How to Get a Dog Passport: Step-by-Step Process and Alternatives

To get a dog passport, take your dog to an authorized veterinarian in an EU country for microchipping, wait until it is at least 12 weeks old, vaccinate it against rabies, and then have the vet issue the passport at least 21 days after that first rabies shot. The catch: as of April 2026, the European Commission and GOV.UK confirm EU pet passports are issued only to owners whose main home is in the EU — UK and US residents need a different document for the same trip.

What Is a Dog Passport, Exactly?

An EU pet passport is an official, lifelong veterinary document that records a dog's microchip number, rabies vaccination history, and (where relevant) tapeworm treatment, allowing it to travel between EU countries under Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals. It is issued once by an authorized veterinarian and updated at each booster, according to the European Commission's guidance on travelling with a pet within the EU.

People searching for "how to get a dog passport" are sometimes really asking how to get any travel paperwork for a dog, including UK or US documents. Those are not the same product, so this guide covers the real EU passport process first, then the equivalent for GB and US owners.

Step-by-Step: How to Get an EU Dog Passport

1. Confirm you're eligible. EU pet passports are issued to dogs whose owner is a resident of an EU member state. GOV.UK states plainly that since 22 April 2026, EU pet passports "may now only be issued to people whose main home is in the EU" and should not be used by people with holiday homes in the EU or who visit only seasonally.
2. Microchip the dog first. The chip must meet ISO 11784/11785 standards, and it must be implanted before the rabies vaccination — a chip inserted afterward invalidates that vaccination for passport purposes, per the European Commission's technical requirements under Regulation (EU) No 576/2013.
3. Wait until the dog is at least 12 weeks old, then vaccinate against rabies. The primary rabies vaccination cannot legally be given earlier than 12 weeks of age.
4. Wait 21 days after the primary vaccination. Protection is only recognized as valid 21 days after the first rabies shot is completed; a booster given within the previous vaccination's validity window does not require a new 21-day wait.
5. Book an appointment with an authorized veterinarian. Only a vet authorized to issue EU pet passports can complete the document — this is a specific designation, not every general practice vet holds it.
6. Get the passport completed and stamped. The vet records the microchip code, vaccine batch and date, and (if the destination requires it) an Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm treatment given 24–120 hours before entry — a rule that currently applies to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway.
7. Keep it updated. Unlike a single-trip certificate, the EU pet passport is valid for the dog's life as long as rabies boosters are kept current and recorded in it.

If You Live in the UK: You Need an Animal Health Certificate, Not a Passport

Great Britain residents cannot get or use an EU pet passport for travel to the EU as of April 2026. GOV.UK's official guidance confirms that GB owners must instead obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from an Official Veterinarian (OV) for each trip. The process, per GOV.UK's "Take your pet abroad" guidance, still follows the same biological order — microchip, then rabies vaccination, then a 21-day wait — but the paperwork differs in three important ways:

• The AHC must be issued no more than 10 days before you enter the EU, and it is valid for onward EU travel and re-entry to Great Britain for up to four months from the date of issue, according to GOV.UK.
• It is single-use per outbound trip in practical terms, since a fresh certificate is generally needed for the next departure from Great Britain.
• Cost is per certificate, per trip — commonly cited in the £90–£350 range depending on the vet practice, rather than the largely one-off cost of an EU passport.

GOV.UK also confirms a UK-specific domestic pet passport scheme is in development, but it is not expected before 2027–2028, so the AHC remains the only route for GB owners as of August 2026.

If You Live in the US: There Is No Pet Passport

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) states directly that the United States does not issue pet passports for international travel. Instead, APHIS issues destination-specific health certificates confirming a dog meets the entry rules of the country it is travelling to (and any country it transits through), according to APHIS's guidance on taking a pet from the US to another country. Because every destination sets its own rules, a US owner flying a dog into the EU still needs the microchip-then-rabies-vaccination sequence above, followed by a USDA-endorsed health certificate rather than an EU passport, since the passport can only be issued by an EU-based authorized vet to an EU resident.

