Pet Health Certificate
To expedite your Customs procedures, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Control of Costa Rica (Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderia) suggests that examination be conducted within two weeks prior to your departure.
Health Certificate
a. Full name of veterinarian
b. Veterinarian license number
c. Name of pet hospital or clinic
d. Address
e. Telephone number
f. Email address
Personal Information
a. Your full name
b. Your passport number
c. Home address
d. Telephone number
Pet's Information
a. Place of Origin (City, State, Country)
b. Species
c. Age
d. Sex
e. Family Tree (if any)
f. Vaccinations received
g. Dates of vaccinations
h. A statement that your pet is found to be healthy and free of any parasites and of any clinical signs of infectious diseases.
Health Certificate Required Statements
Required statements depend on the area where you live, the diseases or parasites that have been reported to occur in your area, and/or your pet's place of origin. It is important that your veterinarian clearly states that your pet is free of any diseases and parasites that have been reported to occur in the area where your pet lives.
The following are required statements for different pets. If there are new diseases and/or parasite reported to occur in the country where the pet lives endangering your pet's species, the certificate must clearly list those new diseases and state that your pet is free of them:
Birds (psittacines, finches, and other soft-billed cage-birds)
The certificate must include the following statements:
a. The birds were isolated for at least 30 days.
b. The birds were examined and found to be clinically healthy and free of ectoparasites.
c. The birds are free of velogenic Newcastle disease and highly pathogenic avian influenza.
d. The birds originated from a country, state, county, hatchery or aviary free of avian salmonellosis (salmonella pullorum, salmonella gallinarum).
Pet birds should be properly identified (band or tattoo), and such identification should appear on the health certificate that is issued by the licensed veterinarian. If applicable, a C.I.T.E.S. permit must accompany the bird.
Dogs and Cats
It is recommended that a State or Federal (VS Form 18-I) U.S. Interstate and International Certificate for small animals be used including the following statements:
a. The cats/dogs were vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, and parvovirus.
b. If cats/dogs are over 4 months old, they must be vaccinated against rabies and the certificate must state that cats/dogs were vaccinated against rabies.
c. If there are any diseases that have been reported to occur in your area, the certificate must list the name of those diseases and clearly state that the cats/dogs are free of those diseases.
Horses
The certificate must include the following statements:
a. The United States is free from African horse sickness, dourine, glanders, epizootic lymphangitis, and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis.
b. The premises of origin are free of coital exanthema and ulcerative lymphangitis.
c. Horses originated from premises where abortion caused by salmonella abortus equi and clinical cases of equine viral arteritis have not been reported to occur during the 12 months prior to embarkation.
d. Horses were vaccinated for eastern, and western encephalomyelitis at least 30 days and no more than 6 months prior to embarkation. (Name of product and date of vaccination must be included on the health certificate.)
e. No clinical cases of equine rhinopneumonitis or influenza were observed on the premises of origin in the 6 months prior to embarkation and the horses were vaccinated against these diseases on (date) with (killed/modified live) vaccine.
f. Horses have been treated for internal and external parasites within the 30 days prior to embarkation.
g. Horses were isolated from animals not tested for exportation to Costa Rica from the first test until embarkation.
h. None of the horses in this shipment originate from premises under any type of State of Federal quarantine for contagious equine metritis or any other equine diseases.
i. The animals were negative to the following tests within 30 days of embarkation: equine infectious anemia, agar-gel immunodiffusion (Coggins) test, OR ELISA test.
Additional Information for horses
1. Foals under 5 months of age, when accompanying the dam, are not required to be vaccinated or tested prior to export.
2. If horses were vaccinated against Venezuelan encephalitis, indicate product used and date of vaccination on the health certificate.
Others (Frog, Iguanas, Lizards, etc.)
If there is a disease and/or parasite that has been reported to occur in the city, state, and/or country where your pet lives endangering your pet's species, the certificate must specifically list those diseases and/or parasites and state that your pet is free of them.
If there are no diseases/parasites reported to occur in the city, state, and country where your pet lives, it is not necessary to issue any additional statements.