EU Pet Health Certificate from the USA

General information, not veterinary advice. Requirements are set by the destination authority and can change: confirm with the official authority, your accredited vet and your airline.

Taking a dog or cat from the United States to a European Union country comes down to one document: the EU animal health certificate for non-commercial movements, completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS. The dates are strict.

Why the US route is simpler than many

The EU lists the United States in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636. Being listed means your pet does not need a rabies antibody titer test, as long as any transit through an unlisted country, even airside, is covered by a signed transit declaration.

Non-commercial means your pet travels with you, or with a person you authorize in writing, within 5 days of your own trip, with up to 5 pets. Otherwise, or if the pet is sold or rehomed, commercial rules apply.

The health requirements

Microchip first. The rabies vaccine only counts if it was given after the chip was implanted or read. The chip should meet ISO 11784/11785 (usually 15 digits). With a non-ISO chip, carry a compatible reader.

Rabies vaccination. Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old on the day of vaccination. At least 21 days, or the vaccine's longer immunity period, must pass after the primary vaccination before the certificate is signed and before entry. APHIS notes that a US primary rabies vaccination is valid for 1 year. A booster given before the previous one expires needs no new wait. If cover lapses, the 21 days start over.

Tapeworm treatment, dogs only, for some countries. Dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway need a vet-given treatment against Echinococcus multilocularis no more than 120 hours and no less than 24 hours before the scheduled entry time, recorded in point II.4 of the certificate before it is signed and endorsed. On a direct flight, treatment and APHIS endorsement must both fit in that window. Cats never need it.

Because of the 12-week and 21-day rules, a young pet cannot enter before about 15 weeks of age.

How the certificate and APHIS endorsement work

Accredited vet. A USDA-accredited veterinarian holding the correct accreditation category examines your pet and completes the certificate in VEHCS, the APHIS online system.
Endorsement. APHIS counter-signs the certificate and adds its seal. The printed, endorsed certificate must travel with your pet.
Your declaration. The certificate ends with a declaration signed by you, or your designated person, confirming the move is not commercial.

APHIS publishes its fees: a certificate with no lab test, the usual case for the EU, costs $101, whatever the number of pets on it. Vet fees are separate.

APHIS's new EU certificate, based on Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705, took effect on 1 October 2026. It is in English plus an official language of your EU entry country. The United States does not issue pet passports.

The timing that trips people up

APHIS states that the endorsement must happen within 10 days of your pet's arrival in the EU, and that the accredited vet's certificate is valid for 30 days after issue. So the endorsement date, not the vet visit, sets your 10-day window. The day count is not defined, so plan inside it with a margin.

Step	When	Notes
Microchip	Before or on the day of the rabies vaccine	Have it read at each vet visit
Rabies vaccine	At 12 weeks of age or older	Keep boosters on time
Earliest entry	21 days after the primary vaccination	Restarts if cover lapses
Accredited vet exam	Up to 30 days before endorsement	Submitted in VEHCS
APHIS endorsement	Within 10 days before EU arrival	Anchors the window
Tapeworm (dogs to FI, IE, MT, NI, NO)	24 to 120 hours before entry	Before endorsement
Onward EU travel	Up to 6 months after entry checks	Or until rabies expires, if earlier

Arriving in the EU

From the US, your pet must enter through a travellers' point of entry, where you report to the competent authority for document and identity checks. Each country publishes its own list. The check is recorded on the certificate, which then stays valid for six months, or until the rabies vaccination expires if sooner, for travel on to other EU countries.

Once you live in an EU country, a vet there can issue an EU pet passport, since passports are only issued where the owner habitually resides.

Ireland adds extras: listed entry airports and ports only, advance notice through the DAFM portal, a compliance check with a per-animal fee (the DAFM page does not state the amount, so ask when you book), and an original certificate with wet signature and stamp.

Airline rules on top

Each airline sets its own rules. When we checked, Delta's page accepted small dogs and cats in the cabin if the kennel fits under the seat, with cargo limited to certain military and State Department staff. American Airlines states that carry-on pets are not accepted on trans-Atlantic trips and that other pets ship through American Airlines Cargo. Lufthansa accepts dogs and cats up to 8 kg including the container in the cabin. Confirm with the airline before booking.

Plan it with the kit

The USA to EU kit contains a user guide, a timeline workbook that computes every date from your flight date, a vet visit brief, a document and airline checklist, and letter templates. It follows the APHIS and EU rules above.

No titer, 10 days$29

USA to EU pet move kit

The European Union from the US: chip, rabies vaccine and 21 days, the EU certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS, tapeworm rules and the 6-month onward validity.

See the kit

The EU Health Certificate for Dogs and Cats from the USA: How USDA Endorsement Works