Requirements for bringing a dog to France from the U.S.
You need to have four things in hand to take your dog to France from the United States:
1. Proof, in the form of a “Rabies Vaccination Certificate,” that your dog’s rabies vaccination is current. According to the French Embassy, “every animal must have a valid rabies vaccination, even if less than 3 months old. If it is the first rabies vaccination for the pet, you must wait 21 days between the last shot of the vaccination protocol and departure.”
2. A state health certificate (officially called a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection), filled out and signed by your veterinarian. This is the document you typically acquire before flying with your dog to another state (in Washington state, they’re a half-page document, but it varies by state). They’re also a feature of international travel from the U.S., and most airlines require that they be completed within 10 days of travel. Since the same exam can support both this state health certificate and the health certificate you need to get into France (below), you might want to schedule just one appointment with your vet, within 10 days of departure.
3. A health certificate (“Certificat Vétérinaire”) of the correct form (if you are traveling on the same plane as your dog, make sure you have the form saying “for non-commercial movements”), filled out and signed by a USDA-certified veterinarian and endorsed by the USDA. Let’s break that sentence down into parts:
a. I wrote yesterday about getting the correct, current form of health certificate for pet travel overseas. The best way is to go to the USDA’s website and download the form for the country you’re visiting; consider making a follow-up call to your local USDA office to learn about any very recent changes. The form is free.
b. My regular vet turned out to be USDA-certified — call yours, and see if you’re already in the right hands. Make sure your vet fills out and signs the form in BLUE ink, not black ink. Together, the exam and the two health certificates cost us just over $260.
c. You can either make an appointment and bring the completed form to your state’s USDA office for endorsement (that’s what I chose to do, since I’m anxious and the office is only a couple of hours away), or you can send the form to the office by overnight service, enclosing a return pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope. The endorsement process takes about fifteen minutes; in our case, the fee was $35 (payable by check, money order or credit card).
4. Your dog needs to be chipped with “a microchip (standard ISO 11784 or annex A ISO standard 11785).” The saga of microchipping is truly complicated, but I believe that your best choice is to chip your dog with a 15-digit ISO standard 11784 chip (Chloe has the ResQ chip, because our vet had them in stock; if your vet doesn’t have 15-digit chips in stock, you can order a Datamars chip from PetTravelStore.com). You can take your dog to France with a 9-digit chip, which are common in the U.S., but if so, you have to carry your own scanner with you (!). Please note a quirk in timing: Your pet must first be microchipped, and then get the rabies vaccination France requires, and then 21 days have to pass before travel!
That’s a lot of text, but I’ve given you a lot of details. Reduced to its essentials, your dog needs a microchip and a current rabies vaccination, and two health certificates.
The Certificat Vétérinaire is “valid for 4 months after signature,” according to the French embassy. The state health certificate is good for 30 days after your vet signs it. Given those time frames, if you’d like to give yourself more than 10 days to get the Certificat Vétérinaire endorsed, you can — you just have to pay for a second exam, since you still have to bring your dog in to your vet within 10 days of travel for the state health certificate.
Please note that if you’re taking a very long vacation, keep an eye on the expiration date of your dog’s rabies vaccination. To reenter the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), your dog “must have a certificate showing they have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days prior to entry.” The rabies vaccination certificate that your vet attached to the back of the Certificat Vetérinaire will allow your dog back into the U.S., but only if it shows that your dog’s rabies vaccination is up to date. If your dog’s vaccination is due to expire while you’re out of the country, time her revaccination so that it occurs more than 30 days prior to reentry, and get a new vaccination certificate from a French veterinarian.
One last note: Hang on to your original Certificat Vetérinaire and your original state health certificate! Make several copies before you leave, in case someone wants to keep one.
I’m trying really, really hard not to be jealous of your trip. Have a great time.
Thanks so much, Roxanne! Does it help at all to mention the middle seat in Coach, both ways, because that’s the best seat for Chloe’s carrier?
