Pet travel from Canada to Mexico

A health certificate is not required for pet cats to enter Mexico; they will be inspected by SENASICA upon arrival. (This is unchanged by the 2026-08-03 NWS certificate requirement, which applies to dogs only — see the checklist item above.)

Applies to: cat

Entry from the US or Canada is inspection-based: the pet must appear healthy, be free of ectoparasites, and have no fresh or healing wounds.

Items made with ruminant-origin ingredients are removed and destroyed; the carrier receives a preventive spray. Collar and leash are allowed.

Not required for the US/CA route, but the rabies record and any medications speed up inspection.

SENASICA entry is inspection-based (no generic health certificate). Since 2026-08-03, dogs entering Mexico from the United States separately need the NWS inspection certificate (see the checklist item for that requirement if it applies to your trip). Your operating airline may separately require its own recent veterinary health certificate — that is an airline rule, NOT a Mexico requirement, and is not specifically a USDA Form 7001. Confirm with the carrier.

Dogs ONLY, US return leg only. Since 2024-11-22 APHIS treats Mexico as screwworm-affected: within 5 days before shipment to the US, the dog must be inspected and certified free of screwworm (or treated until free). The certificate may be issued by a Mexican clinical veterinarian trained and authorized to sign on behalf of the official government veterinarian.

Traveling with several pets at once, or on behalf of a business, may trigger a different SENASICA process this ruleset does not model. If that applies to your trip, confirm current requirements directly with SENASICA before travel.