INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE
TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AN IHC EXAM, YOU MUST Read this policy and FILL OUT AN IHC EXAM APPLICATION FORM
International Health Certificate Policy for
Animal Health Care Associates
- International Health Certificates can only be issued by a USDA Veterinarian.
- Appointments for this certificate must be made 6-12 weeks in advance of travel to ensure an available appointment time with the USDA veterinarian within the timeframe prior to travel required by your country of destination.
- It is the responsibility of the pet owner to research the requirements of the destination country’s consulate regarding necessary vaccinations, internal/external parasite control, microchipping, and any other certification or documentation that may be required.
- Many of these requirements will necessitate more than one visit with the doctor.
- If the destination country requires an import permit, please note that you will need a separate appointment and that some lab testing may be necessary and results could take several weeks.
- The client must supply a digital copy of the International Health Certificate for the country they are traveling to with all pertinent information filled out. This information is generally located on the first page of the certificate and requires a destination address, originating address, date of travel, and airport of departure as well as information about the pet, etc. Other pages of the certificate may also require owner information/signatures.
- International Health Certificates will be prepared and submitted by AHC online through the VEHCS portal (Veterinary Export Health Certificate System) to the USDA APHIS Veterinary Medical Officer. The approval process may take up to 24 hours. Once your IHC is finalized, it can be emailed to you.
- Please note that some destination countries DO NOT accept digital endorsement by the USDA APHIS Veterinary Medical Officer (i.e. an emailed copy) and your finalized IHC will need to be physically mailed to you.
- In these cases, the client is responsible for providing a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label via email to AHC at animalhealthcareassoc@gmail.com
- Shipping labels must be addressed to and from your own name and address per the USDA APHIS guidelines
- All documents and required information must be sent via email to us at animalhealthcareassoc@gmail.com
Scheduling & Associated Fees:
*All clients must submit a completed International Health Certificate application for an appointment. This allows us to prepare accordingly for your pet’s exam.
Once we have received your application and have had time to assess the destination country’s requirements, timeline, and your pet’s needs, we will contact you to book your IHC exam.
- Appointments for clients with Pet Passports who do not require an official IHC, tend to be much more straightforward and should only require a 40-minute appointment with the doctor.
- Please NOTE that AHC does NOT have the ability to issue international Pet Passports.
International Passport Examination: $180.00 (this price does not include any additional vaccines, treatments, or tests required)
- Appointments for clients whose pet requires an International Health Certificate are much more labor-intensive and require a lengthy amount of a staff member’s time in preparation, prior to your exam with the doctor.
International Health Certificate Examinations: $300.00 (this price does not include any additional vaccines, treatments, or tests required)
***Please understand that International Health Certificates are an intensive process for all involved and can take months of preparation prior to travel.***
More information can be found on the USDA APHIS Pet Travel website