Travel and Health Certificates

All travel certificates require an appointment with the veterinarian and time to prepare paperwork. For domestic travel, an interstate health certificate will usually suffice. There are special exceptions for Hawaii & Guam.  For international travel, you will need not only an International Health Certificate, but each country also has its own, individualized requirements for animal travel. It is important to allow yourself anywhere from weeks to months, to prepare for international travel with your pet.

Please note that each airline may also have its own requirements for pet travel.  Some airlines have temperature requirements for shipping animals that may also affect the actual date of travel for your pet.  Please contact your airline directly to find out their specific regulations.

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CERTIFICATES:

Because the requirements for international health certificates vary from country to country, we recommend you visit the USDA website (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals/) or contact them directly at (512) 383-2411, to determine exactly what must be submitted for approval. This information should be obtained as soon as you are aware of travel plans. Some countries (e.g., Australia, Japan, and New Zealand) can require months of preparation with your veterinarian.  Preparation time for transport of pets to rabies-free countries/states may take "nearly a year" due to rabies titer testing.

In most instances, travel must occur within 10 days of completing the international health certificate. Additionally, the USDA requires 48 hours to process your paperwork, after submission to the USDA office in Austin. Therefore, you should schedule your appointment with us no later than one week prior to travel in order to allow enough time for us to verify your pets medical requirements for travel and for USDA processes.  *Please note that if a rabies vaccine is due, it may need to be done at least 30 days prior to travel!  Failure to comply with import requirements may necessitate import quarantine or return to the US when the pet arrives at their destination. 

In order for our doctors to complete the international health certificate, at a minimum we will need all medical records for your pet, along with current Rabies certificate. To minimize your wait time, we recommend that you deliver these records to us no later than 1 day prior to your appointment with our veterinarian. Allowing us this lead time will ensure that we have time to verify we have all necessary information and to prepare official paperwork ahead of time.

INTERSTATE CERTIFICATES

This information is for travel within the contiguous 48 states. For travel to Hawaii or Guam, please contact the USDA (512-383-2411) or visit their website(http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animal_import/animal_imports_states.shtml) for more info.In most instances, interstate certificates must be completed within 10 days of travel. We recommend scheduling your appointment no later than 2 days before your trip, to allow enough time to process the paperwork. In order for our doctors to complete an Interstate certificate, we will need any and all medical records for your pet, along with current Rabies certificate.  Town & Country veterinarians will need to verify history of testing for intestinal parasites within 12 months before your pet's travel.