Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination: USDA Endorsement and CDC Form

The Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination is a federal travel document that a USDA-accredited veterinarian completes in the government’s online system and USDA endorses before your dog leaves the country. You need it if your dog was vaccinated against rabies in the United States and will be returning from a country the CDC classifies as high-risk for dog rabies. Once endorsed, it stays valid for as long as the underlying rabies vaccine remains current, so a single certification can cover multiple trips if the vaccine does not lapse.

When You Actually Need This Form

This certification applies to one scenario: your dog got its rabies shot in the United States, and it has been in (or will travel to) a country on the CDC’s high-risk list within six months of coming back. The CDC’s list covers more than 100 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Central and South America.¹

If your destination is not on that list, you do not need this form at all. Dogs returning from rabies-free or low-risk countries only need the CDC Dog Import Form receipt.² For dogs coming home from high-risk countries, the CDC requires both the endorsed rabies certification and the CDC Dog Import Form receipt; missing either one blocks entry under this pathway.³

One boundary matters before you plan: if the U.S. rabies vaccine expires while your dog is abroad, this form is off the table. You then have to follow the process for foreign-vaccinated dogs, which involves revaccination overseas, a rabies blood titer test, and a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility.³ Time the trip so the vaccine stays current through your return date.

What Your Dog Needs Before the Vet Appointment

The dog itself has to meet baseline requirements before a veterinarian can certify anything. These are the current CDC rules for entry:

At least six months old on the day of entry into the United States.⁴
A microchip readable by a universal scanner, implanted before the rabies vaccination. A vaccine given before the microchip is considered invalid, and the dog would need to be revaccinated. The microchip number has to appear on every document.⁵
A valid U.S. rabies vaccination. The first shot has to be given at 12 weeks (84 days) or older, and any booster has to be on or after 15 months of age with proof of the earlier dose. The vaccine must still be current on your return date.⁶
A 28-day wait after the dog’s first-ever rabies vaccination. The dog is not considered immunized until that period passes.⁷

Pull together the paperwork before the appointment. You will need the original rabies vaccination certificates covering up to the last three years, showing product name, manufacturer, lot number, vaccination date, and expiration date for each dose.⁵

Finding a USDA-Accredited Veterinarian

Only a USDA-accredited veterinarian can complete this form. Accreditation comes in Category I (companion animals like dogs and cats) or Category II (all animals), and either one works here.⁸ USDA runs a search tool at vsapps.aphis.usda.gov where you can filter by state, county, and species.

The vet who originally vaccinated your dog is the natural choice because they already have the records. If that vet is unavailable or is not accredited, a different USDA-accredited vet at the same practice can certify the form, provided another vet in the practice has a valid relationship with the dog and the practice’s records can verify the dog’s identity and vaccination history.⁵

How the Form Gets Completed

The veterinarian submits everything electronically through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS). The CDC only accepts digital USDA endorsement through VEHCS for this certification; there is no paper option.⁵ Your job is to supply accurate information and the vaccination records. The vet handles the data entry, the uploads, and the certification statements.

The form captures four blocks of information:

Shipper and owner details. Full name, physical address (no P.O. boxes), phone, and email. If you live abroad, the vet lists the foreign address as the consignor and your U.S. address (where the dog will stay) as the consignee.⁵
Dog identification. Name, ISO microchip number, microchip implant date, breed, date of birth, sex, and color. Each field has to match the medical records exactly.⁶
Rabies vaccine history. For up to the three most recent vaccinations, the vet enters product name, manufacturer, lot number, product expiration date, date of vaccination, and next-due date. The original certificate for each dose is uploaded to VEHCS. Any dose given before the microchip implant date is left off, because CDC treats it as invalid.⁵
Travel details. The intended U.S. port of re-entry, estimated departure date, means of transport, and the foreign countries the dog will visit.⁶

The vet then signs off on statements confirming they scanned the microchip, matched the dog to its records, and verified that the rabies vaccine was administered in the United States with a USDA-licensed product.

USDA Endorsement, Timing, and Fee

After the vet submits the form, USDA reviews and endorses it. That endorsement is what turns the vet’s paperwork into a recognized travel document, and it has to happen before your dog leaves the United States. You cannot get the endorsement while the dog is already abroad.⁵

USDA charges an endorsement fee. For a single dog with no laboratory tests (vaccines do not count as tests), the fee is $101 per certificate. USDA will not process the certificate until you pay. Fees change if you are traveling with multiple dogs or if lab tests are involved; the APHIS fee schedule has the specifics.⁹

Give the process room. Processing time depends on current USDA volume, and your vet needs time to pull records and complete VEHCS. Two to three weeks before departure is a reasonable buffer.

The Second Document: CDC Dog Import Form

Every dog entering the United States needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, no matter where it has been. This is a separate online form that you fill out yourself on the CDC’s website, not something the vet handles.¹⁰

After you submit it, the CDC sends a verification email from 1cdpwebsurvey@cdc.gov (check spam). Once you confirm, the receipt arrives within about 15 minutes. Print it or save it to your phone; the airline will ask for it before boarding and Customs and Border Protection will ask for it on arrival. The receipt is good for one dog, entering multiple times from the same country, within six months of the issue date. Different country or expired window means a new form.¹⁰

What Happens at the Port of Entry

Land in the U.S. with three things ready: the USDA-endorsed rabies certification, the CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and the microchip number (ideally with a way to scan it). Your dog also has to appear healthy. CBP checks the paperwork and may verify the microchip number against both forms. Airlines run their own check before boarding: valid, unexpired certification; microchip number consistent across documents; and arrival date and port on the receipt matching the actual flight.¹¹

The endorsed certification remains valid as long as the underlying rabies vaccine is current, typically one or three years depending on the product. You do not need a fresh endorsement for every trip if the vaccine has not expired and you are returning from the same country inside the receipt’s six-month window.

What Denial Looks Like

A dog that arrives without proper documentation, or that appears unhealthy, can be denied entry. Air arrivals must be returned to the country of departure on the next available flight within 72 hours. While the dog waits, it stays at a CDC-registered animal care facility or an approved veterinary clinic, and the owner pays all boarding and care costs. A dog too sick to travel is treated at the facility (again at the owner’s expense) until CDC clears it for transport. Owners who refuse to pay effectively abandon the animal, and cost responsibility shifts to the airline.¹²

The usual reasons for denial are preventable: an expired rabies vaccine, a missing or unreadable microchip, a chip number that does not match the paperwork, or simply showing up without the endorsed certification or the CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Get the timing right, keep the records consistent, and the border rarely becomes a problem.

1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies
2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries
3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
4
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Updates Dog Importation Regulation
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Instructions for USDA-accredited Veterinarians Completing the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination Form
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Reginfo.gov. Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information for Veterinarians
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APHIS. Find Accredited Veterinarians
9
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Cost To Endorse Your Pet’s Health Certificate
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Dog Import Form and Instructions
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information for Air Carriers on Dogs Being Imported into the U.S.
12
Federal Register. Control of Communicable Diseases; Foreign Quarantine: Importation of Dogs and Cats