Fees

Please note that an official estimate will be provided prior to our initial phone/video consultation based on the information provided to me in the pre-consult questionnaire. This estimate must be signed prior to the initial consultation and a non-refundable deposit equal to ½ the health certificate fee is due at this time as well (generally $250). This deposit goes toward the cost of the health certificate. The remainder of the fees are due at the time of the in-person examination. 

Most countries require an International Health Certificate signed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian for entry of any pet. Your pet must be examined, and the certificate created within a very specific timeframe. A lot of prep-work goes into ensuring this certificate is completed to the exact specifications of the destination country. This fee includes the prep-work (including initial phone/video consult with you and creation of a timeline), in-person examination, certificate, and help with any additional paperwork required by the destination country.

Due to recent changes regarding the import process for pets to Australia, I may not be able to facilitate these health certificates. Please contact me so we can discuss your specific needs and determine if I will be able to assist you.

Please note that dogs and cats traveling to Mexico and Canada do not need a USDA-endorsed health certificate.

*Discounts available for frequent travelers and repeat travel to the same destination country

Additional charges apply for Australia and New Zealand.

The Hawaiian islands are rabies-free and they intend to stay that way, which is why they require a specialized health certificate. This fee includes the prep-work (including initial phone/video consult with you and creation of a timeline), in-person examination, certificate, and help with any additional paperwork required by Hawaii. 

Puerto Rico requires a health certificate prepared by a USDA-accredited veterinarian but does not require additional endorsement by the USDA. There are no additional endorsement fees or FedEx shipping fees. You will leave our meeting with your health certificate in hand. 

When it is time for me to actually examine your pet and fill out the health certificate, we will either meet at your home, your regular veterinarian’s office, or a mutually agreed upon public space. In some specific cases, we may be required to meet in person twice during the process, in which case the mileage fee will be incurred twice. 

The mileage fee is only incurred if we meet outside of my travel radius of West County (6 miles from Manchester Road and Highway 141). Mileage is calculated at $0.66/mile each way. 

Nearly all countries require an additional endorsement of the health certificate by the USDA-APHIS office after I have completed it. There is an additional fee for this. I will pay this fee to them directly when I submit the certificate. It starts at $38 but is higher for certain countries that require additional testing for import (such as rabies titers). 

If your destination country requires a wet (original) signature from the USDA-APHIS endorsement office, they will have to ship the certificate back to you. I will create the shipping label for this and include it when submitting your health certificate. The current shipping rate for FedEx 2-day shipping is $24. However, if your timeline requires us to have them ship priority overnight, this fee will be much higher.

If your pet does not already meet the requirements for travel to your specific destination country/Hawaii, additional expenses will be incurred at your regular vet. These may include rabies vaccination, rabies titer testing, or microchip implantation. Please note that rabies titer testing could cost several hundred dollars. These expenses are paid by you directly to your veterinarian and are not part of your fees with StL Travel Vet.

Depending on your destination country (or Hawaii), there may also be a requirement for the administration of parasite treatment at the time of inspection or during a separate visit closer to your departure date. You may already have an acceptable product on hand that you are giving your pet monthly for parasite prevention. In this case, you will not have to purchase additional product. If you do not have parasite prevention on-hand, you will be required to purchase the product from either me or your regular vet. This could cost anywhere from $10-$50 depending on the type of treatment required and the size of your pet.

If you are traveling with more than one pet at the same time (on the same flight), you may be able to save money with a single health certificate. If so, I discount the second pet ($200 off IHC fee). Depending on your destination country, there may also be a discount on your USDA endorsement fee. Additionally, you will only pay the mileage fee and FedEx shipping fees once. You will still be responsible for the cost of any necessary parasite treatment for each pet.