Pet Travel Website: The Official USDA APHIS and CDC Resources for 2026

The official pet travel website for U.S. pet owners is APHIS Pet Travel, operated by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) at aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel. It provides country-by-country and state-by-state requirements for exporting, importing, or moving a pet, and it works alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dog Import Form for dogs entering the United States. Neither tool is the same as an EU pet passport or an airline's own pet policy.

What Is the Official Pet Travel Website?

"APHIS Pet Travel" is the name pet owners and veterinarians use for USDA APHIS's public tool at aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel. It is organized around three questions: are you taking a pet out of the United States (export), bringing one in from abroad (import), or moving between U.S. states or territories (interstate)? Selecting a destination or origin surfaces the specific paperwork, timelines, and veterinary steps that country or state requires.

USDA APHIS describes the site as a way to help travelers navigate the patchwork of rules that apply to more than 130 countries, since each destination sets its own vaccination, testing, and certification requirements. Because those requirements change without notice, USDA APHIS recommends checking the relevant country page every time you travel rather than relying on a past trip's checklist.

The Three U.S. Government Systems Behind Pet Travel

Owners often expect one website to handle everything, but U.S. pet travel actually runs through three connected systems, each run by a different agency or function:

These three pieces work together: APHIS Pet Travel tells you which documents you need, VEHCS is where your accredited vet files the export certificate, and the CDC Dog Import Form is the separate step CDC requires specifically for dogs coming into the country, regardless of what APHIS paperwork you already have.

How to Use the APHIS Pet Travel Website: Step by Step

1. Choose your travel type. On aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel, select "Export" (leaving the U.S.), "Import" (entering the U.S.), or "Interstate" (moving between states).
2. Select the destination or origin country/state. The site generates a requirements page specific to that location and species.
3. Find a USDA-accredited veterinarian early. Most countries require the health certificate to be completed within a narrow window before departure, so USDA APHIS advises starting the process weeks in advance.
4. Complete microchipping and vaccinations in the required order. Many destinations require an ISO 11784/11785-compliant 15-digit microchip to be implanted and scanned before the rabies vaccine is given, since a vaccine given first can be considered invalid.
5. Have your vet submit the certificate through VEHCS. USDA-accredited veterinarians upload the completed international health certificate directly into VEHCS for USDA endorsement.
6. Pay the endorsement fee. Per USDA APHIS's published schedule as cited in Animal Passport's APHIS health certificate guide, endorsement runs $101 for certificates with no laboratory tests, rising to $160–$275 depending on tests and pet count (as of June 2026).
7. If your dog is entering or returning to the U.S., complete the CDC Dog Import Form. This is a separate CDC requirement, described below.

Bringing a Dog Into the U.S.: The CDC Dog Import Form

Since CDC updated its dog importation process, every dog entering or returning to the United States needs a completed CDC Dog Import Form and the confirmation receipt that follows, according to the CDC. The dog must also be at least 6 months old, appear healthy on arrival, and carry a working ISO-compatible microchip that was implanted before any rabies vaccination.

CDC splits requirements by rabies risk in the country the dog is coming from:

• Dogs from CDC-designated rabies-free or low-risk countries: the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is the primary document needed, alongside the age, health, and microchip rules above.
• Dogs from CDC-designated high-risk countries for dog rabies: additional documents apply, including a government-endorsed foreign rabies vaccination and microchip certification and, in some cases, a rabies serology (titer) test from a CDC-approved laboratory. CDC also directs foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries to enter through one of six airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility: New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), San Francisco (SFO), Atlanta (ATL), or Washington, D.C. (IAD).

A U.S.-vaccinated dog that visited a high-risk country and is returning within 6 months needs a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination form, completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian before the dog leaves the United States, per CDC and USDA APHIS guidance.

Taking a Pet From the U.S. to Another Country: APHIS Health Certificates

For export, USDA APHIS's role is to endorse the international health certificate your veterinarian prepares. Almost every destination country requires this certificate to be issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian within a set number of days before departure, and the exact form, required tests, and vaccination timelines vary by destination — which is why USDA APHIS built the country-lookup tool rather than publishing one universal checklist. Owners should treat the APHIS Pet Travel website as the starting point for every international trip, not a one-time reference.

Pet Travel Website vs. EU Pet Passport: Not the Same System

A common point of confusion is assuming the U.S. system and the European Union's pet passport are versions of the same document. They are not, and mixing them up can cause a pet to be denied boarding or entry.

The picture is further complicated for the United Kingdom. As of 22 April 2026, GB residents can no longer use EU pet passports to enter the EU and must instead obtain an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for each trip, according to GOV.UK. The AHC must be issued by a vet no more than 10 days before travel but remains usable for up to six months of onward EU travel and return to Great Britain, as long as the rabies vaccination stays valid. None of this UK/EU paperwork substitutes for USDA APHIS or CDC requirements when the destination or origin is the United States, and vice versa.

Where Animal Passport Fits — and What It Isn't

Animal Passport is a digital identity record, not a government pet travel document. It uses a smartphone to capture an animal's muzzle print — a nose pattern that, like a human fingerprint, is unique to the individual — and binds it to a record of the owner, breed, an estimated age from a dental photograph with a confidence score, a body condition score from 1 to 5 based on a side-profile photo, and vaccination history. In August 2025, this approach was used during livestock flood rescue efforts in Pakistan, letting farmers reclaim animals after paper ear tags had washed away.

That use case is identity recovery for livestock, not international pet travel. An Animal Passport record does not replace a USDA APHIS-endorsed export health certificate, a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, an EU pet passport, an Animal Health Certificate, or an airline's carriage requirements, and it is not a veterinary diagnosis. Owners planning international pet travel still need to go through the official APHIS Pet Travel website and, for dogs entering the U.S., the CDC Dog Import Form. For background on how a durable animal ID can complement — but not replace — that paperwork, see Animal Passport and the related explainers on the Animal Passport blog.

Quick Checklist: Which Website Do You Actually Need?

• Exporting a pet from the U.S.? Start at the APHIS Pet Travel website's export section, then work with a USDA-accredited veterinarian who files through VEHCS.
• Bringing a dog into the U.S.? Complete the CDC Dog Import Form and check whether your dog's origin country is high-risk or low-risk for rabies.
• Moving a pet between EU countries? You need an EU pet passport from an authorized vet, with rabies vaccination completed at least 21 days before travel.
• Traveling from Great Britain to the EU? As of April 2026, you need an Animal Health Certificate, not an EU pet passport, per GOV.UK.
• Flying with a pet? Check IATA's Live Animals Regulations for the industry-wide baseline, then confirm your specific airline's own pet policy, since carriers can set stricter rules.

As of August 2026: What's Changed and What to Watch

As of August 2026, the CDC Dog Import Form requirement introduced in 2024 remains in effect for all dogs entering or returning to the United States, and the EU's tightened rules for GB residents took effect earlier this year, on 22 April 2026. Because country-specific requirements on the APHIS Pet Travel website and EU/UK rules can change with little notice, USDA APHIS and the European Commission both direct travelers to re-check official pages close to each trip's departure date rather than reuse a previous itinerary's checklist.