Moving a Pet to the USA: Dog or Cat From the UK
Your pet does not ride in the container with the household goods. This guide sets out what the CDC, USDA APHIS and GOV.UK say about a dog or cat coming from the UK: the Dog Import Form receipt, the microchip and age rules for dogs, the lighter federal rules for cats, and the Hawaii exception. The trip itself is booked separately.
A few short questions. Nothing is sent until you check and confirm.
What changes when a dog or cat moves to the USA with you?
A dog or cat flies on its own booking, with you or with someone you name, and is never packed into the sea container. Federal rules differ sharply by species: a dog needs a CDC receipt, a microchip and a minimum age, while a cat faces very little at the border. After that, a state, an airline or an island can add its own demands.
We’re an introduction service, not a mover. One company from our partner network takes your details and checks its coverage. It then assesses your belongings and quotes.
The flight for your dog or cat is arranged separately, either with a specialist pet transport provider or by you. Tell us about the animal on the pet transport request form. Our moving abroad with a pet guide covers steps common to every destination. For your belongings at the US border, see the customs and household goods guide.
What does the CDC ask of a dog coming from the UK?
The CDC sorts dogs by where they have been. Its dog importation page (opens in a new window) (dated 1 August 2024) separates a dog that has been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries from one that has been in any high-risk country within the 6 months before it reaches the USA.
The CDC’s high-risk list (opens in a new window), dated 15 April 2026, does not name the United Kingdom, and the CDC says a country that is not on the list is not considered high risk. A dog that has lived only in the UK therefore follows the lower-risk route. A dog that has also spent time in a listed country in the past six months does not.
For the lower-risk route, the CDC’s rabies-free and low-risk countries page (opens in a new window) (22 July 2024) asks for a receipt for a CDC Dog Import Form. The dog must appear healthy on arrival, be at least 6 months old, and carry a microchip that a universal scanner can detect.
How does the CDC Dog Import Form receipt work?
The CDC’s form instructions (opens in a new window) (dated 28 April 2026) say the importer, owner or shipper completes the form. For a dog from a lower-risk country, the receipt covers one dog for repeated entries from the same country during six months. A fresh submission is needed after that.
A puppy under one year old needs a photo, and the CDC says it should be taken within 15 days before the dog arrives. If the dog flies, the same page says you must show the receipt to the airline before boarding, so have it on your phone or printed at check-in.
The instructions state no fee for the form. They also give no minimum lead time, so treat the form as a task to finish well before the flight, once the microchip, the age and the dates are settled.
Which airports can a dog from the UK use?
For the lower-risk route, the CDC page says the dog can enter at any airport, seaport or land border crossing. That differs from the high-risk route, where the form instructions tie a foreign-vaccinated dog to an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility. You have no such list to plan around.
The airline is the real gatekeeper. Whether it carries animals, in the cabin or in the hold, and on which routes is its decision, so ask before you pay for anything and confirm what paper it wants to see at check-in.
What rules apply to a cat entering the USA?
The CDC’s page on bringing an animal into the USA (opens in a new window) (22 August 2025) says a cat must appear healthy on arrival, and that cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination. It recommends vaccination all the same and warns that the US destination may add requirements.
If a cat looks ill, the same page says a further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the owner’s expense might be required. It adds that health certificates may be required for entry into some states or by airlines, so ask both which one applies to your route.
Nothing on that page asks a cat for the Dog Import Form receipt. The receipt rules above are written for dogs.
Where does USDA APHIS fit in?
The USDA APHIS pet dog page (opens in a new window) (last modified 1 April 2026) names the CDC as the primary authority for dog imports. APHIS sets its own requirements only for a dog coming from a country affected by foot-and-mouth disease or screwworm.
For a foot-and-mouth country there is no paperwork, but the dog must be bathed on arrival and kept apart from livestock for 5 days. For a screwworm country it needs a certificate from an official government veterinarian. The page also links to a list of state and territory animal entry requirements, which is the place to check your destination state.
What does the UK side ask for a pet leaving Great Britain?
GOV.UK’s guidance for a non-EU country (opens in a new window) says you need an export health certificate and, in England, Scotland or Wales, an export application form. It tells you to nominate an official vet to be sent the certificate, and to check the destination’s rules before you travel.
None of the CDC or APHIS pages read for this guide describes a UK-issued certificate for a dog or cat flying to the USA, and the GOV.UK page does not mention the USA. Ask your vet and the airline which papers they want to see, and keep any rabies certificate and microchip record with the animal.
Is Hawaii different for a dog or cat?
Yes. The CDC says all cats arriving in Hawaii and Guam, even from the US mainland, are subject to locally imposed quarantine requirements. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s quarantine page (opens in a new window) (no date shown) says a dog or cat may be quarantined for up to 120 days on arrival. Our Hawaii guide sets out the waiting periods, the fees and the county vehicle rules.
The same page offers shorter routes for animals that meet pre-arrival and post-arrival requirements, including a 5 Day Or Less programme and direct release at Honolulu’s airport after inspection. Take its checklists from that page, not from this one, since the steps and fees are the state’s to set.
How do the pet’s dates fit around your removal dates?
Your removal company agrees collection and delivery days with you, while the animal runs on its own clock: the age of six months, the form receipt, the airline’s booking window and any state demand. Fix the flight first, count back, and use the moving checklist for the household tasks.
If the animal travels a few days apart from you, the form and the airline’s conditions still need the person named on them, so settle who that is early. Our UK to USA removals page covers the household side of the same move.
Common questions on taking a dog or cat from the UK to the USA
Does a dog from the UK need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt?
Yes.
The CDC’s page for dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries asks for a receipt for the form. The United Kingdom is not on the CDC’s high-risk list dated 15 April 2026.
How old must a dog be to enter the USA from the UK?
The CDC says at least 6 months old at the time of entry.
The dog also needs a microchip that a universal scanner can detect, and it must appear healthy on arrival.
Does my cat need a rabies certificate for the USA?
The CDC says cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination for importation.
It recommends vaccination, and a state or airline may ask for more, so check both.
Can my dog land at any airport in the USA?
On the lower-risk route the CDC says a dog can enter at any airport, seaport or land border crossing.
The airline decides whether it carries the animal.
Is Hawaii different for a pet?
Yes.
The CDC says cats arriving in Hawaii or Guam face local quarantine rules, and Hawaii’s agriculture department says a dog or cat may be quarantined for up to 120 days.
Pet details to include in your enquiry
Say whether the animal is a dog or a cat, and give its age, microchip number and rabies vaccination date. Then add your UK postcode, the US city and state you are moving to, your travel dates and who will fly with it.
About International Removals Companies
International Removals Companies is an enquiry and introduction service run by DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, in partnership with AGM Group. We don't move goods ourselves: the removal company quotes for your move and carries it out, so check its credentials and terms before you book. Our service is free. Discuss the quotation and booking terms directly with the removal company.
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