FAQ: Which Countries Allow You to Travel with Your Dog?

Traveling with a dog seems relatively easy at first glance. If you're driving, just drive; many dogs love car rides and will be excited to go somewhere new. If you're flying, things get a little more complicated – which is why I wrote a whole guide about it – but it's still not much worse than booking an extra ticket on a pet freight service.

There's just one difficulty: there are actually very strict regulations and laws that govern when and where you can take your dog. If you're leaving the United States and heading to another country, and you want to bring your pooch with you, you need to make sure that you're allowed to bring them. Many countries actually restrict bringing dogs from outside the country.

What countries prevent dogs from coming in, what countries have limitations, what are they, and where can you travel freely? Let's talk about it.

Can You Travel Internationally with Your Dog?

Yes and no. For reasons we'll get into later, it's impossible to answer fully generic questions like this. There are 195 countries in the world today, and each and every one of them is allowed to set their own laws about travel. Some don't mention pets at all. Some aren't available for travel. Some put restrictions on pets, and some prohibit pets entirely.

It's also critical to know that coming back to the United States also has specific requirements. Don't neglect this! The last thing you want to do is travel for a trip, thinking you're fine, then find your dog has to be left behind when you come home because of something you forgot. I'll get into more detail about this later.

How Do You Know the Rules of Travel with Your Dog?

In order to know what the rules are for the country you're planning to bring your dog to, you need to do your research into that country. The easiest way to do this is to call the US Embassy for that country and simply ask them what their rules are for bringing a pet into the country. This page has a full list of United States embassies based in Washington D.C., so you can find the country you want to visit on the list, locate their phone information, and give them a call. You may also be able to email them, but a call is faster and likely more reliable.

There are also a variety of online resources meant to aggregate pet travel information and help you prepare.

• The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture country requirement search page.
• BringFido's international pet travel search page with entry requirements, quarantine information, and application information.

Always make sure to double-check this information with the official resources for the country you're visiting; things can change and there's not necessarily a guarantee that these pages are updated quickly enough to help you. Trust them, but verify that they're accurate before you make plans based around their information.

Are Service Dogs Exempt from the Rules for International Travel?

No, not really. Service dogs are given a bit more freedom, and you can often bring them into countries that otherwise prohibit bringing dogs in, but you will still need to follow many of the other rules and regulations, such as obtaining a valid health certificate and ensuring proper vaccinations. You are also usually exempt from the fee for obtaining a health certificate for a service animal.

Note that emotional support animals do not count as service animals in most contexts. This was a common loophole exploited to travel both on airlines and to countries that otherwise didn't support pets, and many countries have pushed back against this exploitation and no longer allow emotional support animals, just true service animals.

Are All Dogs Allowed to Travel Internationally the Same?

No.

As before, this is also very much something that depends on the country. But, some countries have specific prohibitions on specific kinds of dogs. Usually, these are because the dogs are either very large or are stereotypically "aggressive breeds". Yes, I know your adorable pebble would never hurt a fly, but the country you're visiting doesn't, and they don't want to take any chances.

An example is Australia. Australia prohibits bringing in Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, Pitbulls, Pitbull Terriers, and Presa Canarios, as well as any kind of wolfdog hybrids. Colombia prohibits Staffordshire Terriers and Pitbull Terriers. This page has more examples.

Do You Need Additional Information to Travel to Multiple Countries with Your Dog?

Often, yes. If you're traveling to one country and then plan to travel to two or three others before returning home, you will need to make sure you're allowed to bring your dog with you to all of those countries.

Sometimes, the process is easier. The European Union, for example, attempts to codify their rules to be the same across most of Europe; if you are valid to enter, say, Germany, you can travel to France or Belgium or Luxembourg or Finland on the same information. On the other hand, if you're traveling to countries without such reciprocal deals, like India, Australia, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, you will need to follow multiple sets of rules.

There can also be variance depending on how you're entering the country. Flying with a dog might mean passing through customs, while driving across a border may be much easier. Again, do your research ahead of time. The USDA endorsement office listed above can also help with this kind of trip planning.

What Are the Requirements to Return to the US with Your Dog?

Once you've been traveling to another country, bringing your dog back into the US can be potentially tricky. The biggest determining factor is the presence of rabies in the country you've visited. If you've been in a foreign country, learn whether or not that country is high-risk for rabies. If it is, your dog absolutely must be vaccinated against rabies (which is good practice anyway), and you must have a certificate of US-issued rabies vaccination.