Hi Mary-Alice
Your blog is so informative, thank you. I’m travelling with my dog to France and had no idea what all it entailed. Do you happen to have any sources about travelling throughout Europe with my dog once I’m there? I think it’s called a euro pet passport? I understand that you have to get extra papers for that and time the vaccination so that you don’t have to do it twice? Also would you know if for example I came back to the states for a visit with my dog (I am actually moving to France) would I be able to go back to France with the paperwork I have? Or would I have to get another vaccination? I know this is a lot of questions but if you have the info let me know. Otherwise I’ve already gotten a lot from your experience.
Hello, Honorine! Thanks so much for your message. Here’s what I’d do: I’d collect the paperwork I need to get into the first European country I’m visiting (in your case, France), then take that paperwork to a French vet and get him/her to issue Chloe a European pet passport. Your U.S. paperwork alone would work in several countries, but the pet passport (typically a small blue booklet) works across Europe, so it would be worth it to me to make the extra effort and spend the extra money for that convenience. Your existing U.S. rabies vaccination should carry you through your entire trip if you time it correctly (if it’s about to expire, you should consider renewing it so it doesn’t expire while you’re en route — take a quick look at the rabies timing requirements of the countries you’re visiting, because you might well be able to renew your dog’s shot en route, and update your pet passport then, which would get around over-vaccinating on the front end). The paperwork you get for France is good for 4 months from the date your vet signs it, so if you return to the U.S. and then go back to France in that timeframe, the original paperwork will still work. My sources are a bunch of internet searches and our vet, who handles a lot of international travel issues; see if you too can find an experienced U.S. vet to consult, and consider calling one of the two English-speaking French vets I’ve mentioned on Dog Jaunt for more details.
All good wishes to you and your pup as you relocate — it sounds like a wonderful new chapter in your life — and if you have the chance, please send me any info you think I or other travelers with dogs should have!
Hi Mary-Alice
Thanks so much for all of your helpful info here! My husband and I are Americans, currently living in England – and we have been planning to take our Yorkie back to the States with us for a long visit. We have all the right documentation and vaccinations for her – it’s the airlines that seem to be the most trouble. Do you know any more about traveling to and from the UK? (It seems that most airlines won’t allow her in-cabin, and I hate to have her travel that far as “luggage”) Another option we are considering is traveling to France first, then flying out to the US. Could I ask which airline allowed you to fly with Chloe in-cabin?
Hello, Nicole! It is a bit tricky bringing an in-cabin dog to/from the U.K. I don’t know of any airline that allows it, so the best advice I have is, from your direction, to drive to Paris via the Eurotunnel Shuttle and then fly out of Paris. We took United, but several carriers allow in-cabin dogs to travel to/from France (check out Dog Jaunt’s “Guides” tab for international airline policies re in-cabin dogs). Would you let me know how it goes? I know it’ll work, but I’d love to get a report from someone who’s done it.
Mary-Alice, First off, we are starting the process of figuring out what we need to do to take our dogs to Europe. Ack! What a mess. Thank you so much for all of these helpful how-to guides. You are making things so much easier for me.
Second, Do you know if the France information is applicable for all of the EU? I looked at the USDA website and it looks like the EU and the UK require the same sorts of info though the timeframes are slightly different. One question: did y’all have to do the flea and tick treatment 24 hours before you got on the flight? And, did you have to do the blood tests? Or maybe those are only UK requirements.
Hello, Akila! There are a few more hoops to jump through to go to the U.K. than there are to go to France. Here’s a good link that steps you through them: http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/info/customs/england.shtml I would also seek out a knowledgeable vet and work through the process with them. We did not have to do the blood tests or the flea/tick treatment to go to France with Chloe.
We haven’t flown from the U.S. to the U.K. with Chloe, and likely never will, because you can’t bring a pet in-cabin into the U.K. I’d like to go to the U.K. with her, but we plan to fly into France, get a E.U. pet passport from a Paris vet, and then drive with her via the Chunnel, or take a dog-friendly ferry, to the U.K.
