Destination Profile: Brazil

Last verified: 24 February 2026
Competent health authority: Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) — Vigilância Agropecuária Internacional (VIGIAGRO)
Official URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/guia-de-servicos/viajar-com-animais-de-estimacao

Global destination classification

Regulatory model

Model C: no general quarantine, with retention authority. Brazil allows direct entry of dogs and cats presenting an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) issued or endorsed by the official authority of the country of origin that meets MERCOSUR requirements (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013). In case of incomplete documentation or suspicion of infectious disease, VIGIAGRO retains the animal at the point of entry until the requirement is met or until re-export.

Rabies status of destination country

Advanced control. Brazil maintains controlled rabies presence with active surveillance in urban and wildlife cycles. It is not rabies-free in the strict sense.
Source: WOAH — https://www.woah.org/en/disease/rabies/

Country-of-origin classification system

Brazil does not use a colour-coded list system for pet entry. It applies general requirements for all countries worldwide without exception, with simplification only for MERCOSUR countries. Peru is a general origin: requires SENASA CVI, rabies vaccine and deworming. Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Mexico and all countries outside MERCOSUR share this category, including countries treated as low-risk in other destinations.
Verification URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/vigilancia-agropecuaria/animais-de-estimacao/entrar-no-brasil

Requirements for dogs

Microchip

Microchip is not mandatory to enter Brazil from countries outside the EU (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013). However, if the animal has an implanted chip, the 15-digit ISO number must be explicitly stated on the CVI. The practical recommendation is to always include it to ensure traceability of health history and facilitate return to the country of origin.

Rabies vaccine

— Mandatory: Yes, for animals over 90 days from any country worldwide (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013).
— Minimum age for vaccination: 90 days (3 months).
— Minimum post-vaccine period: at least 21 days before entry for primary vaccinations. This period is mandatory without exception; an animal vaccinated 18 days ago cannot enter Brazil.
— Recognised validity: 1 year under MAPA regulations, although manufacturer validity is recognised if specified on the CVI.
— Accepted vaccine types: inactivated or recombinant virus.
— If expired: the animal must be revaccinated at least 21 days before the flight.
— Critical note: Brazil does not automatically exempt rabies-free countries from the rabies vaccine. Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada and Japan must equally present valid rabies vaccine to enter Brazil. This is the most important difference between Brazil and other destinations in this collection (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013).

Rabies serological titre (RNATT)

Not required. Brazil does not require rabies antibody titration test for pet entry from any country of origin (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013).

Other vaccines required by entry regulations

MAPA does not require vaccines in addition to rabies as a federal import requirement.

However, SENASA — Peru's official animal health authority — requires a complete and valid vaccination scheme to issue the export CVI. For dogs: Distemper, Parvovirus, Infectious canine hepatitis, Leptospirosis and Parainfluenza (valid quintuple vaccine). Without this scheme SENASA does not certify. Verify directly at https://www.gob.pe/senasa before starting the process from Peru.

Antiparasitic treatments

Mandatory, both internal and external (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013).

— Internal treatment: broad-spectrum product against internal parasites.
— External treatment: product effective against fleas and ticks.
— Critical time window: both treatments must be applied within 15 days prior to CVI issuance by SENASA, not within 15 days prior to the flight. If the antiparasitic is applied 16 days before CVI issuance, the document is technically invalid before VIGIAGRO. This is the shortest window of all profiles in this collection and the source of the most frequent error in the process to Brazil.
— Who applies and documents: registered veterinarian. The CVI must record trade name of the product, active ingredient, dose and exact date of application of both treatments. If one of the two is missing or product data is incomplete, VIGIAGRO may reject the certificate.

Health certificate

— Official name: International Veterinary Certificate (CVI).
— Who can issue it: official health authority of the country of origin. In Peru: SENASA (https://www.gob.pe/senasa). In Colombia: ICA. In Ecuador: AGROCALIDAD.
— Official model: the CVI must follow the official MERCOSUR model available in three languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish). Official model URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/vigilancia-agropecuaria/animais-de-estimacao/arquivos/MODELOCVIINGRSPortInglEspanhol.pdf

— Validity time window: 10 days from official endorsement until arrival in Brazil for entry from countries outside MERCOSUR.
— Does it require endorsement? Yes, mandatory by the official health authority of the country of origin. In Peru: SENASA (https://www.gob.pe/senasa). A certificate signed only by a private veterinarian without SENASA endorsement is void before MAPA.
— The CVI must explicitly record: animal data, microchip number if present, rabies vaccine with batch and date, antiparasitic treatments with trade name and dates, and owner data.

Official entry document

— Exact name: International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) in MERCOSUR trilingual model.
— Who issues it: SENASA in Peru (https://www.gob.pe/senasa) following the official MAPA model.
— Time window: 10 days from endorsement.
— Official model URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/vigilancia-agropecuaria/animais-de-estimacao/arquivos/MODELOCVIINGRSPortInglEspanhol.pdf

Mandatory digital forms

No mandatory prior digital form for pets identified in the primary regulations consulted. Control is physical-documentary by VIGIAGRO at the point of entry.

