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Pet health certificates in 2026: when you need one, and the dog passport myth
A pet health certificate is a vet-signed document dated to your trip, and the window runs from 72 hours to 10 days depending on where you are going. When you need one, who endorses it, and why Canadians and Americans can't get an EU pet passport.
Border rules & documentation · Published · Last checked
WayFur answer
A pet health certificate counts only if a vet issues it inside the destination's window, and the window belongs to the destination, not the document: no more than 10 days before arrival for the EU, 5 days for a dog going from the US to Mexico, and 72 hours for a dog under 8 months entering Canada from the US without its owner. Many North American trips need no certificate at all, because an adult dog crossing between Canada and the US travels on rabies proof or a CDC Dog Import Form receipt instead. Canadians and Americans cannot get an EU pet passport: the EU issues it only to people who live in the EU.
What a pet health certificate actually is
Say you live in Vancouver and you are flying to Lyon next spring with Juniper, a four-year-old terrier mix. A friend tells you to "get her a dog passport." Your vet's front desk asks which certificate you mean. Most of the confusion starts in that gap.
A health certificate is a vet's signed statement, on a form the destination recognises, that your pet was examined and meets that country's entry conditions. It usually records the microchip number, the rabies vaccination details and the exam date. Because the vet is vouching for your pet's condition on a specific day, the destination sets how close to travel it has to be issued.
Easy to miss
Too early is as much of a problem as too late. A certificate issued outside the destination's window fails even when everything written on it is correct.
How long a health certificate is valid, destination by destination
There is no single answer, because the window belongs to the destination rather than the document.
When a health certificate applies, by route (checked October 2026)
| Trip | Health certificate? | Issued no earlier than | Government endorsement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada or US to the EU | Yes, EU animal health certificate | 10 days before arrival | Yes, unless an official state vet issues it |
| US to Mexico, dog | Yes, screwworm inspection certificate (from 3 August 2026) | 5 days before arrival | No |
| US to Mexico, cat | No | Not needed | Not needed |
| US to Canada, dog 8 months or older | No, rabies proof only | Not needed | Not needed |
| US to Canada, dog under 8 months without its owner | Yes | 72 hours before arrival | No |
| Canada to US, dog | No, CDC Dog Import Form receipt instead | Not needed | Not needed |
| Between US states | Set by the destination state | Varies | Varies |
Into the EU from Canada or the US: the EU's own guidance says your pet needs an EU animal health certificate "issued by an official State vet in the country of departure not more than 10 days before your pet arrives in the EU." Once inside, it stays valid for travel between EU countries "for 6 months from this date or until the anti-rabies vaccination expires, whichever lapses first."
From the US to Mexico (dogs): since 3 August 2026, a dog needs a New World screwworm inspection certificate signed by a USDA-accredited vet and issued no more than 5 days before arrival, per APHIS. It does not need USDA endorsement, and cats are not affected. Our guide to taking your dog to Mexico walks through that certificate.
Between Canada and the US: a dog 8 months or older entering Canada from the US needs only proof of rabies vaccination, per APHIS and the CFIA. Going the other way, the CDC asks for a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip and a dog at least 6 months old, and no health certificate. Our guide to Canada-US pet entry rules covers both directions.
Within the US: APHIS says it does not regulate pets moving between states with their owners. The state you are going to sets the rules, and some ask for a health certificate.
So for Juniper, the clock starts 10 days before she lands in France. Book the vet exam inside that window, not the week you buy the flight.
What endorsement means, and who does it
Some destinations want more than your vet's signature. Endorsement means a government vet reviews the certificate and countersigns it.
From the US, a USDA-accredited vet issues the certificate and APHIS endorses it. Per APHIS, there are two routes: your vet submits it through the online Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS), or the paperwork goes to an endorsement office by overnight mail. APHIS says to use one route, not both, and warns that you may only have a limited amount of time to get the certificate endorsed and travel.
From Canada, the CFIA says most pets leaving the country "will need an export certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian and endorsed by an official Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) veterinarian," that endorsement is mandatory before the animal leaves, and that an appointment is required. Juniper's EU certificate would go through that step in Vancouver before the flight.
Not every certificate needs it. The Mexico screwworm certificate and the Canada certificate for young dogs travelling alone both skip endorsement, per APHIS.
Practical tip
Ask your vet which endorsement route they use, VEHCS or overnight mail, when you book the exam. From Canada, book the CFIA endorsement appointment at the same time, so the exam and the endorsement both fit inside the destination's window.
The "dog passport" myth for Canadians and Americans
The phrase comes from Europe. An EU pet passport is a booklet that records a pet's microchip and rabies vaccinations, and it lets pets move between EU countries without a new certificate each time. The catch is in the EU's own wording: the European pet passport "is only issued to pet owners who are resident in the EU."
If you live in Canada or the US, the document you need for the EU is the EU animal health certificate described above. Neither the CFIA nor APHIS describes a Canadian or American pet passport in its pet travel guidance. What you carry from home is a rabies vaccination certificate and, where the destination asks for one, a health certificate.
Enter your route, travel date and pet. On a route we cover, a free readiness check shows whether a health certificate applies, the window it has to be issued in, and whether it needs endorsement, with the sources behind it. For the EU, it covers bloc-level rules only for now.
Sources
- European Union (Your Europe): Travelling with pets and other animals in the EU
- European Union (EUR-Lex): Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131
- USDA APHIS: Pet Travel From the United States to Mexico
- USDA APHIS: Pet Travel From the United States to Canada
- USDA APHIS: Pet travel process overview
- USDA APHIS: Pet travel state to state
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Bringing animals into Canada (pets)
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Exporting pets
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Bringing an animal into the United States
- Government of Mexico (SENASICA): Si viajas con tu mascota
Common questions
How long is a pet health certificate valid for?
It depends on the destination. The EU wants it issued no more than 10 days before arrival, Mexico wants a dog's screwworm certificate issued no more than 5 days before arrival from the US, and Canada wants a certificate for a dog under 8 months travelling alone issued within 72 hours. Check the window for your exact route and date.
Can I get a dog passport in Canada?
Not an EU one. The EU says the European pet passport is only issued to owners who live in the EU. Travelling from Canada to the EU, your pet uses an EU animal health certificate, endorsed by a CFIA vet.
Do I need a pet health certificate for travel to Canada?
Not for a dog 8 months or older coming from the US: proof of rabies vaccination is enough, with or without you. A dog under 8 months travelling without its owner needs a certificate issued within 72 hours of arrival. Cats need no health certificate either, though a cat 3 months or older needs a rabies certificate. Driving the other way, into the US, a dog needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt rather than a certificate.
What is the VEHCS portal?
It is the USDA's online Veterinary Export Health Certification System. US-accredited vets use it to issue health certificates electronically and send them to APHIS for digital endorsement.