USDA Pet Travel Requirements: Official Route Map

USDA pet travel requirements depend on the route. There is no universal rule or certificate for every trip (USDA APHIS, verified September 20, 2026). Start with the APHIS Pet Travel page and choose travel from the United States, travel into the United States, or state-to-state travel (USDA APHIS). For travel from the United States, APHIS tells you to contact a USDA-accredited vet. The vet helps find the destination country's entry rules and assists with a USDA-endorsed health certificate or other needed papers (USDA APHIS). For entry or return to the United States, check the current rules from CDC, USDA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the destination state or territory. CDC says a returning animal must meet all import requirements (CDC). The carrier's transport rules are a separate check (CDC).

Rules check: We checked the official pages in this guide on September 20, 2026. Check their live route and destination pages again before travel. The country and carrier checks depend on your trip (CDC).

Which official USDA pet travel page should you use?

Start with the direction of travel. This table is our route map. It does not decide if your pet can travel.

Your trip or animal	Official starting page	Why this is the right starting point
From the United States to another country	APHIS Pet Travel	APHIS directs travelers leaving the United States to a USDA-accredited veterinarian, who helps determine the destination country's pet entry requirements and assists with the required paperwork (USDA APHIS).
From another country into the United States, including a return trip	APHIS Pet Travel, then the current pages for CDC, USDA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the destination state or territory	CDC says an animal that has left the United States must meet all import requirements to re-enter, even if it lived in the United States before (CDC).
From one U.S. state or territory to another	The state-to-state option on APHIS Pet Travel	APHIS presents state-to-state travel as a separate route from export and import (USDA APHIS).
An APHIS Veterinary Services-regulated species being brought into the United States	APHIS Live Animal Imports	Use this page only for species that APHIS Veterinary Services supports on this page. Another federal agency may regulate a species not listed on this page (USDA APHIS).
A companion or service animal taken to another country	The official destination page plus the carrier's own policy	CDC says travelers taking a companion or service animal to another country must meet both the country's entry requirements and the carrier's transportation guidelines (CDC).

Do not choose a form before you choose the route and destination. This is our advice on how to use the pages. APHIS asks the accredited vet to find the destination country's rules (USDA APHIS).

What are USDA pet travel requirements?

There is no single set of USDA pet travel rules for every trip. APHIS lists three paths on its Pet Travel page. They are travel from the United States, travel into the United States, and travel between states (USDA APHIS). CDC adds two more checks for a trip abroad. You must meet the destination country's entry rules. You must also meet the carrier's transport rules (CDC).

Use this checklist to find the official rules:

Write down the full route, including a return to the United States. CDC says the destination and transit countries can require vaccines and tests. A returning animal must also meet U.S. import rules (CDC).
Choose export, import, or state-to-state on APHIS Pet Travel. Those are separate options on the official page (USDA APHIS).
For export, contact a USDA-accredited vet. APHIS says the vet helps find the destination country's pet entry rules. These may include needed vaccines, tests, or treatments (USDA APHIS).
For U.S. entry or return, check each named agency. CDC lists four separate checks. They are CDC, USDA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the destination state or territory (CDC).
Ask the carrier about its current rules. CDC says the carrier's transport rules also apply (CDC).

Scope note: This guide does not replace the APHIS destination search or CDC import pages. It also does not replace a state or territory agency, carrier, or vet.

Do you need a USDA pet travel certificate?

APHIS does not say every pet trip needs a certificate. APHIS says an accredited vet helps with a USDA-endorsed pet health certificate or other needed papers. The vet does this after finding the destination country's entry rules (USDA APHIS). This means you should use the destination process to find the right document.

Is your dog leaving the United States? Our international health certificate guide explains the country-first document path. For that specific corridor, use our source-first guide to moving to Portugal with a dog. The live APHIS destination steps still come first because the destination country sets the entry requirements (USDA APHIS).

CDC says animal health certificates must be easy to read, correct, and complete. Some countries may also require a certified translation (CDC). CDC gives examples of rules a country may have. They include vaccines, parasite care, ISO-compliant microchips, or blood titer tests (CDC). These are only possible destination rules. They are not a list for every trip (CDC).

Pet insurance does not change an entry rule or certificate process. Do you also need to plan for cover? Use our pet insurance comparison. Read the policy terms, limits, and exclusions.

Can you get a USDA pet travel certificate online?

