Taking Your Pet to the EU or Mexico Just Changed. Here's What You Need

Since October 1, 2026, dogs and cats flying from the US into the European Union need a new EU health certificate, and since August 3, 2026, dogs entering Mexico need a screwworm inspection certificate issued no more than 5 days before the crossing. Both add deadlines on the way out. On the way home, the CDC rule in force since August 1, 2024 still applies to every dog, including family pets returning from vacation: a microchip, a minimum age of 6 months and a CDC Dog Import Form receipt.

Key takeaways

Every dog entering the US needs to be 6 months or older, microchipped and covered by its own free CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
A US-vaccinated dog that visits a CDC high-risk country, such as Turkey, Morocco or the Dominican Republic, should get a USDA-endorsed CDC rabies certification before it leaves the US. Without it, the dog faces a blood test or quarantine at a CDC-registered facility.
For the EU: chip before vaccine, 21 days after a first vaccine, and a USDA endorsement within 10 days of arrival. No blood test from the US.
Dogs going to Great Britain need tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before arrival. There is no tick-treatment rule.
Since January 11, 2021, only trained dogs count as service animals on US flights. Emotional support animals can be treated as pets.

What it means for you

Bringing a dog back to the US: after low-risk countries only (Canada, Mexico, the UK, the EU), the CDC receipt is the only CDC document. Dogs coming back from Mexico also need USDA screwworm paperwork. After a high-risk country, the key paperwork has to be done before you leave.
Taking a dog or cat to Europe or the UK: the order matters. First the microchip, then the vaccine, then a waiting period, then a vet visit inside a 10-day window. The dated example below shows how the steps line up.
Driving to Canada or Mexico: Canada wants a rabies certificate. Mexico now wants a screwworm certificate for dogs, and returning dogs need screwworm paperwork too.
Cats: the CDC asks for no form, but states and other countries may (see the FAQ).

The CDC rule for dogs coming home

The CDC dog import rule covers puppies, service dogs and pets returning from a trip. What you need turns on one question: has the dog been in a high-risk country for dog rabies in the past 6 months? Any country not on that list, last updated April 15, 2026, counts as low risk. Mexico, Canada, the UK and the EU countries are not on it, though Spain's North African cities of Ceuta and Melilla are. Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Thailand are.

Low-risk trips: one free form

After low-risk countries only, the CDC receipt is the only document the CDC requires. The dog must look healthy, be at least 6 months old and have a readable microchip, and it can arrive at any airport, seaport or land crossing. You can file the form on the day of travel. The receipt is valid for 6 months and repeat entries, as long as you're always arriving from the same country, so a trip to France after months of Canada visits needs a new receipt.

High-risk trips: paperwork before departure

A US-vaccinated dog returning from a high-risk country needs the CDC receipt plus a Certification of US-Issued Rabies Vaccination. This is not the rabies certificate your vet gives you for a dog license. A USDA-accredited vet fills it out and USDA endorses it, and both steps must happen before the dog leaves the US.

The microchip must go in before the rabies shot, or the vaccine doesn't count.
A first vaccine must be given at 12 weeks of age or older. The certification can't be completed until 28 days after that shot.
The vaccine must stay valid for the whole trip. The certification can be reused while it does.
This receipt covers one entry, on the date and at the port it lists.
The form instructions for dogs from high-risk countries ask for a photo showing the dog's face and body. For dogs under 1 year old, it should be taken within 15 days before arrival.
USDA export health certificates issued after July 31, 2025 no longer work for re-entry.

Without the certification, the dog is treated as foreign-vaccinated. It then needs a rabies blood test (or a 28-day quarantine) and a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility. It must also arrive at the airport where that facility is located. The CDC FAQ adds that a dog from a high-risk country whose microchip can't be scanned may be sent back at the owner's expense.

Taking a pet to Europe or the UK

The EU's pet entry rules now sit in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131. The new certificate is in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705, and certificates on the old form are accepted only if they were issued before October 1, 2026. USDA's France page confirms the switch date. For a US owner:

The pet travels with you or with someone you've authorized in writing, and you can bring up to 5 pets.
The microchip goes in first. The rabies vaccine can be given at 12 weeks of age or older, and a first vaccine becomes valid after 21 days. An on-time booster doesn't restart the wait.
The US is on the EU's list of countries exempt from the rabies blood test.
A USDA-accredited vet issues the certificate, and USDA must endorse it within 10 days of arrival. You also sign a declaration that the trip is non-commercial.
The pet must enter through a designated travelers' point of entry. The certificate then covers travel between EU countries for 6 months, or until the rabies vaccine expires if that comes sooner.
Dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway need tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before entry.

US pets can't get an EU pet passport. The EU's citizen guide says passports are issued only to owners who live in the EU.

Great Britain: tapeworm, not ticks

GOV.UK requires the microchip to go in before or at the same time as the rabies vaccine, followed by at least 21 full days after a first vaccine. Pets from the US use a Great Britain pet health certificate, signed by an official government veterinarian. The pet must arrive within 10 days of the date it was issued. The US is a "listed" country, so no blood test is needed.

Dogs need tapeworm treatment on every trip, given 24 hours to 5 days before arrival. The only exemption is for dogs arriving directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway. There is no tick-treatment requirement. The harder part is the flight: under the approved-route rules, pets must fly as cargo unless they are assistance dogs or the plane is a chartered private flight. A pet that breaks the rules can be quarantined for up to 4 months, and the owner pays.

Illustrative example: a US dog to France and back

Take an illustrative dog born March 15, 2026, with no chip or rabies vaccine yet. The family lands in Paris on December 1, 2026 and flies home January 5, 2027.

