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Country entry guide · South America

Traveling to Uruguay with your dog

Difficulty: Moderate — one uniform scheme, but microchip, praziquantel and a Leishmaniosis test for some origins ⏱ Several weeks to a few months

Uruguay welcomes dogs, and it runs one uniform national scheme managed by the MGAP (Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca) through its animal-health authority, the DGSG. There is no EU pet passport here: the key document is an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) issued, signed and stamped by the official veterinary authority of your country of origin under Mercosur Resolution GMC 17/15 — or a current official passport endorsed by that same authority. Your dog must carry an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, a clinical examination, and internal and external parasite treatment (the internal product must contain praziquantel). Dogs from countries not declared free of Leishmaniosis must also show a recent negative test. Uruguay is officially rabies-free, asks for no rabies antibody test and no routine quarantine, and simply inspects your dog at the border. This guide explains exactly what to prepare, and when, before you book your flight.

📋 At a glance

Dogs allowed	Yes
ISO microchip	Required
Rabies vaccination	Required (exemption from a rabies-free country/zone)
Rabies antibody test	Not required
Leishmaniosis test (dogs)	Required from countries not declared free of Leishmaniosis
Veterinary certificate (CVI or endorsed passport)	Required
Parasite treatment (internal with praziquantel & external)	Required
Quarantine	Not required for a compliant, 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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🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided

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✅ Entry requirements

Requirement	Required?	Exceptions	Official reference
ISO microchip	Required	The microchip requirement is set for dogs by DGSG Resolution 273/2018. (Cats are not subject to this microchip rule.)	DGSG — Resolución Nº 273 de 27/08/2018
Rabies vaccination	Required	A dog from a country or zone meeting the WOAH (OMSA) Terrestrial Code conditions to be declared rabies-free may enter without rabies vaccination, provided this condition is certified on the CVI or passport.	MGAP/DGSG — Ingreso de caninos y felinos; Res. Mercosur GMC 17/15
Rabies antibody test	Not required	Uruguay's published entry requirements for dogs do not include a rabies antibody test for any origin.	MGAP/DGSG — Ingreso de caninos y felinos a Uruguay
Clinical examination	Required	Its content is embedded in the International Veterinary Certificate (CVI).	MGAP/DGSG — Ingreso de caninos y felinos a Uruguay
Parasite treatment (internal with praziquantel & external)	Required	—	MGAP/DGSG — Ingreso de caninos y felinos a Uruguay
Leishmaniosis test (dogs)	Required from countries not declared free of Leishmaniosis	Uruguay will not authorise the entry of dogs previously diagnosed with Leishmaniosis. Cats are not subject to this requirement.	DGSG — Resolución Nº 326 de 31/10/2016; Res. Nº 374 de 29/11/2016
International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or endorsed passport	Required	A current official passport is accepted instead if it carries all the required sanitary information (microchip, valid rabies vaccination, internal & external parasite treatment, health exam and, for dogs, a negative Leishmaniosis test) and is endorsed with the signature and stamp of an official veterinarian before shipment. Passports without official validation are not accepted.	MGAP/DGSG — Ingreso de caninos y felinos a Uruguay
Advance notification / import authorization	Not required when you travel with your pet	If the dog arrives as cargo via Carrasco Airport, the arrival must be notified at least 72 working hours in advance by email to aeropuertoic@mgap.gub.uy, sending the scanned sanitary documentation before shipment.	MGAP — Solicitud de ingreso con mascotas al Uruguay
Border check (MGAP inspection)	Required on arrival	For dogs and cats accompanying a traveller the entry procedure has no cost. If the stay is under 30 days, you may return with the same entry certificate provided its validity is stated on it.	MGAP — Solicitud de ingreso con mascotas al Uruguay
Puppies / minimum age	Special certification under 3 months	Airline age rules and your home country's return rules may be stricter.	MGAP/DGSG — Ingreso de caninos y felinos a Uruguay
Quarantine	Not required	A dog that does not meet the requirements — or is diagnosed with Leishmaniosis — will not be authorised to enter.	MGAP/DGSG — Ingreso de caninos y felinos a Uruguay

🗓 In what order, and when

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

ISO microchipSince 1 October 2018, dogs (resident and non-resident) must enter and leave Uruguay with individual electronic identification (microchip), associated with the International Veterinary Certificate.
Rabies vaccinationWith a vaccine authorised in the country of origin and immunity still valid per the manufacturer; the CVI must state the vaccination date, type, series and brand. A first (primary) vaccination must be given at least 21 days before entry.
Clinical examinationCarried out within the 10 days before the CVI is issued, by a registered veterinarian in the exporting country, certifying the dog is clinically healthy, free of parasitosis and fit to travel to Uruguay.
Parasite treatment (internal with praziquantel & external)Internal and external deworming, stating date and product, done within the 15 days before the CVI is issued (or before the passport is endorsed), with products approved by the origin's veterinary authority. For dogs, the internal antiparasitic must contain praziquantel as active ingredient (against Echinococcus / hydatid tapeworm).
Leishmaniosis test (dogs)For countries that do not declare themselves free of Leishmaniosis to the WOAH (OMSA), a negative immune-response test (IFAT, ELISA or direct agglutination) or agent detection (molecular methods) is required, dated no more than 60 days before the dog's entry, performed per the WOAH Terrestrial Manual.
International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or endorsed passportThe CVI is issued, signed and stamped by the official veterinary authority of the country of origin under Mercosur Res. GMC 17/15, and presented at the border post on entry.
Advance notification / import authorizationIf you enter Uruguay together with your dog, no MGAP import authorization is needed — you simply present the documents and the animal at the MGAP office at the border post on arrival.
Border check (MGAP inspection)At the MGAP office set up at the border post, staff carry out a documentary check (CVI or endorsed passport) and verify the animal on entry to the country.
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 a case of urban rabies occurred in the 90 days before shipment.
QuarantineUruguay's published entry procedure sets no routine quarantine for a compliant, healthy pet; the dog is released after a satisfactory border inspection.

