Instructions for USDA-accredited Veterinarians Completing the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination Form

Overview

The Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination (For Live Dog Re-Entry into the United States) form is required for the importation (re-entry) of U.S.-vaccinated dogs that have been in countries with high risk of dog-maintained rabies virus variants (DMRVV high-risk countries) within 6 months before re-entry into the United States.

If a dog was issued a USDA-endorsed export health certificate no later than July 31, 2025, that certificate can be used in place of the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form for re-entry to the United States as long as it:

• Was digitally endorsed by USDA,
• Includes the dog's age (at least 6 months),
• Includes the dog's microchip number, and
• Includes the dog's current and valid (not expired) U.S.-issued rabies vaccination information.

Either certificate may be used for multiple re-entries until the vaccination listed on the certificate expires (1 or 3 years). The rabies vaccination must have been administered after the dog's microchip was inserted. Export health certificates issued after July 31, 2025 cannot be used for re-entry to the United States.

The Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form may also be used by those re-entering the United States with dogs that have been only in DMRVV-free and low-risk countries in the previous 6 months. Please note the use of this form is not required for these dogs.

Instructions for completing the form

This form is valid for one dog only.

This form can be used for multiple re-entries into the United States as long as the rabies vaccination is valid (not expired).

Form requirements

For the form to be considered valid, all the following requirements must be met:

1. The dog must have been vaccinated in the United States using a USDA-licensed rabies vaccine.
   
2. The form must be completed by the USDA-accredited veterinarian that vaccinated the dog in the United States. In the event the USDA-accredited veterinarian that vaccinated the dog is unavailable or if the veterinarian is not a USDA-accredited veterinarian, a USDA-accredited veterinarian may certify the form if:
   1. A valid, in-person, veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) as defined by the American Veterinary Medical Association exists with at least one veterinarian currently in the practice in which the USDA-accredited veterinarian practices medicine; and
   2. The dog's information (breed, sex, age, microchip) and vaccination history can be verified using the practice's existing medical records. Vaccinations administered at other clinics may be added to the practice's medical records if all required information (including microchip) is contained on those records.
3. The form must be completed at least 28 days after the dog's initial rabies vaccine administration or 28 days after booster vaccine administration if the dog's previous rabies vaccination had expired prior to receiving the booster.
4. The veterinarian must submit the form to USDA for endorsement before the dog departs the United States. The form must be endorsed by USDA before it can be used for the dog to re-enter the United States.

Rabies vaccine requirements

Dogs must receive their initial rabies vaccination on or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age or in accordance with manufacturer recommendations if licensed for use in older dogs (i.e., 16 weeks of age or older). Vaccines administered prior to 12 weeks of age will not be accepted, regardless of manufacturer product licensing. The initial rabies vaccine must be administered at least 28 days before a USDA-accredited veterinarian may issue this form.

Vaccines will be considered valid for a period of 1 or 3 years depending on manufacturer guidelines. Booster vaccines are considered immediately valid in dogs over 15 months of age provided the dog has received at least 1 previous rabies vaccine administered on or after 12 weeks of age. If there is a lapse in vaccination coverage, the next vaccination will be considered an initial vaccination valid for 1 year, which must be administered at least 28 days before this form may be issued.

If a dog received previous rabies vaccines but did not have a microchip at the time of vaccination:

1. The veterinarian must microchip the dog and administer a 1-year rabies vaccine.
   1. Rabies vaccinations administered prior to the microchip implantation date are invalid because they cannot be verified.
2. Future rabies vaccinations may be valid for 3 years, but the initial vaccine administered after microchip implantation is only valid for 1 year.
3. Do not enter any rabies vaccination information in the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) for vaccines administered prior to the microchip implantation date.
4. The rabies vaccine must be given at least 28 days prior to issuance of this form (the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form).

Requirement for USDA endorsement

The USDA-accredited veterinarian must submit this form electronically to USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) for endorsement via the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS system). CDC will only accept digital USDA APHIS VS endorsement through VEHCS.

The veterinarian must submit the form to USDA for endorsement before the dog departs the United States. The form must be endorsed by USDA before it can be used for the dog to re-enter the United States.

There will be a VS User Fee associated with endorsement of the certificate; certificates will not be processed until payment is received.

VEHCS instructions

To complete the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form in VEHCS:

• Select "New Certificate"
• Destination Country: Choose United States
• Commodity Type: Dogs
• Intended Use: Pet
• Type of Admission: Choose a value from the dropdown

In the form, enter the following information:

Place of origin

List the name, address, and phone number of the consignor (shipper) of the dog. List physical address. P.O. boxes are not permitted.

Inspection date

Enter date that the USDA-accredited veterinarian examined the dog.

If the USDA-accredited veterinarian did not examine the dog, then enter the date the dog was last examined by a veterinarian in the clinic based on the clinic's existing medical records.

Consignor

Select "add" to enter the name, address, phone number and email address of the consignor (shipper) of the dog a second time.

List physical address. P.O. boxes are not permitted.

If the consignor lives overseas, you should list the foreign home address in this section.

Select “Save & Back.” Select the consignor from the consignor drop-down list.

Consignee

Select "add" to enter the name, U.S. address, U.S. phone number and email address of the consignee (owner) of the dog. This individual may also be the consignor.

List physical U.S. address where dog will be located upon return to the United States. P.O. Boxes are not permitted.

Select “Save & Back.” Select the consignee from the consignee drop-down list.

U.S. port of departure

List intended port of re-entry when arriving back in the United States.

Estimated date of shipment

Enter estimated date of travel out of the United States.

