their timing windows (including the specific rabies interval) are set by that annexed list rather than in the main instructions — confirm the current list with SENASA and your vet.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures to Honduras
Rabies antibody test	Not required	SENASA's published import instructions for pets do not include a rabies antibody test. Whether one is requested for specific high-risk origins is not published — confirm with SENASA before travel.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures to Honduras
Export veterinary certificate	Required	From the United States, a USDA-accredited veterinarian issues the certificate; Honduras does not require APHIS endorsement for pets, but confirm your airline's paperwork rules.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures; USDA APHIS — Pet travel to Honduras
Internal & external parasite treatment	Not published	A parasite treatment is nonetheless good practice and may be required by the exporting country's own export certificate — confirm with your vet.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures to Honduras
Zoosanitary Import Permit	Only for 3 or more pets	Species other than dogs and cats (reptiles, birds, etc.) carry additional requirements per their nature and the exporting country's health status.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures; Agreement N. 331-2009
Border inspection & fee	Required	Fees are set by SENASA's fee regulation (Agreement C.D. SENASA-005-2019) and may be updated — confirm the current amount.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures; Agreement C.D. SENASA-005-2019
Minimum age / puppies	Not published	Airline age rules and your home country's return rules may be stricter — confirm both.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures to Honduras
Quarantine	None for 1–2 pets	Handling of a non-compliant or sick animal on arrival is not detailed in the published instructions — confirm with SENASA.	SENASA — Instructions for pet import procedures; Agreement N. 331-2009

🗓 In what order, and when

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

Identification (microchip)SENASA's published import instructions for pets do not mention a microchip as an entry requirement; identification is carried through the export certificate and vaccination card.
Vaccination card / rabiesThe pet must arrive with its vaccination card showing current (valid, not expired) vaccines; SENASA's instructions refer to an annexed list of vaccines for dogs and cats. The card is presented to the quarantine officer at entry.
Export veterinary certificatePresent the original Export Veterinary Certificate issued by the competent veterinary authority of the exporting country, together with the vaccination card. This is the core document SENASA requires for a personal pet.
Internal & external parasite treatmentSENASA's published import instructions for pets do not set out a specific internal/external parasite (deworming or tapeworm) treatment requirement for entry.
Zoosanitary Import PermitWhen one or two pets travel at a time, no Zoosanitary Import Permit is required. From three pets onward the permit is required: it needs the export certificate, the vaccination card, a fiduciary-quarantine certificate from a licensed private vet, a TGR1 payment of Lps. 750.00 and two Lps. 10.00 veterinary-college stamps, submitted on the SENASA import platform.
Border inspection & feeOn arrival the owner reports to the quarantine authority at the land, air or sea customs point of entry. The quarantine officer inspects the pet and charges Lps. 525.00, issuing a receipt that must be handed to the owner.
Minimum age / puppiesSENASA does not publish a minimum entry age for pets in its import instructions.
QuarantineFor one or two pets there is no routine quarantine — entry is handled by document review and physical inspection at the border. For three or more pets, a fiduciary quarantine is carried out at the owner's home by a licensed private veterinarian.

🌍 The different cases

Standard — one or two personal pets

A dog arriving with its owner needs an official export veterinary certificate from the country of departure plus an up-to-date vaccination card showing current vaccines. When one or two pets travel at a time, no prior import permit is required. On arrival you report to the quarantine authority at the land, air or sea customs point, the pet is physically inspected, and a Lps. 525.00 fee is charged with a receipt. There is no routine quarantine for a compliant pet.

⏱ A few days if the vaccination card is already up to date — you mainly need an official export veterinary certificate from the country of departure plus the current vaccination card.

Arriving from the United States

From the United States a USDA-accredited veterinarian prepares the export health certificate and the vaccination record. Honduras does not require APHIS endorsement of pet health certificates, but you should contact SENASA/INFOAGRO to confirm the current documents and check your airline's own paperwork rules before departure.

⏱ From the United States: allow time for a USDA-accredited veterinarian to prepare the export health certificate and the vaccination record; APHIS endorsement is not required by Honduras for pets.

Three or more pets — import permit & fiduciary quarantine

From three pets onward SENASA requires a Zoosanitary Import Permit. In addition to the export certificate and vaccination card, you need a fiduciary-quarantine certificate from a licensed private veterinarian (who carries out the quarantine at the owner's home), a TGR1 payment of Lps. 750.00 paid by online banking to SENASA, and two Lps. 10.00 stamps from the Veterinary College. You then complete the import-permit application on the SENASA import platform and attach these documents; the permit is reviewed and returned by email to show to quarantine on arrival.

⏱ Longer if three or more pets travel together: you then need a SENASA Zoosanitary Import Permit and a fiduciary-quarantine certificate before arrival, requested through the SENASA import platform.

🛬 Arrival

What happens when your dog reaches Honduras centres on the quarantine document check and physical inspection at the customs point of entry.

The owner reports to the quarantine authority (Cuarentena) at the land, air or sea customs point of entry.
The quarantine officer physically inspects the pet and charges Lps. 525.00 (for one or two pets), issuing a receipt that must be handed to the owner.
Carry the original export veterinary certificate from the country of departure plus the vaccination card with current vaccines.
One or two pets need no prior import permit; three or more must arrive with an approved Zoosanitary Import Permit (obtained in advance).
Missing or invalid documents can delay clearance — confirm the current requirements with SENASA/INFOAGRO before you fly.
Airlines have their own crate, breed and booking rules — confirm them separately before you fly.

🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)

Honduras is non-listed, so a valid rabies antibody titer is mandatory to return to the EU — plus an export health certificate endorsed by SENASA (SAG).

⚠️ 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 Register on SENASA's online export platform (SECEH) and submit the export certificate request; SENASA reviews, approves and issues it (dedicated EU pet instructions are published).

⚠️ 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: SENASA

🚫 Restricted dogs

SENASA publishes no breed-specific import ban for dogs entering Honduras. Breed restrictions instead come from local government: the municipality of the Central District (Tegucigalpa) regulates and, for some breeds, prohibits the keeping of dogs classed as potentially dangerous. This governs ownership within that municipality rather than entry at the national border.

Category 1

No dog breed is refused entry to Honduras under SENASA's published import rules: any dog meeting the export-certificate and vaccination-card requirements may be imported regardless of breed. Border formalities are health-based, not breed-based.

Category 2

Under the Central District municipal ordinance (Acta 014-2003), keeping American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Dogo Argentino (and their hybrids) is prohibited in that municipality. A further list — including German Shepherd, Boxer, Fila Brasileiro, Siberian Husky, Akita, Bullmastiff, Doberman, Neapolitan Mastiff, Rottweiler, Great Dane and others — must be registered and licensed, muzzled and leashed on public roads. This affects keeping in Tegucigalpa, not entry at the border.

So no breed is refused entry for its breed alone, but if you will live in Tegucigalpa with a listed breed you must comply with the municipal ordinance, and other municipalities may have their own rules. Confirm current national and local rules, and your airline's breed policy, before booking.

Honduras with a dog: common questions

Honduras: What does my dog need to enter?

Honduras requires: Vaccination card / rabies, Export veterinary certificate, Border inspection & fee.

Honduras: Is a rabies antibody test required?

Honduras — Rabies antibody test: Not required.

Honduras: Are any dog breeds banned?

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

A few days if the vaccination card is already up to date — you mainly need an official export veterinary certificate from the country of departure plus the current vaccination card.…

Honduras: What is needed to leave with a dog?