Health Certificates For Traveling With Your Pet
At Gunnison Valley Veterinary Clinic, we offer comprehensive health certificates to ensure the well-being of your pet during travel, providing the necessary documentation for a safe and smooth journey together.
Domestic Travel
If you plan to travel with your pet by airline within the United States or are crossing the border by car into Mexico, you will need to obtain a Domestic Health Certificate as well as a bilingual Health Certificate for Mexico. We can prepare both of these certificates for your trip. This is a requirement by a number of airlines as well as the Mexican government. This certificate states that a veterinarian has examined your pet and has deemed it healthy for travel. The veterinarian also checks documentation certifying that your pet's Rabies vaccination is current. This information is then typed onto the certificate. Most airlines require obtaining this certificate within 10 days prior to departure. It is then good for 10 days after the date on the certificate.
- These certificates are regulated by the State of Colorado. As regulations vary with each airline, please check with your airline of choice as some airlines are now only requiring a Rabies Certificate which does not require an exam by the veterinarian. If you only need a Rabies Certificate, our receptionists can print one for you from your pet's record.
- If you are traveling by car to Canada, only a Rabies Certificate is now required.
International Travel
If you plan to take your pet to an international destination, you must obtain an International Health Certificate. Each country has specific rules and regulations about what you will need to enter the country with your pet. (Please note: recently many countries have changed their requirements for importing pets into their countries)
Click here to check your country's requirements.
- Scroll down to "List of Countries" and click on the letter of the country you want, then select your country. You can then pull up their requirements.
This process also entails having the paperwork overnighted to the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) office in Denver where all documents will be certified, stamped and then returned to us. Please allow yourself plenty of time to meet all the requirements from the country you are traveling to and to get the paperwork processed. Receptionist Sheryl will be happy to work with you to meet those requirements and get the paperwork back in time for your trip. By meeting all requirements, your pet can avoid being quarantined at your destination.
Basic Rules for International Travel:
- Have your pet microchipped with a 15 digit international microchip
- Get your pet a Rabies shot
- If necessary, have a blood draw for a titer test
- Begin paperwork process - this is done within 10 days of the trip and requires a veterinarian exam and thorough examination of the paperwork prior to overnighting it to the USDA for final approval and certification.
Phew! Now you are ready to travel with your pet!
Be aware that some island countries (i.e. Hawaii) require blood titers to be run to be sure your pet has sufficient rabies antibodies in the blood. It can take as long as four-five (4-5) months to get results back so it is important to allow plenty of time if you are contemplating travel with your pet to this or a similar destination.
