Traveling With Your Pets

Planning a vacation or moving to another state or country? More and more people are including their pets in their travel plans. Traveling can be highly stressful, both for you and the four-legged members of your family. But with thoughtful preparation, you can ensure a safe and comfortable trip for everyone.

Most airlines require a health certificate issued by a certified veterinarian within 10 days of travel. You should always check with the specific airline about health certificates and travel requirements.

If you are taking your pet out of the United States to another country, whether permanently or for a visit, you should do the following:

Contact the North Carolina APHIS Veterinary Services Area Office. The Area Veterinarian-in-Charge can provide you with the current regulations, tests, required forms, documents, and inspections.

Contact the visiting country’s consulate or embassy for information about any requirements that you must meet. A listing of consulates can be found at the U.S. Department of State website.

Visit the USDA APHIS website for more information on pet travel.

Health Certificate Appointments in Wilmington

You should bring the following information to your appointment:

A physical destination address (not just location)
A physical Rabies certificate (not just a reminder due date)
Your pet's microchip number and date of implantation
Any previous medical records. You should bring us your pet's records in advance so the veterinarian can review them before your appointment.

Appointments with APHIS-certified veterinarians are available. We only offer health certificate appointments to established clients and cannot accommodate new patient health certificate appointments. Be sure to review the requirements for the country or state of destination. Some countries, such as Germany, require a separate form signed by the USDA state veterinarian in Raleigh. Some countries require that pets be microchipped, treated for parasites, or have multiple vaccine titers before traveling. Most destinations require that the health certificate be done within a certain time frame before travel.

Please call our office at (910) 799-2970 to set up your pet’s health certificate appointment.