Travel Planning Begins Long Before the Flight

Traveling with a dog or cat may require much more than a routine health certificate. Requirements depend on the destination, species, travel dates, country of origin, countries visited, microchip history, rabies-vaccination history, airline, route, and whether the pet will return to the United States.

Jog Lantana Animal Clinic provides interstate and international travel examinations and certification services. As a USDA-accredited veterinarian, Dr. Miriam Delbene reviews the applicable requirements, examines the patient, verifies available medical records, and prepares veterinary documentation when the pet qualifies.

Please contact us as soon as you begin considering travel. Some destinations require preparation weeks or months in advance, including microchip placement, specifically timed vaccinations, rabies antibody testing, parasite treatments, import permits, government endorsement, or waiting periods. A certificate cannot correct requirements that were completed in the wrong order or too close to departure.

What Is a Pet Health Certificate?

A pet health certificate—or Certificate of Veterinary Inspection—is an official document completed by an authorized veterinarian after reviewing the applicable travel requirements and examining the pet.

Depending on the destination, the certificate may document:

  • The pet’s identity, species, breed, sex, age, and physical description
  • A detectable microchip number and implantation date
  • Rabies and other vaccination information
  • Required laboratory test results
  • Parasite treatments or other required preventive care
  • Findings from the pre-travel physical examination
  • The owner, destination, itinerary, and transportation information
  • Statements required by the destination government
  • USDA endorsement when required

The exact certificate and validity period vary by destination. There is no universal rule that every health certificate remains valid for ten days, and USDA APHIS Form 7001 is not accepted as the international certificate for every country.

International Travel From the United States

Every destination country establishes its own import rules. Pet owners should begin by reviewing the destination through the official USDA APHIS Pet Travel website.

Depending on the country, preparation may include:

  • An ISO-compatible microchip implanted before rabies vaccination
  • A valid rabies vaccination administered in the required sequence
  • Additional vaccinations
  • A rabies antibody titer from an approved laboratory
  • Internal or external parasite treatment within a specific timeframe
  • An import permit
  • A destination-specific health certificate
  • USDA endorsement of the completed certificate
  • Original documents traveling with the pet
  • Advance notification to the destination or arrival facility

Requirements can change and may differ according to the pet’s species, age, purpose of travel, origin, and route. Passing through another country may also create transit requirements, even when that country is not the final destination.

USDA Endorsement and Additional Fees

Many international certificates must be endorsed by USDA APHIS after the accredited veterinarian completes and submits them. Veterinary examination and certificate-preparation fees are separate from USDA endorsement, laboratory, shipping, import-permit, airline, and destination-government fees.

Not every certificate requires USDA endorsement. The applicable process is determined by the destination’s current official instructions.

Returning to the United States With a Dog

Planning must include both entry into the destination country and the requirements for bringing the dog back into the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulates dog importation, including dogs returning home after traveling abroad.

CDC requirements depend on:

  • Which countries the dog has visited during the six months before returning
  • Whether any of those countries is classified as high risk for dog rabies
  • Whether the rabies vaccine was administered in the United States or another country

Dogs entering or returning to the United States must meet applicable CDC requirements, including appearing healthy on arrival, being at least six months old, and having a microchip detectable by a universal scanner.

Owners should use the official CDC Dog Import Form and CDC Dog Importation Navigator to determine the documents required for their individual trip.

Important: Dogs Traveling to High-Risk Rabies Countries

If a dog vaccinated against rabies in the United States will visit a country classified by CDC as high risk for dog rabies, the return documents must be prepared before the dog leaves the United States.

Under the current CDC requirements, a U.S.-vaccinated dog returning after being in a high-risk country during the previous six months generally needs:

  • A CDC Dog Import Form receipt completed by the importer or owner
  • A Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian
  • USDA endorsement of that rabies certification before the dog departs the United States
  • A valid U.S.-issued rabies vaccination administered after microchip implantation
  • A microchip number that appears consistently on all required documentation

The Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination is a specific CDC document. It is not the same as the routine rabies certificate used for local licensing.

