Pet food
RestrictedMeat-based pet food is often restricted or barred.
Rules vary by destination and the origin country, and the border officer or biosecurity authority at arrival makes the final decision on what may enter.
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What this means
Pet food covers commercially prepared or homemade food, treats, chews, and supplements intended for animals such as dogs, cats, and birds. Because most pet food contains meat, dairy, or other animal-derived ingredients, border authorities treat it as a biosecurity and animal-disease risk, not an ordinary grocery item. Whether you can bring it in usually depends on what it's made of and which country it came from.
What's included
- Dry kibble and canned/wet dog or cat food
- Pet treats, jerky, and biscuits
- Rawhide and other animal-hide chews
- Bones, hooves, pig ears, and similar animal-part chews
- Bird seed mixes and bird food
- Pet nutritional supplements and vitamin chews
- Fish food and small-animal feed
- Homemade or repackaged pet food containing meat or dairy
What's not included
- Animal feed for livestock such as hay, fodder, or stock feed (animal-feed)
- Raw or packaged meat and poultry intended for human consumption (meat-poultry)
- Plant seeds, including those sold as bird-attracting garden seed (seeds)
- Infant formula and human baby food (infant-formula)
Common types & examples
Sealed retail dry/canned food
Unopened commercial packaging is most likely to be admissible, but still must be declared and may be limited by origin country.
Meat-based treats and jerky
Highest-risk type; often restricted or refused because meat can carry diseases like foot-and-mouth or avian influenza.
Rawhide and animal-part chews
Hides, bones, hooves, and pig ears are animal by-products and frequently need permits or are refused.
Bird seed and bird food
May be regulated both as animal feed and as a plant/seed pest risk depending on contents.
Supplements and vitamin chews
Treated as pet food if animal-derived; check ingredients and origin.
Why it's regulated
Pet food often contains meat, dairy, or other animal products that can introduce serious animal diseases (such as foot-and-mouth disease or avian influenza) and pests across borders. Authorities control it under biosecurity and animal-by-product rules to protect agriculture and livestock.
Typical allowance
Some destinations allow small amounts of sealed commercial pet food for personal use (the US, for example, generally caps personal agricultural imports at roughly 50 lb / ~23 kg total), while others ban or heavily restrict meat-based pet food entirely; rules vary sharply by destination and origin country.
Provisional — confirm with your destination
Before you travel
Documents you may need
- Declaration on your arrival/customs card
- Import permit (commonly required for animal by-products and many pet foods)
- Ingredient list or product labeling showing contents and origin
- Veterinary or health certificate for some animal-product foods
- Proof of personal (non-commercial) quantity
Next steps
- 1.Check your destination's biosecurity rules before you pack pet food
- 2.Keep pet food in unopened, clearly labeled retail packaging
- 3.Declare all pet food on your arrival/customs card
- 4.Carry an import permit if your destination requires one
- 5.Be ready to surrender meat-based food if it isn't admissible
Official sources
- Traveling into the United States from Canada at Land Borders· USDA APHIS
- Bringing Agricultural Products Into the United States· U.S. CBP
- Bringing or mailing goods to Australia· Australia DAFF
- Importing Products of Animal Origin (POAO)· UK Food Standards Agency
Always verify with the official authority for your destination.
Country-specific rules
The default posture above applies worldwide. For the exact rules at your destination, check the country guide.
View country rules →