A Health Certificate is an official document issued by a federal, state, or an accredited veterinarian certifying that the traveling animal has been inspected and found to satisfy the regulations pertaining to their intended destination – within the same state, between states, or internationally. These requirements are to help ensure the animal meets the physical health criteria for their own safe travels, but also to ensure that the animal being moved does not carry illnesses or parasites that would be harmful to the people or animals that are in the destination area. This process may vary from simple to complex, depending on the requirements of the destination.
Harmony Animal Hospital’s intent is to assist our valued clients with the required paperwork, necessary testing, and with the safety of your beloved pet’s travel. Given the complexity and strict requirements of some destinations, understand it is your responsibility, as your pet’s legal owner, to ensure all Health Certificate requirements are completed properly. We are your partner in helping to navigate the process for you, however we do not have the resources to investigate every necessary detail to ensure acceptance of your pet into the intended destination. This resource should serve as a guideline to help you in the process of obtaining the requirements for traveling with your pet.
1. Costs can vary depending on the destination. Please give us a call so we can talk to you about your pet's specific needs.
Information your veterinarian needs to know before completing your pet’s international health certificate:
What type of pet will be traveling? ****Please note that Harmony Animal Hospital only examines dogs and cats, therefore any other animal will need to be seen and obtain a Health Certificate through another veterinary hospital such as Avian and Exotics: www.avianandexotics.com 919-844-9166
*If you are traveling by plane, you will also want to contact the specific airline to ensure there are no other necessary documents, notes or requirements.*
FAA: https://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_pets/
Delta Airlines: http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/special-travel-needs/pets.html
United Airlines: https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/animals/default.aspx
American Airlines: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/pets.jsp
Southwest Airlines: https://www.southwest.com/pets/?clk=HOMEICON3_OTHER170411
jetBlue Airlines: http://help.jetblue.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/webcgi.exe?New,Kb=askBlue,case=obj(377559)
Allegiant Airlines: https://www.allegiantair.com/traveling-with-pets
Frontier Airlines: https://www.flyfrontier.com/travel-information/family-pets/
Alaska Airlines: https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/policies/pets-traveling-with-pets?lid=nav:info-pets
Air Canada: https://www.aircanada.com/us/en/aco/home/plan/special-assistance/pets.html
*USDA Rescources: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel
You must have rabies vaccine certificates for all rabies vaccinations documented on the health certificate. These vaccination certificates will be required by the USDA at the time of health certificate endorsement.
***SOME COUNTRIES REQUIRE A WAITING PERIOD AFTER THE VACCINATION PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY!***
Check with your airline to determine what requirements they have, if any. Airlines may have separate and additional requirements from those of your destination country. There may also be requirements for the location where your pet may have a layover during travel.
If you intend to bring your pet back into the U.S., there may be certain re-entry requirements, depending on where you traveled. You should plan for them now. See the pet import section for details.
Check to see if there are any quarantine requirements for your destination. If yes, what will the costs be.
Work with your veterinarian to complete all required paperwork. Please consult our APHIS pet travel website to access the required certificate/form, when available.
After your health certificate has been completed, signed, and dated by your veterinarian, most countries require that international health certificates be submitted to a USDA APHIS Veterinary Services office for endorsement. Some offices may offer to review health certificates prior to submission. Please work with your endorsing USDA office to determine your options for paperwork review and/or submission.
