Upon veterinary inspection at the port of entry, the birds must be
found free of clinical signs of communicable diseases of birds and
poultry. The owner must sign a declaration stating that the birds are
healthy and have been in his or her possession for a minimum of 90 days
preceding the date of importation, and that during such time, the birds
have not been in contact with poultry or other birds (i.e., in
association with other avian species at exhibitions or in aviaries). A
user fee, based on an hourly rate of $84 per hour (with a minimum fee of
$25.00) will also be collected at this time.
Importing Pet Birds from Canada into U.S. Air or Ocean Ports of
Entry
Those importing pet birds into the United States from Canada by air or
by boat are required to have a USDA import permit (VS
Form17-129), although a veterinary health certificate is not
required. These birds must also be inspected by a USDA veterinarian at
the air or ocean port of entry, as described above. The importers are
required to contact the port veterinarian at the phone number listed on
the import permit at least 72 hours in advance of arrival to arrange for
a veterinary inspection. (Most airports are not routinely staffed by a
full-time port veterinarian, and the hours of service and availability
for veterinary inspections vary from port to port.)
This cost of the import permit is $94.00 and the application (VS
Form 17-129) may be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/
or by contacting the:
USDA, APHIS, VS
National Center for Import and Export
4700 River Road, Unit 39
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 734-8364 telephone
(301) 734-6402 fax
Fish and Wildlife Service Permit Information
In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regulates
the importation of birds protected by the Convention on International
trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Wild Bird Conservation Act
of 1992 (WBCA). These regulations are part of international conservation
effort to protect exotic wild birds subject to trade. Most exotic pet
birds including parrots, parakeets, macaws, lories, and cockatoos are
affected by CITES and the WBCA. However, the budgerigar, cockatiel, and
rose-ringed parakeet are exempt.
According to the WBCA, in order to import a pet bird of non-U.S.
origin into the United States, you must have continuously resided
outside of the United States for at least one year. In addition, the
WBCA limits the number of pet birds that can be imported to two birds
per person, per year. All required WBCA and CITES permits must accompany
the bird while in transit.
Please visit the FWS web site at: http://permits.fws.gov/
to obtain more information and the permit application. If you have
questions you can contact the FWS at (800) 358-2104. Overseas calls
should be placed to (703) 358-2104.
How to Contact Us
If you need additional information about importing pet birds into the
United States, please contact us:
USDA, APHIS, VS
National Center for Import and Export
4700 River Road, Unit 39
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 734-3277 telephone
(301) 734-6402 fax
