Traveling with Your Pet
A health certificate shows that your pet meets all the health requirements of your travel destination.
You will need to have your pet vaccinated and begin researching the required tests your cat or dog needs for travel as soon as possible. The USDA-APHIS office states that veterinarian-issued health certificates must be completed within a specific time frame based on the destination requirements of the state or country. Please remember that Hawaii’s health certificate requirements are similar to those of an international health certificate.
You should also note that most health certificates are only valid for up to 10 days. Be sure to keep this in mind when you are selecting the date for which you schedule your appointment, and remember that appointment slots often fill up days or even weeks in advance.
Before Your Appointment
Please follow the list below when preparing for your cat or dog's health certificate appointment:
- Review the requirements for pet travel to your destination
The requirements can be found on the USDA Pet Travel website. Animal Clinic of Benicia's role is to complete the certificate and provide the required vaccines. However, you are responsible for understanding the requirements and ensuring they are met within the required time frame.
- Contact your airline(s)
You will need to inquire if the airline(s) you're flying has any additional travel requirements, including specific vaccines or forms that must be completed.
- Call the hospital to make an appointment.
International health certificate appointments will require one hour per pet. National health certificate appointments will take 30 minutes (except for Hawaii, which also requires one hour). Most health certificates are valid for ten days and take one to three business days to be processed by the USDA, so plan your health certificate appointment and travel date accordingly.
- What to bring to the appointment
- Your full name, current address, and phone number
- The name of your travel destination (person, hotel, etc.), address and phone number
- The date your pet will be traveling, method of transportation, and port of entry
- All previous records from other veterinary clinics
- Many health certificates require an original, signed rabies certificate along with the exact date of microchip implantation. If these were not obtained at Animal Clinic of Benicia and are necessary for your pet's travel, you must bring these forms and dates to your pet's appointment.
During Your Appointment
During the appointment, we will perform a thorough examination to ensure your pet is fit for travel and complete the Health Certificate.
You must then submit the completed certificates to the USDA-APHIS Endorsement Office in Sacramento, CA. Processing time usually takes 1 to 3 business days.
When the certificate is finalized, you can either pick it up in person or have it mailed overnight to your address. If you want the health certificate mailed, you can purchase a pre-paid, self-addressed overnight shipping label from FedEx.
Our veterinarians are here to help facilitate the pet travel process and fill out the required forms. However, you are responsible for ensuring all the travel requirements are met – so we ask that you come to your appointment prepared!