Would you be willing to write an e-mail to me when the dust settles, and let me know about how you worked through the process of getting your pups to the U.K.? I’d love to hear about it, and I know that other readers would too.
hi! great blog ya got here. we’re temporarily relocating to paris for six months and want to take our norwich terrier mac. your post about doing so is great…but one question: is there a quarantine period after you clear customs? some sites say there IS (4 months!) ; others say there is not. not sure where to turn for the definitive answer. thanks so much! kate
Hi, Kate! Oh, lucky, lucky you — you’re living my dream! There is no quarantine at all when you go to France. As long as you get the items I’ve listed in this post, you’ll walk out of the airport in Paris with your dog. (In fact, when we went to Paris, no one even looked at our paperwork — but I understand from readers’ comments that that’s not always the case.)
Hi there,
My husband and I will be spending 6 weeks in Paris this Summer and will be taking our Brussels Griffon and Havanese with us. Your blog has been incredibly informative as I have learned through previous travel with our little guys that there is so much incorrect information out there – including the airlines.
We have brought our dogs to South Africa and back via Europe and have found that Lufthansa has been the most unbelievable in terms of traveling with animals. (Flying to South Africa – animals are not allowed in cabin, but after receiving permission from the South African Department of Agriculture – Lufthansa went out of it’s way to ensure problem free travel in cabin- including getting permission from the pilot (due to SA’s rules.)
I cannot recommend them highly enough. For those with larger dogs – their reputation is unsurpassed – they transport all kinds of creatures.
This is a rather long-winded way of thanking you for such a wonderfully informative blog.
Amelia
Amelia, I am so intrigued by your comment — how did you get the permission you needed from the S.A. Dept. of Agriculture?? I love the feedback about Lufthansa, and of course I love the praise. Thank you!!
Dear Mary-Alice,
My partner is spending the summer in France for an artist’s residency. She’s coming back to New York for a visit and I’d like to send our miniature dachshund, Priscilla, back with her for the remainder of her trip.
Your blog has been so helpful in sorting out what I need to do to get Priscilla to France with my partner but I’m a little concerned regarding her trip home!
Priscilla will be in France for just over a month- will she need to get a new vet’s certificate for her return flight home?
Thank you for such a great blog.
Carmen
Hi, Carmen! I’m so glad the blog’s been helpful, and how great that your partner will get to have Priscilla’s company in Paris. It sounds to me like you live in NYC, so it wouldn’t be a matter of taking a domestic flight in the U.S. to get home, when your partner and Priscilla return. All they have to do is get back to NYC from Paris, right? If so, then all Priscilla really needs is proof, to show U.S. customs, that her rabies vaccine is current, and she was vaccinated more than 30 days before her return trip. (Please check out this post: http://www.dogjaunt.com/2010/10/requirements-for-entering-the-u-s-with-your-pet-dog/ ) Your U.S. vet can print you a copy of her rabies certificate, and that should be enough to bring her back in (assuming, of course, that her rabies shot IS up to date, and was administered in the right time frame).
If your partner needed to take a domestic flight on her arrival back in the U.S., the story might be different, since some airlines require a health certificate (please check out this post: http://www.dogjaunt.com/2009/07/u-s-airlines-requirements-for-health-certificates/
I hope that helps, and makes sense. Follow up with the CDC if you want the official word, and let me know if I can help any more. Thank you again for the praise!
Thank you so much for posting this great information. My husband & I will be taking our two dogs to France in September for 3 weeks while visiting family. Your suggestion of the SturdiBag is right on. My mini-schauzer fits in there perfectly and seems like he will be quite comfortable for the long flight which I was a little concerned about since most bags seem small on him, he weighs 14lbs. My 6lbs shih tzu will be travelling as well & I am a little concerned as it will be her first flight and she does get upset with thunderstorms & similar noises. Any suggestions on preparing her? Have you tried that Thundershirt that is supposed to help calm nervous dogs or perhaps Bach Flower essence?
