How to Obtain a Pet Passport

A pet passport is an official European Union travel document, issued only by an authorized veterinarian in an EU (or associated) country, that records a dog's, cat's, or ferret's microchip number, owner details, and rabies vaccination history so the animal can travel between EU countries. To obtain one, you need an EU-resident vet, an implanted ISO microchip, and a valid rabies vaccination given at least 21 days earlier. Non-EU residents generally cannot get one and instead need an Animal Health Certificate.

This guide walks through the official EU, UK, and US processes from primary government and industry sources, then explains a separate but often-confused concept: digital, biometric animal identity records such as those built by Animal Passport, which are used for livestock ownership and welfare records — not as a border-crossing travel document.

What Is a Pet Passport, Officially?

According to the European Commission's Food Safety directorate, an EU pet passport is an identification document for dogs, cats, and ferrets that records the animal's microchip number, owner information, and mandatory rabies vaccination history so the animal can move between EU member states. It is not a general worldwide “pet ID card” — it is a specific EU legal instrument, and only an authorized veterinarian inside the EU (or in Switzerland, Norway, or Iceland) can issue one.

How to Obtain a Pet Passport: Step by Step

1. Confirm you qualify. The passport is issued to pets whose owners are resident in an EU member state (or an associated country). It is issued by an authorized vet, per the European Commission.
2. Have your pet microchipped. The animal must receive an ISO-compliant microchip meeting the technical specifications in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035, and this must happen before or at the time of rabies vaccination.
3. Get the rabies vaccination. The pet must be at least 12 weeks old at vaccination, and the European Commission states that vaccination validity “starts not less than 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol for the primary vaccination.”
4. Visit an authorized veterinarian to issue the passport. The vet enters the microchip code, vaccination record, and (for dogs traveling to some countries) tapeworm treatment details, and signs the document.
5. Keep the original document. Per GOV.UK, travelers must carry the original passport, not a photocopy, when crossing borders.

Rule Changes to Know in 2026

As of August 2026, the process has tightened for travelers who are not EU residents. Multiple pet-travel industry sources report that, effective April 22, 2026, non-EU residents can no longer obtain or rely on an EU pet passport for entry and must instead use a single-use EU Animal Health Certificate (AHC), issued by a licensed vet in their country of departure for each individual trip. This is consistent with the European Commission's own guidance, which notes that “older passport models” issued before April 22, 2026, and transitional models issued before January 1, 2028, remain valid only for movement that has already begun under the previous rules — new issuance to non-residents is not the same process. If you are not an EU resident, plan around an Animal Health Certificate, not a passport.

United Kingdom: No Passport, an Animal Health Certificate Instead

The United Kingdom left the EU pet passport scheme; UK vets do not issue EU pet passports. Per GOV.UK, GB-issued pet passports from before January 1, 2021 may still be used, but current UK pet owners traveling to the EU need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from a DEFRA-authorized official veterinarian, obtained within 10 days of travel, confirming microchip, rabies vaccination, and (for dogs entering some countries) tapeworm treatment. Traveling in the other direction — from the EU to Great Britain — an EU-issued pet passport is still accepted, per the same GOV.UK guidance.

United States: USDA APHIS Health Certificates, Not a Passport

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) does not issue an EU-style pet passport. Instead, US pet owners traveling internationally need an international health certificate — commonly APHIS Form 7001, though some countries require a country-specific form — completed and signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian. According to USDA APHIS, when a destination country requires federal endorsement, USDA reviews and counter-signs the certificate, and endorsement fees start at $38, with total processing sometimes taking a few weeks to several months depending on the destination's requirements. Because requirements differ by country, USDA APHIS directs travelers to check its pet travel website for destination-specific rules before booking travel.

Airline Rules: IATA Live Animals Regulations

Airlines follow the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animals Regulations (LAR), the worldwide industry standard for transporting live animals safely by air. IATA states that animals must be at least eight weeks old and fully weaned before flying, and containers must let the animal turn around, stand, sit, and lie down naturally. However, per IATA's own traveler guidance, individual countries and airlines set their own additional documentation requirements, so a pet passport or health certificate is a separate requirement layered on top of, not replaced by, airline carrier rules.

