International Health Certificates
Going out of the country? As a federally accredited veterinarian practice, we can issue travel and acclimation certificates for your healthy pet so they can travel internationally with you.
Overview
We understand that your pet is family, and that when you travel, you want them right by your side. As a federally accredited veterinarian practice, we can issue travel health certificates (Certificate of Veterinary Inspection) for your healthy cat, dog, or other animal so that they may travel internationally with you.
Why does my pet need a certificate to travel?
Only pets in good health are permitted to travel by plane or boat. The country you are traveling to may have specific health requirements that must be met before your pet can enter. Certain health requirements may include: up to date vaccinations, a passing health exam, etc. Health certificates ensure that your pet is healthy to travel and isn’t susceptible to transferring diseases to other pets or people.
When should I start the process?
Certificate timing varies greatly by country: For example, rabies-free territories such as Australia and New Zealand take six months. We strongly encourage checking the APHIS website as early as possible.
How can I obtain an international health certificate?
Before you start the process, you need to determine the destination country and dates of travel.
We will work with you to determine the health certificate requirements based on your travel destination. Since requirements are determined by each country and can change frequently, we suggest you check the current pet travel health requirements for your destination country on the USDA website: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/take-pet-to-foreign-country
We will perform a health exam to determine if your pet has any sign of disease or health risks that could pass along to others while traveling. We will also ensure that your pet has all required vaccinations to travel. Once all requirements are met, we will issue a certificate indicating that your pet has been cleared to travel.
Our Form:
When shipping an animal internationally there is a large amount of stress involved. Click below to print out the Health Certificate form. This will help decrease the stress of getting this paperwork done on short notice.
You must have this form filled out in total before your visit to our hospital to start the paperwork process.
You will also need two pictures of your animal –one face and one of the side of the body. If you don’t have all the information we can help you get it.
Once you have your Health Certificate you need to have it signed by the Federal Vet
Our Recommendations:
We have put together a general list of requirements for reference: We recommend all dogs traveling should have a microchip and MUST have valid rabies with Certificate.
UK (England): Visit Website >
For European Union:
Dogs need a microchip and Rabies vaccination. For the Rabies to be valid this must be done about 21 days before travel. You must have a European Passport form to travel- 10 days before travel, and dewormed 24-48 hrs before travel. Your rabies certificate must be valid, with the name of the of the product used, the manufacture, batch number, and the serial number.
Colombia:
Dogs need to have the lepto vaccine also. Some countries require a one year Rabies done 30 day prior to travel. Make sure you are aware of this for whatever country you are traveling to. USA and Canada use a general 7001 form, with core vaccines and valid rabies.
Puerto Rico:
A Rabies vaccine that is valid and more than 6 months old and NO pitbulls, staffies, or pit crosses can travel in this country.
Hawaii and South Africa have very strict requirements and must be looked up and met or DOG WILL NOT TRAVEL THERE. When your forms are ready please make sure you have everything photocopied. You will mail the USA Form APHIS 7001 and the Country of Destination Requirements with the original Rabies to the USDA.
You will need to enclose a check for the 7001 with Rabies = $38.00 (per form per animal) and the Titer Test Forms = $121.00. You will need to send it by overnight mail via FedEx or UPS for tracking to:
USDA APHIS-VS
500 New Karner Road, 2nd Floor
Albany, NY 12205
