How do I bring my dog or cat?

Bringing a pet from the UK to the USA is far simpler than to many countries. Because the UK counts as low risk for dog rabies, a healthy dog needs a microchip, to be at least 6 months old and one free online form. Cats have no federal rabies paperwork at all.

How it works for dogs

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US public health agency) changed the rules for all dogs entering the US on 1 August 2024. Dogs that have only been in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries, like the UK, in the past 6 months need:

• To be at least 6 months old when they arrive
• A microchip that a universal scanner can read. It can be any brand
• To look healthy on arrival
• A receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form, shown to the airline before boarding and to CBP (US Customs and Border Protection) on arrival

The form is filled in by the person bringing the dog. It asks for your passport number, the US address where the dog will live, the dog’s details and microchip number, a photo showing its face and body, and whether it has been in any high-risk country in the last 6 months. It doesn’t need a vet’s signature and there is no charge. The CDC emails a receipt, which you can print or show on your phone. Fill in one form for each dog.

For dogs coming from low-risk countries, the CDC says the receipt is valid for 6 months and for more than one entry, as long as you leave from the same country. If you travel from a different country, fill in a new form. Check the expiry date on your receipt. Dogs from low-risk countries can arrive at any airport, seaport or land border.

How it works for cats

The CDC doesn’t ask for proof of rabies vaccination for cats, though it recommends it. Cats must look healthy and can be inspected when they arrive. If a cat seems ill, a vet may need to examine it, at your cost, before it can enter. The CDC doesn’t require a general health certificate, but some states and airlines do.

UK paperwork

GOV.UK says the export health certificate for dogs going to the USA (certificate 8860) has only been needed for certain states, such as Massachusetts, since 1 August 2024. Massachusetts also has its own certificate for cats (8696). In England, Scotland and Wales you apply through an online export application. Check your destination state and your airline before you book a vet visit.

State and local rules

Many states have rabies vaccination rules for dogs and cats, even though the federal government doesn’t check them at the border. Hawaii is rabies-free and has its own import law for all dogs and cats, even from the US mainland. Hawaii lists the British Isles, with Australia, Guam and New Zealand, as areas exempted from its rabies quarantine, with their own checklist. There are still steps to complete, so start months ahead.

Flying your pet

Airlines set their own rules on crates, breeds and temperatures, and they change often. For example, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines stopped carrying certain snub-nosed (brachycephalic) dog and cat breeds in the hold from 1 October 2026. Many pets from the UK fly as cargo through a pet transport agent. Agents also handle the crate, timing and collection at the US airport. A pet transport firm says a wrongly sized crate is a common reason pets are turned away at the airport.

What it costs

There is no CDC fee for the Dog Import Form. The main costs are the flight, the crate, vet visits and the agent. One pet transport firm puts a typical UK to USA move at $2,000 to $6,000 or more (about £1,500 to £4,500), with larger dogs at the top end. Estimate Get quotes from two or three agents.

Before you go

• Ask your UK vet to check the microchip can be read, and to give you full vaccination records
• Take a clear photo of your dog showing its face and body for the CDC form
• Don’t pack pet food. CBP says many products containing meat can’t be brought in; buy food when you arrive
• Older or anxious animals: talk to your vet about the long flight before you commit

Moving back later? See Taking your pet back to the UK.