Bringing a dog or cat to Mexico

SENASICA inspects dogs and cats at the port of entry. Since 3 August 2026, dogs coming from the United States also need a screwworm inspection certificate. We left California eight months before that rule.

The SENASICA check, and our dogs Heard from Cruisers

SENASICA inspects dogs and cats at the port of entry. Since 3 August 2026, dogs coming from the United States also need a screwworm inspection certificate, signed no more than 5 days before entry.

From Some Tuesday We left Marina del Rey on 3 December 2025, eight months before that rule. Mexico didn’t care about our dogs. Mr. Pickles and Colonel Mustard were aboard the whole time. In Mazatlán we took one to a vet. The fees were modest, and nobody pushed us to buy extras. The official steps are below.

On our boat From Some Tuesday

Mexico didn’t care about the dogs at all. We left Marina del Rey on 3 December 2025, eight months before the screwworm rule. Mr. Pickles and Colonel Mustard were aboard the whole time we were in Mexico. In Mazatlán we took one to a vet. The fees were modest, and nobody pushed us to buy extras. Mazatlán in the log.

The official websites list all these pet rules. Our reality was different. I kept emailing to ask what documents the dogs needed, and I never got an answer. Finally, in person, the officials said it doesn’t matter. The dogs are fine in Mexico. They’re just considered property, and nobody’s worried about them. That was our experience. The rules below may still be enforced.

The official rule Heard from Cruisers

At the point of entry, SENASICA checks that each dog or cat has no signs of infectious disease, no ticks or fleas, and no fresh or healing wounds, and issues the zoosanitary import certificate. The page is Si viajas con tu mascota.

Dogs from the United States, since 3 August 2026: an NWS inspection certificate signed by a USDA-accredited vet no more than 5 days before entry. No APHIS endorsement. Missing paperwork can mean the dog is refused or held. The current USDA page is Pet travel from the US to Mexico.

Cats from the United States: inspection only, no certificate. Don’t add a cat to the dog form. That invalidates it.

From any other country: a health certificate no more than 15 days old, current rabies vaccination, and deworming within 6 months.

If ticks are found, SENASICA samples them and the pet is held until the lab clears them, at the owner’s cost. Only the day’s ration of pet food is supposed to come in. Ferrets and pet rabbits from the United States are not allowed.

Heard from Cruisers

Most of this circulates by word of mouth among cruisers. We pulled it together, organized it, and share it free. It is not official guidance, so don’t rely on it as such.

Parks and the five-day certificate Heard from Cruisers

Pets may not go ashore on the Sea of Cortez island national parks. How the 5-day screwworm certificate applies to a dog arriving by yacht after a long passage is not spelled out for boats. Ask SENASICA at the port of entry before you leave.