Pet Health Certificate

The International Health Certificate should be issued by your veterinarian as near to the date of travel as possible but not more than 21 days before travel. 

The certificate should indicate the following:

  • Name of pet
  • Breed
  • Color
  • Age of Pet
  • Country Of Origin
  • Your name/address/phone number as the owner of your pet

The certificate should state that your pet is healthy and free of parasites.

The certificate should show the vaccinations that your pet has been given including the type, the manufacturer, and the batch number if possible.

Generally, the rabies vaccination must be given at least 30 days before travel but not more than 12 months before travel, although some countries are different. No matter what country your pet is traveling to, you must enter that country before your pet’s most recent rabies vaccination has expired.

Vaccinations

There are three rabies vaccines being administered to pets, a one, two and three year vaccines. Be sure to check the rules for the country you are traveling to as not all countries recognize the two and three year vaccine. If you are traveling to a country that does not recognize the three year vaccine, your pet may need to have a booster shot even though the two or three year vaccination has not expired. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and have your pet vaccinated.

Many countries such as South Africa also require other vaccinations and blood tests. You need to consider the specific regulations for the country your pet is entering.

Translation

Some countries also require that the certificate should be translated into the language of that country. Many South and Central American countries are examples of this.

We encourage you to view the individual country pet import rules.

Traveling to the European Union

You must use the new EU form Annex IV or Annex I form depending on whether you are traveling with your pet or not.