EC998 form

OK... I think I was confuse about something and need some clarification.  I thought that my EC998 form needed to be filled out by my vet and that was that.  But I was just looking though old posts and it seems like maybe I fill out this form and then send it to the USDA office and they send it back?   I thought the point of having a USDA accredited vet was so that they could fill out the form (?) 

TIA for any clarification.

The information I was told by a vet transport specialist I initially hired, is that yes, your own personal vet who prepares your pet and fills out your forms need to be on the USDA list of accredited veterinarians  but yes you do also have to send the 998 to the actual USDA office governing your region, to get it signed and stamped by them, yes.

OK, now I just saw this on the defra site:
Make sure the vet completes sections I to V of the certificate correctly and all the details in the following box. If the vet is not a government-authorised veterinarian, the certificate must also be dated and stamped by a vet authorised by the competent authority.

So if my vet is USDA accredited, does it need to be sent to the USDA office?

ETA:  I just called the USDA and they verified what Midnight Blue said - in case anyone else is confused, the vet fills it out, then you have to fax everything to the USDA office and they check it all and then will notify you when they are ready to stamp them.  The woman I spoke to said that you can make an appointment and bring everything to the office or do it by mail.  She also said that they will stamp the tick/tapeworm section of the EC998 form in advance so that you dont have to go though more stamping in those last 24-48 hours before the big move.

OK, now I just saw this on the defra site:
Make sure the vet completes sections I to V of the certificate correctly and all the details in the following box. If the vet is not a government-authorised veterinarian, the certificate must also be dated and stamped by a vet authorised by the competent authority.

So if my vet is USDA accredited, does it need to be sent to the USDA office?

Yes.

It still needs to ultimately be sent for approval by the USDA office because they are the ones who look it over, see that YOUR vet is indeed okayed by them, see that all your pets paperwork and dates are in order, then signs off on the whole deal.

So in effect you have to have the TWO "usda vets" on the case, the one who deals with it hands on, and the major guy who signs off on it.

It goes like this:
Your own, personal vet who is hands-on dealing with your pet and your forms, yes, he or she must be USDA accredited. Some vets are on their list, some are not.

Now, even though your vet is "USDA accredited" he or she is not the one who actually does the final, grand, be-all-and-end-all signing off of your Form EU998.

He must fill it all out, but the final step is always that it must then be sent to the actual USDA headquarters. There, they have in attendance another "USDA vet" but this one isn't messing around with people's dogs and cats -- this one sits in the office literally looking at and then signing and stamping these things then mailing them back to you, the pet owner.

It is this "grand poobah" USDA vet at the headquarters of your region whose signature and embossed stamp on your form is the Holy Grail of your pet being allowed entry into the UK.

It's HE who has to look over the form your vet filled out, and approve of the fact that your vet is on his list of vets accredited at his office. That's why your own vet also has to be accredited in the first place. But the head guy is the ultimate authority -- this is the long way of saying, yes it ALWAYS has to ultimately be sent to the actual USDA vet in his office to be signed off on.

Thank you thank you.  Just another step.... *sigh*

You're welcome, and don't worry, think of these steps as bringing you closer and closer to it all being successfully over! 

I have a question regarding the EC 998, and I know that it can be quickly answered.  I am 9 days away from moving to England, and I have not yet had the USDA vet sign the EC 998.  I called the USDA sometime back to make an appointment to get this signed, and they said just to wait until I am ready for them to sign the International Health Certificate because it is a cost savings if they sign all of the documents at one time.  I have an appointment with the USDA this Monday.

My personal vet is confused about what location she needs to sign before the USDA certified vet signs it. My vet told me that all she has to sign and stamp is the area for Tick/Tapeworm.   I told her the she also needs to sign, date and stamp the box for the "Official Veterinarian Authorized by the Competent Authority".
The USDA Certified vet will then be the competent authority endorsing the paperwork. 

Is this correct ?  TIA

The USDA vet will sign the top box on the back of the paper.. I cant remember exactly what it says at the mo, but take a look here, it may help - http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=53014.0

Thanks Mirrajay
I thought that the USDA vet signed on the top of the second page, and then my vet signed in the other areas (even above the USDA endorsement)
She confused me when she said that all she signed was the tick/tapeworm part.  She said that she has done several of these before, and what she told me was different then how I understood it to be.  
I told my vet that I would look into it, and she said that she would sign it before the tick/tapeworm if required.  I will just take it back to her today.  I also have to call the USDA vet as I have a question on the health certs, so I will clarify with them as well

As frustrating as it is, its important to remember that more than likely, your vet doesnt have a clue what she is doing

As frustrating as it is, its important to remember that more than likely, your vet doesnt have a clue what she is doing

Oh....I totally agree with you.  If it was not for all of you on this board, the USDA and DEFRA, I would probably have these papers incorrectly filled out, or not have everything that I needed.