Bringing a pet to Spain from the US or Canada

Key rules

• Health certificate: Your pet needs an EU health certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS in the US or CFIA in Canada.
• Timing: Issue or endorse the certificate no more than 10 days before arrival.
• Rabies blood test: A pet from the US or Canada does not need a titre test.
• Pet ID and vaccine: Your pet needs an ISO microchip and a valid rabies vaccination.

What your pet needs

A dog, cat or ferret from the US or Canada needs an EU health certificate for non-commercial movement of pets. An official or accredited vet completes it, and the national authority then endorses it. You also need an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a signed owner declaration.

You do not need a rabies blood test (titre test). The US and Canada are on the EU's list of accepted origin countries, so this step is skipped.

Get the timing right

The certificate must be issued, or endorsed, no more than 10 days before your pet arrives. The endorsement date must also fall inside that window, so plan the vet visit and the endorsement together. Leave room for courier time if you use paper.

Airlines or Spanish border staff can be stricter than the rule. Ask your airline what it wants before you book the vet.

Who completes and endorses it

From the US: an APHIS-accredited vet completes the certificate. USDA APHIS then endorses it. You can do this online through its export system (VEHCS), or send the paper original by mail or courier with the fee.

From Canada: a CFIA-registered vet completes the certificate. CFIA then endorses it, through its online export system or at a local CFIA office with the paper certificate.

Your regular vet cannot endorse it unless they hold the right accreditation or registration. Ask when you book.

Travelling and after arrival

Carry the endorsed original certificate with your pet to Spain. Once issued, it stays valid for onward travel within the EU for up to 4 months, so you can use it for trips to other EU countries.

The timeline, documents and checklist below walk you through each step.

Timeline and deadlines

• Book an accredited vet in the US or a CFIA-registered vet in Canada to complete the certificate: before you fix the date of the visit, as the certificate must fit the arrival window

• Have the vet complete the health certificate: no more than 10 days before your pet arrives (earliest 10 days before planned arrival; latest on planned arrival)

• Get the certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS in the US or CFIA in Canada: inside the same 10 days before arrival, so allow time for online processing or for couriering a paper original (earliest 10 days before planned arrival; latest on planned arrival)

• Travel to Spain with the endorsed original certificate: on the day of arrival (recommended on planned arrival)

• Use the same certificate for onward travel within the EU: for up to 4 months from the date it was issued

Documents you need

• Bilingual EU health certificate for non-commercial movement of pets, completed by an official or accredited vet and endorsed by USDA APHIS in the US or by CFIA in Canada. The endorsement must fall within the 10-day window before arrival.

• Proof of a valid rabies vaccination for your dog, cat or ferret, in the vaccination record your vet gives you.

• Owner declaration, signed by you, for non-commercial travel with your pet.

Checklist

• Confirm your pet has an ISO microchip and a valid rabies vaccination.

• Find an accredited vet in the US, or a CFIA-registered vet in Canada, to complete the bilingual EU health certificate.

• Sign the owner declaration that goes with the certificate.

• In the US, send the certificate to USDA APHIS for endorsement, through the online system (VEHCS) or by courier or mail, and pay the fee.

• In Canada, have CFIA endorse the certificate through its online export system or at a local CFIA office with the paper original.

• Check that the endorsement date also falls inside the 10-day window before arrival.

• Skip the rabies blood test: a pet from the US or Canada does not need one.

• Carry the endorsed original certificate with you when you travel.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the health certificate to travel on to other EU countries?

Yes, the certificate stays valid for onward travel within the EU for up to 4 months from the date it was issued. The 10-day limit applies only to your arrival in the EU. After that, the 4 months count from issue.

Can my regular vet endorse the health certificate?

No, your vet only completes the certificate, and a government office must then endorse it. In the US, an APHIS-accredited vet completes it and USDA APHIS endorses it.

Does my dog from Canada need a rabies blood test to enter Spain?

No, a pet from the US or Canada does not need a rabies blood (titre) test, because both countries are on the EU list of approved origins. You still need the microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and the endorsed certificate. The blood test applies only to pets from countries not on that list.