Pets to Paraguay: rabies, deworming and a certificate valid for 60 days
A dog or cat may enter Paraguay with an international veterinary certificate from the NVWA, under the rules the MERCOSUR countries adopted in 2024. The animal is vaccinated against rabies, has been dewormed in the 15 days before the certificate and examined by a vet in the 10 days before it. The certificate is valid for 60 days.
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A dog or cat may enter Paraguay with an international veterinary certificate, the CVI, from the veterinary authority of the country of departure. In the Netherlands that is the NVWA. The requirements are set out in a resolution the MERCOSUR countries adopted in 2024, to which SENACSA, the Paraguayan animal health service, refers. The three deadlines: rabies vaccination valid, dewormed in the 15 days before the certificate, and examined by a vet in the 10 days before it. The certificate is valid for 60 days.
| Requirement | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies vaccination | from 90 days of age, and valid | MERCOSUR 20/2024, art. 9 |
| First rabies vaccination | departure only 21 days after the jab | art. 10 |
| Deworming, internal and external | in the 15 days before the certificate | art. 13 |
| Clinical examination by a vet | in the 10 days before the certificate | art. 14 |
| Validity of the certificate | 60 days, as long as the rabies jab is valid | art. 6 |
| Microchip, if there is one | ISO 11784 or 11785, location stated on the certificate | art. 17 |
| Number of animals | up to 5; from 6 it counts as a commercial shipment | SENACSA |
Which animals count as pets?
For SENACSA only dogs and cats, and only up to five animals. From six on, the rules for importing live animals as trade apply. For other animals, such as birds or rabbits, these pet rules therefore do not apply.
What must happen before departure?
First the microchip and the rabies jab, in that order. The NVWA says so explicitly: if your animal is not chipped when it gets the rabies vaccination, the vaccination is not valid. If it is the first jab, the animal may only leave 21 days later. An animal that was not boosted in time counts as first-vaccinated again.
Then come the two short deadlines. In the 15 days before the date of the certificate your vet treats the animal against internal and external parasites. In the 10 days before it he examines it and declares that it has no infectious disease or parasites and is fit to travel. Which papers the NVWA draws up or legalises for Paraguay, you ask the NVWA.
The short deadlines count from the certificate, not from your flight. And the certificate is then valid for 60 days. So plan the deworming, the examination and the NVWA appointment close together, and book your flight within those 60 days. Paraguay may refuse an animal diagnosed with leishmaniasis.
How do you arrange it with the NVWA?
Check in the NVWA Exportassistent whether there is a binding certificate with instructions for Paraguay. If there is not, you email the NVWA at dpp@nvwa.nl, with the species, the country, any stopovers, your departure date, the purpose of the trip and your phone number. The NVWA tries to reply within 2 working days. If documents need to be legalised, you request that appointment at least 14 working days in advance; it takes place at the office in Utrecht, and your animal does not need to come.
The resolution leaves room for a pet passport: Paraguay may admit an animal with a valid passport containing all the details of the certificate, together with an additional certificate. The NVWA advises you to also check the current requirements with the destination country yourself. For Paraguay that is SENACSA.
What happens on arrival?
You show the original certificate to the SENACSA veterinary inspector at the airport or border post, who checks the paper and the animal. The original stays with you. If the animal does not comply, the inspector can refuse it, send it back or hold it. The costs are yours.
And if you ever want to go back?
Then the EU rule for animals from Paraguay applies. SENACSA summarises it: a blood test for rabies antibodies, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, in a laboratory approved by the EU. After a first vaccination the blood is taken at least 30 days after the jab, and at least three months before the journey. The microchip must be implanted before or on the day of the rabies jab. Anyone who wants to go back therefore starts well over a quarter in advance.
What else may come with your move is covered in household goods to Paraguay. The order of all the steps is in the route to Paraguay.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.4: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Paraguay or go straight to step 4.4 in the open plan.
What is due when?
Enter your departure date and see day by day what your dog or cat needs for Paraguay, from microchip to certificate.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- SENACSA — travelling with pets, entry under MERCOSUR resolution 20/2024 and the return journey to the EU — senacsa.gov.py
- NVWA — taking your dog or cat to a country outside the EU, the steps — nvwa.nl
- NVWA — legalisation of travel documents, appointment 14 working days in advance — nvwa.nl
- European Commission — the non-EU countries without a blood test requirement (Implementing Regulation 2026/636, Annex II); Paraguay is not among them — food.ec.europa.eu
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