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

Do You Need a Passport to Fly With a Dog?

Governments set the health and identity paperwork; airlines add their own rules on top. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) publishes cabin and cargo guidance for member airlines, including its 2026 operational guidelines for in-cabin pet transport, but IATA notes these guidelines are not mandatory and do not replace national regulations. In practice, an airline will ask to see whichever government-issued document applies to your route — the EU passport, an AHC, or a USDA certificate — plus its own carrier and container rules, so IATA recommends confirming requirements with the airline 48–72 hours before departure.

Not a Travel Document: Animal Passport's Biometric ID

It's worth distinguishing the government travel paperwork above from Animal Passport's own product, which is a digital identity record built for owner and health tracking rather than for crossing a border. Animal Passport captures an animal's muzzle print — a nose-print pattern that, like a fingerprint, is unique to the individual — through a phone camera, and binds that biometric ID to the owner, breed, an estimated age from a dental photograph with a confidence score, and a body condition score from 1–5 based on a side-profile photo, along with vaccination history. This approach was used in livestock flood rescue efforts in Pakistan in August 2025, helping farmers reclaim animals after paper ear tags were washed away. It is not a government-issued EU pet passport, an Animal Health Certificate, or a USDA certificate, and it does not substitute for any of them at a border checkpoint. For more on how digital identity fits alongside official travel documents, see the Animal Passport blog.

Common Mistakes That Delay a Dog Passport

• Vaccinating before microchipping. If the rabies shot happens first, it typically has to be repeated after the chip is in.
• Booking travel inside the 21-day window. A passport or certificate issued before the rabies vaccination is considered valid will be rejected at the border.
• Assuming any vet can issue the document. Only an authorized veterinarian (EU) or Official Veterinarian (UK) or USDA-accredited vet (US) is qualified to sign it.
• Skipping tapeworm treatment for destinations that require it. Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway require Echinococcus multilocularis treatment 24–120 hours before arrival.
• Forgetting the certificate is single-use. UK and US travel certificates generally need to be reissued for every trip, unlike the lifelong EU passport.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a dog passport cost?

An EU pet passport itself is typically a low, one-off veterinary fee since it lasts the dog's lifetime. A UK Animal Health Certificate, which GB residents need instead, commonly costs £90–£350 per trip, and USDA health certificate costs vary by vet and destination country.

Can I get a dog passport in the UK?

No. As of 22 April 2026, GOV.UK confirms EU pet passports can only be issued to people whose main home is in the EU, so UK residents need an Animal Health Certificate from an Official Veterinarian for each trip instead.

Can Americans get a dog passport?

No. USDA APHIS states the United States does not issue pet passports; US owners traveling internationally need a destination-specific health certificate completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian.

How long does it take to get a dog passport?

Plan for at least 21 days after your dog's primary rabies vaccination, since that is the minimum wait before the vaccination is considered valid for a passport or equivalent travel document.

Is a dog passport the same as a rabies certificate?

No. A rabies vaccination certificate is one entry recorded inside the passport; the passport itself also documents the microchip number, owner details, and (where required) tapeworm treatment.

Does my dog need a passport to fly?

Your dog needs whichever government document applies to your route (EU passport, UK Animal Health Certificate, or USDA health certificate) plus the airline's own carrier rules; IATA guidance says airlines set additional requirements on top of these.

What's the difference between a dog passport and Animal Passport's biometric ID?

A dog passport is a government-recognized travel and health document issued by an authorized vet. Animal Passport's biometric ID uses a muzzle print captured by phone to record an animal's identity, estimated age, and body condition for owner and health tracking — it is not a substitute for official travel paperwork.

Does a dog need a new passport for every trip?

No, an EU pet passport is issued once and used for the dog's life as long as rabies boosters are recorded in it. This differs from the UK's Animal Health Certificate and the USDA's health certificate, which are generally required for each individual trip.

As of August 2026, the biggest change owners need to know is that the EU pet passport is now strictly tied to EU residency. If you're unsure which document applies to your trip, check GOV.UK or the European Commission's pet travel page before booking a vet appointment.