I have their international (15digit) microchip & rabies vaccines, both ready to go to the usda for final stamp of approval, then to my vet for health certificate within 10days before leaving. We will be taking Delta (not codeshare) flights from PHX-ATL-CDG, then CDG-JFK-PHX. Delta says we use the same paperwork on the way back in to USA and do not need an updated health certificate from a French vet. Does that sound right? Or should I plan on going to a French vet while there to get the EU passport, etc? I think we will just stay in France and not be visiting other countries. Thanks for you input.
How I envy you, Jeanne! Three weeks! Given your plans, the advice from Delta sounds good. As long as your dogs’ vaccinations are still good at the end of the three weeks (that is, as long as they aren’t right on the brink of expiring, and you don’t sound like a brinksmanship kind of owner), the proof of vaccination on your papers to get into France will also work to return to the U.S.
I haven’t tried the Thundershirt, but I’m impressed by the thinking behind it, and I believe it’s worth trying. I have tried Rescue Remedy and Travel Calm and D.A.P. on Chloe, and haven’t noticed much difference with any of them. Maybe the D.A.P. worked a bit, but that could just be wishful thinking, given its price. Happily for me, Chloe’s anxiety is just confined to take-off and landing, and reaching down and patting her in her carrier at those times works (though it sure looks funny). Try giving the Thundershirt a try during a storm, and see if it helps your girl during a known source of anxiety. Also, pat your pup during take-off and landing, as I do — and with any luck, you’ll have seat mates and flight attendants that let you break the rules a bit during the normal part of the flight. Also, talk to your vet. Tranquilizers aren’t generally recommended, because they affect your dog’s balance and breathing, even in-cabin, but for some dogs they’re a good idea — but only with a vet’s direction and prescription, based on your dog’s weight and needs, etc. Please let us know how your trip goes, and what you guys get to do together while you’re there. Oh, the envy…
Hi Mary-Alice,
Your site is the most useful thing I have ever seen. I am planning to travel with my dog to Hungary and it is so hard to collect all the information… My question is about the blood titer test. Did you have to make it with your dog? As far as I know it is not required in Hungary if I am traveling from the US but I am not sure.
Thanks,
Eszter
Hi, Eszter! Thanks so much! It’s my belief that Hungary does not require the blood titer — here’s the USDA link for Hungary, and it only talks about the normal EU-type 21-day waiting period: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals/animal_hungary.shtml I would speak to your vet, however, and also call your local USDA office for the latest word. We did not have to do the whole blood titer thing. It’s currently required for travel to the UK, but that requirement will end in January 2012 (yay!). I hope that helps — please let me know what you find out, and how your trip goes!
Hi Mary-Alice,
Great blog! Forgive me for being a bit dense, but once you have all of the above documents secured, will these get you back in the country as well?
I’m planning a trip to my home country of Germany in the spring. Buffy, my miniature travelling doxie mix, will be joining me. This is a vacation that will last 2-3 weeks; so would they consider my return trip as “importing a dog”? Or do the items that get her into the country get her back into the US?
On a side note, it would be nice if traveling with dogs wasn’t so stressful. To further complicate things, Buffy serves as my Emotional Support Animal and I’m not sure whether Lufthansa will recognize an ESA inbound. The amount of research involved in all of this leaves me to believe that the US would rather you just leave your dog at home :-/ Grr…
Keep up the good work! We’ve used your “Airport Pet Relief Area” section quite a lot in our travels!
