Moving pets is a big concern for many people who are planning to go and live in a different country. When moving your pet it is important to be aware that the entry requirements for dogs can be very different depending on which country you are moving to.
For example, Germany is part of the European Union and all such countries insist that animals are up to date when it comes to vaccinations – particularly rabies – if you want to be able to go and pick them up the moment you arrive at the other end. Rabies vaccinations should be given a minimum of 21 days before the move, and microchip ID tags should have been implanted before this unless you want to have to vaccinate them again.
The USDA 7001 form and the bilingual EU 998 form have to receive an endorsement from the United States Department of Agriculture in order to allow your pet to leave the US and get past German customs. The use of a pet moving expert or very quick preparation is recommended, as both forms expire within just ten days of being issued.
If you want to move your pet to Japan with you, there are even more administrative hoops that you will need to jump through. The USDA 7001 is again required, and you also need to notify the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture a minimum of 40 days before relocation. Pets need two rabies vaccinations to enter Japan, the second occurring 31 days after the first, as well as external and internal parasite treatment.
Lance Grooms
