USDA Paperwork – pet travel Denmark
Well, we’re getting ready to travel internationally again, so you know what that means–veterinarians and paperwork.
Friday, January 3rd was a long day for willie. First I had to wake willie up early (which he hates) for an appointment at the local vet in Keystone Heights, Florida. Willie’s new veterinarian, Dr. Jennifer Blackburn of Keystone Heights Animal Hospital was so nice and made his first visit easy. She needed to check that willie was healthy for travel and then complete the forms he needed to leave the country safely. Even though willie hates being poked and prodded, Dr. Blackburn did a great job and he loved her! 🙂
Keystone Heights Animal Hospital
http://www.keystonepetvet.com/
7344 State Road 100
Keystone Heights, FL 32656
352-473-4966
After that, we had to race to the USDA APHIS office in Gainsville and have the documents Dr. Blackburn had just filled out endorsed for travel. Our contact there, Christine Toft, had been very helpful via email and we were set in no time! It only took about fifteen minutes to have the documents endorsed and we were on our way!
USDA APHIS,Veterinary Services
8100 NW 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32606
Chris.M.Toft@aphis.usda.gov
352-313-3070
This time, we were travelling to Denmark and the requirements were as follows:
1. Rabies Vaccination: A rabies vaccine must be given between twelve months and twenty-one days prior to your date of travel.
2. Microchip: A fifteen digit ISO microchip must be implanted (ouch!) prior to the most recent rabies vaccination. If the rabies vaccine was given before the microchipping, then another vaccine will have to be given.
3. Export Forms: Have a licensed veterinarian complete an export APHIS form 7001 for the USA or a CFIA Health Certificate for Canada and an import health certificate specific to Denmark (where we were going). Your vet will already have the export forms on hand. We contacted the Veterinary Officer at the Copenhagen airport to obtain the import form. You can also get these forms from the USDA via email, but we found that the one they provided by them was a bit out-of-date. Just to be on the safe side, we used the one directly from Denmark. These forms need to be completed within ten days of travel.
4. Get the Forms Endorsed: Take the completed forms to your local APHIS or CFIA office to be endorsed. It’s a good idea to take copies of supporting documents, such as when your pet was microchipped and the latest rabies vaccination certificate and have them endorsed as well. There is a fee for endorsement, $38 for APHIS and $20 for CFIA.
5. Tell ’em You’re Comin’: Forty-eight hours prior to your arrival in Denmark, inform the Veterinary Officer at the Copenhagen airport that you’re on your way!
Remember, these rules can change, so please visit the following sites to view the most current information:
USDA/APHIS – pet travel Denmark info
CFIA – pet travel Denmark info
We also had to check with the individual airline to make sure that willie could fly in-cabin before booking a reservation. There was a pet in-cabin fee of $125 each way. Make sure to check your airline’s website for their pet policy as some don’t allow pets in-cabin and may have weight limits or restrictions concerning certain dog breeds. Also make sure to check with your destination that there are no other restrictions.
