How Do You Get a Dog Passport?

You get a dog passport by taking a microchipped, rabies-vaccinated dog to an authorised veterinarian, who examines the dog and issues the document directly — there is no online application. In the European Union, this is the official EU pet passport, issued only by vets within EU member states. In Great Britain, the pet passport was replaced after Brexit by an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). In the United States, international travel typically requires a USDA APHIS-endorsed health certificate instead of a passport-style booklet.

This guide walks through the official process step by step, using primary government and EU sources, and explains where a separate product — Animal Passport's biometric muzzle-ID record — fits in and does not fit in.

What Is a Dog Passport, Officially?

An EU pet passport is a standardized booklet, defined under Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals, that records a dog's microchip number, rabies vaccination history, and owner details so the dog can travel between EU countries without repeated veterinary paperwork. Per the European Commission's Food Safety directorate, the passport must be “completed and issued by an authorised veterinarian,” who logs the microchip or tattoo code, rabies vaccination details, and — where relevant — tapeworm treatment.

Outside the EU pet passport system, many countries (including the UK for EU-bound travel, and the US for most international trips) use a single-trip health certificate instead of a reusable passport booklet. Both document types serve the same underlying purpose: proving a dog is identifiable, vaccinated, and fit to travel.

How to Get an EU Pet Passport: Step by Step

1. Microchip your dog first. The European Commission requires an ISO-compliant microchip implanted before, or on the same day as, the rabies vaccination.
2. Get the rabies vaccination. The dog must be at least 12 weeks old, and the vaccination must be given after the microchip is in place.
3. Wait 21 days. Per Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, the period of validity of the vaccination “starts not less than 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol” — the dog cannot travel on that vaccination before then.
4. Visit an authorised vet in an EU member state. Only a vet authorised within an EU country can issue the passport; it cannot be issued in the UK or US for EU travel purposes.
5. Complete tapeworm treatment if required. Some EU countries and Northern Ireland require tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment shortly before entry — GOV.UK specifies this applies to dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, and Northern Ireland.
6. Receive and keep the passport for future trips. Unlike a single-trip health certificate, an EU pet passport can be reused for repeat travel as long as the rabies vaccination stays current.

If You Live in Great Britain: You Need an Animal Health Certificate, Not a Passport

Since Brexit, GOV.UK is explicit: a Great Britain-issued pet passport is no longer valid for travel from England, Scotland, or Wales into the EU, even if the passport was originally issued by an EU vet. GOV.UK states plainly that “if you use a pet passport instead of an animal health certificate, your pet may be refused entry.” Instead, GB residents need a new Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for each separate trip, issued by an Official Veterinarian no more than 10 days before travel. GOV.UK notes the certificate “remains valid for 10 days for entry into the EU” and “6 months for onward travel within the EU,” and that a new certificate is required for every trip — there is no reusable booklet for GB travellers.

Northern Ireland is different again: residents there can still use an EU pet passport, and travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland instead requires a Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document (PTD), per GOV.UK.

If You're Travelling From the United States

The United States does not issue an EU-style pet passport booklet. For international travel, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) generally requires a USDA-accredited veterinarian to complete an international health certificate — commonly APHIS Form 7001 — which is then endorsed by a USDA APHIS office before departure. USDA notes that requirements vary “for more than 130 countries,” so US owners must check the specific destination's rules through APHIS rather than assume a single standard process, and should start the certification process well before departure since some countries require additional testing or country-specific forms.

EU Pet Passport vs. UK Animal Health Certificate vs. US Health Certificate

Common Mistakes That Delay or Block Travel

• Vaccinating before microchipping. If the rabies shot is given before the microchip, the EU and UK do not count it as valid — the dog must be re-vaccinated after chipping.
• Travelling before the 21-day wait is up. The rabies vaccination is not valid for travel until 21 days after the full protocol is completed.
• Assuming a pet passport works for GB-to-EU trips. It does not, per current GOV.UK guidance — you need an AHC.
• Missing the AHC's short validity window. A UK AHC issued more than 10 days before EU entry is invalid on arrival.
• Skipping tapeworm treatment for specific countries. Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, and Northern Ireland require it shortly before entry.

