Bringing Your Dog or Cat from the US to France

The order of the steps is what matters

A dog or cat traveling with you from the US to France needs a readable microchip, a valid rabies vaccination given after it, and an official EU health certificate endorsed by USDA APHIS. Each step depends on the one before it, so the sequence and the dates on the paperwork decide whether your pet is admitted.

There is no quarantine if all documentation is complete and correct. Travel with the originals of every document: the health certificate, the vaccination records and the microchip documentation.

The microchip comes first, then the rabies vaccine

The microchip must be ISO 11784/11785-compliant, with 15 digits, and it must be implanted and readable before the rabies vaccination or on the same day. A vaccine given before the chip does not count, because the vaccination must be given on or after the microchip date.

If this is your pet’s first-ever rabies vaccine, wait at least 21 days from the vaccination date before entering France. A timely booster of a previously valid vaccination has no waiting period.

No rabies titer test is needed from the US

The US remains classified as a listed, low-risk third country for rabies, so the rabies antibody titer test, and the 3-month wait that goes with it, do not apply to pets coming from the US. Do not let a vet or an airline talk you into an unnecessary titer test.

The legal basis for this changed in 2026. Since 22 April 2026, non-commercial pet movements are governed by the EU Animal Health Law, Regulation (EU) 2016/429, together with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 on health conditions, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 on the certificate format, and Regulation (EU) 2026/636, the updated list of countries exempt from titer testing. These replaced the old Regulation (EU) 577/2013 framework, and the US is still on the exempt list.

The EU health certificate needs a USDA endorsement

The official EU Animal Health Certificate must be completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian within 10 days of travel. It is then endorsed by USDA APHIS, which means by a government veterinarian, not the accredited vet who filled it in.

France requires the bilingual English/French version of the certificate, so ask your vet and APHIS for that specific template in advance. Endorsement is increasingly processed through USDA’s electronic VEHCS system. The APHIS endorsement fee is roughly $101 per certificate; verify the current fee with APHIS, as it can change.

Since October 1, 2026, the new certificate format is mandatory for non-commercial travel: make sure your vet uses it. A certificate in the older format is accepted only if USDA endorsed it on or before September 30, 2026.

Tapeworm treatment is not required for France

Treatment against the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm is not required for entry into France. For dogs, it is required only for entry into Ireland, Finland, Malta and Norway, and separately the UK, which is outside the EU system. Cats and ferrets never need this treatment.

If you plan to continue from France into one of those four EU countries, a vet must treat your dog 24 to 120 hours (1 to 5 days) before you cross into that country, with the product, date and time recorded on the health certificate or passport.

Entry points and restricted dog breeds

Pets traveling with their owner should enter through a recognized Traveler’s Point of Entry. Commercial and unaccompanied shipments use a Border Inspection Post (BIP) instead. Most major French airports, including CDG and Orly, are equipped to process pet entries.

France restricts some dog breeds, and the restriction is by category:

Category 1

import is banned. This covers pit bull-type American Staffordshire terriers without pedigree, boerbulls and Mastiffs, and Tosas without pedigree

Category 2

import is allowed, subject to strict ownership rules such as muzzling and leashing in public. This covers pedigreed American Staffordshire terriers, Rottweilers and Tosas

A timeline and a rough budget

Starting from scratch, a minimum of about 6 to 8 weeks is possible: the 21-day wait after a first vaccination plus scheduling and logistics. Allow 2 to 3 months of buffer instead, for vet appointments, booking pet space with the airline and the paperwork, especially through the October 2026 change of certificate format.

The steps, in order:

1. 1Have an ISO-compliant microchip implanted
2. 2Have the rabies vaccination given on or after the microchip date
3. 3If it is a first vaccination, wait at least 21 days before travel
4. 4Within 10 days of travel, get the bilingual EU health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet
5. 5Confirm which certificate format is being used, and submit the certificate for USDA APHIS endorsement, through VEHCS where available
6. 6Travel with all the original documents

Once you live in France: the EU pet passport

Once you are established as a French resident and your pet is registered with a French veterinarian, your pet can be issued an EU Pet Passport, which makes later travel within the EU and the Schengen area easier.