The current APHIS Pet Travel page does not give one online answer for every destination. Instead, APHIS tells a traveler leaving the United States to contact a USDA-accredited vet. The vet helps the traveler get a USDA-endorsed pet health certificate or other needed papers (USDA APHIS).

Use the live destination process and the accredited vet's instructions. Do not treat an online form as proof that it is valid for your route because APHIS ties the needed papers to the destination country's entry rules (USDA APHIS).

Where do you get a health certificate for pet travel?

Is your pet going from the United States to another country? APHIS says to contact a USDA-accredited vet as soon as you decide to travel (USDA APHIS). Its Pet Travel page links to the official search for these vets (USDA APHIS). The vet helps find the destination country's entry rules. The vet also helps with the USDA-endorsed health certificate or other needed papers (USDA APHIS).

We suggest having these route facts ready before you call the clinic:

Destination and each transit country. CDC says both are parts of the travel plan (CDC).
Whether the animal will return to the United States. CDC says it must meet all import rules to come back. This is true even if it lived in the United States before (CDC).
The carrier and travel method. CDC says the rules of the airline, cruise line, or other carrier apply too. You must also meet the country's entry rules (CDC).
The animal type and whether APHIS treats it as a pet. APHIS sends other animals to different import or export rules (USDA APHIS).

How does USDA pet travel international planning work?

For travel out of the United States, start at APHIS Pet Travel. Choose the export route (USDA APHIS). Contact a USDA-accredited vet. The vet helps find the destination country's entry rules. The vet also helps with the document steps (USDA APHIS). Then check the carrier. A traveler going abroad must also meet its transport rules (CDC).

For the return, do not reuse the exit list as an import answer. CDC says an animal must meet all import rules to re-enter the United States. CDC sends you to four sets of pages. They are CDC, USDA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the destination state or territory (CDC). The current APHIS page also names CDC as the main agency for dog imports. This includes dogs entering or returning to the United States (USDA APHIS, verified September 20, 2026).

If the animal does not qualify for pet travel, other import and export rules apply (USDA APHIS). The Live Animal Imports page covers species on that other import path. It says the importer must meet the rules of all agencies that have a role (USDA APHIS).

How do airline requirements fit with USDA rules?

Country entry and carrier approval are two separate checks. CDC says travelers must meet the country's entry rules. They must also meet the carrier's transport rules (CDC).

Use our airline pet policies guide to prepare your questions. Confirm the current transport rules with the carrier because CDC treats carrier rules as a separate requirement (CDC).

How long does USDA pet approval take?

The general APHIS Pet Travel page does not state one approval duration for every trip. APHIS separates travel from the United States, travel into the United States, and state-to-state travel, and the destination country sets its pet entry requirements (USDA APHIS). Start with the live route on APHIS. For travel from the United States, contact a USDA-accredited vet as soon as you decide to travel so the vet can identify the destination process and needed papers (USDA APHIS).

Frequently asked questions

Is USDA APHIS the only authority for a pet entering the United States?

No. CDC lists four separate sources of entry rules. They are CDC, USDA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the destination state or territory (CDC). APHIS also says CDC is the main agency for dog imports. This includes dogs entering or returning to the United States (USDA APHIS).

Does a service animal skip destination pet rules?

No. CDC says a companion or service animal must meet the destination country's entry rules. It must also meet the carrier's transport rules (CDC). Use the official destination and carrier pages for your route.

Does pet insurance replace a USDA certificate?

No. APHIS ties the certificate or other papers to the destination rules. It also gives the USDA-accredited vet a role in that process (USDA APHIS). Insurance is a separate financial product. It does not change the process.

Should you use the APHIS live animal import page for a pet dog?

Start with APHIS Pet Travel for a pet dog (USDA APHIS). APHIS says Live Animal Imports is for regulated live animals and germplasm. It sends people who need pet travel facts to Pet Travel (USDA APHIS).

What should you do next?

Open the official page for your direction of travel. Then find the destination, vet, return, and carrier checks that apply. APHIS has separate export, import, and state-to-state paths. CDC has separate checks for country entry, the carrier, and U.S. re-entry (USDA APHIS; CDC).

For a separate cover choice, Compare expat pet insurance. Insurance does not change permission to cross a border or board a carrier.

Written by the FG Team, the Furry Guardian editorial team, who keeps these border rules current.