The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently distributed a notice that some important changes are coming to the National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP). There's a good chance that your local veterinarian might not have heard about this news, and if you're in the midst of planning a pet move, it's important that your veterinarian be informed of these changes. We'll be checking with all of our customers' veterinarians to ensure that they are up to date on the information.
Why are these changes important to people who travel with pets?
The USDA oversees all of the export documents for pets and live animals departing from the United States. The system is currently set up so that practicing veterinarians can become accredited through the NVAP, which allows them to obtain and complete official health certificates (for example, the USDA-APHIS Form 7001 which is required for exporting live animals from the US). This accreditation also means that they are considered a 'government veterinarian' who is able to fulfill pet import requirements for other countries, like blood tests. Proof of all of these health documents must then be sent to the USDA State veterinarian. Each state has a designated "Veterinary Services Area Office" where the documents are inspected and endorsed by the State veterinarian.
In summary: Your veterinarian must be accredited under the NVAP in order to inspect your pet prior to your departure and issue a health certificate. For more details on how this process works, please see our Pet Travel Forms fact sheet.
This question came from our partnership with PetTravelCenter.com as their Pet Relocation Expert. Click here to read past questions and our answers on their site.
Hello, I will be moving to Cairo with my dog in late August.
If you're moving internationally, you're most likely going to need a Vet Health Certificate, also known as the USDA APHIS Form 7001. We get asked about this form often and it is actually our most-searched item once people arrive on our website.
