What vaccination paperwork do I need before travelling with a dog?

An official vaccination certificate signed and stamped by a licensed vet, or a pet passport used in some regions, generally carries more weight than an informal printout from a clinic's records system, since border and airline staff are trained to check for specific official formats. Confirming what format your destination or airline specifically accepts before travel avoids a rejected document at the point of check-in or entry.

Many destinations set a minimum waiting period after a rabies vaccination before a dog is considered protected for travel purposes, commonly starting around 21 days after a first-ever rabies vaccine, even though the vaccine itself may be considered effective earlier for general protection. This rule exists specifically for travel and import purposes and catches many owners out who assume the vaccine works immediately for travel eligibility.

A vaccination that has since expired according to its booster schedule can invalidate travel eligibility even if the original certificate looks otherwise complete, so checking expiry dates against your travel dates, not just confirming the vaccine was given at some point, matters for a smooth crossing or check-in.

Booking a specific travel health check with your vet, rather than trying to piece together paperwork from routine visit records, generally produces a cleaner, more complete document that meets the destination's exact requirements. Bringing both a physical copy and a photographed or scanned digital backup covers the situation where original paperwork gets lost or damaged during the trip.