International Health Certificates
Liberty Veterinary Clinic is proud to offer USDA certificates for international travel.
If you want to travel internationally with your pet, you need to plan ahead. Every country has different requirements for allowing pets into their country. Please visit this USDA website to find more information about each country’s requirements. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/take-pet-to-foreign-country/export-pets
Though every country has different requirements, most require a health certificate that is completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian. Dr. Patten is a USDA accredited veterinarian with many years of experience completing international health certificates.
Most countries also require at a minimum, a signed valid Rabies certificate. The Rabies certificate must contain detailed information about the Rabies vaccine, including the lot number. Many countries also require an ISO-compliant microchip. This is a 15 digit microchip number. The microchip must be implanted before the Rabies vaccine for the vaccine to be considered valid.
Preparing for Your Travel
First you will schedule a health certificate consultation so we can review your pet’s information and the specific requirements for your country. This will help expedite the process and will help us determine if you are able to meet the requirements for your country.
- If you are not a current client or have other medical records for your pet elsewhere, please make sure you bring those records with you or send a copy to our staff prior to your appointment.
- Make sure you are aware of all the requirements for your travel. We will do our best to make sure you have everything you’ll need, but if certain requirements are not met, you may be denied entry or your pet may be quarantined at the border.
- Be aware of timing! Most certificates are required to be signed by both a USDA certified veterinarian and a USDA APHIS Veterinary Services endorsement officer within 10 days of travel but many other medical requirements have waiting periods as well.
- You cannot apply for an International Health Certificate the day before or the day of international travel.
USDA Endorsement Instructions
Most countries require the examination, filling out of the health certificate, and endorsement by the USDA, to all, be done in the 10-day window before you land in the international country.
After your health certificate consultation, you may schedule your health certificate appointment. At this appointment, Dr. Patten will examine your pet and fill out the health certificate. You must then ship the health certificate overnight to the USDA for endorsement. You include a prepaid overnight return envelope to have the endorsed health certificate returned to you. We do not submit health certificates electronically and the USDA no longer accepts in-person appointments.
