Start with your pet's history, not a generic certificate

Taking a pet to the USA is not one fixed EHC process. Dogs and cats have different federal rules, and the destination state and airline can add their own requirements. For dogs, the countries visited during the six months before arrival are particularly important.

This guide covers planning for a personal pet travelling from Great Britain. Begin with the animal's species, age, microchip, vaccination history and full itinerary. A straightforward journey by a dog that has stayed in Britain is different from one involving recent travel in a country classed by the CDC as high risk for dog rabies.

The straightforward CDC pathway for dogs

For a dog that has been only in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries during the preceding six months, the CDC requires a Dog Import Form receipt. The dog must also be at least six months old, appear healthy on arrival and have a microchip readable by a universal scanner.

Complete a separate form for each dog and check that the departure country matches the journey. Keep the receipt available on your phone and as a backup copy. The form is free through the CDC; it is an import declaration, not a veterinary examination or a reservation for pet transport.

These are CDC requirements. They do not remove any applicable USDA, state, territory or airline conditions. Before deciding that no veterinary certificate is needed, check all of those layers for your exact destination and route.

Recent travel can change a dog's pathway

Tell the vet and transport provider every country your dog has visited during the preceding six months, including a previous relocation. Do not provide only the airport from which the final flight departs.

A dog with recent presence in a CDC high-risk country needs a separate assessment. The process differs between dogs vaccinated in the USA and those vaccinated abroad, and can involve additional endorsed records, testing and arrival-facility arrangements. The low-risk form alone is not enough for that pathway.

If your dog's history is uncertain, gather adoption, import and veterinary records before buying a non-refundable flight. Resolving an incomplete history early is much easier than trying to establish eligibility at airline check-in.

Cats follow a different set of rules

The CDC requires cats to appear healthy and makes them subject to inspection. It does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cat importation at federal level, although it recommends vaccination. USDA APHIS says its Veterinary Services has no animal-health import requirements for ordinary pet cats.

That does not mean every cat can travel without paperwork. The destination state or territory and the airline may require a health certificate or vaccination evidence. Hawaii and Guam need particular attention because their local entry and quarantine arrangements differ from a typical mainland journey.

Check the rules for the actual animal. A hybrid cat, a pet of another species or a commercial movement should not be assumed to fall within this ordinary dog-and-cat guide.

A practical preparation sequence

First, identify the destination state, the arrival airport and any connection. Ask the operating airline to confirm the pet's travel category and the documents it will accept. At the same time, put the dog's six-month country history or the cat's records into one folder.

Next, check microchip readability and organise any required vaccination, health examination or certificate. Ask for the validity window of each required document before booking the appointment. The CDC form's validity does not set the validity of an airline health certificate.

In the final week, compare the booking, microchip record, certificates and import-form receipt line by line. Recheck after any flight or departure-country change. On travel day, have the originals and receipts accessible before handing the animal to the airline or handler.

Build a document pack for the actual journey

Keep the following together: identification and microchip details; the owner's and receiver's contact information; complete vaccination records; the CDC receipt for a dog; any state-required or airline-required health paperwork; and the confirmed pet booking.

If a higher-risk dog pathway applies, add its specific endorsed evidence, test reports and arrival arrangements. Keep a separate checklist for each dog rather than attaching one dog's receipt to another animal's records.

For a relocation, carry a concise medical history and medication details for the receiving vet. These are useful continuity-of-care records, but they do not replace an import document. Ask the airline where original documents must travel if your pet is carried as cargo.

Flight arrangements deserve their own check

A flight that accepts pets does not necessarily accept every species, breed, size or crate. Get written confirmation for the operating airline and every sector, including any codeshare. Check whether your pet travels in the cabin, as accompanied baggage or as cargo.

Ask about seasonal temperature restrictions, check-in location, collection arrangements and what happens if a connection is missed. For a large dog, establish the crate dimensions before committing to the route. For a cat, introduce the carrier gradually so that it is familiar before travel day.

If you enter through Canada and continue into the USA, you have two countries' entry rules to satisfy. The land border does not remove CDC dog requirements. Check the departure country on the form and plan both sets of documents before leaving Britain.

Arrival, onward travel and settling in

Have a named person ready to collect the pet, with the correct telephone number and the handover details. Allow time for inspection and handling before making onward arrangements. Keep the first evening's plan simple, with water, a secure quiet space and familiar bedding where permitted.

If you will travel between states, check whether further animal-entry requirements apply to those movements. A successful international arrival is not proof that every subsequent flight or state border has no conditions.

Register with a local veterinary practice for a longer stay. Take the full vaccination history so future care and any return certification can be planned using evidence rather than estimates.

Plan the return to Great Britain separately

For a straightforward qualifying journey from the USA, Great Britain's listed-country pathway generally applies, so a rabies antibody blood test is not routinely required. Valid rabies preparation, identification, accepted return documentation and an approved route still matter.

A Great Britain pet health certificate may be needed. Arrange the appropriate US veterinary certification and any required USDA endorsement with enough time for the return date. Do not assume the certificate used to fly to America also brings the pet back.

Dogs normally need a vet-administered tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before British arrival. Include flight duration and connections when booking. Tell the return vet about side trips to other countries because they can change the assessment.

The mistakes most worth avoiding

Using 'the USA needs an EHC' as a blanket rule can lead to the wrong appointment or unnecessary paperwork. Start with the species, travel history and destination state, then identify the documents actually required.

Other avoidable problems include an unreadable microchip, a dog younger than six months, a CDC receipt with the wrong departure country, and pet acceptance confirmed only for the first flight. Recheck the complete route whenever the booking changes.

USA pet travel: common questions

Does every pet need an EHC for the USA?

No. There is no single universal EHC requirement covering every ordinary dog or cat journey. CDC, USDA, destination-state and airline requirements must be checked together before deciding what the vet needs to issue.

Is the CDC Dog Import Form enough?

It is the required CDC document for the qualifying low-risk dog pathway, alongside the age, health and microchip conditions. Additional requirements can still come from other authorities or the airline.

Does my cat need a CDC Dog Import Form?

No. That form is for dogs. Check the cat's separate federal, destination and carrier requirements, particularly for Hawaii or Guam.

Can a puppy under six months enter on the low-risk pathway?

The CDC requires dogs to be at least six months old at US entry. Do not book on the assumption that rabies vaccination or a veterinary letter overrides that age condition.

Plan your paperwork with TPPC

For help with your USA travel paperwork, send The Pet Passport Co. your proposed dates, full route, pet details and available veterinary records. Include any import permit, previous overseas residence and whether you are planning to return to Britain.

Ask for the relevant pathway and appointment availability to be confirmed before committing to a tightly timed flight. The aim is a clear preparation plan, with the right evidence ready for certification.

Ask us about your pet's journey

Official sources and review date

Guidance checked on 11 October 2026. Requirements can change; the current official conditions, individual permit where applicable and transport operator's rules should be checked again for your travel date.

• CDC: dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries
• CDC: dogs vaccinated abroad with high-risk country history
• CDC: bringing animals into the USA
• USDA APHIS: pets entering the USA
• USDA APHIS: pet cats
• USDA APHIS: pet travel to Great Britain
• GOV.UK: the document needed for entry to Great Britain
• GOV.UK: tapeworm treatment for dogs returning to Britain