Paperwork for pets from the USA

by Jake
(Chicago)

I am in the process of bringing my dog to Bolivia and Bella has been super helpful. Unfortunately after spending many hours on the phone with various consulates I have found that the information on the site is incorrect. Here is what you need to do in order to import a dog.

Bring your dog to a USDA certified vet no more than 10 days before your flight. I would recommend being as close to the 10th day as possible to give yourself enough time to have the paperwork returned. Call ahead to make sure the vet has the USDA APHIS-7001 form, otherwise known simply as the 7001. They need to fill this out, with the parts about rabies and the dogs identification being particularly important.

Once this form is filled out you need to bring it to a notary and have them notarize it. I asked the consulate if I needed to have the notary come to the vets office and they assured me I did not.

You may or may not need to bring the form to a USDA APHIS office to have them stamp it. I am going to do this just to be safe since there is an office not too far from my house. I do not believe this is necessary however.

Once you have this form notarized, you need to send it to

4420 Connecticut Ave NW Suite #2
Washington DC
20008
ATTN: Departamento Legalization

You need to include an $85 dollar money order made out to the Bolivian Consulate. Personal checks are not accepted. You also need to include a prepaid return envelope. I am going to send it via Fedex both ways since with the short amount of time available I do not trust the mail service.

Theoretically, that is it. I will make another post once I have either made it in or failed miserably. Now all I have to do is obtain a residency visa for myself which should be fun :) It takes a lot of work to travel down there in order to donate your time and money!

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Aug 24, 2015
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Adley
by: Anonymous

Thanks for sharing info with us.It will help what exactly we have to do for pets

Feb 16, 2014
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Thank you!
by: LeAnn

After reading the comments and suggestions on experiences traveling with pets to Bolivia I am much relieved! Thank you for sharing your experience. I have three little mixed chihuahuas I am taking with me, all in excellent health I am pleased to say. Since I am traveling in July I have had to be creative with my itinerary, both for the issue of heat and the number of dogs an airplane can carry. I am leaving Albuquerque with a friend and together we will fly southwest direct to LAX. After a short layover we will fly on a boeing 737 to Panama City then directly to Santa Cruz. Airlines allow two pets person and I decided it was better for us all to pay a best friend to join rather than use a service + she gets to a free ticket to Bolivia, a win all around.

Regarding the actual transport, I am very thankful for the Chicago native who posted the address of the consulate and the gal who listed the documents and suggested using FedEx to ensure timely delivery.


May 21, 2013
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Thanks Tara!
by: Sarah

Hi Tara! What a coincidence that I will be moving from Michigan to Bolivia! All of the information you gave is extremely helpful! Especially being from Michigan. :)

Jun 03, 2012
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Awesome Info
by: BoliviaBella.com

Whoooooaaaaa! Thank you Tara!!!

Jun 02, 2012
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Staying in Bolivia with your pet
by: Tara

Most of our time with our dog was spent in rural Beni. However, we did have to travel with him from time to time. We have an English Springer Spaniel (not particularly small - around 25kg or 55lbs). We found that using that same health certificate, we were able to fly from Santa Cruz to Guayaramerin with AeroCon. The opening in the cargo area of the plane is a touch small, and they had to put his kennel together inside the plane. Then we had to take him out to the plane to put him in his kennel. Overall, they put up with us fairly well. :) We have also traveled between Santa Cruz and Trinidad with him on the bus. Though you can get a variety of reactions almost no bus company refuses when you offer to buy your dog his own seat on the bus:) Even if they might require you to keep him on the floor. It might be more difficult to convince people to let your dog travel if it appears aggressive or mean. We have also been able to stay in hotels with our dog. The nicest hotel in Guayaramerin (Hotel San Carlos) gave us a room with a double bed for us and single bed for the dog. LOL! Anyway, the point is if you have well-behaved, clean, healthy pets, you probably will not have any problems in Bolivia (though it will be an added inconvenience for you).

Jun 02, 2012
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Traveling with pet back to the US
by: Tara

Up until 2011, getting back into the States was incredibly easy. The airline required no health certificate and the US only wanted to see proof of the rabies vaccination. However, American Airlines recently started requiring the health certificate for the trip back. I only went through this once, so I do not remember the exact details. I do remember the process taking about 2 weeks while I was in Santa Cruz. It involved going to SENASAG and filling out some paperwork, as well as going to a vet to get a sort of health certificate (remember to specifically ask for the temperature statement to be included if you think it might be below 45 somewhere on your itinerary). If you are planning on traveling from Bolivia to the US with your pet, visit the SENASAG office (Av. Landivar C/Cecilia Jordan N° 45) as they can give you the most current requirements to obtain a health certificate.

Hope this helps!

Jun 02, 2012
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Traveling with pet to Bolivia
by: Tara

Starting in 2005, we went back and forth between the US and Bolivia with our dog. All in all, I think we made the trip from the US to Bolivia 6 times with our dog, and from Bolivia to the US 6 times.

We had to do the following to get our dog TO BOLIVIA:
1 - Go to a USDA certified veterinarian to obtain the APHIS International Health Certificate.

