Health Certificates For Travel

Preparing for your Pet's Travel Health Certificate Appointment

Before your pet’s Travel Health Certificate appointment, it’s important to make sure you understand and meet the requirements of the state or country you’ll be traveling to. Each destination may have different rules regarding vaccinations, documentation, and timing.

During your appointment, our veterinarians will perform a thorough health exam to assess your pet’s overall wellness and review their medical history. This ensures your pet meets all the health criteria required for your trip.

For international travel requiring USDA endorsement, health certificates must now be submitted through the USDA’s online Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS). Paper submissions are no longer accepted. Depending on your destination, you may also need a prepaid shipping label for the finalized certificate.

Once your certificate is issued, it can be picked up in person or shipped overnight to your address.

Our veterinarians in Parrish are here to guide you through the pet travel process and complete all required forms. Do not fill out health certificate forms yourself, and note that we cannot endorse certificates completed by other veterinarians; our team completes the entire process from start to finish.

What 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.

Traveling to the EU

An EU Pet Passport is an official document issued by a veterinarian in an EU Member State, or in certain other approved countries, that records a pet’s health and vaccination information. These passports cannot be issued in the United States, and only authorized veterinarians in the issuing country may record information in them. For detailed guidance, see the USDA Pet Passports page.

If a rabies vaccination listed in an EU Pet Passport expires, or if a pet’s rabies coverage lapses while in the U.S., a U.S.-administered rabies vaccine valid for one year must be given at least 21 days before re-entering the EU. In addition, pets traveling to the European Union will require a USDA health certificate issued by an accredited veterinarian and endorsed through the USDA Veterinary Services (VS/VECHS) office.

Returning to Florida

When bringing a dog or cat back into Florida from another U.S. state or territory, pets must be healthy, at least 4 months old, and have a current USDA-approved rabies vaccination administered by a licensed veterinarian. An Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (OCVI), issued within a month of entry, is required and must include proof of vaccination for pets three months or older. Florida authorities may inspect pets upon arrival to ensure compliance with these requirements. For more information, visit the FDACS Dog and Cat Movement Requirements page.

Additionally, in 2024 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implemented new regulations for re-entering the United States with pets, including those returning to Florida. These rules apply to all dogs and cats, regardless of whether they are traveling with their owners, breeders, or rescue organizations.

Please refer to the CDC's website on Bringing a Dog into the United States or Bringing an Animal into the United States. These rules are for dogs and other animals, including puppies and kittens, service animals, and pets that left the United States and are returning.

Traveling Between States

When traveling with your pet between U.S. states, most destinations require a veterinarian-issued health certificate dated within 10 days of travel. This applies to all pets, including service animals. For the latest guidance on interstate pet travel, visit the USDA APHIS website.

While airlines generally do not mandate health certificates, some states may inspect them randomly upon arrival. Always check the requirements of your destination state before traveling.

Additionally, confirm with your airline whether they have specific forms your veterinarian must complete. These could include an Acclimation Form for pets traveling in the aircraft cabin, a Breed Verification Form, or the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Form for Service Animals.