International Pet Travel Requirements

Bringing Pets into Oregon from Outside the United States

Oregon’s import regulations for pets entering Oregon from outside of the United States require the following:

• A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is required, issued no more than 30 days prior to entry. This certificate must state: "This animal has not been exposed to rabies nor has rabies been diagnosed within a radius of 50 miles within the past six months."
• For animals four months and older, current rabies vaccination required according to manufacturer´s instructions (1 or 3 year vaccine). 

No formal quarantine period is required in most instances. For more information about these requirements, or if you are planning to import animals into Oregon to sell them, call the Department of Agriculture at (503) 986-4680.

Taking Pets Outside the Continental United States

If you plan to take your pet outside of the United States, you will need to be aware of the import requirements of the country to which you plan to travel. It is recommended that you contact the appropriate embassy or consulate at least four weeks before your trip.

A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) can be issued by an USDA endorsed veterinarian. Most veterinarians carry this endorsement and are able to write CVIs. If you are planning a trip, ask your veterinarian about writing a health certificate.

If required by the country you are traveling to, export certifications and Certificate of Veterinary Inspection endorsements are handled by the USDA. Health certificates for international travel are no longer be endorsed by the Oregon area USDA APHIS office, which is scheduled for closure in Spring 2012. Endorsement is available by appointment and return mail service through the Washington area office.

Your airline or a full-service travel agency can provide additional information about animal care requirements for international flights.

Due to the complexity of international travel/moves with pets, you may wish to enlist a professional pet relocation service.

Requirements of Various Countries/Areas

Check with the appropriate consulate, embassy or the USDA about the accuracy of the following requirements as they may change from time to time:

Entering Mexico

A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection ("health certificate") is required, issued within 5 days of departure. It does not need to be endorsed by USDA. Proof of current rabies (and distemper for dogs) required. Animals too young for rabies vaccination (under 4 months) need a CVI that states the animal is too young. The CVI will allow for return into the US/Oregon within 30 days of issuance.

Entering Canada

Proof of current rabies vaccination within past 3 years is required. Animals too young for rabies shot (under 4 months) need a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection ("health certificate") that states the animal is too young for rabies vaccination. A CVI is not required to enter Canada but will be needed upon return to Oregon. It does not need to be endorsed by USDA.

Entering Hawaii

Hawaii has quarantine and health requirements for arriving pets that you should plan in advance for.

Entering Japan

Japan's importation requirements include rabies vaccination, ISO microchip, and notification of your intent to import your animal into Japan at least 40 days prior to your arrival. Requirements and forms for importation into Japan can be found on the US Embassy's Web site. They recommend that you start the process several months before travel.

Entering the European Union, including the United Kingdom

All dogs, cats and ferrets entering the European Union must have a EU pet passport, and, for identification purposes, be fitted with an electronic microchip or have a clearly readable tattoo, applied before July 2011. (Tattoos are not accepted by Ireland, Malta or the United Kingdom which only admit microchipped animals). All pets must be vaccinated against rabies and the details entered in their pet passport. The vaccination must be carried out after the microchipping or tattooing.  In order to confirm this, the accredited veterinarian must prepare a statement on letterhead verifying that the chip ID was read prior to vaccination.

Specific tapeworm (echinococcus) treatment must be given to all dogs by a vet before travelling to Finland, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom. Details of the treatment must appear in the pet passport and the dog can then travel between one to five days after the treatment. It should be noted that Finland, Ireland, and Malta have not accepted post endorsement echinococcus treatment at this time. The accredited veterinarian should be aware that this fact effectively reduces the certificate validity to five days from the date of accredited veterinarian signature date for dogs traveling to those specific EU countries. For these countries, USDA cannot endorse the export certificate until the treatment has been given and verified by the signature of the accredited veterinarian.

Although bilingual certificates are now required, they are not yet available for all EU countries

Other Countries

The USDA has compiled a reference list for international travel requirements for domestic pets.

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