Travel documents for your dog: the checklist

Three documents form the base of your dog’s travel file: a microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination that is still in date. The destination adds others, and the waiting periods cannot be made up at the last minute. Here is the list, document by document, as the authorities themselves publish it.

What documents does a dog need to travel?

Three, as a minimum, when leaving France or another EU country. The French administration requires the animal to be identified by a microchip, or by a tattoo if it was done before 3 July 2011 and is still legible, to hold an EU pet passport issued by a vet, and to be vaccinated against rabies.

The microchip has to be readable everywhere. French Customs specify that the microchip must comply with ISO 11784 and use HDX or FDX-B technology. That is what customs require, and the subject of our article Your dog’s microchip: standards abroad.

In what order should you do it?

Microchip first, vaccination second: the other way round makes the file invalid. The rule is set out plainly by the European Commission, which states that to be valid your pet must have been microchipped before the vaccination is given. The French administration says the same: the vaccination must follow the identification to be recognised as valid.

Then come the waiting periods. The rabies vaccine can be given from 12 weeks of age, takes effect at least 21 days later, and needs an annual booster. For a departure to a non-EU country, French Customs state that the vaccine must have been administered at least 21 days before departure.

One detail catches people out: a booster has to be given before the previous one runs out. The Commission notes that booster vaccinations must be given before the previous vaccination expires; otherwise the next one counts as a primary vaccination, and the 21-day wait starts again. A booster missed by a few days can therefore push a trip back by three weeks.

For a puppy, age decides everything: some EU countries allow young dogs under 12 weeks that are not yet vaccinated, or dogs of 12 to 16 weeks whose primary vaccination is less than 21 days old, but that is a national derogation. The detail is in Flying with a puppy: the minimum age.

The EU pet passport: who issues it, and how long is it valid?

Any authorised vet issues it, and it lasts for the dog’s lifetime. The Commission describes the European pet passport as an identification document which follows an EU standard model, available from any authorised vet, and states that it is valid for life as long as the pet’s health information, such as the rabies vaccination, remains in date.

There is a residence condition: the passport is only issued to pet owners who are resident in the EU. A dog coming from elsewhere therefore travels on other paperwork, described further down. The full procedure is in our article The EU pet passport for dogs.

Inside the EU, that passport is enough. The Commission states that pet animals may travel between EU countries if they are accompanied by a valid EU pet passport, completed and issued by an authorised veterinarian, carrying the code displayed by the microchip or tattoo.

What extra documents does the destination add?

It depends on the country of arrival, and the United Kingdom and northern Europe ask for the most. GOV.UK puts it simply: the pet travel document you get from your vet depends on the country you are travelling from.

• A tapeworm treatment. The Commission requires it for dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway, between 24 and 120 hours (1-5 days) before travel. The French administration lists the same countries and the United Kingdom, and adds that the treatment must be certified by the vet who gives it.
• An animal health certificate for a non-EU country. Leaving Great Britain, GOV.UK requires an animal health certificate valid for 10 days for entry into the EU, 6 months for onward travel within the EU and 6 months for re-entry to Great Britain, and a new one for each separate trip. That route is covered in Taking your dog to the United Kingdom.
• The CDC Dog Import Form receipt for the United States, described in the next section.

Two things worth knowing. The pet passport does not work in both directions: GOV.UK states that residents of England, Scotland and Wales cannot use a pet passport to enter the EU, even if it was issued in the EU. And numbers are capped: both the French administration and French Customs set the maximum at 5 animals per traveller, outside competitions, exhibitions and sporting events.

Getting it wrong is costly on arrival: for Great Britain, GOV.UK warns that a pet may be put into quarantine for up to 4 months if you do not follow these rules, at the owner’s expense. Country-by-country conditions are on our travel requirements by destination pages, including the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

What documents does a dog need to enter the United States?

The receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form, issued by the US federal health agency. For a dog that has only been in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries, the CDC is explicit: this form is the only required documentation for dogs entering or returning to the United States. It is completed online, the receipt is emailed to you, and it can be printed or shown on your phone.

Three conditions come with it, set out on the same page: the dog must be at least 6 months old at the time of entry, appear healthy on arrival, and have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner. The CDC adds that the rabies vaccination must have been administered after the microchip was inserted.

How long the receipt lasts depends on where the dog is coming from. From a rabies-free or low-risk country it is valid for 6 months from issue and can be used for multiple entries. From a high-risk country, the CDC states that it is valid for one dog to enter the United States one time; our article Rabies high-risk countries: what they change covers that case.

You will be asked for it twice. The CDC requires you, when the dog travels by air, to show the receipt to the airline before boarding, then to keep it and be able to show it to US Customs and Border Protection. The check is real: the page written for airlines tells them to verify the receipt, the dog’s apparent health, its apparent age and its microchip, and states that otherwise the airline should deny boarding. Filling in the form step by step is explained in The CDC Dog Import Form, step by step.

What documents does a dog need to enter the EU from a non-EU country?

An animal health certificate and a written declaration, on top of the microchip and the vaccination. The Commission requires the animal to be accompanied by a certificate completed and issued by an official veterinarian or by an authorised veterinarian, valid for 10 days from the date of issue, and by a written declaration from the owner or an authorised person confirming the non-commercial nature of the movement.

A dog that already holds an EU pet passport is spared the certificate on the way home: French Customs state that a passport issued by a member state is used in case of reintroduction of the animal into the EU territory.

Depending on the country of departure, a rabies antibody titration test is added. The Commission requires a sample taken at least 30 days after the date of the primary vaccination and not less than 90 days before the date of issue of the animal health certificate, and states that the test is not required for an animal coming from a territory or third country on the lists annexed to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636. French Customs add that the result must be greater than or equal to 0.5 IU/ml and is valid throughout the pet’s life. Timings and approved laboratories are in Rabies antibody test for dogs: when and where.

One last point, often discovered on arrival: you have to come in through a designated entry point. The Commission requires the animal to pass through a travellers’ point of entry designated by each EU country, and the owner to contact the competent authority present there at the time of entry. The return trips from the United States and from Dubai are covered in Bringing your dog home from the US and Bringing your dog home to France from Dubai.

Who checks your dog’s documents before departure?

On our flights, our brokers do: they check every dog’s file before departure. The entry rules apply either way, private flights included: the microchip, the passport, the vaccination and the CDC form do not go away because the aircraft is private.

Loulou Air is a brand of AEROAFFAIRES, a private aviation broker since 1991, and sells Pay-per-Seat private jets for your dog and you: you pay for your seat, not the jet, and every ticket covers one seat for a human and their dog. Your dog travels in the cabin with you, never in the hold, and stays at your feet for the whole flight. There is none of the weight limit imposed by scheduled airlines, since the dog does not travel in the hold: capacity depends on the aircraft and the number of animals on board, and a broker confirms each dog case by case.

Our flights serve New York, Dubai and Los Angeles: see our open flights. We open new routes every month, so tell us where you want to go, and talk to a broker about your dog’s file.

Frequently asked questions

Which three documents are essential?

A microchip, an EU pet passport issued by a vet, and a rabies vaccination that is still in date. The vaccination has to follow the microchip to count as valid, and an annual booster is required.

How far ahead should you start?

At least three weeks for the vaccination alone: the vaccine can be given from 12 weeks of age and takes effect at least 21 days later. For a return to the EU from a non-EU country that requires a titration test, allow far longer: the sample is taken at least 30 days after the primary vaccination and not less than 90 days before the health certificate is issued.

Is the EU pet passport enough for the United States?

No. To enter the United States you need the receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form, with a dog that is at least 6 months old, appears healthy on arrival and has a microchip readable by a universal scanner. The receipt is shown to the airline before boarding, then to US customs.