International Travel
WE DO NOT offer International Health Certificates. See below for information on how to obtain one.
ATTENTION! CHANGE IN PROCEDURES FOR REVIEW AND ENDORSEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CERTIFICATES IN SUTTON, MA!
The Sutton, Ma USDA APHIS office will no longer be reviewing or endorsing international health certificates. All international health certificates must be mailed to their Albany offices. Please be aware of the time it takes to mail documents and plan your travels accordingly.
Depending on where you and your pet are traveling abroad, the regulations may vary greatly. Your pet must be seen for a physical exam within a certain time of your travel (country and airline specific) by a veterinarian to ensure the health and safety of your pet to travel abroad. After a physical exam, which may include vaccines and other international travel requirements dictated by the country that you are visiting, the veterinarian will complete an international health certificate.
After your veterinarian completes an international health certificate it must then be endorsed by the Veterinary Services Export Department before departure.
To complete the endorsement procedure
Mail the documents to the Albany office. If you choose to mail the documents, you should allow 2-3 business days plus the time of return postage. To expedite the process you can also FedEx or UPS the documents.
What to include in your submission:
- Original health certificate completed and signed by your veterinarian
- Copy of rabies vaccination certificate
- Original of any test results (if testing is required by the importing country)
- Endorsement fee: Contact Aphis office for applicable fees
- Pre-addressed and pre-paid method to return endorsed documents back to you
- Contact phone number in case there is a question or problem with the documents.
For questions or concerns please contact the Albany office at 518-218-7540 for assistance.
- For country-specific travel requirements visit: www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/importexport
- Please visit the following websites for other frequently asked questions: USDA-APHIS Regulations and Assessments: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals/animal_faq.shtml