Prepare Your Pet for International Journeys
International travel with pets can be a daunting and time-consuming process. The doctors and team at Caring Hands Animal Hospital have put together this guide to help you prepare.
It’s essential to plan ahead, as preparing for international travel can take several months, especially for Rabies-free destinations like Hawaii, Australia, and the UK. Some of these countries require a minimum of 180 days of preparation before travel.
Planning for International Travel With Pets?
We recommend visiting the USDA-APHIS pet travel website for accurate information on pet travel. Additionally, check with your airline regarding their specific requirements. Many airlines mandate a health certificate within 10 days of departure, but verifying exact timelines with the airline is advised.
Contacting the U.S. Embassy of your destination country is another helpful step to confirm their pet travel regulations. Once you’ve reviewed the travel requirements, schedule an appointment with one of our USDA-accredited veterinarians at Caring Hands Animal Hospital.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
Please have the following documents and information ready when you visit:
- A copy of all vaccination information (if completed elsewhere).
- An original rabies certificate (if administered elsewhere).
- Flea, tick, and heartworm medication details, along with the last date of administration.
- Your pet’s microchip number and implantation date. If your pet is not microchipped yet, we can implant an ISO-compliant microchip at Caring Hands Animal Hospital. Note that some countries require the rabies vaccine to be administered AFTER microchip implantation.
- Your travel destination address. If the address is unknown, you may use the U.S. Embassy address.
- Date of departure from the U.S. & date of arrival to your final destination country.
- A list of the airlines you will be traveling with and any countries where you may have a layover.
Certificate Endorsement
For most countries, after the International Health Certificate is completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian, it requires endorsement by the USDA State Veterinarian. Keep in mind that federal holidays can affect processing timelines.
There are two ways to complete this step:
- In-person: By appointment in Richmond, VA (no walk-ins).
- By Mail: Overnight mailing to the USDA office in Albany, NY (preferred method).
We wish you a safe and successful journey and look forward to assisting you with your travel needs at Caring Hands Animal Hospital!