Moving to the USA with a Dog: the CDC Form, the Microchip and the Six-Month Minimum Age

On August 1, 2024, the CDC, the US public health agency, overhauled the entry rules for dogs, and for dogs coming from Europe the result is surprisingly simple. One form, one chip, one minimum age, one healthy dog. Things only get complicated in two places most people never see coming: where your dog has been on holiday in the last six months, and the rules of the state you will be living in. This guide covers both, step by step, plus the flight, the first few weeks and the trip back to Europe.

1The CDC's four rules

Since August 1, 2024, dogs that have only been in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries during the six months before entry need just one document: the receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form. On top of that, the dog itself has to meet three conditions. It must be at least six months old on entry. It must have a microchip that a universal scanner can read. And it must look healthy on arrival (CDC, Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries).

The CDC requires no other documents for these dogs, not even proof of rabies vaccination. You can enter at any airport, seaport or land border crossing. That sounds like very little, and it is. The catch is in that sentence about the six months.

2Where your dog has been in the last six months

The CDC divides the world into two groups: dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries, and high-risk countries. Western and Northern Europe, including the Nordic countries, the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, are not on the high-risk list. If your dog has only lived there, you are in the simple group.

The list does, however, include countries where many families holiday with their dog or adopt dogs from. In Europe these are Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine; add Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, plus the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa (CDC, High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies, as of April 15, 2026). One summer on the Turkish Riviera with your dog, and for the next six months the high-risk rules apply to it.

Those rules are much stricter and depend on where the dog was vaccinated. A dog that has been in a high-risk country and is not vaccinated against rabies may not enter at all. Dogs from high-risk countries whose microchip cannot be read may be refused entry and sent back at the owner's expense (CDC, Bringing a Dog into the U.S.; CDC, Frequently Asked Questions). So if your dog has been in one of these countries in the last six months, do not plan your move around this page: follow the CDC rules for high-risk countries, and allow more time.

3The CDC Dog Import Form step by step

You fill in the form online, a separate one for each dog. You can do it on the day you travel; the CDC recommends getting it done a few days to six months before the trip. Among other things, it asks for the microchip number, the type of travel and the departure country, the arrival date and, for flights, the airline and flight number. If you do not know the exact date yet, enter the earliest approximate date. For flights you also state whether the dog travels as cargo, as checked baggage or in the cabin (CDC, Dog Import Form and Instructions).

If your dog has more than one chip, use the number that can be read and appears in the veterinary records. The receipt arrives by email once you have confirmed your address. It is valid for six months from issue and covers multiple entries from the same country, as long as the dog does not travel to a high-risk country or another low-risk country in that time. If the departure country changes, you need a new form. When flying, you show the receipt to the airline before boarding, and on arrival you must be able to show it to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

A practical tip: print the receipt and save a copy on your phone as well. At the gate, a dead battery is a weak argument.

4Microchip and age: the two stumbling blocks

The microchip can be any brand, but a universal scanner must be able to read it. If your chip number does not start with a 9, the CDC recommends having your vet check whether it can be read by a universal scanner (CDC, Frequently Asked Questions). ISO-standard chips usually have 15 digits (USDA APHIS); a quick vet visit before the trip settles the question either way.

The six-month minimum age applies to every dog entering or returning. So you cannot bring a puppy, even with all its vaccinations. If you have a young dog, plan the move so the dog follows later, or push back the flight. Dogs imported for resale are also subject to rules from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) (CDC, Bringing a Dog into the U.S.); they do not matter for your own dog.

A second reason to get the chip early: to return to the EU, the chip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination. A vaccination given without a chip already in place does not count for the EU (USDA APHIS). Vaccinate first and chip later, and you start over when it is time to go home.

5What your state requires

The CDC does not require a rabies vaccination for dogs from Europe. Almost every state does anyway, and this is what decides whether you stay relaxed at the airport.

Texas requires every dog aged 12 weeks or older entering the state to have a rabies vaccination, with a certificate or pet passport signed by the vaccinating vet. If the first vaccination is less than 30 days old, the dog stays at home for the rest of those 30 days. Texas does not require a health certificate. The Texas health authority stresses it explicitly: even if the CDC does not require a vaccination in certain circumstances, the dog still needs one under Texas law (Texas Department of State Health Services).

Florida requires the vaccination from four months of age, with a USDA-licensed vaccine given by a licensed vet, and a booster after twelve months (Florida Statutes 828.30). California wants a signed vaccination certificate for every dog over four months plus the federal documents; the state sets no waiting period after vaccination, but counties and cities may (California Department of Public Health). New York requires a health certificate issued no more than 30 days before entry and a vaccination from three months of age. New York does not accept the EU pet passport (New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets).

5.1The European vaccination

A dog vaccinated in Europe is fine for entry into Texas. But if the vaccine had no USDA license or the vet was not licensed in the US, the dog must meet the Texas requirements after arrival. Florida writes the USDA vaccine straight into the law. So expect that your first appointment with an American vet may be a vaccination.

6Flight and arrival

Whether your dog flies in the cabin, in the hold or as cargo is up to the airline, as are the size and type of crate and the number of animals per flight. Most airlines require a health certificate issued by a vet seven to ten days before the flight, as the Texas and Florida authorities describe it. Your airline's terms are what count; ask before you book.

On arrival, the dog must look healthy. A long flight is tiring, for dogs as much as for people. Talk to your vet in good time about how to prepare your dog for the flight.

6.1Service dogs

Special rules apply to service dogs, especially those from high-risk countries. They only cover dogs that meet the definition of a service animal under aviation law (14 CFR 382.3). Emotional support dogs, companion dogs and dogs in training do not qualify (CDC, Frequently Asked Questions).

7The first weeks in your new home

In your first few weeks, find a vet and bring all your paperwork: the pet passport, the microchip number and the CDC confirmation. The vet will check whether your dog's vaccination is valid under your state's law and schedule the next booster. Local rules can be stricter than state law, a point the Texas health department makes too.

Many cities and counties require a license for your dog. In California, the health department explicitly refers you to local animal control agencies, including for licenses. And whether you can move in with a dog at all is up to your lease, so ask before you sign. How to land an apartment without an American credit history is covered in our guide Renting an apartment in the USA without a credit score.

Everything else on your list for the first weeks, from bank account to driver's license, is in the checklist Arriving in the USA. Shipping furniture and household goods along with your dog? The customs rules are in our guide Clearing household goods through customs.

8Back to Europe

If your dog flies back to the EU, for a visit or for good, EU rules apply. Because the USA is listed in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, your dog does not need an antibody test. It does need a microchip implanted before the vaccination, a valid rabies vaccination with a waiting period of at least 21 days after the first shot, and an EU animal health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by the USDA (USDA APHIS). The certificate is valid for ten days from issue until the check at the point of entry.

All the steps and deadlines for the return trip are laid out in a table in our guide Moving to the USA with a cat; the same rules apply to dogs. And for your next entry into the USA, you will again need a valid CDC confirmation. Moving back for good? You will find the rest in our guide Moving back home.

In short

• A dog coming from Europe needs four things to enter the USA: an age of at least 6 months, a microchip that a universal scanner can read, the receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form, and a healthy appearance on arrival.
• What matters is where your dog has been in the last 6 months. A vacation in a high-risk country such as Turkey or Ukraine brings much stricter rules.
• The federal government does not require a rabies vaccination for dogs from low-risk countries, but the states do: Texas from 12 weeks, Florida and California from 4 months, New York from 3 months plus a health certificate, and without an EU pet passport.
• A European vaccination is enough to enter Texas, but after that it has to meet state rules. Book the appointment with a US vet right away.

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