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Pet Travel Guidance for Pets

Traveling to Another Country from

the United States

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Pet Travel to a foreign country can be complex and time-consuming. Before

you start the process, you will need to know the following: the type of animal

traveling, the destination country, the date of departure from the United States, and

whether or not the pet will be traveling alone, as cargo, or with a person in the cabin

of the plane.

Determine whether your animal qualifies as a pet.  A pet is a privately-owned

companion animal not intended for research or resale and includes the following

animal groups only:

Dogs, Cats, Ferrets, Rabbits, Rodents, Hedgehog/Tenrecs, Reptiles, Amphibians,

and Pet Birds (non-poultry).  

Birds considered poultry include chickens, doves, ducks, geese, grouse, guinea

fowl, partridges, pea fowl, pheasants, pigeons, quail, swans, and turkeys).

If your animal is not one of the types listed above or considered poultry, it does not

qualify as a pet. View the requirements for exporting non-pet animals.
What are the requirements to take my pet from

the United States to another country?

Work with the pet’s veterinarian to determine the destination country’s

requirements, including any necessary vaccinations, tests, or treatments. We

recommend creating a schedule to make sure all requirements are met within the

specified timeframe.

Every country has its own set of health requirements for pets that may require your

pet to get a microchip, specific vaccinations, or undergo certain tests. The

requirements pages provide essential information for civilians, military service

members, brokers, pet shipping companies, and accredited veterinarians.

Use the Worksheet list to capture the information needed to plan for the pet’s trip

and complete the process for obtaining a health certificate.

Pet Owner Worksheet for Preparing Visit with Accredited Veterinarian to

Complete Health Certificate (103.1 KB)

What is a USDA Accredited Veterinarian?

 A USDA Accredited Veterinarian has completed formal training from the National

Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP) in the state(s) they are licensed to practice

medicine in. Accreditation is state-specific and is voluntary (not all veterinarians are

accredited).

How do I find a USDA Accredited Veterinarian to complete my animal's

health certificate?

Use the drop-down menu below to select your destination country and

view their requirements. Country requirements can change frequently. Be sure to

verify your destination’s requirements every time you plan to travel with your pet.

Live Animal Export Country Requirements

View Requirements

- Select a Country - ▾
How do I Get My Pet's Health Certificate Endorsed

by USDA?

If the destination country requires a USDA-endorsed (countersigned and

embossed/stamped) health certificate, work with your accredited veterinarian to

complete, sign, and date the health certificate. The accredited veterinarian should

submit the certificate to the USDA Endorsement Office in the Veterinary Export

Health Certification System (VEHCS) on your behalf or provide the paperwork to you

to submit to the USDA Endorsement Office.

Important

Most health certificates become valid the day the accredited veterinarian signs it, so

make sure yours is issued within your destination country’s required timeframe. The

original endorsed hard copy health certificate must accompany your pet to the

destination country.

Option 1:  Use VEHCS

to submit the Health

Certificate

(Accredited Veterinarians can

access VEHCS on your behalf).

Choose Option 1 or Option 2, not

both.

Option 2:  Ship the

Paperwork to USDA

Choose Option 1 or Option 2, not both.
Your submission must include:

International health certificate

Vaccination certificates (if

vaccination required by the

destination country)

Test results for laboratory tests

(if required by the destination

country)

Import permit (if required by the

destination country)

Payment (See below for fees and

how to submit payment)

Pre-paid express shipping label if

USDA APHIS’s digital

endorsement is not accepted by

the destination country (See

below for more information)

Your submission must include:

The ORIGINAL International health

certificate

Vaccination certificates (if vaccination

required by the destination country)

Test results for laboratory tests (if

required by the destination country)

Import permit (if required by the

destination country)

Payment (See below for fees and how to

submit payment)

Pre-paid express shipping label (See

below for more information)

Include The Pet Owners Checklist

for Shipping Health Certificate(s) to

a USDA Endorsement Office to be

sure you have all required

paperwork in your shipping

package

Give adequate time and proper planning for the endorsement of your

health certificate. Incomplete submissions or incorrect information on health

certificates will cause endorsement delays until the USDA Accredited Veterinarian

or the owner/exporter of the animal can correct the problem. Endorsement of a

correctly completed health certificate can take upwards of 3 business days.

Endorsement Fees and Payment Options

There are fees for USDA to endorse your health certificate. Learn more about the

Cost to Endorse Your Pet's Health Certificate (USDA fees).

