Bringing your dog home to France from the US

To bring your dog home to France after a stay in the United States, it needs a valid rabies vaccination, an EU pet passport that still counts or, failing that, an official health certificate, and an arrival through a designated point of entry, where you present yourself to customs. No blood test is required. A category 1 dog, however, cannot come back. This is the part travellers prepare least, and the part that costs most when it goes wrong.

Is rabies vaccination compulsory to return to France?

Yes. The French Ministry of Agriculture FAQ, updated on 11 June 2025, is unambiguous: rabies vaccination is compulsory in order to bring a dog into France from a third country.

Two date rules come with it:

• it takes 21 days from the injection for the vaccine protection to become valid;
• the date of the vaccine must not precede the date the microchip was implanted or read.

Why have it done in France, before you leave?

Because a vaccine given in France counts twice: on arrival in New York, then on the way home.

The CDC, the US federal health authority, strongly recommends rabies vaccination for a dog coming from a low-risk country, without requiring it. That sentence binds the CDC and nobody else. New York State requires a current rabies vaccination for dogs of three months and older arriving from another country, and accepts the one-year vaccine as readily as the three-year one.

A dog that leaves without a valid vaccination given in France ends up, on the way home, in the most expensive situation of all, described below.

Does my dog need a blood test to come home from the US?

No. No blood test is required for a dog returning from the United States, which appear in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636. That regulation has applied since 22 April 2026.

Is the EU pet passport enough for the return journey?

Yes, on two conditions:

• it was filled in before leaving the European Union;
• the rabies vaccination cover has not changed, meaning no revaccination outside the Union and no lapse in cover.

Two very concrete situations break those conditions.

Your dog leaves without a valid rabies vaccination

If it leaves France without a valid rabies vaccination, it must be vaccinated in the United States, wait 21 days, and obtain a European health certificate endorsed by the American authorities. The planned return flight is lost.

The booster expires during the stay

If the booster falls due during the stay and is given in the United States, the passport is no longer enough. An official certificate is needed again, which takes time and may push back the return flight.

Check the rabies booster expiry date before you book, not after.

The certificate template has changed

Regulation 577/2013 has been repealed since 22 April 2026. Certificates drawn up under its Annex IV nevertheless remain valid for entering the Union if they were issued before 1 October 2026.

Where must my dog enter France, and what happens at customs?

Through a designated point of entry. A dog returning from a third country must enter through a travellers’ point of entry, where the authorities carry out documentary and identity checks on the animal. Paris-Le Bourget is on the French list.

On arrival, the first move is yours: you must present yourself to the customs officers on your own initiative and produce the required documents.

What happens to a dog that does not meet the conditions?

The Ministry FAQ is explicit. If the conditions are not met, the officers carrying out the checks may order, at the owner’s expense:

• the animal’s return to the third country of origin;
• its quarantine;
• its euthanasia.

Which dogs cannot come back into France?

Category 1 dogs. French law prohibits the importation, including transit, of category 1 dogs, under article L. 211-15 of the rural and maritime fishing code. A category 1 dog that goes to the United States does not come back.

Check this before you buy the seat, not after. If you have the slightest doubt about your dog’s category, say so to your broker in your very first exchange.

Can a dog bite in New York delay the journey home?

Yes. If your dog bites someone in New York, the owner is directed to watch the animal for 10 days at home, according to NYC Health. The official page does not say whether the dog may leave the city during that period. Your flight home may therefore be at risk.

For the rest of your stay, from the lead to hotels and vets, see our guide New York with your dog. Entry requirements for each country are set out on our travel requirements pages.

Can your dog fly in the cabin between France and the US?

Yes. A small dog can travel in the cabin in its carrier on a scheduled flight; for a larger dog, the answer is a private flight. Loulou Air, a brand of AEROAFFAIRES, a private aviation broker since 1991, offers Pay-per-Seat travel on shared private jet flights, including from Paris-Le Bourget to Teterboro for New York: your dog travels in the cabin, at your feet, never in the hold. For your return journey, we open new flights every month: tell us where and when you want to fly from. For a whole aircraft, our sister company AEROAFFAIRES offers full charters. Either way, our brokers check your dog’s file before departure.

See our open flights or talk to a broker.

Frequently asked questions

Can my dog be vaccinated against rabies in the United States?

Yes, but the journey home gets harder. Without a valid vaccination given in France, you must wait 21 days after the injection and obtain a European health certificate endorsed by the American authorities, and the planned return flight is lost. If only the booster is given there, the passport is no longer enough and an official certificate is needed again.

Can my dog come back through any airport?

No. A dog returning from a third country must enter through a travellers’ point of entry, where its documents and identity are checked. Paris-Le Bourget is on the French list.

What happens if the paperwork is not in order on arrival?

The officers carrying out the checks may order the dog’s return to the third country of origin, its quarantine or its euthanasia. According to the French Ministry of Agriculture FAQ, these measures are at the owner’s expense.