Pet Travel Documents: USDA APHIS and CDC Forms U.S. Owners Need

Pet travel documents are the official health certificates, import forms, and supporting records that governments and airlines require when a companion animal crosses borders. As of September 2026, U.S. owners typically work with a United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS)–accredited veterinarian for outbound certificates, and with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for dog entry or re-entry. There is no single universal pet passport for every destination; country rules, rabies risk status, and airline policies each add paperwork. This guide maps the main USDA, APHIS, and CDC forms, fees, and steps—and clearly separates those official schemes from Animal Passport’s biometric livestock identity product.

What counts as a pet travel document in the United States?

In U.S. practice, “pet travel documents” usually means a destination-specific international health certificate (sometimes called a veterinary export certificate), any laboratory results or vaccination proofs the destination requires, and—for dogs entering or returning to the United States—a CDC Dog Import Form receipt plus any rabies-related certifications CDC mandates. USDA APHIS states on its pet travel process overview (last modified June 18, 2026) that destination countries set entry rules, which can change, and that owners should verify requirements every time they travel.

APHIS also defines which animals qualify as pets for its pet-travel pathway. Privately owned companion dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, rodents, hedgehogs/tenrecs, reptiles, amphibians, and certain birds follow pet rules; livestock-class animals and many poultry species do not, according to APHIS export and fee pages updated in 2026. Animals intended for research or resale fall under separate live-animal export rules.

Outbound from the U.S.: USDA APHIS health certificates and endorsement

If you are taking a pet from the United States to another country, APHIS’s export guidance (last modified August 14, 2026) tells owners to contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as travel is planned. That veterinarian determines the destination’s vaccinations, tests, treatments, microchip rules, and certificate format, then issues the certificate that APHIS can endorse when the destination requires USDA endorsement.

Why accreditation matters

APHIS requires that live-animal export certificates needing USDA endorsement be issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian—someone who completed National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP) training in the state(s) where they are licensed. Accreditation is state-specific and voluntary; not every licensed veterinarian is accredited, according to APHIS’s June 2026 process overview.

Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS)

The Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) is APHIS’s secure online system for creating, issuing, submitting, and endorsing health certificates for international export of live animals and germplasm. APHIS’s VEHCS page (last modified June 9, 2026) states that APHIS accepts electronic signatures from USDA-accredited veterinarians for issuance of all live-animal export health certificates regardless of destination. Accredited veterinarians typically submit through VEHCS; owners may also ship originals to an endorsement office when that pathway applies. APHIS notes that some destinations still require a printed, physically endorsed hard copy to travel with the pet.

Timing and original paperwork

Once the accredited veterinarian signs the certificate, destination countries often allow only a short validity window—APHIS cites examples such as about 30 days—to obtain endorsement and travel. APHIS’s process overview states that the original USDA-endorsed hard copy must accompany the pet, and that electronic versions alone are generally not accepted by destination officials.

APHIS Form 7001 versus country-specific certificates

Many travelers ask whether APHIS Form 7001 is “the” pet travel document. According to APHIS frequently asked questions for accredited veterinarians (last modified July 30, 2025), there is no one standard health certificate for all countries. If a country-specific certificate is listed on APHIS pet-travel pages, that is the certificate needed for entry and the only one APHIS can endorse for that destination.

Airlines may impose separate boarding paperwork. APHIS explains that if the airline does not require a specific form, veterinarians may use APHIS Form 7001 to document vaccinations, treatments, and health exams for boarding—but APHIS only endorses the country-specific export health certificate, not airline-only forms.

How much does USDA APHIS endorsement cost?

APHIS charges user fees to endorse pet health certificates; those fees do not include the veterinarian’s clinical charges. On its cost-to-endorse page (last modified June 18, 2026), APHIS lists $101 per certificate when no laboratory tests must be verified; fees rise with the number of tests and pets—for example $160 for one pet with 1–2 laboratory tests, $206 for one pet with 3–6 tests, and $275 for one pet with seven or more tests, with add-on amounts for additional pets on the same certificate. Vaccines are not counted as tests when calculating these fees, according to APHIS.

APHIS does not charge endorsement fees for service dogs belonging to individuals with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Emotional support animals and other animals not covered by the ADA are charged endorsement fees, APHIS states. Payment must be provided before endorsement; accepted methods include user-fee credit accounts and cards, depending on submission pathway.

Inbound and returning dogs: CDC Dog Import Form and rabies paperwork

For dogs, CDC—not APHIS—is the primary U.S. government authority for importation and re-entry, including U.S.-origin dogs returning home. APHIS’s August 2026 export page and CDC’s dog importation FAQ (updated August 27, 2026) both emphasize that point.

