Pet Travel

Pet Travel

At Santa Monica Pet Medical Center, we want your travel plans to be as smooth as possible.

We offer health certificates or Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for all continental US states, Hawaii* and Puerto Rico. All states have different requirements for bringing your pets into them.

State requirements

You can check the requirements of the state you are traveling to on the APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) website or by following this link: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel. This website allows you to select your travel destination from a drop-down menu and view the requirements.

Airline Requirements

Prior to flying, it is key to check with your airline for their requirements regarding pet transport. Some airlines may require a CVI and additional forms specific to them. PLEASE NOTE: Some airlines may not require a CVI while the state you are flying to does.

CVI

All CVIs for continental US, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico must be scheduled as an exam with a veterinarian. We have 2 doctors currently with us that are licensed to issue health certificates: Dr. Hillebrand and Dr. O’Donnell. The certificate states that the pet has been examined by a licensed by a licensed veterinarian and is deemed healthy to travel.

The state of Hawaii has very specific and strict import requirements. Please see below for a brief overview of these specifications.

FAVN Rabies Antibody Test – the results of this test can take up to 12 weeks to return.

-After passing the antibody test, there is a 30-day waiting period before a pet can land in Hawaii.
- The FAVN is valid for 36 months.

Rabies vaccinations – Pet must have received AT LEAST 2 rabies vaccinations in its life and be up to date.
- If rabies vaccination is due, it must be done AT LEAST 30 days prior to arrival in Hawaii as well as 30 days prior to drawing blood for the FAVN.

CVI (Certificate of Veterinary Inspection)
- Pet must be seen for a full examination with a veterinarian and issued the CVI no more than 14 days prior to arrival in Hawaii.

International Travel

Currently, we do not handle and international travel. However, listed below are some local veterinarians that do.

GreenTree Veterinary Services
(424) 253-4140
https://www.greentree.vet/

Beverly Hills Small Animal Hospital
(310) 276-7113
https://bhsah.com/

VCA Animal Medical Center of Southern California
(310) 575-5656
https://vcahospitals.com/animal-medical-center-southern-california

An additional option to help with traveling internationally with pets; is working with a pet transport company. They handle all the necessary paperwork as well as any vet visits that may be needed prior to travel. Listed below are a couple transport companies that may be of use.

Pacific Pet Transport
(310) 318-5702
https://www.pacpet.com/

IPATA – This is an association that provides information of local shippers.
(903) 769-2267
https://www.ipata.org/find-ipata-pet-shippers