Payment options using the Veterinary Export Health Certification System

(VEHCS): For health certificates submitted in VEHCS, your USDA Accredited

Veterinarian must ensure that payment is provided by either depositing money in

the VEHCS account or by providing a USDA APHIS User Fee Credit Account in the

submission.
Payment options when shipping the health certificate to USDA: For health

certificates submitted by express shipping, payment may be made by using the

following acceptable methods of payments:

USDA APHIS User Fee Credit Account

Check or Money Order (made payable to USDA)

Credit or Debit Card: For payment of health certificates submitted by overnight

shipping, please use the credit card information sheet (90 KB) to provide your

credit or debit card information. 

If you have questions about the cost of the endorsement of a health certificate,

payment method, or if the pet is traveling to multiple countries, please contact your 

USDA Endorsement Office. 

Payment Exemption for Service Animals

There is no endorsement fee for service animals (dogs) belonging to individuals with

disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although USDA

APHIS recognizes the importance of all animals in their owners’ lives, health

certificate endorsement fees apply to emotional support animals and any other

animal not officially covered by the ADA.

Shipping the health certificate to USDA for

Endorsement

If your accredited veterinarian provides the signed health certificate to you to send

to the USDA Endorsement Office, we strongly recommend sending the paperwork via

overnight express service, such as FedEx or UPS, to minimize delays.

Please include the following in your package:

1. A self-addressed pre-paid express return shipping label (see instructions

below for preparing the shipping label). We will use the label to return your

endorsed health certificate to you.
2. Be sure you include all original documents required by your destination

country:

a. International Health Certificate

b. Vaccination certificates (if vaccinations are required by the destination

country)

c. Test results for laboratory tests (if tests are required by the

destination country)

d. Import Permit (if a permit is required by the destination country)

3. The Pet Owners Checklist for Shipping Health Certificate(s) to a USDA

Endorsement Office (198.45 KB) so that we can contact you or your accredited

veterinarian if we find a problem with your pet's health certificate. If you

provide a phone number, make sure you're able to receive voicemails.

4. The Credit Card Information Sheet (90 KB), if you are paying the endorsement

fee by credit card. 

Preparing the Return Shipping Label

Important Information about the pre-paid express return

shipping label.

Put YOUR name and address in both the TO and FROM section of the

return label. The USDA address should not appear anywhere on your return

label.

If you need to include an envelope size and weight on the label, use 12.5 x

9.5 inches and 1 pound in weight.

Your USDA Endorsement has shipping envelopes to return your paperwork.

The return label must be pre-paid. We do not accept shipping labels with

credit card numbers.

Use a shipping service that provides a tracking number. It is your

responsibility to keep a record of the tracking information.

UPS Ground, FedEx Ground, or FedEx Home service do not pick up

from our offices. Choosing this type of shipping service label may delay your

package’s return to you by one business day.

If you do not include a return label in your package, and we are unable

to reach you to arrange for another method of return delivery, we will send

your package to you via United States Postal Service First Class Mail.
When can I travel with my Pet?

Once the pet’s health certificate has been issued by a USDA Accredited Veterinarian

and endorsed by USDA (when required), finish any outstanding requirements.

Some countries allow treatments to be completed after endorsement.

For example, tapeworm treatment for dogs traveling to Finland, Ireland,

Norway, UK and Malta.

Some countries require consulate approval or pre-notification.

Airlines may have different or additional requirements.  Check with your airline

to determine what requirements they may have, if any. 

Be sure all the required paperwork is completed correctly, and the health

certificate(s) are endorsed (if needed). The original signed or endorsed

paperwork must accompany your pet during travel. Electronic versions

of documents will not be accepted by officials of the destination

country.

You are now ready to travel with your pet!

How do I return to the United States with my Pet?

Visit the USDA APHIS Pet Travel Website’s Bring Your Pet into the U.S. From a

Foreign Country to obtain detailed and important information for pets entering the

U.S.

Resources

Pet Owner Worksheet for Obtaining an International Health Certificate for Pets

(103.1 KB): Use the list to capture the information needed to plan for the pet’s

trip and complete the process for obtaining a health certificate.

Pet Owners Checklist for Shipping Health Certificate(s) to a USDA Endorsement

Office

Cost to Endorse Your Pet's Health Certificate

Find an Accredited Veterinarian

USDA Endorsement Offices