If you are moving to the U.S. State of Virginia with your animals, you may want to know the kinds of animals that are allowed into The Old Dominion as well as import requirements. Virginia allows many animals and has regulations governing their entry into the State.
Virtually all animals entering the state of Virginia are required to be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued within 10 days, 30 days, or 12 months prior to entry into the State. If you are moving to Virginia with your pets from another state, this article will point you in the right direction.
Animals That Are Allowed To Be Imported To Virginia
1. Dogs and Cats
Animal Import Requirements do not apply to people moving to and planning to become a resident of Virginia with their dogs or cats. Otherwise, a dog or cat entering the state of Virginia must be examined by an accredited veterinarian and deemed healthy and free of infectious diseases within ten days before its date of entry into the state.
Unless accompanied by its dam (mother), a dog or cat younger than seven weeks of age is not allowed to be imported into Virginia. Furthermore, all dogs or cats aged four months or older entering Virginia must have current proof of rabies vaccination.
Dogs or cats brought into Virginia for less than 10 days for the purpose of hunting or legal exhibition or to be offered for public adoption, transfer, sale, or trade shall not be subject to the Virginia Animal Import Requirements.
For more info, see 2VAC5-141-80 of the Code of Virginia. See the maximum number of dogs and cats that are allowed per household in Virginia.
2. Birds (except poultry)
If you are importing a wild or exotic bird into Virginia, you need to make sure the bird is not prohibited or restricted. To do that, read this article about the legal pet birds by state or check with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Any pet bird entering Virginia is required to be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within ten days prior to entry into Virginia unless the bird is intended to be offered for sale or adoption, breeding, or promotional purposes. This requirement, however, does not apply to Virginia residents or people moving to Virginia from another state.
3. Goats and Sheep
Virginia Code requires the official identification of all goats and sheep entering the state. The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection must bear the identification number. Any goat or sheep that is infected with scrapie is not permitted to enter Virginia.
Your goats or sheep will be subject to additional testing requirements if you are planning to ship them from a tuberculosis or brucellosis-positive area to Virginia.
However, your goats or sheep do not need a CVI, provided you are importing them from a tuberculosis and brucellosis-free region into Virginia for immediate slaughter or for the purpose of sale at a marketing facility.
See 2VAC5-141-90 of the Virginia Code for additional information.
4. Horses
All horses entering Virginia are required to be accompanied by a CIV and be officially tested and found negative for equine infectious anemia (EIA) within the past twelve months. The horse must be accompanied by an official test certificate. The CVI must include the result date, lab name, and accession number.
Furthermore, you are required to obtain a permit from the Office of Veterinary Services if you are importing a horse from an EIA-infected premise into Virginia.
See 2VAC5-141-100 of the VA Code for horse entry requirements and exemptions.
5. Cattle (including bison, water buffalo, and yak)
All cattle entering Virginia must be examined by an accredited veterinarian and deemed healthy and free of contagious diseases within a month prior to their date of entry into the state. Individual official identification is required for all cattle entering Virginia, except beef feeder cattle younger than 18 months of age. All cattle entering Virginia must be accompanied by test results and a CVI with the official identification number noted thereon.
Exempted from these requirements are cattle under eighteen months of age and not of a dairy type and are brought into Virginia for feeding purposes only.
Furthermore, a permit is required for all cattle being imported from a region that is not considered free of tuberculosis into Virginia. Exempted from this requirement are cattle consigned directly to a slaughter establishment.
For all cattle entry requirements and exemptions, refer to 2VAC5-141-70.
6. Other Ruminants (such as alpacas, llamas, camels, and deer)
All other ruminants entering Virginia must be accompanied by a CVI with an individual identification number noted thereon.
In addition, all other ruminants entering Virginia from a region not considered free of tuberculosis will be subject to a test and found negative within two months before entry into the state. An "other ruminant" aged 6 months or younger that is accompanied by its dam tested negative for tuberculosis is exempted from this requirement.
Refer to 2VAC5-141-110 for other ruminant entry requirements and exemptions.
7. Poultry
By "Poultry," Virginia means all domestic fowl, ratites, and game birds raised in captivity, including turkeys, ducks, geese, chickens, and quails.
All Adult poultry entering Virginia are required to be tested negative for Avian Influenza within fourteen days of moving into the state. Within a month prior to entry, all other poultry must be tested negative for Pullorum-typhoid. A CVI with an identification number noted thereon is required for all poultry entering Virginia.
Refer to 2VAC5-141-60 for all poultry entry requirements and exemptions. See Counties and Cities that allow the keeping of backyard chickens in Virginia.
8. Primates (monkeys and apes)
If you are a Virginia resident or are moving to Virginia from another state, the primate entry requirements do not apply to you. Otherwise, all primates entering Virginia must be deemed healthy by an accredited veterinarian within ten days prior to their date of entry into the state. A CVI with a microchip number noted thereon must accompany all primates imported into Virginia.
In addition, the CVI must include a statement attesting to the fact that the accredited vet has found no evidence of disease lesions or inflammatory processes after carefully examining the oral mucosa of the primate.
For all primate entry requirements and exemptions, refer to 2VAC5-141-130.
9. Swine (including pet pigs)
All swine entering Virginia must be accompanied by a CVI with an official identification number noted thereon. Your swine will be subject to additional testing if you are importing them from a region not considered free of brucellosis or pseudorabies into Virginia. Furthermore, a CVI is not required for swine imported into Virginia for immediate slaughter. Visit this link for all the swine entry requirements and exemptions.
10. Other Animals (such as reptiles, large cats, bears)
Prior to importing a wild or exotic animal into Virginia, you are required to check with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the destination locality to ensure that the animal is allowed to be kept as a pet in the state.
A CVI issued within ten days prior to entry into Virginia must accompany all other animals such as reptiles, large cats and bears entering the state. Exempted from these requirements are people passing through Virginia to another state.
For more info, refer to the Virginia Administrative Code.
