Flying With a Pet Internationally: Airline Rules, CDC Dog Rules and Health Certificates

To fly with a pet internationally from the US you need three things lined up: an airline that will carry your pet on that route (in the cabin if it is small enough, otherwise through the airline's cargo service), the destination country's entry paperwork, usually a health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet endorsed by USDA APHIS, and, for a dog, a plan for meeting the CDC's rules to come back into the United States. Start at least a few months ahead; some destinations need vaccinations and tests with waiting periods that cannot be rushed.

Cabin or cargo?

In the cabin is possible for small dogs and cats that fit in a soft or hard carrier under the seat in front of you, and the carrier counts as your carry-on item. Airlines cap the number of pets per flight and per cabin, so book the pet by phone or online as soon as you have your ticket. Many airlines restrict in-cabin pets on some international routes, or bar them on flights to destinations that do not allow pets to arrive in the cabin.

Larger pets travel in the hold. On US airlines that now usually means a cargo product booked through the airline's cargo arm, not checked baggage at the ticket counter:

American Airlines accepts checked pets at the counter only for active-duty US military and US State Department Foreign Service staff on official orders. Other pets travel in the cabin or with American Airlines Cargo, and pet shipping is subject to temperature restrictions. Check aa.com for the current policy.
Delta does not accept pets as checked baggage. Small pets can fly in the cabin, and larger animals are shipped through Delta Cargo, which has its own temperature limits and breed restrictions, including snub-nosed dogs and cats.
Alaska Airlines carries pets in the cabin and in the baggage compartment, with temporary embargo dates at busy times, so check its advisories page.

Rules change often and differ for each partner airline on a connecting trip, so confirm with every airline on your ticket, as of your travel date. A pet on a connection has to be accepted by both carriers and may need to clear customs at the connecting airport, which is one more reason to pick a nonstop when you can.

A note on support animals: since the Department of Transportation's 2020 rule change, US airlines do not have to treat emotional support animals as service animals. Most now carry them only as regular pets under the rules above. Trained service dogs have separate rules and forms.

Leaving the US: the destination sets the rules

Every country decides what pets need to enter, and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) keeps a page for each destination. The usual steps are:

Find a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel. Not every vet is accredited, and only an accredited vet can issue the export health certificate.
Check the country's requirements on the APHIS pet travel site every time you travel, since they change. Common items are a microchip, a rabies vaccination, sometimes a rabies blood test, and parasite treatments timed before arrival.
Have the vet issue the health certificate and submit it to APHIS for endorsement, usually online through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS).
Carry the endorsed paperwork on the trip, with copies.

Timing is where people get caught. The European Union, for example, requires the microchip to be implanted before, or at the same visit as, the rabies vaccine, and a first rabies vaccine must be given at least 21 days before entry. Rabies-free places such as Australia, New Zealand and Japan have much longer processes, often months, and may require quarantine on arrival. Hawaii, although part of the US, has its own rabies-free entry program, so read its state rules even for a domestic trip.

Coming home: the CDC dog import rules

Since August 1, 2024, the CDC has applied the same basic rules to every dog entering the United States, including pet dogs returning from a vacation:

The dog must be at least 6 months old, look healthy on arrival, and have a microchip a universal scanner can read.
You need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt for each dog. The CDC recommends filling in the online form well before travel.
Dogs that were only in rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past six months need nothing more and can enter at any port of entry.
US-vaccinated dogs returning from a high-risk country need a Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccination form, completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the US, at least 28 days after a first rabies vaccine. These dogs may arrive at any US airport, land border or seaport.
Foreign-vaccinated dogs from a high-risk country must arrive at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility and have a reservation there, which includes a 28-day quarantine if the dog has no valid rabies titer.
Any rabies vaccine counted for high-risk travel must have been given at 12 weeks of age or older.

So check the CDC's high-risk country list before you go. If your trip touches a high-risk country, the paperwork for the return must be done in the US before departure. The CDC's Dog Importation Navigator on cdc.gov walks you through your exact case. Cats are not covered by these CDC dog rules, but some states and airlines have their own requirements for them.

A practical timeline

Three months or more out: check the destination on the APHIS site and the CDC high-risk list, book an accredited vet, and confirm the airline can carry your pet on your exact flights.
As soon as you have flights: book the pet's space, buy an airline-approved carrier or crate, and get your pet used to it at home.
In the window the destination sets: the vet visit for the health certificate, then APHIS endorsement.
Before you fly: the CDC Dog Import Form for the return, and the USDA-endorsed rabies certificate if a high-risk country is involved.
Travel day: arrive early. Pet check-in takes longer, and cargo drop-off is often at a separate building. See how early to get to the airport for an international flight.

Your own documents matter too: make sure your passport is valid for the destination using our passport and visa checklist, and if your pet takes medication, the same carry-on logic as our guide to flying with medication applies.

Frequently asked questions

Can my dog fly in the cabin on an international flight?

Often, if it is small enough to fit in a carrier under the seat and the airline allows in-cabin pets on that route. Airlines cap pets per flight and some international routes do not allow them in the cabin, so book the pet early.

Do US airlines still take pets as checked baggage?

Fewer do. Delta does not accept checked pets, and American accepts them only for active-duty military and Foreign Service staff on orders; other larger pets go through the airline's cargo service. Alaska still carries pets in the baggage compartment.

What does the CDC require to bring my dog back to the US?

Every dog must be at least 6 months old, microchipped, healthy, and have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Dogs returning from a high-risk rabies country need extra documents, and for US-vaccinated dogs these must be arranged before leaving the US.

What is an APHIS-endorsed health certificate?

It is the destination country's health certificate, completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS, usually online through VEHCS. Most countries require one for pets arriving from the US.

How far ahead should I start planning?

At least a few months for most countries, and longer for rabies-free destinations such as Australia, New Zealand or Japan, where tests and waiting periods can take many months.