International and Interstate Pet Travel Requirements

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

Photo by Jf Brou on Unsplash

Pets that are traveling need to meet regulations set by individual countries and states. Meeting the travel requirements and completing the paperwork takes time—several months in some cases—so start preparing as soon as you know your pet will be traveling.
 
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates animal transport into the United States. The regulations are complex and subject to change, but the APHIS website has lots of information to help pet owners. Always check the APHIS website before you plan your pet’s travel: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel
 
Some veterinary clinics and pet owners use pet travel concierge services to help navigate the rules and work out the time frames for everything that’s needed before international travel. Some countries require specific procedures performed in a specific order during a specific time window before an animal enters the country. Figuring out what needs to be done and when is especially complicated when an animal will be traveling to (or through) more than one country.
 
If your pet will be traveling, the steps you’ll need to take depend on the animal and the travel origin and destination:

• Type of animal: pet or other category
• Travel out of the United States to another country (export)
• Travel into the United States from another country (import)
• Travel between US states or territories (interstate travel)

 
This article summarizes the information on the APHIS website as of November 15, 2024.
 
Type of Animal
Animal import and export regulations are not the same for pets as for animals in other categories (like livestock and poultry). APHIS defines a pet as a companion animal that is privately owned, not intended for research or resale, and in one of these groups: dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, rodents, hedgehogs/tenrecs, reptiles, amphibians, and some (not all) birds. More information is on this page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel
 
Travel to Another Country
For international travel, pets must meet the requirements of the destination country. Typical requirements include a health certificate, vaccines, parasite treatments, and laboratory tests. The type of animal might also be regulated; for example, the United Kingdom bans certain dog breeds. Airlines and shipping lines might have additional requirements.
 
Dogs that return to the United States after traveling to certain countries must also meet the CDC’s dog import requirements (see this page: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/index.html).
 
APHIS recommends the following steps:

• Find the requirements of the destination country on this page (requirements change, so check every time you travel): https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/us-to-another-country-export
• Find a veterinarian accredited by the USDA to issue health certificates for pets.
• Know the type of pet, the destination country, countries through which your pet will travel (to clear customs, for example), the date of departure, and how your pet will be traveling (alone, as cargo, or with a person).
• Read the details about submitting health certificates on this page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/us-to-another-country-export/pet-travel-guidance-pets-traveling-another-country-united  

 
Travel Into the United States
Requirements for entry into the United States depend on the type of animal, the country from which the animal is traveling, the federal agencies involved in regulation of that species, and the US state or territory that the animal will be entering. Dogs that are returning to the United States after a trip out of the country must meet all import requirements. APHIS lists import requirements according to type of animal on this page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-import
 
Interstate Travel
APHIS doesn’t regulate interstate pet travel, but individual states have their own import requirements. For example, South Carolina requires dogs, cats, and ferrets entering the state to have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (valid for 30 days) and proof of a rabies vaccine. North Carolina requires dogs, cats, and ferrets to have a current rabies vaccine but no longer requires a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Links to each state’s requirements are on this APHIS web page: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/state-to-state
 
Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-white-dog-sitting-on-a-rock-formation-near-a-large-mountain-pond-915UJQaxtrk

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