Moving Abroad With Pets: USDA, EU Rules, Airlines, and Coming Back

For many families, the pet is not optional. The good news is that moving a dog or cat abroad is routine, and thousands of Americans do it every year. The bad news is that the paperwork runs on strict clocks, and a single step done in the wrong order, such as a rabies shot given before the microchip, can force you to start over. Plan early and follow the official sources step by step.

Where to start: USDA APHIS and an accredited vet

The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) runs the official pet travel site. It has a page for each destination country listing that country's entry requirements for pets leaving the US. APHIS lays out the basic process:

1. Confirm your pet qualifies. Dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, rodents, many reptiles and amphibians, and certain birds are covered. Livestock and poultry follow different rules.
2. Contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel. Not every vet is accredited; APHIS has a search tool. The accredited vet will identify your destination's requirements and complete the paperwork.
3. Complete the vaccinations, tests, and treatments the destination requires, in the right order.
4. Get the health certificate endorsed by USDA. Most countries require a health certificate signed by the accredited vet and then endorsed by APHIS.
5. Allow enough time. APHIS states plainly that meeting requirements takes time.

Start with your destination's APHIS page, not a general blog post. Requirements differ sharply. Some countries need little more than a health certificate; some rabies-free countries require a blood test for rabies antibodies, waiting periods of several months, import permits, and quarantine on arrival.

Microchip and rabies vaccine: the order matters

Two rules trip people up more than any others.

• Microchip first. Many countries, including all EU countries, treat a rabies vaccine as invalid if it was given before the microchip was implanted. APHIS notes that the vet must scan the microchip before giving the rabies vaccination. If your pet was vaccinated before it was chipped, it may need to be vaccinated again.
• Use the right chip. The EU and many other countries expect an ISO-compliant microchip (ISO 11784/11785), usually 15 digits. If your pet has a working non-ISO chip, APHIS says you can either travel with your own scanner that reads it or have a second ISO chip implanted, listing both numbers on the certificate.
• Respect the waiting period. After a primary (first) rabies vaccination, the EU requires a wait of at least 21 days before entry, or longer if the vaccine manufacturer says so. Some manufacturers recommend 30 days.
• Do not let the vaccine lapse. If a booster is late, the next shot counts as a new primary vaccination and the waiting period starts again.

Moving to the EU with a dog or cat

EU rules are the same across member countries, which makes moves to Portugal, Spain, or Italy fairly predictable. Based on the APHIS EU country pages (for example, its Spain page), the core requirements for dogs, cats, and ferrets are:

If your pet is shipped separately from you by more than five days, if you are moving six or more pets, or if the pet is changing owners, the move generally falls under stricter "commercial" rules, including inspection within 48 hours of departure.

Once you are a resident, your pet can usually get an EU pet passport from a local vet, which simplifies future travel within the EU.

Getting the health certificate endorsed

Your accredited vet usually submits the certificate electronically through APHIS's Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS). For the EU, APHIS says the vet may sign electronically, but USDA must ink-sign and emboss the certificate, and a printed endorsed copy must travel with the pet. You can include a prepaid return shipping label so it is mailed back to you.

APHIS charges an endorsement fee in addition to your vet's fees. As listed on the APHIS fee page when we checked in October 2026, a certificate with no laboratory tests costs $101, rising with the number of tests required (for example, $160 for one or two tests for a single pet). APHIS does not charge endorsement fees for service dogs recognized under the ADA. Check the current fee schedule before you go.

Timing is the hard part. Because the EU certificate must be endorsed within 10 days of arrival, you will often book the vet exam and endorsement in your final week before departure. Build in a buffer for shipping delays.

Airline rules

Government rules are only half the picture. Each airline sets its own pet policy, and they change often. Before you book any flights, check:

• Cabin, checked, or cargo. Small pets in an approved carrier may fly in the cabin, usually under a weight limit that includes the carrier. Larger pets fly as checked baggage or as cargo, and some airlines no longer accept checked pets at all.
• Breed restrictions. Many airlines refuse snub-nosed (brachycephalic) dogs and cats in the hold because of breathing risks.
• Temperature embargoes. Airlines may refuse animals in the hold when temperatures at the origin, connection, or destination are too hot or cold. Summer moves to hot destinations can be difficult.
• Route limits. Some countries accept pets only on certain airports or as manifest cargo. Connections in a third country can trigger that country's transit rules too.
• Crate standards. Checked and cargo pets need a sturdy, ventilated crate large enough for the animal to stand and turn around. Get the crate early and let your pet get used to it.
• Book the pet when you book yourself. Airlines limit the number of animals per flight.

For complicated moves, especially to rabies-free countries or with large dogs, many people hire a professional pet shipper. If you do, choose one that is clear about what it handles and what still falls to you and your vet.

Coming back to the US: CDC dog rules

Plan for the return trip before you leave, because the paperwork for bringing a dog back may need to be done while you are still in the US. On August 1, 2024, the CDC put new dog import rules in place. As of October 2026, the CDC's pages describe these requirements for all dogs entering or returning to the US:

• CDC Dog Import Form receipt for each dog, completed online. It is free. CDC recommends completing it a few days before travel.
• At least 6 months old at the time of entry.
• A microchip detectable by a universal scanner.
• Healthy appearance on arrival.

What else is needed depends on where the dog has been during the previous six months.

Dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries

If your dog has been only in countries that the CDC does not list as high risk (for example, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Portugal, Spain, and Italy are not on the list as of October 2026), the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is the only form required. The dog can arrive at any airport, seaport, or land crossing.

Dogs from high-risk countries

The CDC's high-risk list includes several popular expat destinations, among them Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, and Ghana. For a dog vaccinated in the US that has been in a high-risk country, the CDC requires, in addition to the import form:

• A Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the US. An ordinary rabies tag certificate does not count.
• For a dog's first rabies vaccine, the dog must have been at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated, and the certification must be completed at least 28 days after the vaccine.
• The microchip must have been implanted before the rabies vaccine, and its number must appear on every form.

Dogs vaccinated abroad and coming from high-risk countries face stricter requirements, and the CDC says unvaccinated dogs from high-risk countries will not be allowed in. Because the list and rules can change, use the CDC's online Dog Importation Navigator before any return trip.

Cats

The CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cats entering the US, though it recommends vaccination, and cats must appear healthy on arrival. Your US destination state and your airline may have their own requirements, and Hawaii and Guam impose quarantine rules even for cats arriving from the mainland.

A sample pet timeline

For a straightforward move to an EU country (illustrative; rabies-free destinations need much longer):

1. 4+ months out. Find a USDA-accredited vet. Check the APHIS country page. Confirm the microchip is ISO-compliant and was implanted before the current rabies vaccine. Research airline pet policies.
2. 3 months out. Update the rabies vaccine if needed, leaving well over 21 days before travel. For dogs that may return from a high-risk country, ask about the CDC certification.
3. 2 months out. Book flights for you and your pet. Buy the travel crate. Look for pet-friendly rentals. Our housing abroad guide covers lease clauses.
4. Final 10 days. Vet exam, health certificate, and USDA endorsement.
5. Travel day. Carry the endorsed certificate, vaccine records, and microchip details in your hand luggage.
6. After arrival. Register with a local vet and, where available, get a local pet passport. Add pet items to your moving abroad checklist.

Last reviewed October 18, 2026. General information only, not legal, immigration, or tax advice. Requirements change, so confirm with official sources before you apply. See our disclaimer.