# Traveling with your dog in Colombia: car, intercity bus, city transit and plane

https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/traveling-with-your-dog-in-colombia

By Casa Trufa · Published: 2026-10-09

Inside Colombia you do not need an ICA certificate to travel with your dog. No national rule covers private cars; on intercity buses and city transit, the Constitutional Court (ruling C-439 of 2011) bars excluding domestic animals that travel in conditions of health, safety, comfort and tranquility, and each company or city sets its own conditions.

## In short

- ICA does not require a Sanitary Inspection Certificate for travel inside the country.
- The National Traffic Code does not regulate how a pet rides in a private car.
- Bus companies can set reasonable conditions, but cannot shut the door on domestic animals.
- On city transit, each mayor’s office sets the rules; always on a leash.
- “No somos equipaje” (“We are not baggage”) is still, as far as we could verify, a bill.

## Which documents does a dog need to travel inside Colombia?

None issued by the state. ICA (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario, Colombia’s agricultural and animal-health authority) says so expressly: moving dogs and cats within the national territory does not require the Sanitary Inspection Certificate. What you should always carry is an up-to-date vaccination record, which is the document transport companies and the authorities ask for.

The [ICA page](https://www.ica.gov.co/importacion-y-exportacion/otros-procedimientos/requisitos-para-importar-mascotas/movilizacion-a-nivel-nacional-de-perros-y-gatos) adds a warning: airlines and transport companies set their own policies, so check with them before the trip. The ICA certificate is for crossing the border, and we explain it in [taking a dog out of Colombia](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/taking-a-dog-out-of-colombia-ica-requirements). This text is for information and does not replace checking with the company or with a lawyer.

## How should a dog ride in a private car?

National law does not spell it out. We went through Colombia’s National Traffic Code (Law 769 of 2002) and did not find an article regulating how a pet must travel in a private vehicle, or a specific fine for it. What follows are safety recommendations, not legal obligations.

The closest thing in the Code is [Article 97](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_0769_2002_pr002.html), which prohibits leaving animals loose on public roads. Inside the car, common sense does the rest:

- **Restrained or in a crate.** On the back seat, with a harness anchored to the seat belt, or in a crate that cannot slide. Never on the driver’s lap.
- **Frequent stops** to walk, drink water and go to the toilet, always on a leash.
- **Never alone in a closed car**, not even “for a moment”: the temperature rises within minutes. The warning signs are in [heatstroke in dogs](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/heatstroke-in-dogs).
- **Windows half open**, so the dog cannot get its body out.

## Can I travel with my dog on an intercity bus?

Yes, with conditions. Article 87 of Law 769 of 2002 prohibits carrying animals in public passenger vehicles, but the Constitutional Court, in ruling C-439 of 2011, exempted domestic animals as long as they are transported in conditions of health, safety, comfort and tranquility.

The [ruling](https://www.corteconstitucional.gov.co/relatoria/2011/C-439-11.htm) adds that transport operators must adapt their regulations. The [guide from the Superintendencia de Transporte](https://www.supertransporte.gov.co/documentos/2021/Julio/Proteccion_a_usuarios_26/guia%20mascotas16.pdf), Colombia’s transport regulator, brings it down to earth:

| Who | What falls to them |
| --- | --- |
| The passenger | Notify the company, meet its requirements (there may be an extra charge), use a crate, muzzle or carrier, bring the vaccination record and weigh whether the trip is a risk to the animal’s health |
| The company | State its conditions, not impose unreasonable or disproportionate requirements, assess whether it can carry the animal safely and, if it accepts, get it to its destination safe and sound |

The guide points out that carrying pets is a special service, subject to the vehicle’s capacity. That is why it is worth calling before you pay for the ticket, asking whether the dog travels with you or in the luggage hold, and asking for the condition to be noted. A puppy or a short-nosed dog should not go in a luggage hold.

## What about TransMilenio, the metro or city buses?

It depends on each city. Article 123 of Law 1801 of 2016, the Police Code, charges mayors with regulating the transport of pets on public transit, in conditions of health, safety, comfort and tranquility, and Article 118 requires every dog to be on a leash on any transport where it is allowed.

