International travel with your dog can be heavily restricted and requires a great deal of advance planning. Any dogs traveling, domestically or internationally, should always be current on vaccinations. For the most up-to-date and comprehensive information about requirements for bringing your dog to a foreign country, contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as that country’s consulate or embassy, well in advance of your travel. If your international travel involves flying, you will also need to verify with the airlines any restrictions they may have.

International travel with your dog to any country in the European Union requires any cats and dogs entering EU countries to have a tattoo or microchip implant. The number on the tattoo or chip must match the identification number on their vaccination record. Dogs (and cats) without a microchip or tattoo cannot enter European Union nations.

Dogs being brought into the United Kingdom must meet the terms of the UK Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) in order to be exempt from a mandatory 6-month quarantine period. In order to meet the terms of the PETS program, dogs must have the following:

• Valid health certificate
• Proof of current rabies vaccination
• Proof of a blood test to confirm rabies immunity within the 6 months prior to arrival in the UK
• Proof of treatment for tapeworms and ticks within 24 to 48 hours prior to leaving the US
• Microchip implantation

International travel with your dog to Japan requires a dog to have resided in the same country for a continuous period of at least 180 days. A valid health certificate issued within the past 30 days must be presented, along with proof of a rabies vaccination more than 30 days prior to travel and proof of a blood test confirming rabies immunity. Before traveling to Japan with your dog you must notify the Animal Quarantine Office at the airport you will arrive at, a minimum of 40 days prior to your arrival. All dogs traveling to Japan must have microchips implanted, and are subject to quarantine for a minimum of 12 hours upon arrival. Depending on the country they are coming from and the date of their rabies vaccinations, dogs can be quarantined for up to 180 days.

International travel with your dog to Australia requires observance of a very stringent set of criteria, including the following:

• Microchip implantation
• Residence continuously in the same country for 180 days
• Vaccination against parvovirus, Bordetella, Parainfluenza, hepatitis and distemper at least 14 days but not more than 12 months prior to travel
• Rabies vaccination at least 90 days but not more than 12 months prior to travel
• De-wormer and tick treatment, as well as a series of blood tests that must be completed within a prescribed time frame
• An import permit and a veterinary certificate signed by a USDA/APHIS vet, as well as certification of a vet exam within the 48 hours prior to travel, clearing the dog of any communicable diseases or external parasites. Even with all of these requirements, all dogs traveling to Australia are quarantined for a minimum of 30 days and up to 90 days.

International travel with your dog to Mexico involves a valid health certificate, along with proof of rabies, parvovirus, Parainfluenza, hepatitis and distemper vaccinations. There is no quarantine requirement for dogs entering Mexico.

International travel with your dog to Canada requires a valid health certificate and proof of a rabies vaccine within the last three years as well as vaccinations against parvovirus, Parainfluenza, hepatitis and distemper. As with Mexico, there are no quarantine requirements in Canada.