2 - Go to the USDA Department of Veterinary Services to get this certificate signed and stamped.

**In addition it is helpful to get the animal's rabies vaccination certificate WITH VET'S ORIGINAL SIGNATURE also signed and stamped at the USDA Department of Veterinary Services for re-entry into the United States.

3 - Have health certificate notarized by a notary public.

4 - Get a notarial certificate from the County Clerk where the notary is certified.

5 - Get a county clerk certificate from the Secretary of the State (in Michigan, it is the SOS - Office of the Great Seal).

6 - Send this pile of papers along with a money order for $85 and a self-addressed, stamped return envelope to the Bolivian consulate in Washington D.C. to get signed by the Consular.

These papers will allow the dog into Bolivia. No quarantine is necessary. I will say that the only reason you need to get the papers 10 days before travel is due to AIRLINE REGULATIONS, not Bolivian regulations. The airline needs ONLY the health certificate signed by the USDA Department of Veterinary Services. To avoid problems with not having the papers back in time from all the different offices, we simply obtained TWO copies of the health certificate from the vet. One we got a month in advance and sent it to all the necessary offices to get the Bolivian stamp of approval. The other we got 10 days in advance and had it signed only by the Office of Veterinary Services for purposes of airline travel. We personally always flew with American Airlines as there was a flat rate charge from anywhere in the US to either La Paz or Santa Cruz. We had very few layovers, didn't have to switch airlines with the dog, etc. Keep in mind that if the pet is going in the cargo hold, there are ground temperature restrictions. It can be no cooler than 45 degrees F or hotter than 85 degrees F anywhere on the itinerary. You can get a vet to indicate that the animal can handle temperatures down to 20 degrees F. And remember, the cargo hold is both pressurized and heated (if not, your toiletries would be deep frozen and/or exploded in your luggage as temperatures 35,000 feet up are far below the ground temps. So don't worry about your pet being cold.) Also, you will need a water bottle that can attach to the carrier (think a large hamster bottle) as it is also required by the airline. They tell you to offer your pet food, but my personal recommendation is not to feed your pet the day of travel unless you are in the mood to clean up puppy vomit and poo when you arrive at your destination :) I speak from experience :)








Apr 26, 2012
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Ingresar mascotas a Bolivia
by: Rebeca

Estimado Miguel,
Tengo entendido que quieres venir a Bolivia en enero con tu mascota.
Puedo ayudarte a obtener todos los requisitos para ingresar tu mascota en territorio boliviano.
Voy a averiguar mejor para proporcionarte todos los requisitos necesarios para que ingresen sin problemas.
Esta informacion tambien va estar disponible en esta pagina para todos los que lo necesiten.
Por tu parte debes averiguar en España sobre un veterinario certificado por las vacunas, y sobre una institucion que te guie con los requisitos para la salida de España de tu mascota.

Me puedes escribir a mi correo rebecagonzales@gmail.com

Apr 25, 2012
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Viajar a Bolivia
by: Miguel

Buenas tardes, soy un chico boliviano, que vive en España desde hace 10 años. Tengo intencion de irme a Bolivia a vivir en Enero de 2013, y me tengo que llevar a mi perra de raza pitbull. Necesto que me ayudes en donde puedo llamar para pedir que tramites hacer. O si Ud. sabe que puedo hacer estando en España.
Porque me quedan 8 meses y si hay que hacer mucho papeleo se aran muy cortos.
Necesito ayuda urgente porfavor.
No se como solucionarlo porque cada pagina web pone cosas distintas. Porfavor
Muchas gracias

Feb 15, 2011
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Can dogs get altitude sickness?
by: Bella

Natalie, I've broken your message off into a new thread. You can see it here.


Feb 14, 2011
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Altitude?
by: Natalie

Hello! I will be traveling to La Paz, Bolivia this summer and I am wondering what your thoughts are to bringing my dog. My mom and I are scared for our dogs safety. Will the altitude affect him? I went last summer of 2010 and left my dog here in the States. I can't imagine doing that again this year but I wouldn't want to affect his health. Please help me. He will be a year and a half at the time of the trip. Also he was born in Bolivia and a surprise from my father who traveled to Bolivia in April 2010. Thank You! =D

Feb 14, 2011
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Pet relocation specialists
by: Bella

Nova you might want to take a look at this information which I put up on my other website. It includes a list of pet travel specialists, policies and information from IPATA. I hope this is helpful.

Bella

Feb 14, 2011
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Temperature Restrictions?
by: Nova

My name is Nova, and I'll be moving to La Paz from the Seattle area this coming July. I have 2 dogs and a cat that I intend to bring with me. It sounds like American Airlines is the only main airline that flies to La Paz, and they have strict temperature policies when pets are traveling (max of 85 degrees). While Seattle and La Paz are generally well under this temperature in July, the connecting cities (Dallas and Miami) are typically 90+ degrees that time of the year. Does anyone have advice on transporting pets into Bolivia during the summer? Perhaps a pet transport company?