Best,
Nina
Hi, Nina — Thanks so much for your message. You are not being the slightest bit dense — import/export rules are mind-bending. Take a look at the post reader Susan wrote about bringing pets back into the U.S.: http://www.dogjaunt.com/2012/02/bringing-a-pet-into-the-united-states-a-readers-research/ In all likelihood, for a vacation the length you’re contemplating, your return documents will work fine, but you’ll want to be very careful about the expiration dates on your documents and your pup’s rabies vaccination. Your vet should be able to talk you through all this. Please let us know what you find out about Lufthansa and emotional support animals — and have a great time! The pain of this phase will soon fade, I promise.
Hello! Thank you for a great page. Its been very helpful to me as I’m planning to travel from Los Angeles to Stockholm with my dog. I have a question regarding the order to go with all these forms. Sweden being part of the EU has a similar form to the France one that is valid for 4 months after signature. So….
1) can I have the Sweden EU form completed 4 months before the date I’m supposed to return to the united states? I will return on July 22, can I have this endorsed 4 months before this date?
2) can I then make an appointment 10 days before flight, as required by Lufthansa, to get the state certificate? Does this one need USDA endorsement?
Hello, Emelie! Yes, exactly so — you can get your Swedish health certificate earlier, and go through all of the USDA endorsement process, and then get the health certificate your airline requires within 10 days of travel. I called Lufthansa this morning, and had the customer service rep read me the reg language she had, and I didn’t hear anything that suggested USDA endorsement was required. It just said it needed to be certified, which I understand to mean that it has to be prepared and signed by a USDA-certified vet. One caution as regards the timing of the Swedish form — I wouldn’t cut it close (like, it expires the day after you return), in case you’re delayed in Sweden for some reason. I’d give myself a couple of weeks’ leeway. Who knows when another Iceland volcano will blow?
Thank you so much for your answer! I will keep you updated with the progress!
Hey, thank you for all your information . I’m leaving the United State and i’m going to go live in France. Is it still the same or do I need more paper ?
Hi, Lucie! It’s the same whether you’re just going for a short vacation or moving to France (lucky you!), but shortly after you arrive in France, you’ll want to go to a vet and get an EU pet passport for your pup. The paperwork you’ve pulled together to enter France will work to get you a passport. Good luck to you (I say, through teeth gritted in envy), and please report back about what living there is like with your dog!
Hi… I’m thinking about moving to France. I have a terrier/lab mix but I’m not sure if I should take him with me. It breaks my heart the thought of leaving him but I’m not sure if he’ll adjust well to another country since he’s 65 pds. What’s your advice? Do you think he’d like France?
To clarify about my dog not adjusting well because of his weight I really meant I’m not sure if he’ll adjust to apartment living in France since I’m thinking about moving to Paris
Hi! This is quite helpful, thank you very much! I am an American student and will be going to university in France in August. I would like to take my dog with me and not have to leave her with family, but I am concerned that if I take her it will be very difficult to bring her with me on visits back to the US. Do you know if I will have to go through this process for every trip back and forth?
Hi, Erika — I’d totally do it. It would be dreadful to part you two, and dogs are so much an accepted part of life in France that I think he’d fit right in. You’ll be walking a lot, so he will too — the apartment part shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. And having a dog — YOUR dog — with you will, I firmly believe, help you make the transition to your new life more happily. He’ll keep you from being too terribly homesick, and he’ll get you out and meeting people — and people are much more ready to meet you when you’re accompanied by a cheerful dog. The hassle of getting him there? Nothing to speak of. The expense? You’ll notice it, but the upside is so very up that it’s worth it.
Thank you very much for the positive advice! I couldn’t imagine leaving my baby behind! He means sooooo much to me… Your words of wisdom have given me a new perspective on things. I appreciate it greatly… =)
I live in France right now and I am trying to bring my dog here from the U.S. I just moved here and will be here for 3 years. Would this be the process to bring him or is it different for this situation? Thanks, Sean
Great blog, thanks so much for all the helpful advice. We intend to move to Europe for a year, not sure yet if it will be Paris or London. Of course we’ll bring our two collies! Would you say that France is more dog-friendly than the UK? Also, any thoughts about finding a great flat in either city? Cheers, and thanks again!
