What Is a Pet Passport and Do You Need One?

A pet passport is an official identification and vaccination document used in some travel systems, including the EU. U.S. travelers generally need destination-specific health documents instead; a digital record organizer is not an official passport. What you need depends on the destination, transit route and where your pet returns.

Travel rules checked October 13, 2026. Verify the destination, transit route, airline and return requirements again before booking. A scan in a record store is not a government-issued certificate or a substitute for required originals. USDA APHIS reports new EU non-commercial certificates effective October 1, 2026; use the current destination-specific form, not an old downloaded template.

Start with USDA APHIS's destination selector for an export from the United States. Select the exact country and species, then confirm with its competent veterinary authority. An EU-issued passport and a US-issued export health certificate are different documents.

What is a pet passport?

A pet passport is an official document that records your pet's identity and health details, such as microchip number, rabies vaccination and treatments. The best-known version is the EU pet passport, issued by an authorized veterinarian in the European Union and some other countries, which lets pets travel between participating countries more easily.

What about the US?

The United States doesn't issue a pet passport. US pet owners usually travel internationally with an international health certificate, completed by an accredited veterinarian and, for many countries, endorsed by USDA APHIS. Requirements differ by destination.

Do you need one?

Traveling within the US: you generally don't need a passport, though airlines and some states may require a health certificate or proof of rabies vaccination

Traveling abroad from the US: you'll need the documents your destination requires, which often include microchip proof, rabies records and an endorsed health certificate

Living in or traveling through the EU: an EU pet passport may apply, depending on where your pet's documents were issued

What documents usually go with pet travel

Microchip number and implant date
Rabies vaccination certificate
Other vaccination and treatment records
Health certificate, when required
Test results, if your destination requires them

Rules change, so check the official requirements for your destination before you plan.

Keep everything together

Travel paperwork gets messy fast. Store scans and photos of every document in a digital pet health vault so you can find them at the airport, at a border or at a vet. A digital copy is a handy backup, but it isn't a substitute for the official originals.

Need a vet to complete paperwork? Find a vet near me.