Bogotá serves as an example. According to the [city government](https://bogota.gov.co/mi-ciudad/movilidad/como-viajar-con-animal-de-compania-en-transmilenio-bogota-2026), on trunk-line buses, zonal buses and the TransMiCable cable car:

- each person may bring **only one animal**, wearing a collar or in a crate;
- **medium and large** dogs travel restrained, on the floor and without taking up a seat;
- dogs of breeds classed as **“special handling”** travel only with an adult, with a collar and a muzzle;
- you must carry a current **vaccination record**, and the animals may not be fed inside the system.

In other cities the rules change: read your system’s user manual before you set out.

## What about assistance dogs and “special handling” breeds?

Assistance dogs have the door open by law: preventing a guide dog that accompanies its keeper from entering a transport system carries a type 2 fine (Article 124, point 2, of Law 1801). Dogs of breeds classed as “special handling”, by contrast, may only travel with a muzzle and a leash.

The Superintendencia guide asks that the assistance animal wear a harness and an identifying vest, and that its user be able to show proof of its training. The “special handling” breeds and their other obligations are covered in [the Police Code and dogs](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/colombia-police-code-dogs-leash-rules-and-fines).

## And by plane inside Colombia?

In short: only small dogs travel in the cabin. The Superintendencia de Transporte guide lists these conditions: a small animal, a minimum age of eight weeks, a maximum of 10 kg (22 lb) including the carrier, one carrier per passenger and notice to the airline at least 48 hours in advance, subject to space.

Each airline adds its own carrier dimensions, documents and fees, and its own minimum age. [Avianca](https://ayuda.avianca.com/hc/en-us/articles/13091527349787-Can-I-fly-with-my-pet) accepts pets older than two months on domestic flights in Colombia (four months on its other routes) and does not carry short-nosed breeds, a list that includes the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, in the hold; [LATAM](https://www.latamairlines.com/co/es/centro-ayuda/preguntas/mascotas/transporte/viaje-avion) publishes a minimum of 16 weeks for the cabin. The details, written with a puppy in mind, are in the guide [flying with a puppy in Colombia](https://casatrufa.com/en/guides/flying-with-a-puppy-in-colombia).

## Where does the “No somos equipaje” bill stand?

As far as we could verify on October 9, 2026, it is still a bill and not a law. “No somos equipaje” (“We are not baggage”) was introduced in July 2024, and the full House of Representatives passed it in second debate in April 2025; we found no record of its approval in the Senate, of a presidential signature or of a law number.

According to the press, the text passed in the House would allow dogs and cats under 12 kg (26 lb) to travel free in the cabin, limit the hold to exceptional cases and give airlines six months to adapt ([El País, April 2025](https://www.elpais.com.co/colombia/camara-aprueba-en-segundo-debate-proyecto-regula-transporte-aereo-de-mascotas-podran-viajar-gratis-2350.html)); an [Infobae article from February 2026](https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2026/02/20/viajar-con-su-perro-o-gato-tiene-nuevas-condiciones-en-colombia-cuales-son-los-requsitos-para-garantizar-el-trato-digno-a-las-mascotas/) also mentions a minimum age of five months to fly. These are press sources on a text that may have changed.

> [!AVISO] Do not plan a flight on the basis of that bill. The rules that count today are your airline’s: confirm them in writing before paying for the ticket.

## How do you prepare a dog for a long trip?

With time and without improvising. Get the dog used to the crate or harness days ahead, travel on a light stomach, bring water and the vaccination record, and plan your stops. If the dog gets carsick, is very nervous or has an illness, talk to your veterinarian before traveling; do not give it sedatives on your own.

- **A familiar crate**: the dog should go in by itself and sleep in it before the trip.
- **A light meal** a few hours beforehand, and water during the journey.
- **Identification**: a tag with your phone number and a [registered microchip](https://casatrufa.com/en/blog/dog-microchip-and-registration-in-colombia).
- **Climate at the destination**: a double-coated dog raised in the cool highlands (tierra fría) suffers in the hot lowlands (tierra caliente); adjust schedules and walks.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do I need a veterinary certificate to travel with my dog inside Colombia?** ICA does not require its Sanitary Inspection Certificate for travel inside the country. What transport companies ask for is an up-to-date vaccination record, and some airlines a recent health certificate: confirm it with the company.

