Visiting Bonaire with Your Pet

Arriving by plane with your pet or service animal.

Those who wish to arrive by plane with their pets (either in the cabin, if a small animal, or in cargo) should contact their airline as soon as possible to find out if the airline can transport the animal. With Bonaire’s consistently warm weather, some airlines will place restrictions on transporting pets in the cargo hold of planes, as the temperature can simply become too high for the animals. Additionally, many airlines will restrict the number of small animals that can be carried in the cabin (per flight). All pets entering Bonaire must have the official paperwork and items listed below.

Arriving by Cruise with your pet or service animal.

Those who wish to arrive by cruise ship and are traveling with their pets  should contact their cruise line as soon as possible for the necessary paperwork needed in order for your pet to disembark. If your pet does not leave the cruise ship, then there is no need for paperwork. 

The entry requirements for dogs and cats to Bonaire are as follows:

• All animals must have a health certificate, signed by the official veterinary authorities from the country of origin, that is not older than 10 days before travel. In the case of transport by sea, that period of 10 days is extended by an additional period corresponding to the duration of the journey by sea. *Please note that the Bonaire Veterinary Health Certificate that may be found online is NOT a valid health certificate (per the Bonaire Government as of 2024.)
  • • For an animal traveling from the US, you can use the USDA 7001 form and have it filled in by a licensed veterinarian. Please ensure USDA endorsement.
    • Animals traveling from the EU with a traveling EU passport can have a licensed EU veterinarian fill in the fit to fly in the passport.
    • Animals from Bonaire traveling back to Bonaire can have a licensed EU veterinarian sign off on the health of the animal.
• All animals must be at least 15 weeks old when entering Bonaire. Animals younger in age are not allowed due to the lack of rabies vaccine and its onset immunity.
• All dogs and cats must have a valid Rabies vaccination and proof thereof. The vaccination should be administered in accordance with the package insert. Furthermore, consideration should be given to the onset of immunity. The onset of immunity varies by brand, but for rabies, it is usually around 21 days. The exact number of days per brand can be found in the vaccine’s package insert. The vaccine is only valid after the specified number of days have passed. Please note that a dog can only be vaccinated at 12 weeks old and, therefore, can only travel at 15 weeks old.
• All dogs and cats must be microchipped.
• Animals from the mainland of South America and Central America are not permitted to enter Bonaire. For the exceptions, please consult the import law: https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0028443/2010-10-10.

Besides the points mentioned above, we would like to ask you to ensure that your dog and cat is free of internal and external parasites when coming back into Bonaire. This is to prevent foreign exotic parasites from traveling to Bonaire.

All required info in the section above is per the Bonaire Government as of July 2024.

Vet care on Bonaire.

Should you require vet care for your pet while on Bonaire, there are two vets:

Be sure to follow local laws.

There are beaches where government regulations prohibit the walking of dogs, primarily so as not to disturb sensitive ecological areas. Dogs are not permitted on these beaches:

It is prohibited to enter the Cargill Salt Company area without permission.

For information on dialing a Bonaire phone number from off-island, see the Phone page.