How to Bring a Dog to Spain: Part 2

We brought our dog to Spain three years ago and haven’t looked back. The process, while nerve wracking, is fairly straightforward.

If you haven’t already, read the first half of this post: How to Bring a Dog to Spain: Part 1. It explains the basics of flying with a dog and our experience with our dog, Clark.

In this post, I’ll get into the nitty gritty of the paperwork you’ll need to fly with a pet from the United States to Spain.

Paperwork

First things first, take a look at the requirements for exporting a pet from the United States to Spain. I checked the USDA website and selected Spain as my destination.

There aren’t too many steps, but they must be followed in order:

Get a microchip
Get a rabies vaccination (plus a 21-day waiting period)
Have an EU Health Certificate completed by a USDA accredited veterinarian
Have the EU Health Certificate endorsed by APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)
Go to Spain!

Step 1: Microchip

It’s imperative that your dog get micro chipped with an ISO compliant chip.

We were told it should be 15 digits long to assure us it was the right one.

Step 2: Rabies Shot

Next, your dog must get his or her rabies vaccine after the microchip is implanted.

That means if your pet had his rabies shot before he got his microchip, he needs another shot (sorry doggie!). Our dog had to get his rabies shot twice that year specifically for this reason.

Additionally, plan to have the shot administered at least 21 days before your trip as there is a 21-day waiting period.

If your dog already had an ISO compliant microchip and has a valid rabies vaccination (that was administered after the microchip), then you do not need to wait 21 days.

Ask for a copy of your dog’s rabies vaccination records -you’ll need those in the next few steps.

Step 3: EU Health Certificate

You’ll need to have your dog checked out by a USDA Accredited Vet. They, in turn, will complete the EU Health Certificate which you can find here.

There are two different forms, commercial or non-commercial. We used the non-commercial form as we were traveling on the same plane as our dog. If you are traveling more than 5 days before or after your dog, are bringing more than 5 pets with you, or are selling your pet then you will need the commercial form.

The vet will check your dog over before filling out and signing the health certificate. It is valid for 10 days before which you will need to complete step 4.

This exam will cost more than a routine physical. We paid about $120, which was the cheapest I could find. There were other vet offices charging three times that.

Unless your current vet is also USDA accredited, you’ll need to search your area for a USDA vet and bring you dog’s vet records and vaccination history (including their rabies certificate) to the appointment.

Step 4: Endorse the EU Health Certificate

Within 10 days of getting the EU Health Certificate completed you will need to mail or personally bring it to an APHIS Veterinary Services Endorsement Office.

APHIS will endorse the certificate at which point you’ll have another 10 days to enter the EU. Plan accordingly.

Check here for your nearest office (there’s usually only one or two per state), their requirements, and fees.

We chose to turn in our paperwork in person to the APHIS office in Albany, New York because I was worried about the 10 day turn-around. We paid $38.

The Albany APHIS office requires the following in order to endorse a health certificate:

Original EU Health Certificate completed, signed, and dated by a USDA Accredited Vet
Rabies Vaccination Certificate
Endorsement Fee
Prepaid, addressed return envelope if you are mailing the health certificate for endorsement