Quarantine

— Mandatory: Not routinely if all CVI requirements are met.
— Conditional: Yes, for suspicion of infectious disease or incomplete documentation. VIGIAGRO retains the animal at the point of entry until resolution.

Breed restrictions

There are no federal breed bans in Brazil for pet import.

Minimum age for entry

90 days. Animals under 90 days may enter without rabies vaccine only if the country of origin is recognised by WOAH as rabies-free under specific MAPA authorisation (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013). For animals from Peru: minimum 90 days of age plus 21 days post-primary vaccination. Effective minimum age from Peru: approximately 111 days.

Transport mode

Brazil allows cabin baggage (PETC), hold (AVIH) and Manifest Cargo. It does not impose a mandatory mode (IATA LAR). Verify with the airline the conditions for the specific route from Peru.

Requirements for cats

Microchip

Same as dogs — see previous section. Not mandatory to enter Brazil from outside the EU, but if present must be stated on the CVI.

Rabies vaccine

Same as dogs — see previous section. Mandatory for cats over 90 days. Minimum 21 days post-primary vaccination.

Serological titre (RNATT)

Not required. Brazil does not require RNATT for cats from any country of origin.

Other vaccines required by entry regulations

MAPA does not require vaccines in addition to rabies for cats. However, SENASA (https://www.gob.pe/senasa) requires a complete valid vaccination scheme for cats to issue the CVI from Peru: Feline Triple (Calicivirus, Feline viral rhinotracheitis and Panleukopenia) plus rabies vaccine.

Antiparasitic treatments

Same as dogs — see previous section. Internal and external treatments within 15 days prior to CVI issuance apply equally to cats.

Health certificate

Same as dogs — see previous section. CVI in MERCOSUR trilingual model, issued and endorsed by SENASA (https://www.gob.pe/senasa) in Peru.

Official entry document

Same as dogs — see previous section.

Mandatory digital forms

Not identified in primary regulations consulted.

Quarantine

Same as dogs — see previous section.

Breed restrictions

Not identified in primary regulations consulted for cats at federal level.

Minimum age for entry

Same as dogs — see previous section.

Transport mode

Same as dogs — see previous section.

Variations by country of origin

Differentiated requirements by origin? Only for MERCOSUR countries.

Classification system

Brazil does not use a risk list system. It applies general requirements to all countries except Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay (MERCOSUR), which have simplified transit.
Verification URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/vigilancia-agropecuaria/animais-de-estimacao/entrar-no-brasil

Situation of Peru and Latin America

Peru is a general origin, as are Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia and Mexico. All require SENASA CVI or equivalent authority, rabies vaccine with 21 days since application, and deworming within 15 days prior to CVI issuance. Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay have a simplified process under MERCOSUR.

The difference that most surprises owners with experience in other destinations

In all other destinations in this collection (Canada, UK, South Korea, Australia), rabies-free countries are exempt from the rabies vaccine or have simplified processes. Brazil does not work that way. Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Japan must equally present valid rabies vaccine to enter Brazil. There is no automatic exemption for rabies-free country status under MAPA regulations (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013). This is Brazil's most distinctive regulatory feature in the context of this collection.

Antiparasitic window: the most critical difference with Chile and the EU

Chile requires antiparasitics within 30 days prior to entry. The EU (Finland, Ireland, Malta and Norway) requires Praziquantel within 24–120 hours prior to landing. Brazil requires treatments within 15 days prior to CVI issuance, not to travel. If the CVI is issued today and the flight is in 8 days, antiparasitics must have been applied within the 15 days before today, not the flight date. This chronological distinction is the source of the most frequent error in the process to Brazil.

Common errors

ERROR 1: CVI issued more than 10 days before the flight

What happens: the owner processes the CVI well in advance and the 10-day validity window expires before reaching Brazil.
Regulatory consequence: entry refused by VIGIAGRO. The expired document is not valid at the point of entry. Re-issuing documents from the country of origin may be necessary.
How to prevent: the official SENASA endorsement (https://www.gob.pe/senasa) must be done at most 10 days before the flight. Coordinate the issuance date with the flight date precisely.

ERROR 2: Antiparasitic applied outside the 15-day window prior to CVI issuance

What happens: the veterinarian applies the antiparasitic 16 or 20 days before the date SENASA issues the CVI. The CVI records a treatment date that falls outside the 15-day window.
Regulatory consequence: retention by VIGIAGRO until in-situ application with additional costs (MAPA).
How to prevent: coordinate the calendar so that antiparasitics are applied within the 15 days before the CVI issuance date by SENASA, not the flight date.

ERROR 3: CVI without external treatment (internal deworming only)

What happens: the CVI records only the internal antiparasitic but not the external treatment against fleas and ticks.
Regulatory consequence: retention by VIGIAGRO and in-situ application of external treatment (MAPA).
How to prevent: verify that the CVI records both treatments: internal and external, with trade name, active ingredient, dose and exact date of each.