Drat, Mel, I’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to respond! I love it that you’re bringing your dogs with you — it’s expensive and nerve-wracking, but I’m confident that you and they will be happier for it. I don’t have good answers to either of your questions, sadly. My suspicion is that Paris is slightly more dog-friendly, but even there, you have to pay attention to which parks welcome dogs. Both cities allow large dogs on public transit, so that doesn’t tip the balance. Re finding a place to live — my leads are for shorter-term vacation rentals, but maybe some of them would point you to longer-term leases: http://www.dogjaunt.com/posts/finding-a-dog-friendly-vacation-apartment-in-paris/ Try this list, too, since it includes leads for more serious, less vacation-y rentals: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/05/renting-an-apar/ Good luck, and please let me know what you guys learn as you plan (and how things work out!).
Hi, Sean — This is a hideously late response, but yes, same process, whether your pet is “immigrating” for a couple of weeks or for longer (you’ll certainly want to get him an E.U. pet passport once he arrives; that’s optional for vacationers planning short stays).
Reni, this response is horribly late, and I am so sorry. The answer is that your original paperwork will carry you to France, of course, and the first thing you’ll do is get an E.U. pet passport for your pup. Your reentries to the U.S. will be straightforward — you just need to keep your dog’s rabies vaccinations current, and make sure the vet makes careful notes of them in the passport. Same thing for France — if you are very careful about keeping the chain of vaccination continuous with the original one, returning to France should be straightforward (easier, in fact, because now you’ll have the European document in hand).
Thanks for the great info, Mary-Alice. We need to make some pretty aggressive financial goals happen before we can swing it, but we’re making good progress. Glad I found the blog, and thanks again for the advice!
This blog is extraordinarily helpful and great fun as well. I’m taking twelve-pound dog to Paris for July, and we are very excited. I’m confused as to whether a valid vaccination for purposes of travel TO France is one year or three years. Do you know the answer? Many thanks.
Hello, Anne — It is my understanding that it does not matter which length of vaccine you choose (that’s ungrammatical, but you know what I’m saying) as long as it’s administered in the right time frame, i.e., more than 21 days before travel. If you choose the shorter length, you’ll have to be more alert about staying current with the vaccine from now on, since if you break the chain of currency, you’ll have to start over the NEXT time you want to go to France.
I will be bringing my dog to France in 3 weeks when our family moves there, and I have the two certificates you mentioned. I noticed the “Certificat Vétérinaire” looked like it would be confusing for a vet to fill out– even though it was in French and English, there were still terms we couldn’t understand. Did your vet have any trouble filling out the form? If there are mistakes due to filling it out incorrectly, would have delay the USDA endorsement process?
It certainly might, Allie — if I were you, or your vet, I’d call your local USDA office and ask them for help “translating” the form. They see them all the time, and the staff at my local office in WA was very approachable and helpful. I didn’t encounter any problems filling ours out, but I’m lucky to have a vet staff that helps a lot of owners travel abroad.
I will try the local office, thanks! Unfortunately my vet seemed bewildered by the form and unable to understand even the translated French terms.
Sounds good, Allie — while you’re doing that, you might also ask if your vet is USDA-accredited (your paperwork needs to be prepared by a USDA-accredited vet, and if he’s as bewildered as he sounds, he might not be).
Great blog.
We’re travelling to France next week from the US and had all you have mentioned covered. However, we’re being told by UDSA that the rabies vaccine has to be both more than 21 days before travel and AFTER the microchip was inserted. Do you have any experience with this?
That’s true, Karen — here’s the bit from USDA/APHIS that emphasizes it: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals/animal_france.shtml I shouldn’t have left that to the USDA to emphasize, though — I’ll update my post right now. Gadzooks — what does this mean for your plans??
It’s pretty much a nightmare. We’re getting the health form done today, and a new rabies vaccine, and seeing if we can get an exception or exemption of some sort.