Are you planning on traveling with your pet? You may need an International Health Certificate. Do not delay in contacting us to get the process started for your pet. Both APHIS (Animal & Plant Inspection Service) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) have multiple requirements that our hospital is prepared to meet. Please review the information provided at the following links for Pet Travel:
Dr. Amanda Halliday is a USDA accredited veterinarian. Please email us at internationalhealthcertificate@bestvetyet.com if you are planning on traveling with your pet. We will get an appointment scheduled to begin the process.
What is a health certificate?
Health certificates or Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) is an official veterinarian signed document stating your pet is healthy, disease free, and up to date on necessary vaccines for travel.
Who can provide a health certificate?
Not all veterinarians can provide a certificate for international travel. Traveling internationally (and to certain US states or territories) requires a certificate signed by a USDA accredited veterinarian. For the majority of domestic travel requiring a health certificate some non-accredited vets can provide this
Who needs a health certificate?
Not all animals qualify for pet travel.The USDA does have restrictions on what is considered a pet. In general the following categories qualify for pet travel: dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, rodents, hedgehogs/ tenrecs, reptiles, amphibians, and some birds. Check out the following link to see if your animal qualifies as a pet and if not to find additional information on how to import/ export your animal. Pet Travel | Domestic and International Travel With a Pet
What is needed for a health certificate?
This can vary depending on the country you are intending on taking your pet to. Different countries prioritize different things when considering the import of animals. For example if traveling to a country that is ‘rabies free’ they require more in-depth verification of a pet’s rabies status. After you initially contact us requesting a health certificate we will research what is needed for your pet to travel so we can make sure everything gets done and at an acceptable time frame. Every pet that travels needs an examination done, regardless of if they still have an up to date ‘annual exam’. After initially contacting us we will reach out to get your pet scheduled ‘Health Certificate appointment’, your pet DOES need to be present during this appointment.
What do you need to do?
- Do your research! Go to www.aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel and familiarize yourself on what is required for your pet to travel so it is not a surprise when we explain what is needed. Traveling with a pet can be a long and expensive process so please plan accordingly.
- Plan ahead! Let us know you will be needing a health certificate as soon as you are aware you will be traveling. Some countries do have specific time frames on when vaccines or exams on your pet need to be done.
- Be ready for your appointment! Make sure to have copies of all of your pets medical records. Even if they have been seen at our hospital for years please request copies of your pets records so you can see what they have had done and what they may need during the Health Certificate appointment. It is also a good idea to have copies of health records when traveling in case your pet has a medical emergency abroad.
Ready to get started?
Please email us at internationalhealthcertificate@bestvetyet.com if you are planning on traveling with your pet. We will get an appointment scheduled to begin the process. Please click the following link to access the Health Certificate Appointment Request form. We will need the following information to begin the process to get your pets health certificate. Please fill the form out accurately and completely to make this process as smooth as possible.