Daniel D. Says:
We will be moving to San Miguel de Allende in a couple of months. I have a question for Jason Holland: How did he get his dogs to San Miguel? We live in Montana, should we fly or drive?
IL Latin American Correspondent Jason Holland Says:
Welcome to San Miguel de Allende, Dan!
SMA is quite dog-friendly as far as bringing furry friends to events, shops, cafes, and restaurants. And there are several good veterinarians in town as well.
I’ve both driven and flown into Mexico with my dogs. Both processes are fairly straightforward. In both cases, no special forms, health certificates, or applications are needed to enter Mexico.
But be sure to have rabies and other shots up to date, and best to have that paperwork, just in case.
And when you arrive at the airport in Mexico or at the land border, you do need to find the office for the Mexican animal and plant health agency. This official will inspect your dog for signs of sickness or parasites or fresh wounds. If everything is good, you’re on your way.
Your dog should be in a carrier.
To be honest, at the land border in Laredo where we cross, nobody has been in a rush to inspect my dogs and we just skip that step if driving. But different border crossings might be a different story.
Should you fly or drive? It depends on quite a few factors.
If flying, you should consider:
Is your dog small enough to fit under the seat in front of you in a soft carrier? That’s the best option.
The time of year—in summer it is too hot to fly for dogs in the baggage compartment.
The airline—some allow pets, others don’t. Check before you book. Some allow pets but have their own requirements for type of carrier, documentation, and the like. And there is an extra cost.
The breed—some breeds of dog aren’t allowed to fly, especially with baggage.
Is it a direct flight or do you have connections? Best not to fly with connections.
How many dogs do you have? There could be restrictions on amount.
As far as driving, you should consider:
Places to stay. There are plenty of pet friendly hotels in the U.S. and Mexico. However, some have rules regarding breeds allowed, size of dogs, and how many dogs.
The hotel booking sites usually do not have that level of detail—so be sure to call ahead. (That said, the drive from the border to SMA is about 9 hours, so doable in a day and wouldn’t have to worry about hotels if going direct.)
Driving also requires you to temporarily import your car at the border and secure car insurance in Mexico. Just a bit of paperwork and cost there. $400 deposit for your car. About $500 or so for insurance for a year.
I helped update the latest edition of IL’s Escape to Mexico guidebook. You can find plenty more information about moving to Mexico with pets in Chapter 9. Pick it up on the IL Bookstore here.
Got a Question?
Send your thoughts to mailbag@internationalliving.com. We’ll post and respond to as many of your emails as we can right here in the e-letter.