Europe: Schedule The Final Exam

Once the preliminary documents are in order and you have a travel date for your pet, you will need to schedule their final exam for completion of the international health certificate with a USDA Accredited Veterinarian.

If you have not added our vet services to your quote, then you will need to contact a local veterinarian and ask if they are USDA Accredited and able to complete an international health certificate for travel to Europe. 

You can also search for USDA Accredited Vets here.  

After the USDA Accredited Vet completes the exam, the international health certificate will need to be filled out and sent to the official USDA office for endorsement. It is much easier if your vet does this electronically using VEHCS. 

If you are moving to the UK, Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway and have a dog, then a tapeworm treatment will be required as well. We recommend scheduling two vet appointments to allow enough time for USDA endorsement and FedEx turnaround.  We need to make sure the ORIGINAL documents are sent back to you or your vet before the tapeworm treatment appointment and before your pet needs to be picked up for their flight.

The timing of the health certificate will depend on when you are traveling relative to your pet. 

How does it work?

1. STARWOOD will pre-fill the international health certificate and email it to your USDA Accredited Vet within 1 week of the final exam.  We will also provide a prepaid return FedEx overnight label addressed from the USDA back to you or your vet.
2. YOU will make the appointment with a USDA Accredited Veterinarian and bring your pet into their office at the scheduled time.  You will be responsible for paying the vet fees directly.
3. The VET will examine your pet, scan their microchip and finish completing & sign the international health certificate.
4. The VET will need to electronically submit the documents to the USDA using the online VEHCS system (Veterinary Export Health Certification System) during USDA open hours.  **YOU will be responsible for paying the USDA the endorsement fees.  
5. The USDA will review the documents during their business hours and will notify the veterinarian if there are any issues or changes that need to be made.  Your VET will be responsible for making the appropriate changes and sending them back to the USDA in a timely fashion.  
6. Once the documents are approved, the USDA will print them, place their official stamp/embossment & signature on the health certificate & will then FedEx the original endorsed documents back (using the prepaid FedEx label that must be provided to the USDA when the documents are submitted to them).
7. Once you receive the original endorsed documents back from the USDA, YOU will need to email us a copy and hand the originals to our driver at the time of pick up.

Non-Commercial Health Certificate

• This is used if you are traveling within 5 days before or after your pet
• The USDA Accredited Vet must complete the following within 10 days prior to travel (we recommend doing this 7-8 days prior):
  1. Scan the microchip to ensure it is readable & consistent with their records
  2. Examine your pet to ensure they are "fit to fly"
  3. Complete/sign/stamp the correct Non-Commercial Health Certificate
  4. Complete/sign/stamp the APHIS 7001 Form (**Only if your pet is flying on British Airways or Aer Lingus)
  5. If your pet is flying on American Airlines, then additional paperwork will be required
  6. Fax or email us a copy of the signed certificates for review
  7. Submit the documents to the USDA using FedEx or VEHCS

Tapeworm Treatment (Dogs Only who are traveling to UK, Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway)

If you have a dog, you will need to make a second vet appointment 1-2 days prior to your dog's departure date.  A USDA Accredited Vet will need to:

1. Scan the microchip to ensure it is readable & consistent with their records
2. Administer a tapeworm treatment containing Praziquantel
3. Report the date, time, product used & vet details on the Health Certificate
4. Fax or email us a copy of the final endorsed documents with tapeworm treatment on it
5. Hand all original documents back to you for your pet's travels

Commercial Health Certificate

• This is used if you have 6 pets or more, are traveling more than 5 days before or after your pet, or if no one is traveling around the same time as the pet.
• The USDA Accredited Vet must complete the following 2 days prior to travel:
  1. Scan the microchip to ensure it is readable & consistent with their records
  2. Examine your pet to ensure they are "fit to fly"
  3. Administer a tapeworm treatment containing Praziquantel (dogs only)
  4. Complete/sign/stamp the correct Commercial Health Certificate
  5. Complete/sign/stamp the APHIS 7001 Form (**Only if your pet is flying on British Airways or Aer Lingus)
  6. If your pet is flying on American Airlines, then additional paperwork will be required

• 1. Fax or email us a copy of the signed certificates for review
  2. Submit the documents to the USDA using FedEx or VEHCS

The USDA will need the following documents in order to complete the endorsement:

• Correctly filled out Health Certificate
• Copy of the signed Rabies Vaccination Certificate
• Copy of the proof of microchip implant date (letter from your vet or invoice showing the date the chip was implanted or scanned - must be dated BEFORE or the same day as the current Rabies vaccination)
• Prepaid return FedEx Overnight label addressed from the USDA back to you or your vet
• Payment for the endorsement - please contact the USDA directly for cost & payment options

You can contact your local USDA office directly if you have any questions about the health certificate.