International Pet Relocation Checklist: A Step by Step Countdown

This checklist is for the person who already knows they are moving a pet internationally and now needs a doing list, not another explainer. It walks the countdown from six-plus months out to arrival day, in the order the steps actually have to happen, because the most common way an international pet move goes sideways is not a missing form, it is the right steps done in the wrong sequence.

Bookmark this page and treat it as a working document. Print the countdown table further down, tape it somewhere you will actually see it, and check off each stage as your vet, your shipper, or you complete it. Most of the paperwork for an international pet move is not hard on its own; a health certificate is one visit, a titer draw is one blood sample, an endorsement is one office stop. What trips people up is timing three or four of these against each other correctly across several months while also packing a household. Treat the calendar as the real project, not the individual documents.

Start with the sequence, not the checklist

Most people search for a document list first. That is useful, but it is the wrong starting point, because international pet moves are order-sensitive in a way domestic moves are not. A rabies vaccination given before your pet's permanent microchip is implanted often does not count for destinations that require a valid rabies history, because the microchip is what proves the vaccination record belongs to that specific animal. A titer test drawn before the microchip and vaccination are both in place, in that order, gets rejected. A health certificate signed too early expires before you fly, since most destinations only accept one issued within a narrow window, often 10 days, before departure. So before you touch a checklist, accept the sequence: microchip first, then rabies vaccination, then (if your destination requires it) the titer draw, then a waiting period, then the export health certificate close to your travel date. Read the full process breakdown if you have not already, since this article assumes you know the shape of the journey and just need the countdown turned into action items.

Six or more months out: decide DIY or hire, and start the vet clock

Your first real decision is whether you are flying with your pet yourself, booking them as manifest cargo on your own airline reservation, or hiring an IPATA-registered international pet shipper to manage the whole move. A shipper earns its fee on strict or rabies-free destinations, multi-leg routes, brachycephalic breeds with airline restrictions, or any move where you simply cannot spend the hours it takes to track a multi-month paperwork sequence yourself. This is not a decision you have to make in isolation from the rest of your relocation. If you are moving for a job with a relocation package, ask now whether pet transport is covered or reimbursed, since some employers will pay a shipper's fee directly. If you are moving with more than one pet, factor in that each animal typically needs its own crate, its own certificate, and often its own titer draw, which multiplies both the cost and the coordination work fast. If you decide to do it yourself, confirm your destination's specific timeline requirement now, since some countries need a rabies titer with a waiting period of several months after the draw date (see the United Kingdom's pet entry rules as one example), which is why planning six to seven months ahead is the realistic floor for a rabies-free or strict destination, not a suggestion. This is also the point to call an accredited veterinarian and get on their calendar, because USDA-accredited vets who handle international export paperwork often book weeks out.

Confirm the microchip is in first

Before any vaccination in this sequence counts toward your export documentation, your pet needs an ISO-compatible microchip implanted and scanned to confirm it reads. If your pet already has an older, non-ISO chip, most destinations and airlines want a universal scanner-compatible chip, so ask your vet to check compatibility rather than assume. This single step, done first, is the one most owners skip or do out of order, and it is the reason a rabies vaccination record gets thrown out later in the process. The full paperwork checklist covers exactly which documents reference the microchip number, but the action here is simple: chip first, confirm it scans, then move to vaccination.

Rabies vaccination, then the titer draw if your destination requires it

With the microchip confirmed, get (or update) the rabies vaccination on record with that chip number. If your destination is rabies-free or otherwise strict, such as Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Japan, or the United Kingdom, you likely need a rabies titer test (FAVN or RNATT) drawn from a blood sample sent to an approved laboratory. The result has to clear a minimum antibody threshold, and most destinations then require a waiting period, commonly stretching to several months, before your pet can travel, even after a passing result. This waiting period is the single biggest driver of the six to seven month runway mentioned above, and it cannot be rushed by paying more or asking nicely. Build your whole calendar backward from your target travel date once you know this draw date.

