Travel Health Certificates
Flying out of state/internationally with a pet?
Aspire Veterinary Center can help guide you through the complicated process of meeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) health requirements for flying with a pet.
We're #1 in the LA/OC area for issuing USDA APHIS pet travel health certificates.
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If you are flying between states or internationally with your dog or cat, your pet may require a travel health certificate.
At Aspire Veterinary Center, our USDA-accredited veterinarian, Dr. Kellie Lam, will help guide you through the complicated process of obtaining a travel health certificate for your pet.
What is a Travel Health Certificate?
Also known as a certificate of veterinary inspection, a pet travel health certificate is an official document that your veterinarian fills out after performing a thorough exam on your pet. The certificate verifies that your pet is healthy to travel and is not showing signs of a disease that could be passed to other animals or people.
Every country and state has its own set of health requirements for pets that may require your pet to get a microchip, specific vaccinations and treatments, or undergo certain tests. If you are traveling internationally, it’s important to research export requirements as they change frequently. Also, when flying, check your airline’s policy, as they may have additional requirements to those set by federal, state, and local governments.
Improper or incomplete paperwork for your pet can derail your travel plans.
Where Do You Get a Travel Health Certificate?
Your pet must be examined by a USDA-accredited veterinarian for a health certificate to be issued. Depending on your destination, it can take months to prepare for your pet’s travel – even up to six months in some cases.
At Aspire Veterinary Center, we have a licensed and USDA-accredited veterinarian who can help you get a travel health certificate for your pet. We will thoroughly examine your pet to look for any signs of disease and determine whether they are suited to travel, considering their age, health condition, and temperament.
We will also ensure that your pet’s vaccinations are up-to-date and administer the necessary treatments to ensure your pet’s health status meets all of the destination country or state’s requirements. Our veterinarian will then fill your pet’s health certificate paperwork and send it to USDA. Based on the country you are traveling to, the USDA will either process the health certificate electronically, and our veterinary clinic will print it out for you, or they will ship the certificate to us overnight.
What Information Does a Travel Health Certificate Include?
- Name, breed, age, color, country of origin
- Name/address/phone number of the pet owner
- Confirmation that pet is healthy and free of parasites
- Vaccines and treatments given to the pet
- Up-to-date vaccinations based on the requirements of the destination state or country
When Do Travel Health Certificates Expire?
Every country limits the travel health certificate expiration, but most pet travel health certificates are generally valid for only 10 days.
To be safe, ensure your pet’s travel certificate is issued by your veterinarian as close to the travel date as possible but not more than 21 days before travel.
Travel Health Certificates at Aspire Veterinary Center
As soon as you know your travel details, contact Aspire Veterinary Center to assist you with the pet travel process. We will help you determine your destination state or country requirements, including any needed vaccinations, tests, and treatments, and issue you the appropriate pet travel health certificate.
Schedule an appointment with us today to receive your pet travel health certificate. Same-day appointments are available.