Pet Passport vs. Animal Health Certificate vs. Digital Livestock ID

A Different Kind of Animal Passport: Biometric Identity, Not Travel

The term “pet passport” is also used informally for products that are not government travel documents. Animal Passport builds a digital identity record for animals using muzzle biometrics — a nose print is unique to each animal, similar to a human fingerprint — captured through a phone camera. The record links the owner, breed, an estimated age (generated from a dental photograph with a stated confidence score), a body condition score from 1 to 5 based on a side-profile photo, and vaccination history. This is not a government-issued travel document, does not replace an EU pet passport or a USDA health certificate, and does not constitute a veterinary diagnosis or legal advice.

This kind of identity record has a track record in livestock welfare rather than air travel: during flood rescue operations in Pakistan in August 2025, farmers used biometric identity records to reclaim livestock after paper ear tags were washed away, restoring proof of ownership when physical documentation was destroyed. That is a fundamentally different use case from crossing an international border with a dog or cat — it addresses ownership disputes and welfare record-keeping in the field, not customs and animal-health entry rules. Read more on the Animal Passport blog.

Common Mistakes When Trying to Obtain a Pet Passport

• Assuming any vet can issue one. Only vets authorized inside the EU (or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland) can issue an EU pet passport, per the European Commission.
• Vaccinating and microchipping out of order. The microchip must be in place before or at the time of the rabies shot; a rabies vaccination given before microchipping is not valid for passport purposes under EU rules.
• Not accounting for the 21-day rabies wait. Vaccination validity begins only after that window, so last-minute travel plans are the most common reason pet trips get delayed.
• Confusing a passport with an Animal Health Certificate. As of April 22, 2026, non-EU residents need an AHC, not a passport, per current EU travel guidance summarized above.
• Confusing a livestock biometric ID with a travel passport. Products like Animal Passport document ownership and welfare data; they are not accepted as EU or USDA travel paperwork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can issue a pet passport?

Only an authorized veterinarian inside an EU member state, or in Switzerland, Norway, or Iceland, can issue an EU pet passport, according to the European Commission. Vets in the UK, US, and other non-EU countries cannot issue one.

How long does it take to get a pet passport?

The microchip and rabies vaccination must be completed first, and rabies vaccination validity does not begin until at least 21 days after a primary vaccination course, per the European Commission — so plan for a minimum of about three to four weeks before the passport can be used for travel.

Can a US resident get an EU pet passport?

Generally no. EU pet passports are issued to residents of the EU (or associated countries); US residents traveling to the EU instead need a health certificate process through a USDA-accredited veterinarian and, depending on the destination, an EU Animal Health Certificate issued abroad.

Does the UK issue pet passports?

No. Per GOV.UK, the UK does not currently issue EU pet passports; UK pet owners traveling to the EU need an Animal Health Certificate from a DEFRA-authorized official veterinarian, obtained within 10 days of travel.

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

No. A pet passport is an EU document issued by an EU-authorized vet for movement within the EU. A USDA APHIS health certificate, such as Form 7001, is issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian for US pets traveling internationally and is a different legal document with its own rules and fees.

Do airlines accept a pet passport instead of their own paperwork?

Not necessarily. IATA's Live Animals Regulations set carrier and container standards, but IATA states that airlines and destination countries set their own additional documentation requirements, so travelers should check with the specific airline as well as the destination country.

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

No. Animal Passport's muzzle-biometric record documents an animal's identity, estimated age, body condition, and vaccination history for ownership and welfare purposes. It is not a government-issued travel document and does not substitute for an EU pet passport, an Animal Health Certificate, or a USDA health certificate.

What if my pet passport is lost or expired?

Per GOV.UK guidance, travelers should carry the original passport document and, where relevant, prior passport records; a lost or invalid passport typically needs to be reissued by an authorized vet before travel, since photocopies are not accepted at the border.