ERROR 4: Rabies vaccine applied less than 21 days ago

What happens: the owner vaccinates the animal a few days before the flight thinking it is already protected.
Regulatory consequence: prohibition of entry into Brazilian territory (Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013).
How to prevent: plan the vaccine at least one month before the flight to have margin over the mandatory 21-day minimum.

ERROR 5: Certificate signed only by private veterinarian without SENASA endorsement

What happens: the owner arrives at VIGIAGRO with the clinical veterinarian's document without the official SENASA stamp.
Regulatory consequence: document void before MAPA. The animal cannot be released (MAPA).
How to prevent: process the official endorsement at SENASA (https://www.gob.pe/senasa). Only the CVI with SENASA signature and stamp is valid before VIGIAGRO.

ERROR 6: Use of certificate model other than the official MAPA MERCOSUR trilingual model

What happens: SENASA issues the certificate in its standard general export model instead of the official MAPA trilingual model for entry to Brazil.
Regulatory consequence: delays in VIGIAGRO inspection due to unrecognised format, possible document rejection (MAPA).
How to prevent: inform SENASA from the start that the destination is Brazil and that the model to use is the official MAPA trilingual CVI, available at: https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/vigilancia-agropecuaria/animais-de-estimacao/arquivos/MODELOCVIINGRSPortInglEspanhol.pdf

Minimum calendar from scratch

Scenario A — Animal with microchip and valid vaccination (vaccine with more than 21 days)

— Day 0: application of internal and external antiparasitic treatment by registered veterinarian. This is the key date that determines the 15-day window for CVI issuance.
— Day 1–5: complete clinical examination and CVI processing in official MAPA trilingual model at SENASA (https://www.gob.pe/senasa) with official endorsement. The CVI must be issued within 15 days of the antiparasitic.
— Day 4–8: verify that the CVI has all fields complete (microchip if present, vaccine batch, name and date of both antiparasitics, SENASA signature and stamp).
— Day 10: flight to Brazil. Immediate release at point of entry if documentation complete.
— Total minimum time Scenario A: 10 days with vaccines already valid.

Scenario B — Animal with no prior history, from scratch

— Day 0: ISO microchip implantation (recommended) + rabies vaccine + vaccines required by SENASA (quintuple for dogs, feline triple for cats). Minimum age 90 days completed.
— Day 21: end of mandatory post-primary vaccination waiting period.
— Day 22: application of internal and external antiparasitic treatments.
— Day 23–27: CVI processing in MAPA trilingual model at SENASA (https://www.gob.pe/senasa) with official endorsement. The CVI must be issued within 15 days of the antiparasitics.
— Day 30: flight to Brazil. The flight date must be within 10 days of CVI endorsement.
— Total minimum time Scenario B: 30 days from scratch.

Authorised points of entry

There is a point-of-entry restriction. Animals must be inspected by VIGIAGRO, which is present only at certain airports and ports. The main ones from Latin America are:

Verify before travel that the flight lands at an airport with an active VIGIAGRO office. A flight that connects at an airport without VIGIAGRO may cause problems at entry inspection.
Official URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/vigilancia-agropecuaria/vigiagro-unidades

Authority directory

Cited regulations

1. Instrução Normativa MAPA nº 05/2013 — Establishes the health requirements for the entry of dogs and cats into Brazil from foreign countries. It is the current base regulation for all requirements in this profile. URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/vigilancia-agropecuaria/animais-de-estimacao/entrar-no-brasil — Verified: 24 February 2026.
2. Decreto nº 24.548/1934 — Regulamento de Defesa Sanitária Animal — Historical legal framework for animal health defence in Brazil, basis of the current veterinary control system. URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura — Verified: 24 February 2026.
3. Resolución MERCOSUR/GMC/RES. Nº 17/15 — Health standards for the movement of companion animals between MERCOSUR member countries. Applies directly to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. URL: https://www.gov.br/agricultura — Verified: 24 February 2026.

Brazil is an accessible destination in terms of timing but demanding in document accuracy. There is no RNATT, no months of waiting, and the process from Peru can be done in 30 days from scratch. But VIGIAGRO at Guarulhos is one of the most rigorous veterinary controls in South America in date verification, and there are two dates that cannot be wrong: the 21 days post-vaccine and the 15 days of the antiparasitic window before CVI issuance, not before the flight. Brazilian bureaucracy has an additional feature that few sources mention: the certificate model matters as much as its content. SENASA must use the official MAPA trilingual model, not its standard general export model. A certificate with all the correct information in the wrong format causes delays at VIGIAGRO even if the animal meets all health requirements.

This profile was verified against primary official sources on February 24, 2026. Requirements may change without prior notice. Always verify directly with the Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (MAPA) and SENASA (https://www.gob.pe/senasa) before initiating any export process from Peru.