**Can I be refused a bus ticket because I have a dog with me?** Not as a blanket rule. Ruling C-439 of 2011 bars excluding domestic animals that travel in conditions of health, safety, comfort and tranquility. The company can require a crate, advance notice and the vaccination record, and assess whether it can carry the dog safely.

**Is there a fine for having a dog loose inside the car?** We did not find in the National Traffic Code (Law 769 of 2002) an article that regulates how a pet must ride in a private vehicle. Even so, for safety it should be restrained or in a crate, never on the driver’s lap.

**Can a large dog travel in the cabin of a plane in Colombia?** Under the rules summarized by the Superintendencia de Transporte, no: only small animals travel in the cabin, up to 10 kg (22 lb) including the carrier. A bill would change that, but we could not confirm that it has been passed.

**Can a person with an assistance dog be refused service?** No. The Superintendencia de Transporte guide says companies cannot refuse service to people accompanied by assistance animals, which travel next to the person they assist, with a harness, an identifying vest and a vaccination record.

## Sources

1. [ICA: movilización a nivel nacional de perros y gatos (moving dogs and cats within Colombia)](https://www.ica.gov.co/importacion-y-exportacion/otros-procedimientos/requisitos-para-importar-mascotas/movilizacion-a-nivel-nacional-de-perros-y-gatos). Inside the national territory the Sanitary Inspection Certificate is not required. In Spanish
2. [Superintendencia de Transporte (Colombia’s transport regulator): guía para el transporte de animales y mascotas](https://www.supertransporte.gov.co/documentos/2021/Julio/Proteccion_a_usuarios_26/guia%20mascotas16.pdf). Published in 2021. Passengers’ duties, companies’ obligations and cabin conditions for air travel. In Spanish
3. [Ley 769 de 2002, Código Nacional de Tránsito Terrestre (National Traffic Code), Articles 87 and 97](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_0769_2002_pr002.html). Article 87 prohibits carrying animals in public-service vehicles; it was made conditional by ruling C-439 of 2011. In Spanish
4. [Corte Constitucional (Constitutional Court of Colombia), sentencia C-439 de 2011](https://www.corteconstitucional.gov.co/relatoria/2011/C-439-11.htm). Exempts from the prohibition domestic animals transported in conditions of health, safety, comfort and tranquility. In Spanish
5. [Ley 1801 de 2016, Código Nacional de Seguridad y Convivencia Ciudadana (Police Code), Articles 116 to 130](http://www.secretariasenado.gov.co/senado/basedoc/ley_1801_2016_pr002.html). Articles 118 (leash), 123 (public transit) and 124 (guide dogs). In Spanish
6. [Alcaldía de Bogotá (Bogotá city government): how to travel with a companion animal on TransMilenio](https://bogota.gov.co/mi-ciudad/movilidad/como-viajar-con-animal-de-compania-en-transmilenio-bogota-2026). Published June 24, 2026; an example of local regulation. In Spanish
7. [El País (Cali daily), April 23, 2025: the House passes in second debate the bill on air transport of pets](https://www.elpais.com.co/colombia/camara-aprueba-en-segundo-debate-proyecto-regula-transporte-aereo-de-mascotas-podran-viajar-gratis-2350.html). Press source on a bill; we could not confirm that it has been passed by the Senate or signed into law. In Spanish
8. [Infobae, February 20, 2026: conditions for traveling with dogs and cats](https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2026/02/20/viajar-con-su-perro-o-gato-tiene-nuevas-condiciones-en-colombia-cuales-son-los-requsitos-para-garantizar-el-trato-digno-a-las-mascotas/). Press source: it describes the bill as passed by the House, not as a law. In Spanish
9. [Avianca help center: Can I fly with my pet?](https://ayuda.avianca.com/hc/en-us/articles/13091527349787-Can-I-fly-with-my-pet). Edited July 1, 2026. Minimum age of 4 months, except on domestic flights in Colombia (pets older than 2 months); cabin limit of 10 kg with the carrier; short-nosed breeds not carried in the hold. Consulted October 10, 2026
10. [LATAM: centro de ayuda, transporte de mascotas (help center, pet transport)](https://www.latamairlines.com/co/es/centro-ayuda/preguntas/mascotas/transporte/viaje-avion). Cabin minimum of 16 weeks. Read only through the search engine’s excerpt, and we could not see whether it applies to domestic flights in Colombia: confirm with the airline. In Spanish. Consulted October 10, 2026