International Health Certificate

Yes Brandilynn is correct, there is a field on the APHIS form that is for a USDA endorsement.

I'm remembering now, I actually did not get mine endorsed, as I had my vet do the health check and APHIS form-filling on the same day as the tick and tapeworm treatment -- and everything was still fine with the airline when I showed them all my papers.

Even though this empty spot for a USDA stamp exists on the APHIS form, if an airline is one of those who say they will accept an APHIS but don't need it specifically and will accept a letter from the vet, possibly the USDA stamp doesn't need to be on it. I can't say that for sure except for the fact that mine is blank there and the animal cargo check in staff were fine, didn't even mention it, just looked at my APHIS as a confirmation that my vet gave the go ahead that my cat was healthy enough to fly.

My dog is getting on a plane in t-minus 11 hours.  I will update here if the non-endorsed APHIS 7001 form was ok for BA since that is the airline both I am artist are using.

Out of curiosity, Midnight, what airline did you fly?

It was Continental, in July of last year. I went through some conflicting and confusing pieces of information at the time, from different sources, over the fit to fly document and whether it should be the APHIS or not.

This is one of the confusing things about some parts of this process -- while the DEFRA requirements are pretty solid, the airline side of things and what they require can differ with each respective airline; which is why it's best to try to call them too when it comes to this part.

Okay, now I'm a little confused about this International Health Certificate as well and my cats are flying out TOMORROW and going to the vet today to get their tick and tapeworm treatment as well as the Health Certificate.

My cats are also flying on BA and my original understanding was that the only thing that needed to be endorsed by the USDA was the EU 998 form, and then the Health Cert. is something you get from the vet saying they are healthy enough to fly. And in the guidelines that BA sent me when we booked the flight 2 weeks ago, they don't even say anything about a fitness to fly health certificate.

Guess I will be calling BA today

I will also let you all know what happens..

If you are flying BA, then you will be OK with NOT having the APHIS 7001 form which is the International Health Certificate.  Some airlines may require it, but BA only needs a standard letter from the vet stating that the animals are healthy enough to fly (so I was told by BA when I booked the reservation for my pets).  
You only need the APHIS 7001 for the airline if they request it.  The UK will not see this document, and they will not even care about it

Mirrajay.....I still need to get the EC 998 form endorsed by the USDA.  I called them about 8 weeks back to make an appointment for the EC 998.  They told me to wait until I was within the 10 days of leaving because they would also endorse the APHIS 7001 form at the same time.  I thought that I needed the APHIS 7001 form at that time, and you need to do this form within 10 days of your flight.  The reason why they told me to wait is because they charge $119.00 for each visit (just for paperwork endorsement).  This way I would just have the one visit instead of two.  Now, I know that I do not need the APHIS 7001 form, but I will have the USDA endorse it anyway since I have it.  I have my appointment this Monday.  I am going to the USDA that is located in Richmond, Va.  

One of the main reasons why my APHIS 7001 form was so expensive from my vet is because of the health exams (not because of fees for filling out the forms).  I have three animals, and they charge extra for this type of an exam fee.  I think that I got a bit stiffed on the fees because their normal exam charge is $39.00 an animal, and they certainly did nothing extra with this.  I have not been happy with this vet since we started the quarantine.  They are very nice, but their fees (I feel) have been excessive.  There was nothing complimentary with this.  The vet has seen them at least three times in the last six months, and I feel now that this should have been a free-bee (they know that they are healthy). 
All three animals were due for their vaccinations about 6 weeks ago.  I called the vet, and I could not even slide on the $39.00 exam fee for each with this.  I told them that the exam fees for all these visits were killing me, and that I needed to take them to a vaccination clinic because these fees were just getting out of line.

For anyone reading this in the future: My dog flew in on Saturday and made it here safe and sound with no problems with paperwork.  For the record (as it has been said before): BA does NOT need the APHIS7001 form, but WILL accept it without endorsement as proof of animals health and preparedness to fly.  If your vet does not have this form at the time of their 24-48 hour pre-flight tick and tapework treatment, BA will also accept a letter from your vet stating that they are fit to fly.  There is no need to pay extra for the USDA to endorse the APHIS7001 form.



**please note that this policy may vary by airline

For anyone reading this in the future: My dog flew in on Saturday and made it here safe and sound with no problems with paperwork.  For the record (as it has been said before): BA does NOT need the APHIS7001 form, but WILL accept it without endorsement as proof of animals health and preparedness to fly.  If your vet does not have this form at the time of their 24-48 hour pre-flight tick and tapework treatment, BA will also accept a letter from your vet stating that they are fit to fly.  There is no need to pay extra for the USDA to endorse the APHIS7001 form.



