International Health Certificates
Travel season means that each pet boarding a plane must have a good bill of health so as not to spread infectious disease to other parts of the world. The way they do this is through International Health Certificates (IHCs) performed by your pet's veterinarian, who must be endorsed by the USDA as a 'USDA-accredited' veterinarian. Learn more about how this service works, and how best to be prepared for this visit AND your travel!
1. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Every foreign country has specific requirements for a pet's International Health Certificate. Understanding the requirements for your pet's travel is crucial for a smooth IHC process. Newberry Animal Hospital uses the USDA's Pet Travel Guidance Page to review requirements for every IHC. *Newberry Animal Hospital does not evaluate travel company (airline, cruise ship, port, etc.) requirements. Please notify us if your travel service has specific requirements outside of the USDA Pet Travel Requirements.
2. BE AWARE OF TIME CONSTRAINTS:
Many foreign countries require testing such as Rabies titers to be done within a specific amount of time before arrival. When reviewing your destination country's requirements, please be sure to note when your pet's IHC exam will need to be done.
3. CLICK TO FILL OUT OUR IHC PRE-REGISTRATION FORM:
This form MUST be completed before starting the IHC process with us. Once this form has been submitted and your research deposit* has been received, a trained staff member will be in contact with you within 3 business days regarding the travel requirements for your destination country and scheduling your pet for their IHC appointment. Information given in this form will help our veterinarians perform their exam in accordance with your destination country's requirements.
Newberry Animal Hospital requires a non-refundable research deposit before our staff starts researching travel requirements & collecting required documents. This deposit must be received before your pet's IHC appointment is scheduled and will go towards the total cost of the International Health Certificate.
4. USDA ENDORSEMENT OF YOUR PET'S IHC
Not all foreign countries require this, but many popular destinations do. If your destination country requires your pet's IHC to be endorsed by the USDA, you can choose 1 of 2 ways to file: -Mail the completed IHC to the USDA. -Have us file the IHC with the USDA on your behalf. NOTICE: Having NAH file your pet's IHC does not guarantee a faster endorsement process.