Traveling to a foreign country with a pet can be a bit of a process! We are happy to serve as a resource for you during this time for international health certificates for dogs and cats. To make the international health certificate process as smooth as possible, please review the following information:
- Please call us at (615) 778-0880 for further information as travel requirements differ from country to country.
- As the owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your pet has all documents required in order to schedule an appointment.
- As the owner, it is your responsibility to obtain the appropriate document(s) needed for travel and to understand the time frame outlined in these documents. For instance, it is common for specific tests, vaccines, etc. to be performed in an exact time frame relative to your intended date of travel. The requirements and documentation needed are determined by the country you are traveling to (not by Animal Ark Animal Hospital or the United States Government) and are subject to frequent change. The best resource for this information can be found here.
Due to its time-consuming nature, unless you are traveling to Canada or Mexico, we are no longer able to process International Health Certificates for you and your companion WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF AN OUTSIDE PET RELOCATOR SERVICE. We kindly ask that you utilize an outside service (SEE BELOW) for this so we can better accommodate your pet's medical needs.
Pet Relocation Services
Regardless of the country you are traveling to, you will need to utilize a pet relocation service to be able to assist in your pet’s travels. There are more complicating factors involved in the transport of pets to other countries that our hospital cannot service.
A pet relocation service will shoulder the burden of all the requirements, documentation, timing, etc., and will work with us to make sure there are no problems with transportation. Our clients have had success with PetRelocation.com in the past. Please understand that every country has differing requirements, and many have extensive testing and time-sensitive actions that must be performed for the importation of a pet. The relocation services are familiar with each country’s legal requirements and work with Animal Ark Animal Hospital to assure you that your pet’s transportation will be smooth and seamless.
When International Health Certificates for Pets Need Additional Review
Please be aware that our veterinarians are not official USDA veterinarians. For certain countries, there is an additional step of having the documents our veterinarians sign be reviewed by an official USDA veterinarian. This is done through the official USDA website.
If the country you are traveling to accepts digital certificates, one will be emailed to you. If they require a physical copy, the physical certificate will be overnighted to us for you to pick up and then overnighted back to you. If this step is required for the country you are traveling to, please plan your travel and your appointments with us accordingly to allow enough time for this to occur. Additionally, the USDA veterinarians are your best option for many of the detailed questions that often arise when reviewing the paperwork.
This is their contact information:
Phone: 615-781-5315
Email: vspstn@usda.gov
Physical Address:
USDA, APHIS, VS, Veterinary Export Trade Services
440 Hogan Road | Jennings Building
Nashville, TN 37220