Travel With Your Pet
Travel Health Certificates is proof that your pet meets the health requirements of your travel destination for companion animals. These specifications depend on the place you are traveling to and whether that travel is domestic or international and can range from up-to-date boosters shots to microchipping.
The USDA-APHIS office states that veterinarian-issued health certificates have to be completed within the exact time frame based on the state or country of destination's requirements.
It's important to remember that while some health certificates are valid for longer, the majority are only "good" for 10 days following their delivery. Often, they also require that boosters and vaccinations be administered as early as 6 months before their travel date too. So when setting a date to schedule your appointment with us, ensure you are planning ahead.
Dr. Ashely DeAtley
Dr. DeAtley at Shane Veterinary Medical Center is USDA Accredited and has experience with both interstate and international health certificates.
Meet Dr. DeAtleyWhat to Consider Before Travel
Please review the list below when preparing for your cat or dog's travel and health certificate appointment:
- Review the requirements for pet travel to your destination
The requirements can be found through the USDA Pet Travel website.
Please note that some countries have complicated steps and require different tests, such as FAVN or RNATT testing (Rabies titer testing). Test results can take up to 8 weeks to return from the laboratory, and we do not have any control on timing of the test results as these are submitted to an outside laboratory.
We also do not dictate the requirements of your destination country; we simply follow the rules put forth by that country.
Please plan accordingly and be patient with us as we receive many requests daily. Emails and requests are managed in order of urgency and date of the flight. Please note that we are not a travel agency, and our doctors are busy all day seeing appointments and performing surgeries; it may take up to 48 hours to get back to you – PLEASE BE PATIENT.
- Travel Fees & Costs
There are different fees involved depending on which tests, treatments, and documents are needed. In some cases, we need to collect a consultation fee to start the process. Airline and cargo forms are subject to separate fees.
Island states and nations, such as Australia and Japan, require a more extensive immunization process and a very detailed health certificate, which will be reflected in the cost.
- Calling the hospital to make an appointment.
The actual appointment for writing up an international health certificate is 1 hour per pet. If you are traveling within the United States, appointments will be 30 minutes (excluding Hawaii, which is also an hour).
All health certificates and related treatment (such as mandatory internal and external parasite treatments) needs to be done by a USDA-certified veterinarian. Please do not administer any medications at home unless instructed by the USDA veterinarian. Forms filled out by clients are not accepted.
Some locations/destinations have complex requirements and timelines. For many certificates, we require the owner to use a travel company like Pet Relocation.
Please contact us as soon as you have an idea of any planned international travel and we can let you know if a travel company is required and the timeline for any treatments, vaccines, and exam dates.
- What to bring to the appointment
- Your full name, current address, and phone number
- The name of your travel destination (person, hotel, etc.), address, and phone number
- The date your pet will be traveling, method of transportation, port of entry, and type of pet (dog or cat)
- All previous records from other veterinary clinics
- Rabies vaccination certificates with complete Rabies vaccine information, name of vaccine and manufacturer, lot number, lot expiration date, veterinarian signature and microchip number listed on the certificate. Please note that Invoices are not accepted in place of a signed Rabies certificate. It can also be required based on the planned destination to provide a “microchip implantation date”. Please provide all records available regarding vaccines and microchipping when inquiring about an international health certificate.
EU Passports for Pets
An EU Pet Passport is a document issued by an official veterinarian in an EU Member State or other designated country that contains official health information related to a specific pet. An EU Pet Passport cannot be obtained in the U.S. These passports are also very strict on who can enter information in them. Please refer to the USDA's page on Pet Passports for more information.
Note that if the rabies vaccine noted in a EU pet passport expires (or any rabies vaccine coverage expires) while the pet is in the US, a rabies vaccine valid for only 1 year will need to be administered here in the USA at least 21 days before re-entering the EU. A health certificate through a USDA veterinarian, and endorsed through VECHS, will also be necessary for travel to the the European Union.
During Your Appointment
In the lead-up to your pet's Travel Certification Appointment, you will need to ensure you have met all of the requirements for the state or country to which you are traveling.
When bringing your pet to us for this appointment, we will conduct a comprehensive exam to certify and asses their overall health and well-being, as well as walk through their medical history to ensure that they meet all the criteria required of them for your trip.
Please note all international health certificates requiring USDA endorsement must now be completed using the USDA’s online Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) and usually need to be accompanied with a prepaid shipping label. The local USDA office in El Segundo, CA, no longer allows paper submissions
When the certificate is finalized, you can either pick it up in person or it can be mailed to your address overnight.
Our Marina del Rey veterinarians are here to help facilitate the pet travel process and to fill out the required forms. Please do not fill out any health certificate documents yourself; all forms need to be completed by a USDA Accredited veterinarian. We also do not sign off on other veterinarian’s certificates; we start and finish the process ourselves.
It's imperative that you come to your appointment with us fully prepared!
Bringing Pets Back into the US After Travel
Starting August 1st, 2024, there will be new rules and regulations surrounding bringing a pet back into the US after international travel. The rules can change based on the type of pet and the country you are traveling from.
Please refer to the CDC's website on Bringing a Dog into the United States or Bringing a Cat into the United States. These rules for dogs apply to all dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, service animals, and dogs and cats that left the United States and are returning.
If you are traveling from the following countries with your pet in the last 6 months, you will need additional documentation and certification which will require additional charges at the time of health certification.
Domestic Health Certificates
Traveling interstate with your pet typically requires a health certificate within 10 days of travel for most states. Service animals are not exempt. Please refer to the new APHIS website for taking a pet from one US state or territory to another for more information.
While most airlines do not require health certificates, please note that health certificates are required and randomly inspected by the destination state’s health/agriculture personnel. Please check with your destination state for specific travel requirements.
Please also verify with the airline if they have their own specific forms for the veterinarian to sign. For example: Acclimation Form for animals traveling under the aircraft, Breed Verification Form, or the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Form for Service Animals.