Many countries have the same requirements regarding rabies vaccinations and what needs to be on the vaccination certificate.
Rabies Vaccination:
Most countries, including all of the EU, UK, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, UAE, and Australia, require the microchip to be implanted BEFORE a valid rabies vaccination. In general, vaccinations prior to the microchip will not be considered valid for your pet's travels.
Cats and dogs must be at least 12 weeks old at the time of their primary (first) rabies vaccination.
The vet must follow the vaccine manufacturer's guidelines regarding revaccination. In general, a booster vaccine is required within 1 year of the primary vaccination to be kept up to date. Following the first booster, the 3-year vaccinations are then valid for 3 years.
The following countries will only accept a rabies vaccination that is under 1 year old at the time of travel: UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, UAE, and the EU.
Many countries have a waiting period after the rabies vaccination before pets can get a rabies titer blood test or before they are allowed to enter the country.
It's important to make sure your pet's rabies vaccination does not lapse or expire. In some cases, if the vaccination expires before getting a new one then the previous vaccine will not be considered valid and you might have to restart the pet import process.
What needs to be on the actual rabies vaccination certificate?
The following details must be noted on your pet's vaccination certificate:
- Pet owner name (matching their passport)
- Pet owner address
- Microchip number(s) [if your pet has more than one microchip, all must be listed]
- Name
- Breed
- Color
- Age / Date of birth
- Weight
- Sex (male neutered/intact or female spayed/intact)
- Date vaccine given
- Date vaccine expires
- Serial or lot # of the vaccine
- Lot expiration of the vaccine
- Full Vaccine Manufacturer Name (abbreviations are not accepted)
- Full Vaccine Product Name (abbreviations are not accepted)
- Veterinarian's Name
- Original ink signature of the veterinarian
- Vet's license number
The ORIGINAL signed rabies vaccination certificate must travel with your pet on their day of departure.
Example of an acceptable rabies certificate:
