Health Certificates for Pet Travel

We provide medical records and can help with health certificates, vaccinations, microchipping, and anything else your pet may need medically for travel. We do not fill out airline-specific forms, register pet passports, or arrange travel logistics.

1. Research: Review your destination’s requirements on USDA APHIS Pet Travel. If you’re flying, also check your airline’s pet policy.
2. Submit our inquiry form at the bottom of this page.
3. We review: We’ll reply with your destination’s requirements, an estimated cost for your pet, and, if possible, your earliest possible travel date. Timing depends on factors like how quickly test results come back and any required waiting periods.
4. Schedule appointments: We’ll work with you to schedule any required microchipping, vaccinations, blood titers, and parasite treatments, while accounting for any required waiting periods.
5. Health certificate exam: We’ll schedule your pet’s exam within your destination’s required window.
6. USDA endorsement (as applicable): We submit your paperwork to the USDA. This typically takes 1–3 business days (up to 5), plus overnight shipping.
7. Travel! Keep all original documents with your pet.

It depends on where you’re going. As a general guide:

• Domestic / Interstate: at least 2–3 weeks before travel. The exam itself is usually done within about 10 days of travel.
• International: at least 1–3 months before travel. Many countries require vaccines, tests, or treatments within specific windows.
• Hawaii and strict-entry countries (such as Australia and Japan): 6+ months before travel, because blood testing and waiting periods are required.

When in doubt, contact us as soon as you know you’ll be traveling.

Requirements are set by your destination state and may include a health certificate, current vaccinations, or other testing or treatments. Many states require a health certificate for pets entering the state, so we recommend one for any interstate travel, even if you’re traveling by car. Airlines often require one too, usually issued within a set window before your flight (often 10 days). Airlines may also restrict pets in cargo during very hot or cold weather, so check with your airline.

Hawaii is rabies-free and has much stricter requirements than other states, including a compliant microchip, multiple rabies vaccinations, a rabies blood test, and waiting periods. Preparing can take several months, so start early.

Requirements are set by the destination country and may include:

• An ISO-compliant microchip
• Rabies vaccination (some countries require the microchip to be placed before the rabies vaccine, or the vaccine must be repeated)
• Rabies blood titer testing
• Parasite treatments within a specific window
• Required waiting periods
• USDA endorsement of the health certificate

Requirements change often, so always check APHIS for the latest.

In many cases, we recommend waiting until we confirm your pet’s earliest possible travel date. That date depends on completing required steps in a specific order and timeframe, which varies by destination. Having a target date in mind is still very helpful.

Domestic (not including Hawaii): $155 per pet
Includes the exam and health certificate by our USDA-accredited veterinarian. Does not include vaccinations, deworming/parasite treatments, lab work, or any other services provided.

Hawaii & International: $268–$577 per pet, depending on destination
Includes the exam by our USDA-accredited veterinarian, completion and submission of required documents, the USDA endorsement fee (as applicable), and overnight shipping of the final certificate. Does not include vaccinations, deworming/parasite treatments, lab work, additional shipping, or any other services provided.

You’ll receive an estimate for your pet after we review your form.

Typically 1–3 business days, but it may take up to 5. We will submit everything promptly, but USDA processing and shipping are outside of our control.

Unfortunately, no. After your exam, we submit your certificate to the USDA for review and endorsement, and it’s then shipped back to you. We can’t speed up USDA processing or control shipping times, and either can occasionally take longer than expected. We’ll submit everything promptly and do all we can to keep the process smooth, but we can’t guarantee your completed certificate will arrive before your scheduled travel. This is another reason we recommend starting early.

Requirements can change at any time. Pet owners are responsible for confirming current requirements with their destination, APHIS, and their airline.