Travelling to United States with your pet

Every dog entering the United States must have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt: a free online form, one per dog.

• You can fill it in from a few days up to 6 months before travel, at the latest on the day itself.
• Once you confirm your e-mail, you get the receipt within minutes: print it or show it on your phone.
• For dogs from low-risk countries such as Italy, it is valid for 6 months and for multiple entries from the same country.
• When flying, the airline checks it before boarding.

If you depart from a different country than the one stated, you need a new form.

All dogs must be at least 6 months old when they enter or return to the United States. The rule also applies to holiday trips and does not depend on the country of departure.

Your dog must also appear healthy on arrival: a dog that looks ill can be refused entry or examined further at your expense.

Your dog must have a microchip readable by a universal scanner. The CDC does not require a specific brand, but an ISO 11784/11785 chip is the safest choice, and it is what your dog already has if it holds an EU pet passport.

Enter the microchip number exactly the same way in the Dog Import Form and in the vet documents, and ask your vet to check the chip reads properly before departure.

For dogs that have only been in low-risk countries, such as Italy, in the past 6 months, the CDC does not ask for a rabies certificate at entry, but recommends vaccinating every dog.

The federal government leaves the rules on arriving animals to the states: many require rabies vaccination, cats included, and airlines often do too. Travel with a valid vaccination recorded in the EU pet passport and check the rules of your destination state.

The rules change if, in the 6 months before entry, your dog has also been in one of the CDC high-risk rabies countries (many countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America).

• Extra rabies vaccination documents are needed and, for dogs vaccinated abroad, a titre test and entry through specific ports may apply.
• The Dog Import Form receipt is valid for one entry only and needs a photo of the dog.
• An unvaccinated dog coming from these countries cannot enter.

Use the CDC Dog Importation Navigator to see what applies to you.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA APHIS) adds requirements for dogs only if they come from countries affected by screwworm or foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

• From screwworm areas a certificate from an official vet is needed, with an inspection within 5 days before shipment.
• From FMD countries the coat and bedding must be clean, and the dog must be bathed on arrival and kept away from livestock for 5 days.

Before leaving, check the current country list on the USDA page.

For cats the USDA sets no federal animal health requirements and the CDC asks for no form as it does for dogs.

The rules on arriving animals are, however, set by the destination state or territory, which may require rabies vaccination or a health certificate. Hawaii and Guam are rabies-free with their own, much stricter procedures. Before leaving, contact the destination state's veterinarian and check your airline's rules.