3rd Country Certificate/Aphis Form 7001

Hope I'm not getting too annoying with all my questions, but I'm just making a checklist before I go to the vet next week.
Regarding the 3rd Country Certificate and Aphis Form 7001....do both of these forms have to be dated no more than 10 days before leaving?  If so...I should just tell the vet to date them 10 days before I leave?  Thanks

Also, which vet signs the "OFFICIAL VET/OR VET AUTHORISED BY THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY" part (non-eu 3rd country)?  I don't see a place on the 3rd country certificate for both to sign..??

Also...for the non-eu 3rd country certificate.  I know I need to print it out online, but is there a certain way it needs to be presented? Single pages, double pages, etc..??

Thanks

I'm assuming by Non-EU 3rd country certificate, you're referring to the Regulation (EC) No. 998/2003 form that says on the top "Veterinary Certificate for Domestic dogs, cats, and ferrets entering the European Community and Norway for Non-Commercial Movements?"  If this is the form you are asking about, it doesn't matter how many pages it prints on.  Mine is printed on 3 pages.

Anyway, also that form you can't have the section OFFICIAL VET/OR VET AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY, I'm not sure it matters when it's signed, but it needs to be sent to the USDA for stamps and a signature, so I just waited to have it signed until 10 days prior to my trip.  Parts I-V can be filled out before hand because it's all the identifying information.  The OFFICIAL VET/OR VET AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY section is signed by your local vet and the next section Endorsement by the Competent Authority... is signed by the USDA of your state.  And the final two sections (Tick and Echinococcus treatments) are filled in later 24 hours before you depart.

Now the Aphis form 7001 definitely cannot be signed until 10 days prior either because it's only valid for 10 days when you are travelling internationally.  That form you also send to your state's USDA and they sign and stamp it.

Hope my explanations weren't too confusing 

Okay, this is all good to know.  I had the Aphis 7001 form filled out and signed by the vet in February. I guess I'd better have her fill it out again closer to the time we leave! I suppose she can fill it out when we take our cat in to be ticked and wormed, right?  No, that wouldn't work because we have to send it to the USDA vet before that. (Thinking out loud here.) It's all kind of a tight squeeze, isn't it?

It does end up being a tight squeeze.  My suggestion--Fed Ex (or another overnight, trackable method) your documents to and from the USDA.  I got mine filled out on day 10 before travel and had it back by day 8 before travel.  What a relief it was to have it all back in my hands.  Those documents (and all the work put into it) aren't cheap!  Also, do you know you have to send ALL your documents to the USDA?--your rabbies health certificate, the Aphis form, and the 3rd Country Cert.

Yes, I had them all in an envelope ready to send off when the 10-day window arrives, but now I've made a note to get the 7001 form filled out again by the vet first. Once the document comes back from the USDA office, does that mean you're approved and ready to go--aside from the tick and worm check? It would be a relief to know we were all set. My biggest fear is getting a last minute surprise at the airport: some minor detail we overlooked.

Those documents (and all the work put into it) aren't cheap! 

How much are they?

Yes, I had them all in an envelope ready to send off when the 10-day window arrives, but now I've made a note to get the 7001 form filled out again by the vet first. Once the document comes back from the USDA office, does that mean you're approved and ready to go--aside from the tick and worm check? It would be a relief to know we were all set. My biggest fear is getting a last minute surprise at the airport: some minor detail we overlooked.

No approval is guaranteed until they release your animal over here in the UK.  But if you have all your documents and did everything in order according to the DEFRA site, then you should be fine.  I definitely breathed easier once my paperwork was in hand, but of course got all nerved up again as I was waiting at the Animal Reception Center in London!

How much are they?

I paid $76 to the Virginia USDA for them to sign and stamp everything, but other states may have different charges.  And who knows how much I spent everytime I went to the vet to get something done...I'd be afraid to try to add it up    And then about $700 in airline (both Dulles and Heathrow) fees.  It wasn't cheap, but I wasn't leaving my baby behind

I paid $76 to the Virginia USDA for them to sign and stamp everything, but other states may have different charges.  And who knows how much I spent everytime I went to the vet to get something done...I'd be afraid to try to add it up    And then about $700 in airline (both Dulles and Heathrow) fees.  It wasn't cheap, but I wasn't leaving my baby behind

Six weeks ago in SF it was only $27 for USDA to sign off.

Six weeks ago in SF it was only $27 for USDA to sign off.

Everything's expensive in Virginia!  You'd think it was London

Six weeks ago in SF it was only $27 for USDA to sign off.

Wow, you got off easy then!  It's $76 for the UK and $24 for other nations. 
http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/34589.htm

Anyway, also that form you can't have the section OFFICIAL VET/OR VET AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY, I'm not sure it matters when it's signed, but it needs to be sent to the USDA for stamps and a signature, so I just waited to have it signed until 10 days prior to my trip.  Parts I-V can be filled out before hand because it's all the identifying information.  The OFFICIAL VET/OR VET AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY section is signed by your local vet and the next section Endorsement by the Competent Authority... is signed by the USDA of your state.  And the final two sections (Tick and Echinococcus treatments) are filled in later 24 hours before you depart.

Okay, the place where your local vet signs the Non-EU certificate, it mentions sign, stamp & date.  Is my vet supposed to stamp this?  Did yours??

Okay, the place where your local vet signs the Non-EU certificate, it mentions sign, stamp & date.  Is my vet supposed to stamp this?  Did yours??

I had my vet use their official seal (like a notary seal) although I don't think that was required.  They also stamped their address in.  When I got my paperwork back from the USDA, they had stamped every page with a big red state seal, as well.

Thank you for posting the prices.