Taking Your Pet

to a Foreign Country

Before we get into the details of traveling with your pet - you may want to check out this web site that explains how to all but eliminate jet lag. Click on this link to learn how you can change your diet for 3 days to drastically reduce jet lag.

If you are taking a pet to another country (permanently or for a visit), contact that country's consulate or embassy for information about any requirements that you must meet. A listing of consulates can be found at: http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/ ( US Department of State website).

International health certificates for the export of animals from the United States are completed by the APHIS accredited veterinarian who certifies animal health status, conducts tests, and records test results for the individual animals being exported. Completed and signed international health certificates for the export of animals from the United States must be endorsed by a Veterinary Services area office in order to be valid. To obtain the USDA endorsement of an international health certificate or any other documents relating to traveling with your pet, the documents must be completed by an APHIS Accredited Veterinarian.

The APHIS Area Office for your state can assist you with your questions relating to traveling with your pet, help you locate an Accredited Veterinarian, and inform you of the fee(s) for the USDA endorsement(s). You should check with your current Veterinarian to determine if he/she is an APHIS Accredited Veterinarian. You can locate the VS Area Office for your State at : http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/area_offices.htm.

The United States has minimal requirements for animals to be exported to other countries. Your Area Veterinarian-in-Charge can provide you with the current regulations, tests, and inspections required. Each country may have other specific health requirements for entry of animals. These requirements are established by the importing country, not the United States. Other countries may also have their own certificate format for export. Since export requirements frequently change, obtain the current export requirements from the Veterinary Service office in your area before each shipment. We recommend that you also contact the country's consulate or embassy to ensure that you have the most current information. Do not rely solely on information provided by brokers and exporters. The VS web site has limited export requirements for select countries for pets at: Animal Export Regulations.

PETS Travel Scheme

Effective December 11, 2002, the PETS Scheme went into effect. This new process applies to dogs and cats departing the United States and Canada going to the United Kingdom. The Pet Travel Scheme Entry or Re-entry Certificate for pet cats and dogs must be issued by an APHIS accredited veterinarian who will obtain it from the USDA office in his/her state. A flowchart of the owner's procedure, an outline of the procedure, Veterinarian Information, a sample Entry or Re-entry Certificate and the Certification of Treatment against Ticks and Tapeworms form may be obtained by selecting the appropriate link.

Further information may be found at the Defra Website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm

Other Federal Web sites:

In addition to our web site, you should visit the web sites of the two other Federal agencies that have a role in the import/export of animals:

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

US Customs Service

USDA Web Page on Exporting Pets

Veterinary Services
National Center For Import And Export
Import/Export Animals
4700 River Road, Unit 39
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231