There are 111 countries currently on the high-risk countries list, so make sure to view the list here. If you are traveling to any of these countries for any length of time with your dog, you will need to follow the CDC's requirements.

If your dog has visited a high-risk country and is not vaccinated against rabies, you won't be allowed to bring them back into the country. Needless to say, this is extremely high stakes, so make sure to get that vaccination!

What Do You Need to Travel Internationally with Your Dog?

Traveling with your dog to a foreign country is fraught with risk, both for your dog and for the dogs native to that country. Many countries make specific rules about how to bring a dog into the country, largely to avoid the spread of diseases like rabies. To make things smoother, here are some things you should get in order before traveling.

Get a USDA-Endorsed Pet Health Certificate

Many countries that don't outright prohibit bringing pets into the country will require that you bring an accredited and certified pet health certificate with you. This certificate is paperwork that verifies that your pup has been vaccinated and is in good health, as well as a few other details.

Pet health certificates don't need to be USDA-certified, but some countries will require a certified pet health certificate. That means, depending on where you're traveling, you may need to make sure your vet is USDA-accredited in order to get a valid pet health certificate. You definitely don't want to end up in a position where you think you have valid paperwork, but it doesn't count on a technicality.

This is another area where you need to validate what kind of paperwork is necessary for the country you're visiting and make sure you have the right certificate on hand.

Fortunately, most countries just require the paperwork to be valid. You generally don't need to bring your dog in for a dedicated examination before travel. The health certificate will include information on past vaccinations, lab tests, and other details as necessary.

Do note that you may need to pay an additional fee, called an endorsement fee, to make sure your paperwork is valid. If that's the case, make sure you're getting it from an official source, as this is a common area where scammers try to bamboozle you and have you pay for paperwork that isn't valid.

For any questions and for assistance, you can contact the USDA endorsement offices local to you.

Get an ISO-Certified Microchip

Another useful item to get – which may be required in some countries – is an ISO-certified microchip.

You know how the United States uses a particular kind of electrical plug, whereas much of the rest of the world uses a different style? The same goes for a lot of different kinds of technologies. The United States builds and maintains a lot of unique and proprietary technologies and rules, while the rest of the world uses more globalized standards. Those standards are set by the ISO, the International Organization for Standardization.

There are two ISO standards that apply to pet microchips: 11784 and 11785. You need to check the kind of microchip your dog has – if they have one – and get them an ISO-standard microchip. Otherwise, the microchip your dog currently has may not be readable internationally or may not carry the information the international vets expect. If the worst happens and your dog gets lost in a foreign country, you want to make sure they have the information necessary to be reunited with you, no matter where you are.

Get a Valid Application Approval

Depending on the country you're traveling to, you may need to fill out and submit an application to the country to get approval for your dog before you can travel to that country. If the entry requirements for that country require an application, make sure you have it approved before you travel. Often, there's enough of a delay for approvals that you can't fill this out right before traveling.

Not all countries require an application, so make sure to do your research ahead of time.

What Else is Important to Remember When Traveling Internationally with Your Dog?

One important thing I wanted to bring up before we wrap up here is that just because you can bring your dog with you, doesn't mean it's a good idea to do so.

What I mean is that some countries allow you to bring your dog into the country, but you'll have a hard time finding hotels and other adventures you can do with your dog. Bringing them with you doesn't do you any favors if you can't find a place to stay that allows them to be there, and places like national parks, restaurants, and even city centers prohibit them.

For example, some people report that continental Europe is largely dog-friendly, but Scandinavia isn't. Traveling to France or Germany is probably fine, but traveling to Finland or Norway might be much more difficult.

Depending on the reason for your travel and the length of time you'll be spending in the country, it may be better to find a friend or family member who can care for your dog while you're gone rather than trying to bring them with you.

Do you have any questions I didn't cover above? If so, let me know in the comments! I'm not necessarily a universal authority on traveling internationally with fur babies, but I know how to look up the information you're looking for, so I might be able to help. As always, though, contacting the relevant embassy is usually the best idea.

Whatever the reason you're traveling internationally – for a job, for a vacation, for medical tourism, or anything else – it's always best to be safe rather than sorry. Do your research well in advance, lay all of the groundwork, get your paperwork in order, and you'll have the easiest time you possibly can. And don't forget to send pictures of your adventures with your fur baby!