Countries, territories and airlines each have unique rules regarding transporting pets. Before traveling with your pet(s), be sure to research its requirements or contact the airline you plan on flying with in advance.
Many international travel requirements necessitate a health certificate endorsed by a USDA accredited veterinarian, so your regular vet might be able to recommend one nearby.
Health Certificate
The Health Certificate or Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, is required by many countries for entering your pet into their territory. It serves as an official record that certifies your veterinarian has examined your animal and found them free from certain diseases and parasites on inspection day. Each country varies in requirements but typically require examination, vaccinations, microchip identification, disease testing and quarantine before entry is permitted.
If your destination country requires a USDA-endorsed (countersigned and embossed/stamped) health certificate for international travel, be sure to meet with an accredited veterinarian well in advance of the travel date. They may need to access the Veterinary Export Health Certification System on your behalf and submit additional paperwork in order to have it accepted by foreign governments; once this approval has been achieved, ensure you take with you an original signed hard copy certificate on international journeys.
Health certificates will vary depending on your destination country, but typically will include your pet’s name and microchip number as well as information from their veterinarian such as clinic phone number, current vaccination status with dates for booster shots needed before international travel, blood test results, medications prescribed to them specifically for international travel as well as blood test results from blood samples taken before travel begins and any medication or dosage restrictions prescribed as necessary to protect their wellbeing while overseas. It will also contain a statement certifying their fitness to travel.
At your first exam, your veterinarian will carefully check for external and internal parasites such as fleas, ticks and mites as well as heartworm or intestinal worms in your pet. They will review his or her current parasite preventative plan and advise the best strategies for keeping him or her safe when traveling abroad.
If your pet becomes ill or contagious during travel, their veterinarian will not be able to issue a health certificate and travel must be postponed until their health returns. In such an instance, reach out to an official in your destination country as there may be ways for you to expedite their entry and reentry once back home.
Rabies Vaccination
If traveling internationally with your pet, make sure all necessary vaccinations have been administered and that their rabies vaccine is active. Many countries require an antibody titer test that must be given 1-30 days after administering the rabies vaccine in order to confirm it has provided protection. A USDA-accredited veterinarian must conduct blood draws prior to sending samples to an approved lab such as KSU or FAVN; your PetRelocation Specialist can guide this process and help ensure you meet each country’s regulations.
Tourists and other travelers are at greater risk for animal bites due to close encounters with animals at tourist attractions and public areas, where close contact may result. Rabies is a potentially fatal illness that could occur from being bitten by any species such as dogs, bats or any other animals; recent research on travel-related rabies injuries found 0.4% received an at-risk bite during their trip and 31% did not receive PEP (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2012a).
Your pet should have up-to-date rabies vaccination and microchipping records are recorded on both its certificate as well as your passport or other forms of documentation used for travel. Furthermore, ensure the type of chip used complies with any local requirements when traveling abroad.
Preparing to Travel with Pets
Long flights can be especially taxing for elderly or sick pets. To ensure a stress-free trip for both of you, schedule a pretravel veterinary appointment 4-6 weeks in advance to ensure that your vet can confirm that your pet is healthy enough for travel and up-to-date on vaccinations. It is also a good idea to bring enough prescription medications as well as preventative flea and tick treatments should your flight be postponed or cancelled.
Rabies Certificate of Veterinary Inspection
Pets travelling internationally require a certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian stating they have passed an inspection for rabies. This evaluation may involve more extensive procedures, such as fecal examination, blood testing or screening measures depending on your destination country’s requirements. It’s best to contact your destination country or transportation carrier to ascertain what steps need to be taken prior to departure.
Some countries impose more stringent rabies requirements, particularly if your dog hails from a high-risk country like Africa or Southeast Asia. Under such conditions, your canine may require up-to-date rabies vaccination or antibody titer tests as proof of immunity before returning home – in some instances even necessitating an extended stay in quarantine before being granted entry back home.
As this requirement can be very time sensitive, it is wise to begin the process as soon as you know of your travel plans. For more information and specific country requirements visit USDA-APHIS’s website and select your country of choice to access this resource.
Visit air or cruise line websites for additional guidance; oftentimes these companies have specific pages dedicated to international pet travel requirements that can assist with this process.
As part of USDA regulations, in addition to filling out the necessary documentation and exams for travel and beyond, a full in-person examination of your pet is also mandatory. This crucial step ensures your pet meets all requirements, from external parasites such as fleas and ticks to internal ones like heartworm and intestinal worms – with our experienced veterinary nurses being adept at conducting these exams! They’re sure to give your pet the best preventive care!
Once your veterinarian has completed the USDA examination, they will submit the appropriate paperwork and receive endorsement from USDA-APHIS. Depending on your country of destination, this endorsement may either be sent electronically via email or overnight priority shipped from their office directly to you. Once received, present it along with your pet at the airport when leaving United States.
Rabies Certificate of Immunization
The Rabies Certificate of Immunization, commonly abbreviated as RCFI, is one of the most essential documents pet owners need when traveling internationally with their pet. An RCFI serves as proof that your pet meets all entry requirements into its destination country; without one they may be denied entry.
CDC advises obtaining your dog’s RCFI well in advance of travel if traveling to a country requiring recent rabies vaccine. Their website lists countries which impose this requirement.
No matter if your pet is traveling to a high- or low-risk country, a rabies titer blood test should be completed at least a month in advance of travel. A titer blood test confirms that their vaccination is up-to-date as well as whether or not its formulation has been compromised in any way – showing whether its administration was correct and undilute.
Titer blood tests vary in their time to produce results; to learn when you should expect yours, contact your veterinarian or the veterinary clinic that performed it.
If your dog is traveling from a country with high rabies risk, they must present themselves to a CDC-registered animal care facility or port of entry with an RCFI Certificate and accompanying documentation. For detailed instructions, visit their website.
Additionally, you must submit a completed CDC Dog Import Form prior to transport. This online form should be completed prior to your pet traveling abroad. CDC also offers an interactive tool called DogBot that helps pet owners and veterinarians determine which documents are necessary based on factors like vaccination history, age and geographical location prior to departure – DogBot uses information such as vaccination history, age and pre-travel location as criteria to help identify appropriate paperwork for individual canines.