--- title: "Flying into Miami with a pet · MIA Airport Guide" description: "Arriving at MIA with a pet in the cabin or as cargo: where you collect it, the relief areas by the arrival doors, and the CDC dog rules for flights from abroad." url: "https://miaairportguide.com/guides/flying-into-miami-with-pet/" updated: "2026-10-21" airport: "MIA" type: "guide" --- > Independent guide, not the official MIA website. All pages: https://miaairportguide.com/llms.txt # Flying into Miami with a pet Arriving at MIA with a pet in the cabin or as cargo: where you collect it, the relief areas by the arrival doors, and the CDC dog rules for flights from abroad. Updated October 21, 2026 ![A small dog in a soft carrier outside a pet relief room](https://miaairportguide.com/images/mia/a-small-dog-resting-t-v3.webp) Arriving with a pet **If your pet flew in the cabin, it walks off the plane with you, and if it flew as cargo, your airline or shipper tells you where to collect it.** Flying in from another country with a dog? It has to meet the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dog import rules before it boards. Once you’re through arrivals, MIA’s outdoor relief areas are on Level 1. ## In the cabin, as checked baggage, or as cargo How your pet travels decides where you meet it. Each airline sets its own fees and limits, and American’s rules show the three ways a pet can fly: | How it flies | American’s rules | Where you meet it at MIA | | --- | --- | --- | | Carry-on, in a carrier under the seat | $150 per kennel each way, within and between the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. A soft carrier of 18 x 11 x 11 inches is recommended. | With you, all the way through arrivals | | Checked pet | Only for active-duty US military and State Department staff, $200 per kennel | Ask the airline where checked pets are returned | | Cargo | Booked through American Airlines Cargo, price set per trip | Where the airline’s cargo team tells you | Changing airlines on the way? American says it doesn’t collect pet fees for other airlines on your trip, even on a flight with an American number, so you check in and pay with each one. ## Collecting a pet flown as cargo American sends pets that can’t fly as carry-on or checked through American Airlines Cargo, its PetEmbark service. Ask your airline or shipper for the exact collection address and opening hours before you land. For international arrivals, a UK pet shipper, PetAir, says a dog flown into MIA is typically with Worldwide Flight Services at 2261 NW 66 Avenue, Building 702, and that clearance through a customs agent is required in Miami. You then collect the dog from the agent at an agreed meeting point. To reach a cargo address like that from the terminal, you’ll need a car, a taxi or a ride app. Our [taxi](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/taxi/) and [ride app](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/ride-app/) pages explain where each picks up. ## Arriving from another country with a dog Service dogs and pets returning home follow the CDC rules too. What your dog needs depends on where it has been in the six months before arrival. Dogs that have been in a country the CDC lists as high-risk for dog rabies need more documents. - The CDC’s animal import page lists the documents for each case and the high-risk countries. - Coming from a high-risk country? American says the dog must be at least 16 weeks old and vaccinated against rabies, and it won’t carry such a dog in the cabin. Service dogs that meet CDC rules are the exception. - A dog coming from a country with screwworm must also meet the requirements of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). - Bring every form to check-in. American asks for them at the airport before departure. For a cat or any other animal, the USDA’s pet import page lists the federal requirements by kind of animal, and note that a state can add its own. ## At MIA with your pet MIA’s outdoor relief areas are before security on Level 1, across from Door 5 ([North Terminal](https://miaairportguide.com/terminals/north/), D) and Door 15 (Central Terminal, F). MIA’s relief-area map marks a third, across from Door 28 by the South Terminal, as temporarily closed for construction. Past security, our [pet relief page](https://miaairportguide.com/amenities/pet-relief/) lists the indoor animal restrooms by gate. Heading into the city by train? Miami’s tourism board says Metrorail and the free Metromover take pets in an enclosed carrier that fits on your lap or under the seat. On Brightline, the board says, dogs and cats under 25 pounds can ride in a carrier for a fee. ### Sources - [MIA Airport Guide: pet relief areas](https://miaairportguide.com/amenities/pet-relief/), [terminals](https://miaairportguide.com/terminals/), [taxis](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/taxi/) and [ride apps](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/ride-app/) - American Airlines: traveling with pets - USDA APHIS: bringing a pet into the United States - CDC: bringing an animal into the United States - PetAir: taking a pet through Miami airport - Greater Miami & Miami Beach: traveling to Miami with your pet