Pet Travel From the United States to the Philippines
Travel Requirements Based on Pet Type
Carefully read ALL of the requirements related to your pet on this page.
- This page provides the most recent entry requirements and can change without notice.
- It is the responsibility of the veterinarian to make sure the pet has met all health requirements of the destination country before issuing a health certificate.
- Failure to meet the requirements may result in problems gaining certificate endorsement or difficulties upon arrival in the destination country.
- Health certificates must be legible, accurate, and complete.
On April 22, 2026, the new EU legislation EU2026/131 came into effect for the export of non-commercial dog, cats, ferrets, and birds and EU 2026/848 for the commercial dogs, cats, and ferrets. There is a transition period for implementation of the new certificates. APHIS is working on the formatting of these certificates to make them publicly available, as soon as possible.
The new non-commercial health certificates will go into effect on October 1, 2026. The current certificates can be endorsed on or before September 30, 2026.
The commercial dogs, cats, and ferrets certificate will go into effect on October 17, 2026. The current certificate can be endorsed on or before October 16, 2026.
Transiting the European Union (EU)
According to EU 2026/131 Article 5, non-commercial dogs, cats, ferrets or birds transiting the EU to another country, do not need an EU health certificate.
- Only pets that qualify as non-commercial are not required to have a health certificate. If the dog is traveling unaccompanied, they need to use a commercial certificate and are not eligible for the transit exemption.
- If the pet is waiting in a pet hotel at the airport for the next flight, the pet hotel may not be considered part of the international transit zone. Each port may define the international zone differently. Please confirm with the port officials ahead of time and plan accordingly.
Philippines Requirements Memo (2.74 MB)
A summary of the requirements are as follows;
- Pet dogs and cats must first obtain an import permit from the Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
- You may apply for an import permit (known by the acronym “SPSIC”) from the BAI
A Users Guide for the registration process (1.87 MB)
- For personal pets, please select “one-time importer” when applying for your SPSIC via the above website.
- Up to three animals total (dogs or cats, or combination thereof) can be listed on one SPSIC.
- The SPSIC will specify the animal health import requirements for the pet dogs and/or cats that must be met prior to travel to the Philippines.
- If your animal’s SPSIC is issued for one animal, then the corresponding export health certificate may be issued for ONLY that one animal. However, if your animals’ SPSIC is issued for two or three animals, the corresponding export health certificate may be issued for the same two or three animals that are listed on the SPSIC. The number of animals listed on the SPSIC must match the number of animals listed on the health certificate.
- All health certificates for pet dogs and cats to the Philippines must be issued by a USDA accredited veterinarian, and then endorsed by USDA-APHIS prior to travel.
- Your private USDA accredited veterinarian will then issue an export health certificate in accordance with the criteria listed in the SPSIC.
- The USDA accredited veterinarian can either upload the completed fillable PDF health certificate and submit the form electronically to APHIS for endorsement through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS), or can complete the entire process including issuance and endorsement via VEHCS.
International Health Certificate (192.28 KB)
Philippines Requirements Memo (2.74 MB)
A summary of the requirements are as follows;
- Commercial U.S. exporters of dogs and cats should first ensure that their Philippine importer is registered with the Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and approved by BAI to import commercial shipments of pet dogs and cats. If the Philippine importer is not registered with BAI, he/she can apply to be registered.
A Users Guide for the registration process (1.88 MB)
- The registered Philippine importer will obtain the required Philippine import permit (known by the acronym “SPSIC”) from BAI and provide a copy of the SPSIC to the U.S. exporter. There are no BAI restrictions on the number of dogs and/or cats that can be listed on a commercial SPSIC.
- The SPSIC will specify the animal health import requirements for the commercial U.S. origin dogs and/or cats that must be met prior to travel to the Philippines.
- The corresponding export health certificate can only list the same number animals that are identified on the SPSIC. The number of animals listed on the SPSIC should match the number of animals listed on the APHIS export health certificate.
- All health certificates for commercial U.S. origin dogs and cats to the Philippines must be issued by a USDA accredited veterinarian, and then endorsed by USDA-APHIS prior to travel.
- Your private USDA accredited veterinarian will then issue an export health certificate in accordance with the criteria listed in the SPSIC.
- The USDA accredited veterinarian can either upload the completed fillable PDF health certificate and submit the form electronically to APHIS for endorsement through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS), or can complete the entire process including issuance and endorsement via VEHCS.
International Health Certificate (192.28 KB)
Note: The Philippines does not permit entry of U.S. origin birds or poultry from ANY county with confirmed HPAI or Newcastle disease detections in poultry, as defined by WOAH.
- Birds (Pet or Exhibition) and Adult Poultry - Health Certificate (225.25 KB) - September 2025
Note: Shipments of adult birds, including game fowl, must have proper identification on each bird that is consistent with the identification on the health certificate.
For pet travel requirements not listed, APHIS has not been officially informed by the foreign country about the requirements for your pet’s travel. We recommend that you contact a government official of the country you are traveling to for more information.
Country of Destination Contact Information
For more information on how to obtain an import permit please contact:
Bureau of Animal Industry
National Veterinary Quarantine Service
Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City 1128
Tel. No. 011 (632) 920 0816/926 4343
Fax No. 011 (632) 920 0815
E-mail: bai_dir@yahoo.com; baiquarantineph@gmail.com; baiquarantine@hotmail.com
Countries Participating in the European Union
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Republic of Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Northern Ireland*
Norway**
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland**
* Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom (UK), but will continue to follow European Union (EU) requirements even though the UK is no longer part of the EU.
** Norway and Switzerland are not part of the EU but have adopted EU legislation for import of most species of live animals.
Important Travel Considerations
Considerations for airline travel and cruises:
Airlines and shipping lines have their own policies and requirements for transporting pets. Check with your airline or shipping representative to determine what requirements they may have.
Learn how you can improve the safety of dogs and cats during air travel.
If pets or support animals accompany you on a cruise, you must comply with entry rules for every country or port where your pet or support animal exits the ship.
Will you be returning to the United States with your pet?
View APHIS Requirements
ALERT: CDC is the primary authority for dog imports. For requirements or questions about dogs entering or returning to the United States, visit the CDC website.
If you are transiting (passing through) the European Union:
If your pet is traveling through (transiting) a country in the European Union (EU) on the way to a third, non-EU country, you will also need a transit health certificate for your pet for the EU. The transit health certificate will be the same as if your pet’s final destination was the EU country. Use the information and steps above under “Travel Requirements Based on Pet Type” to determine which health certificate should be used. View a list of EU countries.
Need Help?
Still Have Questions?
USDA-Accredited Veterinarians
Contact a USDA-accredited veterinarian for questions about your destination country's entry requirements for pets (including any needed vaccinations, tests, or treatments); issuance of health certificates; and status updates on certificate endorsement.
Find a USDA-Accredited Veterinarian
APHIS Endorsement Offices
Contact APHIS Veterinary Export Trade Services if you have questions about endorsing an international pet health certificate. For quickest help, see tips for pet owners and accredited veterinarians.
Looking for Another Country?
Find your destination country requirements by using the dropdown menu below. If your country is not listed in the menu, visit Pet Travel: Unknown Requirements.