It’s one of the most common questions we hear from pet owners who are planning a move or a trip abroad:
“Do cats and dogs need passports?”
The short answer is sometimes, but the longer answer depends on where you’re going, where you’re coming from, and how your pet is traveling. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of confusion around the idea of a “pet passport,” largely because the term means different things in different parts of the world. Let’s break it down in plain language.
What People Mean When They Say “Pet Passport”
When most people ask about a pet passport, they’re not talking about a tiny blue booklet issued at a government office. What they’re really asking is: What paperwork does my dog or cat need to travel internationally?
In practice, a pet passport is a collection of official documents that identify your pet and prove they meet a destination country’s health and vaccination requirements. In some regions, most notably the European Union, this documentation is literally issued as a document called a pet passport. In other places, such as Canada, the same information exists, just in a different format.
We’ve worked with many customers who were surprised to learn that the paperwork they needed wasn’t called a passport at all, even though it served the same purpose.
Do Dogs Need Passports?
For domestic travel, the answer is simple: no. Dogs do not need passports to travel within the same country, whether by car or on a domestic flight. International travel is where things change. When a dog travels internationally, most countries require official health documentation that functions very much like a passport. This typically includes proof of microchipping, rabies vaccination, and a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian. Some destinations require additional testing or treatments as well.
We often hear questions like:
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“Can dogs have passports?”
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“Do dogs have to have passports?”
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“Does my dog need a passport for international travel?”
What we’ve seen is that dogs don’t need passports by name everywhere, but they almost always need passport-style documentation to cross borders.
What About Cats?
Cats follow essentially the same rules as dogs. Cats don’t need passports for domestic travel, but international travel almost always requires official documentation. In the EU, cats use the same pet passport system as dogs. In other countries, cats need veterinary certificates and government-endorsed paperwork instead.
Many cat owners are surprised by this. We’ve had customers assume cats face fewer restrictions than dogs, only to discover that the requirements are just as strict, sometimes even more so, depending on the destination.
Do Pets Need Passports for International Travel?
In real-world terms, yes, most pets need passport-equivalent documentation for international travel. The exact format varies, but the underlying requirements are consistent across most countries. Pets usually need to be properly identified, vaccinated, and cleared by a veterinarian shortly before travel. In some cases, government agencies must review and endorse the paperwork. This is why searches like “do animals need passports” or “pet passport for international travel” are so common. The rules aren’t intuitive, and they’re not the same everywhere.
How Do You Get a Pet Passport?
One thing we always caution people about is online ads promising instant or downloadable pet passports. There is no universal online application for a legitimate pet passport. In practice, the process almost always starts with a licensed veterinarian, who:
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Confirms microchip information
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Reviews vaccination history
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Performs a health exam
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Issues the appropriate health certificate or passport documentation
Depending on the destination, that paperwork may then need to be endorsed by a government authority. Where you “get” a pet passport depends entirely on the destination country’s rules, not on a single form or website. For more information, see our pet moving checklist.
How Much Does a Pet Passport Cost?
This is another area where expectations don’t always match reality. There isn’t a fixed price for a pet passport because you’re really paying for services, not a document. Costs can include veterinary exams, vaccinations, microchipping, laboratory tests, and government endorsement fees. We’ve seen costs range from a couple hundred dollars for straightforward trips to significantly more for complex international moves. Timing plays a big role here. Last-minute travel often means higher costs due to expedited services or repeat appointments.
What About Air Travel?
Airlines don’t issue pet passports themselves, but they do enforce destination country requirements.
For domestic flights, airlines usually require a health certificate or airline-specific paperwork. For international flights, airlines rely on official pet travel documentation, and they will deny boarding if anything is missing or incorrect. We’ve seen cases where pets were fully booked and ready to travel, only to be stopped at the airport because one document had expired by a matter of days.
Common Pet Passport Misunderstandings
Over time, a few pet travel misconceptions come up again and again.
Some people believe small pets don’t need paperwork. Others assume once a pet has traveled internationally, they’re cleared forever. We’ve also seen people buy unofficial “pet passports” online, only to find out they’re meaningless at the airport. In reality, pet travel documentation is destination-specific and time-sensitive. What worked once may not work again.
So, Does Your Pet Need a Passport?
Here’s the clearest way we can put it: Cats and dogs do not need passports for domestic travel. For international travel, they almost always need official documentation that functions like a passport, even if it’s not called one. What matters isn’t the label on the document, it’s whether your pet meets the entry requirements of the country you’re traveling to.
Finalizing Your Pet Travel Plans
We’ve seen many pet owners start with a simple question about passports and quickly realize that international pet travel involves far more than a single document. Between destination rules, veterinary timelines, airline requirements, and government endorsements, the process can feel overwhelming, especially when dates are fixed and mistakes are costly. That’s where having experienced guidance can make all the difference. Our pet travel team works with pet owners every day to navigate international pet travel requirements, helping ensure cats and dogs have the correct documentation, meet entry regulations, and travel as safely and smoothly as possible. When your pet’s journey matters as much as your own, having a knowledgeable partner can bring real peace of mind.
Contact our team to discuss the details of your trip, and we’ll provide a free estimate. Fill out our price quote form to get started!
