You must ensure that should you decide to travel with your pet, that its vaccinations are all current. All animals that are older than 3 months must have a vaccination against rabies that’s current. You will be required to carry a Veterinary Certificate of Inspection (Health Certificate), which will have on it the vaccination date, the product name of the vaccination used and the date of expiration. Kittens as well as puppies cannot be imported unless they have reached eight weeks of age or unless their mother accompanies them too.
Make a veterinarian appointment for your pet’s appraisal for their flight as well as to obtain any and all vaccinations that are required. A certificate of health will need to be obtained within ten days of your date of departure.
For an international flight, you as a pet owner will need to have your pet’s health certificate from the correct authority, and also all documentation required to enter your destination upon arrival there. You will also be required to carry the health certificate proving that your pet’s vaccinations are up to date. The most important of these being the vaccine against rabies.
Most important to note, is that the health certificate issued by your veterinarian will only be valid for thirty days after it has been signed by your vet. Remember that both your departure as well as your arrival in the foreign country has to be covered by this health certificate otherwise you may end up stranded because you are found to be carrying a recently expired health certificate. Certain airlines insist that the health certificate must be issued within ten days of your travelling, whilst others say that it must be issued within thirty days of your travelling. It would be best to get a certificate for you to travel with your dog within ten days of your planned date of travel.
You will generally be required to be able to prove that you have an infectious diseases vaccination as well as a current rabies one too. It is a requirement that your dog must have received its vaccination during the previous 12 months and also 1 month before it arrives in the destination country. Also required is of course a certificate of health issued by a government agency veterinarian in your country of origin.
Certain states as well as some countries may ask for differing health certificates and vaccinations. Find out from the health department in your state or the destination country prior to departing on your travels.
To be able to travel from countries that are not part of the EU or between EU countries, rabies vaccinations listed in an animal’s certificate of health or the pet passport will be the only requirement for cats, dogs and ferrets to cross over EU borders, with some exceptions. Once they’ve gone into the EU, dogs who travel to the United Kingdom, Finland, Malta, Ireland or Norway will have to get treatment against tapeworms from an EU registered vet within one to five days prior to going into these countries. It is therefore your sole responsibility to make sure that your pet is covered for all the requirements for import into all the countries you are visiting.
