EC 998 Sign-off

First off, I just wanted to thank everyone for their helpful answers.  I've done a lot of reading on this message board, and it has been very helpful.

I'm planning to move to the UK at the end of November.  I know that the EC 998 is good for 4 months after it's been signed, but is that by my vet or the USDA vet?  The reason I ask is that I have to bring my dog in for a vet visit this weekend, and I was wondering if I could just collect the paperwork and have my vet sign the EC 998 now, and then send it to the UDSA vet in a few months.

Also, from my vet, I will just need the rabies vaccine certificate (including microchip #) and the original rabies titer results (the one with the sticker), correct?  The Defra website factsheet link isn't working at the moment.

As I'm sure you all know, this is a very stressful process (not even including getting my own visa!) so thanks in advance for your help.

The 4 month timeline is for the USDA vet. They should stamp it with a date when they sign it, and it's valid for 4 months after that date.

From your vet, you will need: proof of the date the microchipping was done, rabies certificate (including microchip #), signature on the EC 998 form for signoff on the bloodwork, and original titer results. When you're ready to travel you'll also need them to sign off on the tick/tapeworm part of the EC 998 form, and your airline may require other documentation (mine required a health certificate stating they were fit to fly).

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the quick response!

My dog was actually microchipped at a microchipping event to raise money for a rescue group a back in 2005, so I don't have any vet record of it.  All they gave me was a blank certificate with his microchip # on it.  I was able to get a verficiation letter from Avid (the company that makes his microchip) with all his info on it and it states that he has been a member since December 2005.  Will that suffice?  If not, what other documentation can I get?

That is ok.  I didnt have any proof that the microchipping had been done on a specific date.  The important thing is that the microchip was done before the vaccination.  Just ask your vet to include his microchip number on all his records and you will be fine.  I also read that someone got a letter from their vet stating that the microchip was in place and scanned before the vaccination was completed.  Probably overkill, but it cant hurt, really.

That should be fine. My USDA vet said I needed to bring documentation with the date on it, and I did, and then he never looked at it. You may want to call your USDA vet to be sure, though.