Date	Step	Rule it satisfies
Mon, Oct 19, 2026	Microchip implanted and scanned	Chip before vaccine (EU; also CDC's high-risk certification)
Tue, Oct 20, 2026	First rabies vaccine (dog about 31 weeks old)	At least 12 weeks old
Tue, Nov 10, 2026	Vaccine valid for EU entry	21 days after first vaccine
Mon, Nov 23, 2026	Vet exam; certificate issued and USDA-endorsed	No earlier than Nov 21 for a Dec 1 arrival
Tue, Dec 1, 2026	Arrive in France; documents checked	8 days after endorsement, inside 10
By Tue, Jan 5, 2027	File the CDC Dog Import Form listing France as the departure country	Every dog needs a receipt; it can be filed on the day of travel
Tue, Jan 5, 2027	Fly home with the CDC receipt	Dog is 296 days old, over 6 months

If the trip had included Morocco, the family would also have needed the CDC rabies certification signed and endorsed before leaving the US, and no earlier than November 17, 28 days after the vaccine. Because the dog is under 1 year old, its CDC form would also need a photo taken within 15 days before arrival.

Canada and Mexico road trips

Canada. USDA's Canada page says a pet dog or cat older than 3 months needs a rabies vaccination certificate from a licensed veterinarian showing vaccination within 3 years of entry. A health certificate isn't needed for a pet traveling with you. Dogs under 3 months need no rabies vaccine, but proof of their age must be available to Canadian officials. Canada's own CFIA pet import tool gives the final answer for your animal. To come home, a dog needs the CDC receipt, which covers repeat Canada trips for 6 months.

Mexico. USDA's Mexico page says that since August 3, 2026, pet dogs need a New World screwworm (NWS) inspection certificate. A USDA-accredited vet signs it no more than 5 days before entry, and no USDA endorsement is needed. Dogs without one can be refused or held at the border. Cats have needed no health certificate since December 16, 2019. Officials inspect both on arrival.

Coming back, the same USDA Mexico page says Mexico has been considered affected by screwworm since November 22, 2024, and all dogs need screwworm-freedom certification on re-entry, including US dogs coming home. USDA's import rules call for a certificate showing an inspection within 5 days before travel. It must be signed by a Mexican government veterinarian or a clinical vet authorized by SENASICA, Mexico's animal health agency. On the CDC side, Mexico is low-risk, so only the receipt is needed.

Cabin, cargo and service dogs

As of October 2026, Delta charges $150 each way for an in-cabin pet within the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (tickets issued from April 8, 2025) and $200 internationally. It recommends a kennel no larger than 18 x 11 x 11 inches, and it doesn't allow cabin pets on trips to or from the UK and several other destinations, or on flights to Hawaii. Delta's cargo service is limited to active military and State Department Foreign Service personnel on change-of-station orders. Alaska Airlines lists fees of $100 to $200 each way and still offers a baggage-compartment option, subject to breed rules and date embargoes.

Service dogs follow the DOT final rule published December 10, 2020, which took effect January 11, 2021. Under 14 CFR Part 382, a service animal is a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability, including a psychiatric disability. Emotional support animals don't qualify.

Airlines may require the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, completed on or after the date you bought the ticket. On flights of 8 hours or more, they may also ask for a relief attestation form.
If you booked more than 48 hours ahead, an airline can ask for the forms up to 48 hours before departure. If you booked later, it can ask for them only at the gate.
An airline can't refuse a service dog because of its breed. It doesn't have to accept more than two service animals per passenger.

Frequently asked questions

Does my cat need paperwork to come back into the US?

Not from the CDC. Its animal import page says cats need no proof of rabies vaccination, but they must look healthy and can be examined at the owner's expense if they don't. Your destination state may have its own rules. Hawaii and Guam quarantine rules apply even to cats from the mainland.

Does a rabies booster restart the 21-day wait?

Not if it's given before the previous vaccine expires. USDA's France guidance says pets can travel right after an on-time booster. If the vaccine has lapsed, the EU treats the next shot as a first vaccine, and the 21-day wait applies again.

What if my dog's microchip isn't the ISO type?

USDA's EU guidance says a non-ISO chip needs a scanner that can read it or a second, ISO-compliant chip, with both numbers on the certificate. The CDC requires a chip that a universal scanner can read.

Can I travel with more than five pets?

Not under the regular pet rules for the EU or Great Britain. Both cap non-commercial travel at 5 pets unless the animals are over 6 months old and registered for a competition, show or sporting event. Above that limit, stricter commercial import rules apply.

Can my dog fly to Europe on a different day than me?

Yes, within limits. Under the EU rules, someone you've authorized in writing can travel with the pet, as long as your own trip is within 5 days of the pet's. Great Britain uses the same 5-day window. With a longer gap, commercial rules apply, and USDA notes the certificate type changes too.

Before you book: a checklist

List every country your dog will be in during the 6 months before you return, and check each one against the CDC high-risk list.
Have the microchip scanned before any new rabies shot.
Count back from arrival. Allow 21 days after a first vaccine, then book the vet visit inside the 10-day window. For Mexico, the window is 5 days.
If any stop is high-risk, get the CDC rabies certification before you leave.
Before you buy tickets, confirm the airline's fee, kennel size, route bans and cargo policy.
A few days before coming home, file a CDC form for each dog. After a high-risk country, add a photo taken within 15 days if the dog is under 1 year old. After Mexico, carry the screwworm certificate too.

This is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. Rules change, so confirm on the official pages linked here and with a USDA-accredited veterinarian before you travel.