CDC Dog Import Form (required for every dog)

As of September 2026, every dog entering or returning to the United States must be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, according to CDC. The form is free. Each dog needs its own form. CDC’s instructions page (updated April 28, 2026) notes a February 5, 2026 web-system update that changed receipt appearance but not importation requirements. If traveling by air, importers must show the receipt to the airline before boarding and to U.S. Customs and Border Protection on arrival; a printed copy or phone display is acceptable.

Dogs from dog rabies–free or low-risk countries

Starting August 1, 2024, CDC simplified rules so that dogs that have been only in dog rabies–free or low-risk countries for the past six months need the CDC Dog Import Form as their only CDC documentation for entry, provided the dog appears healthy, is at least six months old, and has a microchip readable by a universal scanner. CDC states the receipt is free and generally valid for six months for multiple entries from the same country of departure unless the dog visits a high-risk country or departs from a different country than listed.

High-risk countries: U.S.-vaccinated dogs

Dogs that have been in any CDC high-risk country for dog rabies within the past six months need additional documents. For U.S.-vaccinated dogs, CDC and APHIS require a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the United States. APHIS stresses this form cannot be issued retroactively after departure. CDC’s FAQ states that, as an alternative for certificates issued no later than July 31, 2025, CDC may accept a qualifying USDA-endorsed export health certificate meeting listed content rules; certificates issued after July 31, 2025 are not accepted as substitutes for the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form.

High-risk countries: foreign-vaccinated dogs

Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries generally need a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form endorsed by an official government veterinarian, a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and arrival at the airport serving that facility. CDC FAQ guidance (August 2026) states these dogs cannot enter at a U.S. land border. Without a valid rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory, CDC describes a 28-day quarantine at the facility after examination and revaccination.

Comparison: common U.S. pet travel documents

Step-by-step: building a U.S. pet travel document packet

1. Confirm the itinerary and species. Note destination, transit stops that involve customs clearance, departure date, and whether the animal travels in cabin, as checked baggage, or as cargo—information APHIS asks owners to give accredited veterinarians.
2. Find a USDA-accredited veterinarian for any export certificate that needs APHIS endorsement, and verify CDC high-risk status if a dog will leave and return.
3. Complete destination medical steps (microchip, rabies and other vaccines, titers, parasite treatments) inside the destination’s required windows before the certificate is signed.
4. Issue and endorse the health certificate through VEHCS or the shipping pathway, pay APHIS endorsement fees when due, and keep originals with the animal.
5. Satisfy airline rules separately—APHIS notes airlines may require different forms or timing than the destination country.
6. Before return with a dog, complete the CDC Dog Import Form and any Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination (or foreign-vaccinated pathway documents) required by CDC for the dog’s last six months of travel.

APHIS FAQ guidance for veterinarians states the process can take a few weeks to many months depending on destination requirements, so early planning is essential.

Domestic U.S. movement is different

APHIS does not set requirements or endorse health certificates for pets moving between U.S. states or territories. Each state or territory—including Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—sets its own rules, according to APHIS’s July 2025 accredited-veterinarian FAQ. Contact the destination state’s animal health official for interstate paperwork.

Official pet travel documents vs. Animal Passport biometric ID

Official USDA APHIS certificates and CDC import forms are government-facing compliance documents for border and airline control. They are not the same as an Animal Passport digital livestock identity record. Animal Passport, published at animalpassport.co, is a digital animal and livestock passport that uses muzzle biometrics—a nose print unique like a fingerprint—captured by phone. The record can bind owner, breed, estimated age, body condition, and vaccination history; age can be estimated from a dental photograph with a confidence score, and body condition can be scored 1–5 from a side-profile photo.

That biometric identity layer proved useful in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan in August 2025, when farmers needed to reclaim animals after paper tags washed away. It can complement—but does not replace—USDA, APHIS, or CDC travel paperwork, EU pet passports, or airline acceptance rules. For field stories and identity updates, see the Animal Passport blog. Animal Passport does not provide veterinary diagnosis or legal advice, and it is not a government-issued travel document unless an official source expressly says otherwise.

Practical checklist before you book flights

• Verify the destination country’s current APHIS country-requirements page the week you finalize tickets.
• Confirm your veterinarian’s USDA accreditation status in the correct state.
• Budget separately for clinic fees and APHIS endorsement fees (from $101 per certificate when no tests are verified, per APHIS 2026 fee table).
• For dogs, complete the free CDC Dog Import Form early enough to receive and save the receipt.
• If visiting a high-risk country, arrange the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination before departure—APHIS and CDC both warn it cannot be fixed after you leave.
• Carry originals; photograph backups for personal reference only.

As of September 2026, treat pet travel documents as a destination- and risk-specific packet—not a single booklet. USDA APHIS handles most outbound certification and endorsement; CDC controls dog importation forms and rabies-related re-entry rules.

Rules change. Re-check primary APHIS and CDC pages close to travel, and ask your accredited veterinarian to confirm certificate templates in VEHCS before payment and endorsement.