Thanks!
Nova

Jan 25, 2011
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Question about Pet Travel
by: CT Trox

My husband and I are soon moving to Bolivia with our Dog and I really appreciate everyone's comments and experiences. Had a few questions: I don't think its required to have your pet micro-chipped but we were thinking about doing it. I was told that for international travel ISO standard chips are recommended-I was wondering what kinds of microchips, any who have moved with their pets, have (ie. which brands) and if they even have the scanners for ISO standard chips there in Bolivia... In other words DO you suggest a different type or a specific type of microchip for travel to Bolivia?

Also, which dog foods are available in Bolivia--we were thinking of familiarizing him with whats available there before we leave so that it doesn't shock his stomach when we move!

Thanks for any help/advice/info!

Oct 16, 2009
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Success!!!!
by: Jake

Well, Tus made it here at least. Now I just have to get her home in May. But basically everything I said in the above post is correct. There are a few amendments though.

-I did not go to the USDA APHIS office and get their stamp. The consulate told me it wasn´t necessary and I had no trouble without it.

-DO BRING THE COPY OF THE RABIES VACCINE! I was not told I needed this but I brought it anyway and it was a good thing I did. They definitely wanted to see it. This was simply the one from my U.S. vet and did not have any special stamps or anything.

-As far as the 10 day thing, when I talked to the consulate this is what they told me. Maybe you could get around it but I would just plan on overnighting the envelopes.

So the dog was fine, I´m a different story. They have changed the rules on Americans getting residency visas and have made it much more difficult. I´m looking at $1000 and four months without my passport if I go the legal route. Unless you plan on living here permanently get yourself the number of a tramitadore and have them work their magic. I would prefer to get the visa, but I am a poor volunteer and I don´t have a spare grand. Good luck everybody.

Aug 09, 2009
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bring my cats to Bolivia
by: Anonymous

I just found your comments about bringing pets to Bolivia and I was relieved to come across someone doing this too. My husband and I are moving to Cochabamba for 2 years in November and we're bringing our 2 cats. So, any advice you can give us would be really helpful.

I'm having the same problem of getting different information depending on who I talk to...it'd be nice if there was some sort of official document that spelled out pet immigration procedures!

I was under the impression that the APHIS certificate or state health certificate could be sent to the embassy within 3 months of our departure...can you tell me where you heard 10 days?

Also, just a general question, how long did it take you to get your "Specific Visa?" Did you mail it in or go to the embassy yourself?

Thanks so much!

Aug 06, 2009
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Thanks
by: Jake

Thanks guys. Bella, I already have fallen in love with Bolivia. I spent three months volunteering at Inti Wara Yassi in 2005 and have planned a return ever since. This trip is planned for 8 months but there is a possibility that this may end up being home.

And Caren, thanks for the advice. I will make sure to ask the vet for the 3 year vaccine when I bring her in. She is a small dog, around 35 lbs, so I am not concerned about her crate size. I believe she is mostly Australian shepherd. She came from the streets of Guatemala though so it's hard to be sure!

Take care.

Aug 06, 2009
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for Jake and Paperwork for pets
by: Caren

Hi Jake we entered Bolivia last year with two dogs and a cat with absolutely no problems. I had no clear information at all as to what was needed because it changed with whomever you spoke to prior to our leaving. I did get the State vet certificates certified but did not send them to the Bolivian embassy. I was told that was not necessary but yes i do agree, do what you need to make it easier if you feel it is correct.

One thing i would suggest is try and have someone waiting for you who can help you with clearance at the airport. We had someone from the company my husband worked with waiting for us. It is not a hard country to get into with animals truly. Also do have it specified if you have the 3 year rabies vaccine if at all possible. I found the local vets far too gregarious in wanting to vac the dogs every six months for rabies. That is shocking to me because it is one of the most destructive vaccines for our pets.

Another thing i would advise is keep a check on your kennel size, you did not mention what dog you had, i had two Aussies and the kennel size was the vari kennel extra large they barely fit in the conveyor at the El Alto - La Paz airport.

I think your own residence visa will give you a bigger headache believe me. Now exiting the country was easy for all the info needed, staright forward and simple the USA consul will be able to give you names of Vets that are recognised as State vets in your area, we had a battle getting out because AA had cut all flights last year in September because of political unrest so it was a bit hairy for us. I loved Bolivia and it is one of those countries that is firmly in my heart, depending on where you are living there is a lot to do with your dog too. In La Paz we had plenty of trails to get out on and in Potosi we got out every weekend hiking and trout fishing with our heathens. ENJOY!

Aug 05, 2009
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shipping animals to bolivia
by: Bella

Hi Jake! Thank you so much for sharing this. Take a look at the Pet Travel page again - we've made changes and added a link to your comments here:

www.boliviabella.com/travel-with-pets.html

Sounds like you're coming to Bolivia as a volunteer? Don't let the documentation headaches discourage you. Things seem to change every time there are changes in officials or employees at government offices here and it does get tedious, but you'll forget about it when you get to Bolivia and fall in love with this country and its people. Really.

Bella

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