One to three months out: book the flight or shipper, and start crate training

With the biology on track, lock the logistics. Book your pet's flight (whether that is a seat under an airline seat, cargo hold as accompanied or unaccompanied baggage, or manifest cargo, depending on size and airline policy) or confirm your shipper's routing and delivery timeline. This is also when you buy the actual travel crate, since it needs to meet IATA container requirements, not just be big enough. That means solid, ventilated on at least two sides, with a leak-proof bottom, functioning spring-locked door, and enough room for your pet to stand, turn around, and lie down naturally. Buy it early because crate training takes real time: a pet that has never been in a hard-sided travel crate before flying it internationally is a pet more likely to panic at exactly the wrong moment. Start with short, positive sessions, feed meals in the crate, and build up to your pet resting calmly inside it with the door closed for stretches well before travel day. A reasonable target is a pet that can settle in the closed crate for an hour or more without pacing, panting heavily, or scratching at the door. If your pet is still anxious a few weeks out, that is worth a conversation with your vet about non-drug options such as pheromone sprays, familiar bedding, or a slower conditioning schedule, rather than reaching for anything sedating the week of the flight. Never use a sedative to make this easier; the AVMA advises against sedating pets for air travel because altitude and pressure changes can amplify a sedative's effect on breathing and heart rate unpredictably, and most airlines will refuse a visibly sedated animal anyway.

Close to travel: the health certificate and its endorsement

The export health certificate is the one document you deliberately get last, not first. Most destinations only accept a certificate issued by an accredited vet within a specific window before departure, often around 10 days, so getting it done too early just means redoing it. Your accredited vet examines your pet, confirms the vaccination and microchip records line up, and issues the certificate. From there it typically needs to be endorsed by a USDA APHIS endorsement office, which reviews and signs off on the paperwork before your pet can legally leave the country. Endorsement fees currently start around $38 per certificate and rise if the destination requires federal review of lab results, and this step needs to happen close enough to your flight that nothing on the certificate goes stale, but early enough that you are not endorsing paperwork the morning of departure. Confirm your destination's exact acceptance window on its own government page rather than assuming a US standard applies everywhere.

Week of travel: the final gate check

In the final days, confirm four things: your endorsed health certificate is signed and dated within the destination's acceptance window, your crate is labeled with your contact information and destination address, your pet has had a light meal and water access appropriate to your airline's pre-flight feeding rules, and you have printed copies of every document, since airport wifi and phone battery are not a plan. Do not add a sedative or a human medication to calm your pet before the flight; over-the-counter human anti-anxiety and sleep aids are toxic to dogs and cats even in small doses, and any medication should only come from your vet with a specific reason to use it. If your destination is the United States and your pet is a dog, double-check the current CDC dog entry rules one more time before you fly, since the online CDC Dog Import Form has to be submitted before arrival and requirements shift depending on which countries your dog has been in during the prior six months.

Arrival: customs, quarantine status, and settling in

On arrival, have your documents ready for the customs or agriculture inspection specific to your destination, since requirements range from a quick paperwork check to a mandatory quarantine stay depending on the country and your pet's rabies titer history. If you are landing in the United States, dog entry is federally regulated through the CDC process above while cat entry has no federal import requirement, though your destination state may still ask for proof of rabies vaccination. Give your pet time to decompress once you are through, since even a smooth international relocation is disorienting: keep the first few days low-key, stick close to a familiar routine, and watch for signs of travel stress that do not resolve within a day or two, which is a reason to call a local vet rather than wait it out. Before you leave home, it is also worth locating a vet clinic near your new address and saving the local emergency animal hospital number, so you are not searching for one at midnight if something feels off. Keep your pet's international paperwork, including the endorsed health certificate and any titer results, somewhere accessible for the first few months, since some destinations run spot checks or ask for records again if your pet needs veterinary care locally soon after arrival.

