Pettify

Pet travel checklist for dogs and cats

A free two-page checklist for a trip with your dog or cat, by car or by plane: what to sort out before you go, the documents to carry, what to pack, and what to do on the road and at the airport. Print it or tick the boxes on screen.

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Page 1 of the pet travel checklist: fields for the pet, dates and destination, a note about entry rules, then tick boxes for before you go, documents and packing
Page 1 of 2

What’s on the checklist

  • Before you go: the destination’s entry rules, a vet check-up, the microchip and ID tag, getting used to the crate or carrier, and a pet-friendly place to stay.
  • Documents: proof of vaccination (especially rabies), copies of medical records, a health certificate if the trip needs one, microchip details and a recent photo.
  • Packing: food for the whole trip, water, bowls, leash, waste bags, bedding, a favorite toy, every medicine your pet takes and a first-aid kit.
  • By car and by plane: the crate or harness, stops, heat, the airline’s rules, and the crate’s size and labels.
  • Numbers for the trip: your vet, a 24-hour emergency vet at your destination and a poison control line.
  • US Letter and A4, with fields you can fill in on screen and a tick box for every item.

How to use it

  1. Start early. The AVMA notes that a trip to another state or country can need preparations that start six months or more ahead.
  2. Check the official entry rules of your destination before you book anything.
  3. Book a vet check-up and ask what your pet needs for this trip, including any certificate and how close to departure it must be signed.
  4. Pack from the list the day before and tick each item as it goes in the bag.
  5. Carry the documents with you, not in checked bags. The AVMA suggests keeping your pet’s photo and health information with you on the plane.
  6. On the day, use page 2 for the drive or the flight.

Entry rules are not on this list

What a dog or cat needs to enter a country depends on where you’re going and where you come from, and the rules change. Check the official source for your destination: the EU’s Your Europe page explains the pet passport, microchip and rabies vaccination for travel between EU countries, and USDA APHIS lists the requirements by destination country for trips from the United States.

More for the trip

Keep your pet’s vaccinations on one sheet with our free vaccination record. Moving house rather than going on a trip? The moving checklist covers records, a new vet and moving day. Leaving your dog at a kennel instead? The boarding checklist covers what to pack and what to tell the staff.

Important

Entry rules, airline rules and certificate deadlines change. Check your destination’s official site and your airline before every trip, and ask your vet before giving any calming medicine or sedative.

Sources

  1. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Traveling With Your Pet (client brochure, 2023). ebusiness.avma.org (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
  2. ASPCA. Travel Safety Tips. aspca.org (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
  3. USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Travel With a Pet. aphis.usda.gov (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
  4. European Union, Your Europe. Travelling with pets and other animals in the EU. europa.eu (opens in a new tab) (accessed )

Free printables and tools