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What is a pet health certificate and when is it required for travel?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

What is a health certificate and why would I need one for my pet?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on July 24th, 2019

The term health certificate can mean different things to different people and entities. The most common type of health certificate is one that can be provided by a USDA accredited veterinarian to facilitate the movement of pets internationally or between states. These health certificates typically confirm a pet’s vaccinations, deworming medications, permanent identification (e.g. microchip or tattoo) and require a recent physical exam to attest that they are apparently free of infectious diseases. Health certificates and the associated veterinary exams are a critical step in preventing the spread of infectious diseases to different areas. It is important to note that every state and country has slightly different requirements, and that not every veterinarian is accredited by the USDA. If you are planning on traveling with your pet, be sure to start planning early by looking into your destination’s requirements on the [USDA pet travel website](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel). Other health certificates, such as those that are often provided by breeders, may simply confirm that a pet has been recently examined by a veterinarian and does not appear to have infectious diseases. These health certificates are helpful to make prospective pet owners aware of any abnormalities in their new pet, but they do not provide legal standing for travel purposes.

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    Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 12th, 2019

    Travel certificates (aka Health Certificates) are basically certificates of good health that are required to move between states and countries. Any vet can write a domestic health certificate, but vets have to have a special accreditation to write international health certificates. The international health certificates also require a fair amount of research and sometimes many steps over weeks or months. If you are traveling internationally, you can use this website to get an idea of the requirements for transporting your pet: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel I'd recommend calling your regular vet to see if they can write the type of certificate you need and what the cost would be.

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