Bringing a pet to another country is not an easy task! You may be moving because of a career change, health consideration, or retirement, and naturally, you’ll want your pets to come with you.
Start planning your move early. You may need four to six weeks or more to obtain an export license. The importing country may require certain vaccinations — like rabies and other diseases — before you can be issued an export license. You’ll also need to know the animal health laws in your new home country and local area. If you are bringing a pet into the United States, for example, you’ll need to know that most state and local regulations require a rabies vaccine for dogs and cats. State regulations may be stricter than the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Who do you contact? You’ll need to get in touch with the animal health offices in whatever government department regulates animals.
- The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food in the United Kingdom
- The Department of Agriculture in the United States
- USDA Pet Importation site
- U.S. State Veterinarian Information
Dogs and cats are subject to an inspection upon arrival in the new country. Veterinary professionals will specifically look for diseases that can be transmitted to humans (known as zoonotic diseases). Animals that arrive without rabies vaccination may be subject to treatment, vaccination, and quarantine.
Some countries require a period of quarantine for an animal coming to a new country. The time varies from country to country — it could be as little as six weeks or as long as six months. You should think long and hard about how your pet will handle the separation during quarantine.
In the United States, pets from certain countries that are considered to have no reported rabies cases may be allowed in without a quarantine period. However, pets imported for handling sheep and other livestock must be quarantined at the port of entry until they are determined to be free of certain parasites.
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