A pet passport is an EU document, issued only by an authorised vet in an EU country (and a few nearby countries) to owners who live there. The United States has no pet passport. To take a dog or cat from the US to Europe, you need an EU animal health certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS.
Key facts
- EU pet passports are issued only to pet owners resident in the EU, by an authorised vet. You can't get one in the US.
- Order matters: microchip first, then a rabies vaccine at 12 weeks or older, then wait at least 21 days before travel.
- From outside the EU, the animal health certificate must be issued no more than 10 days before you arrive, and covers onward EU travel for 6 months (as of October 2026).
- Dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland need a tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before arrival.
- People living in England, Scotland or Wales can't use a pet passport to enter the EU, even one issued in the EU.
What is a pet passport?
The EU pet passport is a small booklet that records your dog, cat or ferret's microchip number, rabies vaccinations and, where needed, tapeworm treatments. It's set up under EU Regulation 576/2013 on the non-commercial movement of pets, and it lets a pet travel between EU countries with its owner without a new certificate for every trip.
According to the European Commission's Your Europe service, the passport is issued by an authorised vet, only to owners who live in the EU, and stays valid for the pet's life as long as the rabies vaccination is kept up to date. Pets coming from Andorra, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and certain other listed territories can also travel on passports issued there.
Search terms like "dog pet passport", "animal passport EU" and "European pet passport" all refer to this same EU document. There isn't a separate passport for dogs and cats.
Is there a United States pet passport?
No. The US doesn't issue pet passports, and USDA APHIS answers the question directly on its EU pet passport page: "Can I obtain an EU pet passport in the United States?" "No."
Websites that sell a "US pet passport" are selling a folder or a record book. It has no legal standing at any border.
What a US traveler actually needs for the EU is an EU animal health certificate:
- A USDA-accredited vet completes the EU health certificate for your pet.
- APHIS endorses it before you leave.
- You arrive in the EU within 10 days of the certificate being issued, entering through a designated travelers' point of entry.
Once your pet is in the EU, the certificate covers travel between EU countries for 6 months from issue, or until the rabies vaccination expires if that comes first. A pet that already has a valid EU passport, issued while its owner lived in the EU, can return to the EU on that passport if the rabies vaccination is still valid. If the vaccination has lapsed, APHIS says you need an EU health certificate instead.
How to get a pet passport or certificate: the steps
The health rules are the same whether your pet ends up with a passport or a certificate.
1. Microchip
Your pet must be microchipped before its rabies vaccination, or the vaccination doesn't count. Tattoos are accepted only if they were applied before July 3, 2011 and are still clearly readable.
2. Rabies vaccination
Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old for its first rabies vaccination. After a first vaccination, you must wait at least 21 days before travel. Boosters given before the previous vaccination expires don't restart the wait.
3. Blood test, if your country needs one
Pets coming from many non-EU countries also need a rabies antibody (titer) test. It's taken at least 30 days after vaccination, followed by a 3-month wait. Some countries are exempt, so check for yours with your vet or the EU's tool before you book.
4. Tapeworm treatment for some countries
Dogs (not cats) going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland need a tapeworm treatment from a vet 1 to 5 days (24 to 120 hours) before arrival. Great Britain has the same rule for dogs.
5. The document
EU residents get the passport from their vet. Everyone else gets the animal health certificate from an official or accredited vet in the country they're leaving, within 10 days of arrival.
You can travel with up to 5 pets this way. More than 5 is only allowed for competitions, shows or sporting events, with proof of registration and pets older than 6 months.
How much is a dog passport?
There's no fixed price. Each authorised vet sets its own fee for issuing an EU pet passport, and the total depends on whether your pet also needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination or a tapeworm treatment. Neither the European Commission nor national governments publish a standard fee, so ask your vet for a quote.
For a US-to-EU trip you pay for the accredited vet's exam and paperwork, any vaccinations or tests, and the APHIS endorsement. Ask your vet to list each item so you can compare.
British pet passports after Brexit
Since January 1, 2021, pet passports issued to owners living in Great Britain are no longer valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. GOV.UK says that if you live in England, Scotland or Wales, "you cannot use a pet passport to enter the EU", even if the passport was issued in the EU.
Instead, you need an animal health certificate (AHC) from your vet for each trip. As of October 2026, GOV.UK says it's valid for:
| Use | Valid for (from date of issue) |
|---|---|
| Entering the EU or Northern Ireland | 10 days |
| Onward travel within the EU | 6 months |
| Re-entering Great Britain | 6 months |
People who live in Northern Ireland can still use an EU pet passport to enter the EU.
Coming into Great Britain is different. A valid pet passport from an EU country or another country that issues them is accepted. If you're traveling from a country that doesn't issue pet passports, you can use a GB pet passport issued before January 1, 2021, or a Great Britain pet health certificate signed by an official vet, which must be used to enter within 10 days.
Bringing your dog back to the US
A pet passport doesn't cover entry to the US. For dogs that have been only in rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months, the CDC requires the dog to be at least 6 months old, have a microchip a universal scanner can read, and travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. The receipt is valid for 6 months. Different rules apply if your dog has been in a high-risk country.
Booking the flight
Paperwork is only half of it. Your airline has to carry your pet on that route, and some don't. United, for example, doesn't take pets in the cabin to or from the UK or Ireland. Compare options with our airlines that allow pets in cabin tool, and read the pet pages for Lufthansa, Air France and KLM, which fly pets across the Atlantic in the cabin and the hold.
If your dog is too big for the cabin, see flying pets in cargo. For the basics of flying with a dog, start with can dogs fly on planes.
Questions people ask
Do dogs need passports to travel internationally?
Not a passport as such, but they need official papers. Within the EU that's an EU pet passport; from the US it's an EU animal health certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS. Other countries set their own rules.
Can I get an EU pet passport in the USA?
No. USDA APHIS confirms you can't get an EU pet passport in the United States. EU passports are issued only by authorised vets to owners who live in the EU.
How long does it take to get a pet passport?
Allow at least 21 days after the first rabies vaccination, which must come after the microchip and when your pet is at least 12 weeks old. If your country needs a titer test, add at least 3 more months.
Is my UK pet passport still valid?
Not for entering the EU if you live in Great Britain. You need an animal health certificate for each trip. A GB passport issued before 2021 can still be used to return to Great Britain from a country that doesn't issue pet passports.
Does a cat need a passport?
Cats follow the same EU rules as dogs: microchip, rabies vaccination, the 21-day wait, and a passport or health certificate. The only difference is that cats don't need the tapeworm treatment.
Sources
- European Commission (Your Europe): Travelling with pets and other animals in the EU
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals
- USDA APHIS: European Union (EU) pet passports
- GOV.UK: Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad
- GOV.UK: Bringing your pet to Great Britain, pet passport
- GOV.UK: Great Britain pet health certificate
- CDC: Dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries
