Ready for Takeoff? A Pet Parent’s Guide to International Pet Travel
Planning an international adventure with your four-legged family member? We love that! Whether you’re moving across the world, taking an extended vacation, or simply refusing to leave your best friend behind, international pet travel can be exciting—but it also comes with a surprising amount of paperwork.
And unfortunately, when it comes to international travel, “close enough” doesn’t always work.
The Details Matter
One of the most important parts of international pet travel is making sure your pet’s medical records and documentation are complete and accurate.
Something as simple as an expired rabies vaccine can change your entire travel timeline. Depending on the destination and your pet’s vaccination history, a new rabies vaccination may require a specific waiting period before your pet can enter the country.
Even small details on a rabies certificate can matter. Depending on the destination, documentation may need to include:
- Your pet’s microchip number
- Vaccine date and validity period
- Vaccine manufacturer and product name
- Lot or serial number
- Veterinarian’s signature and other required information
A missing microchip number or veterinarian signature may seem like a minor paperwork issue, but it can create major headaches when documents are reviewed for international travel.
“But My Pet Is Vaccinated!”
We hear this one a lot—and we understand!
Your pet may be completely current on their routine vaccines but being vaccinated and meeting a country’s import requirements are not always the same thing.
Different countries can have very specific rules about which vaccines are required, when they must be given, what documentation is needed, and how previous vaccinations are documented.
That’s why starting the process early is so important.
Your Questionnaire Is Our Travel Roadmap
When you begin the international pet travel process with us, we’ll ask you to complete a travel questionnaire.
Please fill it out as completely and accurately as you can. If you don’t know every answer yet, that’s okay! We can help determine what information is still needed.
Your departure date, destination, transit countries, airline, microchip information, and vaccination history can all affect your pet’s travel requirements.
And One Very Important Tip: Be Flexible!
International pet travel doesn’t always go exactly according to plan. A vaccine may need to be repeated, additional testing may be required, paperwork may need to be corrected, or government and laboratory processing times may affect your timeline.
Whenever possible, give yourself some breathing room.
We strongly recommend learning your pet’s requirements before booking a trip with a tight timeline. Some destinations require months of preparation, while others are much simpler.
Start Early!
International pet travel requirements vary by country and can change over time. The earlier you contact us, the more time we have to review your pet’s situation and help you prepare.
Our goal is to make the process as smooth as possible, but successful international travel is a team effort. Accurate information, complete documentation, and a little flexibility can go a long way.
Your pet may be ready to pack their favorite toy and begin their next great adventure. We just need to make sure their paperwork is ready to go, too.
Ready to start planning? Complete our international pet travel questionnaire and provide as much information as you can. We’ll help you determine the next steps for your pet’s journey.