Uruguay: the test they ask for isn't for rabies
The only country in this series where an antibody test can be required for a disease that isn't rabies: leishmaniasis, for dogs coming from a country where it circulates.
The certificate: ten days before its own issuance, not before the flight
Uruguay's MGAP (Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca) requires an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) or an official passport, signed by the departure country's authority. The clinical exam behind that certificate must have taken place within ten days before the CVI's own issuance date — an important nuance: the countdown starts at the certificate's issuance, not at the flight date.
Internal deworming (with praziquantel) and external deworming must also fall within a specific window: fifteen days before the CVI is issued, with the date and product recorded on the certificate.
The microchip: mandatory for dogs since a 2018 regulation
Dogs must be identified by microchip under DGSG Resolution No. 273, in effect since August 27, 2018 — an already well-established rule, not a recent change like Chile's. The documentation consulted mentions this requirement specifically for dogs; it doesn't state whether it extends to cats the same way, a point worth confirming directly with the MGAP when preparing the paperwork.
The rabies vaccine follows the region's usual threshold: a minimum of twenty-one days between a first-time injection and entry into the country, with immunity still valid.
The test that isn't about rabies: leishmaniasis
For a dog coming from a country not recognized as leishmaniasis-free, the MGAP requires a titer test — but this one measures leishmaniasis antibodies, not rabies, and must have been carried out no more than sixty days before entry.
This is a requirement unique to Uruguay among the countries covered in this series: none of the others mentioned a test tied to this specific disease. Easy to miss if the paperwork is only prepared against the usual rabies/microchip/vaccine checklist.
No prior permit for a pet traveling with its owner
As in Argentina and Colombia, no advance import authorization is needed for a dog or cat traveling with its owner — only non-traditional species require a separate authorization, with its own fee ($165 according to the documentation consulted). For a dog or cat, presenting the paperwork at the MGAP border checkpoint is enough, with no fee stated.