USDA-endorsed export health certificates issued after July 31, 2025, are no longer accepted by CDC as a substitute for the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination when a U.S.-vaccinated dog returns from a high-risk country. This makes it essential to prepare the CDC rabies certification before departure.

If the required certification was not completed and endorsed before the dog left the United States, reentry options may become substantially more complicated. The dog may have to follow the requirements for a foreign-vaccinated dog, which can include a rabies serology titer, arrival through a qualifying port, and a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility.

Review the current CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies before every trip.

Dogs Returning From Rabies-Free or Low-Risk Countries

When a dog has been only in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries during the six months before returning, the process is generally simpler. A CDC Dog Import Form receipt is still required for each dog, along with compliance with the CDC’s health, age, and microchip requirements.

The country shown as the point of departure on the CDC receipt must correspond with the dog’s actual travel. A new form may be needed if the itinerary or country of departure changes.

Traveling With a Cat

The CDC dog-import rules described above apply specifically to dogs. Cats must still comply with the entry requirements of the destination country or state, the airline’s policies, and any other applicable federal or local regulations.

Some destinations require cats to have a microchip, rabies vaccination, laboratory testing, parasite treatment, import permit, and government-endorsed health certificate. Requirements must be reviewed for the individual destination.

Interstate Travel

Requirements for movement between U.S. states and territories are established by the destination authority and may also be affected by the airline or transportation company. A health certificate is not governed by one identical rule for every interstate trip.

Before scheduling, verify:

  • The requirements of the destination state or territory
  • The airline’s current pet-travel policies
  • The certificate’s required examination and issuance timeframe
  • Vaccination, testing, identification, and treatment requirements

Special Requirements for Hawaii

Hawaii has a detailed rabies-quarantine and entry program for dogs and cats. Preparation may involve microchip verification, two qualifying rabies vaccinations, an approved FAVN rabies antibody test, waiting periods, advance document submission, health certification, tick treatment, fees, and arrival arrangements.

Pets traveling directly to certain neighboring islands may also require a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit and a reservation with an approved veterinary inspection facility.

Begin planning well in advance and follow the appropriate checklist published by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity Animal Quarantine Branch. Completing a standard health certificate alone does not guarantee that a pet qualifies for airport release or avoids quarantine.

Airline Requirements Are Separate

Airlines may impose requirements in addition to those of the destination government. These can involve:

  • Breed, age, size, or temperature restrictions
  • Carrier or crate specifications
  • Cabin, checked-baggage, or cargo limitations
  • Reservation and documentation deadlines
  • Airline-specific veterinary forms
  • Restrictions affecting sedated animals

Contact the airline directly before finalizing travel. Airline approval does not replace government import approval, and a government certificate does not guarantee that the airline will transport the pet.

Information We Need From You

To begin preparing your pet’s documents, please provide complete and accurate information, including:

  • Pet owner’s name, address, telephone number, and email
  • Pet’s identifying information and microchip number
  • Complete vaccination and relevant laboratory records
  • Country, state, or territory of destination
  • Departure and expected return dates
  • Airline and flight information when available
  • Every transit country and port of entry
  • The address where the pet will stay at the destination
  • Whether the pet will return to the United States
  • Every country the dog has visited or will visit during the six months before U.S. reentry

Names, dates, microchip numbers, addresses, and itinerary details must be consistent throughout the documentation. Incorrect or incomplete information can delay endorsement or cause the airline or destination authority to reject the certificate.

Examination and Certificate Preparation

The travel examination must occur within the timeframe established by the destination. Before issuing a certificate, Dr. Delbene must be able to verify that the pet meets the applicable requirements and is medically fit for the certification being requested.

Issuance of a certificate cannot be guaranteed until the records, timing, examination findings, destination rules, and required testing or treatments have been reviewed. Government agencies, airlines, and destination authorities make the final determination regarding travel and entry.

Begin Your Pet’s Travel Preparation

Complete our preparation form as early as possible. Submitting the form begins the review process; it does not by itself create an appointment or guarantee that all requirements can be completed before your planned departure.

Complete the Health Certificate Preparation Form

If you have questions before submitting the form, call JLAC at (561) 964-3144.

Healing Hands & Caring Hearts for Your Pets. It’s Our Promise to You!