**please note that this policy may vary by airline

Mirrajay, YAY! I'm so pleased to hear that your dog made it smoothly through and all your paperwork was accepted; great news.

Yes, what you have posted confirms my own experience with the fitness to fly paperwork, and a sometimes un-endorsed APHIS form being accepted yet not specifically mandatory by some airlines.

Some airlines appear to demand it and only it, and demand a USDA endorsement of the APHIS too, and some airlines need only a letter or a "certificate" printed up and signed by your vet that the animal is fit to undertake the journey, or will accept the APHIS as fulfilling that function whether endorsed by a USDA stamp or not.

Again, it's advisable to always check with one's airline as this is the kind of thing that can vary widely depending on who you are flying with.

And also to add, yes, DEFRA and the UK, and the staff at the ARCS, don't care nor even get to see the fit-to-fly document, it's only the airlines that want this and have their different requirements about this.

Excellent........I am so gad that your four legged friend made it through.

Yes, it does help to investigate the APHIS 7001 form to see if it is something that one really needs.  I got it thinking that it was required because it has been something that has been mentioned (but DEFRA does not mention it) with all of the necessary paperwork.  I did not know until just this last week that noone really gives a darn about this unless your airline requires it (mine, British Airways did not).  Oh well, live and learn
It was costly because of the health exam fees, but I did not have to pay for the USDA to fill out the APHIS 7001 form as they still needed to endorse my EC 998 form.  My USDA vey charges by the visit, and not by the amount of forms.
I am just glad that all of my paperwork was endorsed without problems.  I am just hoping that all will work out well when I get to the UK this weekend.

I took our 2 Doxies to the USDA-approved vet and she said she needed me to provide the forms for her to fill out before she can begin the process.  Is that true?  She didn't seem very sure of the whole process , but said she had prepared dogs for shipment to Britain in the past. As if this whole moving thing wasn't complicated enough!  Help, please!

My vet didn't have the paperwork, I had to bring it. You'll need the short version of the EC 998 form (2 pages rather than 5), and the FAVN form for the Kansas rabies lab. I also printed out pages from DEFRA's site listing the step-by-step instructions.

Thanks - now I feel more confident!

You're welcome. Keep in mind that, even if a vet has done the export process in the past, it isn't their bread and butter like doing physicals, giving vaccines, etc. would be, so they're not going to be intimately familiar with the process. That's why I brought along the instructions as well, so that everything was extra-clear. (My vet still managed to forget a crucial part of a form, but that's also on me for not insisting on watching while he filled out the form.)

Okay, now I'm a little confused about this International Health Certificate as well and my cats are flying out TOMORROW...

How did it go?  I fly out on Dec 1st from ATL with my 2 dogs.

From what I am gathering I need:
-Letter from vet stating dogs are healthy to fly
-EU998 form (filled out in blue ink)
-Rabies certificate
-Successful Rabies Titer test - certified copy

I've got vet appointment Monday.  Trying to get my facts straight since this is my and my vet's first time at this.

I appreciate any advise or suggestions

Why do you only have a certified copy of the Titer Test results?  From my experience, you need the original form that has the sticker at the bottom. 

Keep in mind that your vet may have the APHIS form, and if he/she does that can be accepted in place of a letter stating fit to fly even if it isnt required. 

Your EC998 form is endorsed by the USDA and all dates are in European date format, right?

Why do you only have a certified copy of the Titer Test results?  From my experience, you need the original form that has the sticker at the bottom. 

Keep in mind that your vet may have the APHIS form, and if he/she does that can be accepted in place of a letter stating fit to fly even if it isnt required. 

Your EC998 form is endorsed by the USDA and all dates are in European date format, right?

The copy has an original sticker at the bottom but you can tell it is a copy of the writing on the page.  There is not a sticker at the top of the page like the one referenced in someone's facebook picture.  Only the sticker at the bottom - is that like your's was?  My vet referred to it as a certified copy - she says they don't get the original copy?

I've got my appointment for them tomorrow.  I will let the vet know the APHIS form is not needed if he writes a letter for me.  I have reminded him already to only use blue ink.  He is sending the letter to the USDA office in Atlanta (about 4 hrs north of here) for endorcement.  I am freaking out since I just realized Thanksgiving is this weekend!  Hoping to keep with my scheduled Dec 1st flight