A Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization test (FAVN) is a test that some countries require to prove that your pet is adequately immunized for Rabies virus. This test is often used in conjunction with a current Rabies vaccination, and is not a substitute for the vaccination itself. Kansas State University conducts FAVN tests, and it is important to note that results can take 6-8 weeks to come back! How long your pet’s FAVN test is valid depends on the country or region that your pet is traveling to. It is important to know whether the country you are attempting to take your pet to requires FAVN testing prior to testing!

The CDC has recently made it a requirement that any canine entering the United States, even if it originated from the U.S.A., needs a 15 digit internationally-recognized microchip. The animal also needs to be at least six months of age, appear healthy, and needs to be up to date on their Rabies vaccination. Rabies vaccinations must be USDA-licensed or administered by a USDA-licensed veterinarian. If flying back into the United States, it is possible that you will need to obtain a health certificate from a veterinarian in the country you are visiting (this is dependent on the airline). The following form from the CDC should be filled out and kept with your pet’s records for re-entry into the United States; click here to get to the page where the form can be found.

Make sure to check if the country you are returning from has a “high-risk” or “low-risk” Rabies status so the form can be filled out appropriately. Additional import information and directions from the CDC can be found by clicking here.

The main difference between the two classifications is that the occurrence of Rabies is higher in high-risk countries, meaning that they experience more positive canine Rabies cases than others. Animals coming from or returning from low-risk Rabies countries still need to fill out a “canine import form” from the CDC, which can be found by clicking here.

Since the risk of Rabies is higher in these countries, there are stricter requirements for pets coming from or returning to the U.S. from these countries. There are additional forms that the CDC requires for animals coming from high-risk countries. The possibility that your pet is denied re-entry to the U.S. is also significantly higher when coming from a high-risk country. You can find the list of countries that the CDC has deemed “high-risk” by clicking here. The form required by the CDC upon re-entry into the U.S. can be found by clicking here.

The CDC often changes requirements or updates their low-risk and high-risk Rabies countries list. It is always a good idea to make sure you know the requirements needed when trying to travel with your pet. Because policies can be updated frequently, we highly recommend checking the CDC’s website often for any requirement changes for pet travel or re-entry into the United States.

Depending on which country you are planning on traveling to with your pet, it may be beneficial to hire a pet-exportation professional. I know, it seems silly, hiring a travel agent for your pet? While it can seem like a foreign concept, these companies specialize in making sure that your pet gets to where you want them to go with as little stress as possible. These companies often know the requirements for more complicated countries (such as Australia or New Zealand), and will help you come up with a timeline so that all the appropriate testing is done ahead of travel.

Other things that you can do to help your veterinary team prepare your pet for travel include reading through exportation and importation material so that everyone is on the same page. We have listed some resources down below that you can read through for accurate information regarding the country you are planning on visiting with your pet. There are often different requirements for dogs than there are for cats, so it is important that you are accessing the proper materials for your pet’s species.

Regulations and requirements from other countries are subject to change at any time, and are updated often. Giving yourself and your veterinary team enough time to research and plan accordingly is probably the most important step in this process!