How Do You Get a Pet Passport?

A pet passport is an official identification and vaccination record — a small booklet issued in person by an authorized veterinarian — that lets a dog, cat, or ferret travel between European Union countries without quarantine. To get one, your pet needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination given at least 21 days earlier, and a visit to a vet who can legally issue the document. As of April 2026, only owners with official residence in an EU member state can be issued one; travelers from Great Britain, the United States, and other non-EU countries now need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) instead.

This guide walks through the real, current process for each region, because "pet passport" means different things depending on where you live and where you're going. We researched official sources — the European Commission, the UK government, and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) — to lay out exactly what's required. We also explain how a newer category of product, biometric digital animal identification like Animal Passport, fits in — and why it is not a substitute for these official travel documents.

What is a pet passport?

A pet passport, in the strict legal sense, is the identification document created under EU law for non-commercial movement of pet dogs, cats, and ferrets between countries. Under Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, a pet passport records the animal's microchip number, species, breed, sex, date of birth, and its rabies vaccination history, and it must be completed and issued by an authorized veterinarian (EUR-Lex, 2013). The specific layout and content requirements were originally set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013, and that framework was superseded on 20 January 2026 by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, which tightened who is eligible to hold one (EUR-Lex, 2026).

Outside the EU, the term is used loosely. The United Kingdom stopped issuing pet passports for Great Britain after the Brexit transition period ended on 1 January 2021, replacing them with the Animal Health Certificate. The United States has never issued a "pet passport" at all — USDA APHIS issues export health certificates instead. Any product that calls itself a "pet passport" outside the EU system is using the term informally, not as a government travel document.

How to get an EU pet passport (if you're an EU resident)

If your official residence is in an EU member state, here is the process set out by the European Commission's food safety directorate (European Commission, Food Safety):

1. Microchip your pet first. The transponder must meet ISO 11784/11785 technical standards and be implanted before the rabies vaccination is given.
2. Get the rabies vaccination. An authorized vet vaccinates the animal after it is at least 12 weeks old. The vaccination is only legally valid for travel starting 21 days after the vaccination protocol is completed.
3. Wait out any additional health measures. Dogs traveling to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland, or Norway also need tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment with praziquantel, given 24–120 hours before entry.
4. Visit the vet to issue the passport. The authorized veterinarian completes the passport with the pet's identification, vaccination, and treatment history, and signs it.

Since 22 April 2026, this passport can only be issued to — and held by — an owner whose habitual residence is in an EU member state, under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131. Holiday-home owners and seasonal visitors from outside the EU no longer qualify, even if their pet was previously issued a passport.

What if you're not an EU resident? (UK, US, and other travelers)

If you live outside the EU, you cannot be issued an EU pet passport as of April 2026. Instead, you need a single-use Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for each trip. This is the process UK pet owners now follow, according to the UK government's official guidance (GOV.UK, Take your pet abroad):

1. Microchip your pet before the rabies vaccination, if it isn't already chipped.
2. Vaccinate against rabies and wait at least 21 full days after the vaccination course is completed before travel.
3. Book an appointment with an Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)-approved vet no more than 10 days before you travel, since the AHC is only valid for entry into the EU for 10 days from the date it's issued.
4. Treat dogs for tapeworm if you're heading to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland, or Norway — no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days before arrival.
5. Carry the signed AHC with your pet. Up to five pets traveling for non-commercial reasons can share one certificate.

Great Britain stopped issuing EU pet passports when the Brexit transition period ended on 1 January 2021, so this AHC process has applied to GB residents for several years — the April 2026 EU rule change mainly closed a workaround where some UK owners obtained EU-issued passports through vets in EU countries.

Getting a health certificate for pet travel from the United States

The US has no equivalent to the EU pet passport. USDA APHIS lays out a country-by-country process for exporting a pet internationally (USDA APHIS, Pet Travel Process Overview):

1. Contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you plan international travel — requirements vary entirely by destination country.
2. Confirm the destination's specific requirements, which may include a microchip, particular vaccines, or laboratory tests such as a rabies titer.
3. Have the vet complete a health certificate — commonly the United States Interstate and International Certificate for Health Examination for Small Animals, APHIS Form 7001.
4. Submit the certificate for USDA endorsement, either electronically through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) or by mailing the original via overnight courier.
5. Travel within the certificate's validity window — often as short as 10–30 days from signature, depending on the destination country.

USDA APHIS is explicit that "there is not one standard health certificate or set of requirements" — each importing country sets its own rules, so the timeline and paperwork for a pet moving from the US to France differ from those for a pet moving to Japan or Australia.