🌍 The different cases

Standard scheme — CVI or endorsed 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, under Mercosur Res. GMC 17/15. It must show a clinical exam (within 10 days), an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, and internal & external parasite treatment within 15 days — the internal product containing praziquantel. A current official passport carrying the same information and endorsed by an official veterinarian before shipment is accepted instead. You present the documents and the dog at the MGAP office at the border; travelling together with your pet needs no import authorization.

⏱ Standard case: a few days to assemble the CVI once vaccination and microchip are in place — the clinical exam is done within 10 days before the CVI, and deworming within 15 days before it.

From a rabies-free country or zone

If your dog comes from a country or zone that meets the WOAH (OMSA) Terrestrial Code conditions to be declared free of rabies, it may enter without the rabies vaccination, provided the official veterinary authority certifies this condition on the CVI or passport. All other requirements — clinical exam, microchip, praziquantel deworming and (where applicable) the Leishmaniosis test — still apply, 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. A dog from an OMSA-recognised rabies-free country/zone may enter without it if the CVI states this.

Leishmaniosis origins, puppies & non-compliant arrivals

A dog from a country not declared free of Leishmaniosis to the WOAH needs a negative Leishmaniosis test dated within the 60 days before entry, and a dog previously diagnosed with Leishmaniosis is not authorised to enter at all. 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. A dog that fails to meet the sanitary requirements at the border will be refused entry.

⏱ From a country not declared free of Leishmaniosis: allow up to 60 days, as a negative Leishmaniosis test must be dated within the 60 days before entry. Puppies under 3 months need extra certification.

🛬 Arrival

What happens when your dog reaches Uruguay centres on the MGAP office at your border post.

When you travel together with your dog, go to the MGAP office at the border post (airport, port or land crossing) with the animal and all documents; no prior MGAP import authorization is required.
MGAP staff carry out a documentary check (CVI or endorsed official passport) and verify the animal. For accompanied dogs and cats the procedure is free of charge.
If your dog arrives as cargo via Carrasco Airport, the arrival must be notified at least 72 working hours ahead by email to aeropuertoic@mgap.gub.uy, with the scanned sanitary documents sent before shipment.
The clinical exam must be within 10 days before the CVI is issued, and deworming within 15 days before it — so time your veterinary appointments and departure carefully.
If the stay is under 30 days, you may return with the same entry certificate, provided its validity is stated on it; otherwise you must redo the certification as for exit from Uruguay.
If documents are missing or invalid, or the dog is diagnosed with Leishmaniosis, MGAP will refuse entry; verify every requirement before you travel.

🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)

Uruguay is non-listed, so a valid rabies antibody titer is mandatory to return to the EU — plus an export health certificate endorsed by MGAP (Dirección General de Servicios Ganaderos).

⚠️ 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 The international veterinary certificate (CVI) is issued by MGAP at an Animal Health office, from a health certificate by an MGAP-accredited vet dated within 10 days.

⚠️ 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: MGAP / DGSG

🚫 Restricted dogs

Uruguay has no national breed-specific import ban. National law regulates 'potentially dangerous dogs' (perros potencialmente peligrosos) for responsible ownership, not for entry at the border. A parliamentary bill proposing to prohibit the breeding and import of certain breeds has been discussed but is not law.

Category 1

No banned category at entry: no dog breed is refused entry to Uruguay on the basis of its breed, provided the MGAP/DGSG sanitary requirements (CVI or endorsed passport, microchip, rabies vaccination, praziquantel deworming, Leishmaniosis test where applicable) are met.

Category 2

Ownership regulation: a joint resolution (Res. 2/019, under Ley 18.471 on animal welfare and Decree 204/017) defines a 'potentially dangerous dog' not only by breed but by a typology — marked aggression, large size (over 25 kg), strong build, powerful jaws, a history of attacks, or training for attack/defence. These criteria govern ownership, breeding and presence in public spaces, not border import.

Because there is no national breed import ban, focus on the MGAP/DGSG sanitary rules for entry. If you will live in Uruguay, check the responsible-ownership rules for potentially dangerous dogs that may apply to you as a resident.

✈️ Airlines flying to Uruguay 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.

American Airlines 1 airport Cabin Iberia 1 airport Cabin ≤8 kg LATAM 1 airport Cabin Avianca 1 airport Cabin Air Europa 1 airport Cabin Copa Airlines 1 airport Cabin

+1 more documented airlines accept dogs to this country. See all airlines →

🛂 Airports in Uruguay

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

Montevideo MVD

Uruguay with a dog: common questions

Uruguay: What does my dog need to enter?

Uruguay requires: ISO microchip, Rabies vaccination, Clinical examination, Parasite treatment (internal with praziquantel & external), International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or endorsed passport.

Uruguay: Is a rabies antibody test required?

Uruguay — Rabies antibody test: Not required.

Uruguay: Are any dog breeds banned?

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

Standard case: a few days to assemble the CVI once vaccination and microchip are in place — the clinical exam is done within 10 days before the CVI, and deworming within 15 days before it.…

Uruguay: What is needed to leave with a dog?