Importers must obtain a USDA APHIS VS import permit before shipment and present an official health certificate from the exporting country's veterinary authority attesting that the birds originate from a flock free of specified diseases, including Newcastle disease and avian influenza. Shipments must enter through a USDA-approved port with live-bird inspection capability. APHIS may impose additional testing or quarantine requirements depending on the disease status of the exporting region.

While turkeys and ducks are widely traded in commercial volumes, guinea fowl and geese represent specialty and heritage-breed segments with smaller trade flows and more concentrated buyer bases — often specialty farms, live markets, or ethnic food retailers. The same APHIS health-certification and import-permit framework applies regardless of species, but importers of guinea fowl or geese should confirm that the exporting establishment is specifically approved for those species, as approvals are species-specific rather than blanket poultry authorizations.