Preparing from scratch takes about 4 weeks, wherever you fly from.
American Samoa sets its own requirements for bringing in dogs and cats. From any departure country your pet needs rabies vaccination, rabies antibody titre test, import permit and veterinary health certificate. The rules are the same for dogs and cats.
Order matters more than the list: the microchip goes in before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination does not count.
Free, no signup: timings, documents and airlines for your pet
The limits people find out about last: how many animals one person may bring, the minimum age and which breeds are turned away at the border.
These are the country's rules. Airlines refuse some breeds on their own — their limits are in the carrier table above.
The full list of documents and procedures for entering American Samoa. Every item carries its official source and last-checked date, and is marked as always required or required only from some departure countries.
Puppies and kittens should be vaccinated for rabies at 3-4 months of age ... prior to travel.
At least 30 days after rabies vaccination, your veterinarian must administer a rabies titer test ... The test is valid for 36 months.
Your cat or dog must have a permit to import from the Department of Health. All necessary documentation must be submitted to receive a permit number.
All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the port of entry.
The order matters more than the list: a step done too early has to be repeated. The intervals come from the same rule fields the engine uses for the earliest departure date.
Steps marked “depends on origin” are not needed by everyone — see the table above or check your own route.
The requirements are the same whichever country you fly from — this country draws no distinction between departure countries. Below is the same engine answer on six examples, counted from zero: no microchip and no vaccination yet, preparation starting today.
| From | Rabies jab | Titre test | Import permit | Health certificate | Earliest departurepreparing from scratch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | October 24, 2026 | Plan → |
| 🇫🇷 France | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | October 24, 2026 | Plan → |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | October 24, 2026 | Plan → |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | October 24, 2026 | Plan → |
| 🇨🇳 China | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | October 24, 2026 | Plan → |
| 🇺🇸 United States | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | October 24, 2026 | Plan → |
If the microchip and vaccination are already done, the wait is shorter: the clock runs from the vaccination date, not from today. Breed, weight and connections change the answer too — check your own route with the form above.
The country's rules place no restriction on the arrival airport. Below are airports with direct flights; marked where we have documented the arrival procedure.
From any country: rabies vaccination, rabies antibody titre test, import permit, veterinary health certificate.
Yes, from any departure country.
The country's rules list no breed bans. Individual airlines have their own restrictions — see the carrier table.