Requirements and Insights for Bringing a Cat to Costa Rica

Costa Rica is known to be a pet-friendly country, and pets are welcome in restaurants, shopping centers, cafes, and bars.

Cat owners from America are required to get a health certificate for the cat, issued by a licensed veterinary that is endorsed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Veterinary Services (VS), and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Cat owners from Canada are required to get an international health certificate for their cat, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency should issue the certificate. The document is available for download on the agency’s website. A veterinary, licensed to practice medicine in Canada, should fill it and present it to the official government veterinary.
Before traveling to Costa Rica with a cat, the owners need to ensure the pets are vaccinated, and the examination should be done two weeks before visiting Costa Rica.
The required vaccinations include feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline leukemia, panleukopenia, and calicivirus.
Pet owners are required to microchip their cats and register the contact information before traveling to Costa Rica. Microchips will help to identify the pet incase it gets lost or separated from the owner.
One can bring up tofive personal pets in Costa Rica without an import permit.
A cat owner will be required to get an import permit if the cat is entering Costa Rica for commercial reasons, unaccompanied, or on a different flight. The cat may be held for extra inspection and further paperwork, for24 hours.
The cat will not be quarantined when entering Costa Rica.

The Costa Rica Climate – the climate in Costa Rica is mostly hot throughout the year. The cat owners should determine if the cat would survive the tropical climate.
Medications – If the pet has chronic health issues like diabetes, the owner should call a local veterinarian in Costa Rica, establish the prices of medicine, and compare the prices before moving.