Means of transport

Choose the expected means of transport when arriving back in the United States

Number of containers

Leave blank

Container description

Leave blank

Identification/seal numbers

Leave blank

Description of commodity

Enter 1 for number of rows.

Enter name of dog, microchip number^*, microchip implant date^±, breed, date of birth, sex, and color of dog.

^*Microchip is required for re-entry into the United States. The microchip must be implanted on or before the date of the most recent rabies. Rabies vaccines administered prior to the microchip implantation date are invalid.

^±If the implant date is unknown, input the earliest date when the microchip is documented in the dog's medical or vaccination records.

Total quantity

Enter 1

Certification statements

Read and verify all the statements before certifying the form. The form may be completed either based on direct examination of the animal or based on official medical records maintained by the vaccinating clinic in the United States.

Enter the estimated date of return. USDA-accredited veterinarians are not certifying the estimated date of return as the date of return may change and this form can be used for multiple entries as long as the rabies vaccine is valid (not expired). Please inform the owner the date of return must be before the expiration date of the dog's current rabies vaccination information listed on this form or this form will be invalid for re-entry.

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Certification Table: Reminder to save your data periodically, especially when entering a large number of rows. Note: This certificate is valid for ONE dog only. Every dog must have their own Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination Form. Include all rabies vaccines the dog has received in the previous 3 years. If the dog has received more than 5 vaccines in the past 3 years, input the 5 most recent rabies vaccines. Instructions to generate additional test/treatment information rows: To enter commodity information, enter the number of rows to generate and click the 'Generate Rows' button. You can also select default data before clicking the 'Generate Rows' button. If you need to add more rows after generating the table, enter the additional number in Number of Rows and click the 'Generate Rows' button. The rows will appear at the end of the existing table. Previously entered data will not be lost. Number of Rows: Note: You may only add 100 rows at a time. Fields for Default Product Name, Default Manufacturer, Default Lot Number, Default Product Expiration Date, Default Date of Vaccination, and Default Date Next Vaccination is Due are provided. Below that section is the rabies vaccine information section which includes fields for row, product name, manufacturer, lot number, product expiration date, date of vaccination, and date next vaccination is due. All dates are in mm/dd/yyyy format.

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Rabies vaccine information

Veterinarians may include all U.S.-issued rabies vaccines the dog has received in the previous 3 years after the microchip was implanted (if the vaccination history can be verified using the practice's existing medical records). If the dog has received more than 5 vaccines in the past 3 years, input the 5 most recent rabies vaccines.

Enter product name, vaccine manufacturer, lot number, vaccine product expiration date, date the rabies vaccine was administered, and date the next rabies vaccine is due.

For each row of vaccine data, each column must be completed, or the document will be invalid. If the vaccine product expiration date for the most recent vaccination is unknown, CDC will not accept the vaccine record, and the dog must be revaccinated prior to leaving the United States.

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Screenshot of the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) interface. A step-by-step guide outlines required certifications that must be selected by accredited veterinarians before submitting the health certificate to the USDA. Text: The certificate must include the following certifications. Support staff may enter dates, test names and other details to complete the certification statements if applicable. Only accredited veterinarians may select the certification statements. Select all that apply.

Important: All certification statements must be selected before submitting the health certificate to USDA. Please review the guidelines at USDA IREGS before certifying.

The certification statements include:

1. I certify that I have verified the presence of an ISO-compliant microchip and the microchip listed on this form is true and correct, and matches the information in the official medical records.
2. I certify for the animal listed above and that age, breed, sex, and description of the animal is true and correct, and matches the information documented on the rabies vaccination certificate and in the official medical records.
3. I certify based on either having personally administered or supervised the administration of the vaccine or booster, or upon review of medical records maintained within the veterinary clinic in which I practice medicine, that the animal identified above was vaccinated against rabies within the United States, using a USDA-licensed rabies vaccine on the date listed above.
4. I certify based on either having personally administered or supervised the administration of the vaccine or booster, or upon review of medical records maintained within the veterinary clinic in which I practice medicine, that: (1) the initial rabies vaccine was administered on or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age; or (2) the rabies booster vaccine was administered on or after 60 weeks (15 months) of age and the owner had proof of previous rabies vaccination that was administered on or after 12 weeks (84 days) of age.
5. I certify that I have accurately recorded the animal's complete rabies vaccination history for the past 3 years on this form to the best of my knowledge and belief and based on official medical records.
6. I certify that I am licensed to practice veterinary medicine in at least one U.S. state and maintain a valid USDA Category I or II National Veterinary Accreditation.
7. I hereby certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the information submitted herein is complete and accurate and that any false statement made in connection with this certification may subject me to criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. 1001.
8. The estimated date of return (re-entry into the U.S.) for this dog is mm/dd/yyyy.

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A U.S.-issued rabies vaccination certificate must be uploaded into VEHCS for each vaccine entered into the form. Certificates should be uploaded at the attachments page.

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Attachments can be added to your submission. Examples of attachments include import permits, lab results, rabies certificates, etc. There is a 20 megabyte total for all attachments with a 10 megabyte limit per attachment and a 300 kilobyte limit per image. File names can ONLY contain letters, numbers, spaces, underscores and dashes. No other symbols or special characters. Long file names will be truncated to 40 characters (including the file extension). Date fields for List of Attachments include: File Name, Description, Statement Attachment, Date Added. Options: Add Attachment, Previous, Save as Work in Progress, Next.

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Additional information

On the Summary/Submit page in the additional information field, list all the countries dog is expected to travel to during its time outside the United States. If the dog has more than one microchip, you can enter the additional microchip information and implant date here.