Mistakes that push the whole timeline back

A few missteps show up again and again in international pet moves and each one can cost weeks. The most common is vaccinating for rabies before the microchip is confirmed and scanned, which forces a redo. Close behind is drawing the titer test too early, before the vaccination that has to precede it is properly recorded, which invalidates the draw. A third is getting the export health certificate signed well ahead of the trip because it felt safer to have it done early, only to find it has expired by the time travel documents are checked, since most destinations only accept a certificate issued inside a narrow pre-travel window. A fourth is assuming a crate purchased the week of the flight will be fine because your pet has ridden in a car crate before; airline-compliant crates are a different size, material, and locking mechanism than most household carriers, and a pet meeting one for the first time at the airport is a pet more likely to have a rough trip. Building slack into your calendar around each of these steps, rather than scheduling them back to back, is the single best way to avoid a delay.

The countdown at a glance

Stage | Action | Why this order
6+ months out | Decide DIY vs. hiring a shipper; book an accredited vet appointment | Sets your whole timeline; accredited vets book out weeks in advance
5 to 6 months out | Implant or confirm ISO-compatible microchip; scan to verify it reads | Must happen before the rabies shot or the record does not count for many destinations
4 to 5 months out | Rabies vaccination on record with the chip number; draw the titer if required | Titer waiting periods commonly run several months and cannot be rushed
1 to 3 months out | Book the flight or shipper; buy an IATA-compliant crate; start crate training | Crate comfort takes weeks to build and cannot be rushed the week before
10 to 14 days out | Accredited vet exam and export health certificate | Most destinations only accept a certificate issued within a narrow pre-travel window
Days before travel | USDA APHIS endorsement of the health certificate | Certificate must be endorsed close to, but not on, travel day
Week of travel | Final document check, crate labeling, no sedatives | Confirms nothing on the paperwork has expired and the pet travels safely
Arrival | Customs or agriculture inspection; settle-in period | Requirements and any quarantine depend on destination and titer history

Where a shipper is worth the fee

If reading this countdown made the sequencing feel unmanageable alongside a job, a move date set by someone else, or a strict destination with quarantine exposure, that is a legitimate reason to hire a professional. Compare the DIY versus hiring decision honestly: a good IPATA-registered shipper tracks the microchip-then-rabies order, the titer waiting period, the certificate window, and the crate and flight logistics for you, and takes on the risk of a missed deadline instead of you. It costs more than doing it yourself, typically in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 or more per pet depending on route and destination, but for a strict destination or a tight relocation timeline, that fee buys a professional's calendar discipline, not just convenience. Even hiring a shipper does not remove your own responsibility for starting the microchip and vaccination sequence early and keeping your pet comfortable with a crate before travel day. A good shipper manages documents and bookings; it does not replace the months of low-key crate conditioning that makes the actual trip easier on your pet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the very first step in an international pet relocation checklist?

Confirming your pet has an ISO-compatible microchip implanted and scanned before any rabies vaccination goes on record. Many destinations only accept a rabies vaccination history tied to that microchip number, so a vaccination given first often does not count.

How far in advance should I start this checklist?

At least six months out for most international moves, and closer to seven months if your destination requires a rabies titer test, since the waiting period after a passing titer result commonly runs several months on its own.

When should I get the health certificate, and why not earlier?

As close to your travel date as your destination allows, often within about 10 days of departure. Most destinations only accept a certificate issued within that narrow pre-travel window, so an early certificate typically has to be redone.

Should I sedate my pet to make the crate and flight easier?

No. Veterinary guidance advises against sedating pets for air travel, since altitude and pressure changes can affect breathing and heart rate unpredictably, and most airlines will refuse a visibly sedated animal. Build crate comfort gradually instead, and talk to your vet about any real anxiety concerns well before travel day.

Do I need a professional shipper to follow this checklist, or can I do it myself?

You can do it yourself if you have the time to track every step in the right order and your destination is not especially strict. For rabies-free or quarantine-heavy destinations, a tight relocation timeline, or multiple pets, a registered international shipper is often worth the added cost.