Banned Dog Breeds Brazil: Pit Bull Import Rules 2026

Search “banned dog breeds Brazil” and it’s easy to assume there’s a national list somewhere — the kind of official roster that countries like the UK or Singapore publish. Brazil doesn’t have one. At the federal level, there is currently no breed-specific import restriction for dogs entering the country. The real restriction, where it exists, sits one level down: at the state, not the federal, level.

No Federal Breed Ban — Only a Pending Bill

Brazil’s federal pet import framework, Portaria MAPA nº 741/2024, doesn’t mention breed at all — it applies the same CVI, vaccination, and health requirements to every dog regardless of breed. A bill proposing a nationwide Pit Bull restriction, PL 1265/2024, is currently pending before Brazil’s Congress, but a pending bill has no legal force. Until it’s passed, a Pit Bull entering Brazil at the federal border faces the same CVI-based requirements as any other dog — see our Brazil pet import law guide for that full checklist.

Rio de Janeiro: A Confirmed State-Level Ban

Rio de Janeiro is the one state where a breed restriction is confirmed and currently in force. Under Lei Estadual nº 3.205/1999, the state prohibits the import, sale, and breeding of the American Pit Bull Terrier and its crossbreeds anywhere within Rio de Janeiro’s territory, with a narrow exception for specialized kennels recognized by breed clubs. This law targets the breed specifically — it applies whether the dog is arriving from Vietnam, from another Brazilian state, or being bred locally.

If a pet’s final destination is the state of Rio de Janeiro and it’s a Pit Bull or a recognized crossbreed, this law applies directly, separate from anything the federal government requires for entry into Brazil as a country. The federal-level preparation, though, stays the same as any other dog — vaccination, parasite treatment, and the CVI on the schedule in our Brazil shipping timeline.

What About Other States?

This is the honest gap in what’s currently confirmed: beyond Rio de Janeiro, we have not found a complete, verified list of which other Brazilian states or municipalities have passed similar breed-specific restrictions. Some general reporting suggests other jurisdictions have discussed or introduced comparable rules, but without a confirmed, citable source for each one, we’re not going to list states here as banned when we can’t verify it. If a pet’s destination is anywhere other than Rio de Janeiro, the safer step is to confirm directly with the state or municipal authority at the final destination before travel, rather than assume the Rio de Janeiro rule is the only one that exists — or that no other state has one. Separately, confirm the chosen airline’s own breed and size policies too, since some carriers apply restrictions independent of Brazilian law — see our guide to airlines for pet transport to Brazil.

Planning a Shipment With a Restricted Breed

For a Pit Bull or similar breed heading anywhere in Brazil, the deciding factor isn’t the federal border — it’s the destination state and the chosen airline’s own policies, both of which need confirming well before departure. For the full destination overview, see our Brazil pet relocation guide.