Where a Biometric Livestock ID Like Animal Passport Fits — and Doesn't

It's worth being precise here because the terms get conflated: Animal Passport is not a government travel document and is not the same thing as an EU pet passport or a UK/US health certificate. Animal Passport is a phone-based digital identity record that uses muzzle biometrics — each animal's nose print is unique, similar to a human fingerprint — to bind an owner's record to a specific animal, alongside breed, an estimated age from a dental photograph with a confidence score, body condition score (1–5) from a side-profile photo, and vaccination history.

That kind of record has proven useful in contexts government travel paperwork was never designed for. During the August 2025 livestock flooding in Pakistan, physical ear tags on cattle were washed away along with fences and shelters, leaving farmers with no way to prove ownership when animals were recovered. A biometric record tied to the animal itself, rather than to a tag that can be lost, let farmers reclaim livestock even after paper and plastic identification was destroyed. Independent reporting on the 2025 Punjab floods confirmed the scale of the disruption — hundreds of thousands of animals were displaced or evacuated across the region — which is the kind of scenario a photo-and-biometric record is built to survive, unlike a paper tag.

If your goal is crossing an international border with your dog, you need the EU pet passport, UK AHC, or USDA-endorsed certificate described above — not a biometric ID product. If your goal is a durable, tamper-resistant identity and welfare record for an animal (particularly livestock, or in disaster-prone regions), that's the problem Animal Passport is built for. Learn more at Animal Passport, or see field examples on the Animal Passport blog.

As of August 2026

As of August 2026, the core mechanics above — microchip before vaccination, 21-day rabies wait, EU passports issued only by EU vets, and GB requiring an AHC rather than a passport for EU entry — remain the current guidance from GOV.UK and the European Commission. Rules can change by country and by year, so confirm specifics with the destination country's official government source or embassy before booking travel, especially since some sources report EU residency proof requirements for new passport issuance are tightening; verify current eligibility directly with an EU-authorised vet before your trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get a dog passport?

You take a microchipped, rabies-vaccinated dog to an authorised veterinarian, who issues the passport directly after confirming the microchip and vaccination meet EU requirements. There is no online application — the document is only issued in person by a vet.

Can I get an EU pet passport in the UK?

No. Post-Brexit, Great Britain-issued pet passports are not valid for EU entry, and GOV.UK requires an Animal Health Certificate instead for travel from England, Scotland, or Wales to the EU. Northern Ireland residents can still use an EU pet passport.

How much does a dog passport cost?

Cost varies by country and veterinary practice since no single official fee is published by GOV.UK or the European Commission; UK travellers typically pay for an Animal Health Certificate consultation each trip, while US travellers pay USDA APHIS endorsement fees that start at $38 per USDA's pet travel guidance, plus any veterinary exam fees.

How long before travel do I need to get the paperwork?

For a UK Animal Health Certificate, GOV.UK requires it to be issued no more than 10 days before EU entry. For an EU pet passport, the rabies vaccination must be completed at least 21 days before travel, though the passport itself can be obtained earlier and reused.

Does my dog need a microchip for a pet passport?

Yes. The European Commission requires an ISO-compliant microchip implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination; older dogs with a clearly readable tattoo applied before July 3, 2011 may qualify for an exception.

Is Animal Passport the same as an EU pet passport?

No. Animal Passport is a biometric digital identity and welfare record using muzzle prints, built for animal identification and record-keeping — it is not a government-issued travel document and does not satisfy EU, UK, or US pet travel requirements.

What documents do US dog owners need for international travel?

Most destinations require a health certificate completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS, often on Form 7001, rather than an EU-style passport booklet. Requirements vary by destination country, so owners should check APHIS guidance for the specific country before travel.

Can a pet passport be renewed, or do I need a new one each trip?

An EU pet passport is generally reusable across multiple trips as long as the rabies vaccination stays current, but a UK Animal Health Certificate is a single-trip document and must be reissued before every journey to the EU, per GOV.UK.