Pet passport vs. Animal Health Certificate vs. USDA export certificate

Airline rules: what carriers require beyond government paperwork

Even with a valid pet passport, AHC, or USDA certificate, your airline may have additional requirements. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) maintains the Live Animals Regulations (LAR), the global industry standard covering carrier specifications, container strength, and handling for animals traveling by air (IATA, Traveling with Pets). IATA advises that "some countries and airlines have their own specific requirements for the carriage of live animals," so travelers should confirm crate dimensions, breed restrictions, and paperwork directly with the airline before booking, in addition to meeting the destination country's official entry rules.

Where Animal Passport's biometric ID fits — and where it doesn't

Animal Passport is a phone-based digital identification tool, not a government travel document. It captures an animal's muzzle print — the pattern of ridges on a nose, which is unique like a human fingerprint — along with a dental photograph used to estimate age with a confidence score, and a side-profile photo used to generate a body condition score from 1 to 5. That record binds an owner, breed, estimated age, body condition, and vaccination history to a single digital ID that isn't dependent on a physical tag or paper.

This kind of identity record has proven useful in emergencies where paper documents are lost. During livestock flood rescue efforts in Pakistan in August 2025, farmers used biometric identification to reclaim animals after paper ear tags had washed away. That use case is about proving ownership and animal identity when physical records are destroyed — it is a different problem from the one an EU pet passport or USDA health certificate solves, which is proving vaccination and health status to a customs or agriculture authority at a border. Animal Passport does not replace, and should not be confused with, an EU pet passport, a UK/EU Animal Health Certificate, or a USDA-endorsed export health certificate. If you're planning international pet travel, you still need the official government document for your route. You can read more on how digital identification is used in the field on the Animal Passport blog.

Step-by-step: getting your pet ready, no matter the destination

1. Start early. The 21-day rabies wait alone means you need at least three to four weeks of lead time before any international trip.
2. Microchip before vaccinating. Every system reviewed here — EU, UK, and US — requires the microchip to be in place before or at the same time as the rabies shot for the record to count.
3. Confirm your specific route's rules with the destination country's official agriculture or veterinary authority, since requirements differ by country pair, not just by region.
4. Book your vet visit inside the validity window — for a UK-to-EU AHC that means no more than 10 days before departure.
5. Check your airline's carrier and booking rules against IATA's Live Animals Regulations before you finalize travel dates.
6. Carry physical and digital backups of your documents and your pet's identification in case paperwork is lost or damaged in transit.

As of September 2026, the biggest recent change is the EU's April 2026 residency restriction on pet passports — if you last traveled to the EU with a pet before that date, don't assume your old passport or process still applies. Check current requirements directly with the European Commission, UK government, or USDA APHIS before you book.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a pet passport?

Once your pet is microchipped and vaccinated, the passport itself is issued in a single vet visit, but you must wait at least 21 full days after the rabies vaccination is completed before the document is valid for travel, per EU Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.

Can a UK resident still get an EU pet passport?

No. Great Britain stopped issuing pet passports after Brexit took effect on 1 January 2021, and since 22 April 2026 the EU only issues pet passports to owners with official residence in an EU member state, so UK residents need an Animal Health Certificate for each EU trip instead.

Does the United States issue pet passports?

No. USDA APHIS issues an endorsed international health certificate, commonly APHIS Form 7001, rather than a passport, and the specific requirements depend entirely on the destination country.

How much does a pet passport or Animal Health Certificate cost?

Costs vary by veterinary practice and country, since neither the EU nor the UK government publishes a fixed nationwide fee for the vet consultation and document issuance; check with your local authorized or APHA-approved vet for a current quote.

Is an EU pet passport the same as a USDA health certificate?

No. An EU pet passport is a lifetime document for owners resident in the EU, while a USDA health certificate is a per-trip document endorsed by USDA APHIS for pets leaving the United States; they serve similar purposes but are issued under entirely different legal systems and are not interchangeable.

Is Animal Passport's biometric ID a real pet passport?

No. Animal Passport's muzzle-biometric digital ID is a separate identification tool that records an animal's identity, estimated age, and body condition — it is not a government-issued travel document and cannot be used in place of an EU pet passport, Animal Health Certificate, or USDA export certificate.

Do dogs need extra treatment beyond vaccination and microchipping?

Dogs traveling to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland, or Norway need tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment with a praziquantel-based product, administered between 24 and 120 hours before arrival, according to both European Commission and UK government guidance.

What happens if my pet's paperwork isn't valid on arrival?

Non-compliant pets can face quarantine of up to four months or be refused entry, according to UK government guidance on taking a pet abroad, so it's important to confirm validity windows, especially the 10-day AHC limit, before you travel.