What APHIS Form 7001 is
APHIS Form 7001 is the USDA's generic health certificate for small animals. Its full name is the United States Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals. It is a one-page form that covers dogs, cats, ferrets, rodents, nonhuman primates and other small animals, and it is valid for 30 days after issuance.
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Owners still ask for "a 7001" by name because airlines, breeders and older travel guides mention it. The form is not accepted everywhere. It is a fallback for routes with no certificate of their own, not a universal pass. Some states refuse it, and most countries with published requirements want their own certificate instead.
This guide covers when a health certificate 7001 is the right document, who can sign it, how to complete it box by box, and the errors that get it refused at endorsement or at the border.
When Form 7001 works and when it doesn't
Use Form 7001 when the destination accepts it and has no form of its own. Check the destination first every time: the form you use is decided by where the pet is going, not by the clinic's habit.
Situation | Is Form 7001 the right document? | |
Interstate move, destination state accepts 7001 | Yes. Each state sets its own entry rules, so confirm with the destination state veterinarian. | |
Interstate move to a state that has dropped 7001 | No. Alabama, for example, stopped accepting it for small animals in 2019 and requires its own ICVI. | |
Pet flying as cargo, or the airline asks for a health certificate | Often. A 7001 or state CVI usually meets the airline's requirement; the airline sets its own issue window. | |
International route where APHIS lists a country-specific certificate | No. Use the certificate on the APHIS country page, for example the EU or UK forms. | |
International route where APHIS has no published requirements | Yes, as a fallback. APHIS recommends a health certificate such as Form 7001, issued by an accredited vet and endorsed by APHIS. | |
Some APHIS country pages that link a 7001-based certificate | Yes. Some country downloads, such as Belize for dogs and cats, are a 7001 with that country's statements added. |
Whatever form you use, the destination decides what goes on it. In our rules base for dogs going from the US to Costa Rica, for example, the certificate must list every vaccine's date, brand, lot number and validity, the microchip number, and parasite treatments with brand, lot and validity. When a 7001 is used, boxes 8 and 9 are where that level of detail goes.
Who can sign Form 7001, and where to get it
The form itself only requires a licensed veterinarian. Its signature block asks whether the issuing vet is accredited, with a Yes/No box and a space for the National Accreditation Number.
In practice, use an accredited vet:
International use: APHIS will only endorse certificates issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian, and it strongly advises accredited issue and endorsement even where a country has not stated a rule.
Interstate use: many states require the CVI to be issued by an accredited vet. Check the destination state.
Species: Category I accreditation covers dogs, cats and most small companion animals. Birds need Category II.
To get the form, download the fillable APHIS Form 7001 PDF from APHIS. Many clinics now issue interstate certificates as electronic CVIs through their state or a third-party platform instead. Those count as a CVI only where the destination state accepts them, so the same check applies.
Keep a copy of every 7001 you issue. It is a federal document, and the form warns that false statements carry a fine of up to $10,000, up to 5 years in prison, or both.
How to complete Form 7001, box by box
The box numbers below follow the current APHIS Form 7001 (Nov 2010). Complete it legibly, in full, with no blank fields that the destination expects.
Box | What goes in it | What to watch |
1. Type of animal | Tick one: dog, cat, ferret, rodent, nonhuman primate, or other | One species per certificate |
2. Certificate number | Leave blank | Official use only |
3–4. Total animals, page | Number of animals and page count | Must match the animals listed in box 7 and any continuation sheets |
5. Owner (consignor) | Name, address, phone; USDA licence or registration number if applicable | Must match the owner's travel documents |
6. Recipient (consignee) | Name, address and phone at destination | Use the real destination address |
7. Animal identification | Name or tattoo, breed, age, sex, colour or markings, microchip number | Scan the chip and copy the number exactly |
8. Vaccination, treatment and testing history | Rabies date, product and duration (1, 2 or 3 years); other vaccines, treatments and tests with dates, products and results | List brand, lot number and validity when the destination asks for them |
9. Remarks | Any additional statements the destination requires | Copy required wording exactly; don't paraphrase |
Veterinary certification | Tick each statement that applies, then print name, licence number and state, accreditation status and NAN, sign and date | The date you sign starts the 30-day validity |
Endorsement for international export | Leave for APHIS | Signed and sealed by the USDA veterinarian when endorsement is needed |
The certification block has three statements to tick:
You verified the microchip listed in box 7.
The animals appear free of infectious or contagious disease, or exposure to it.
To your knowledge, the animals come from an area not quarantined for rabies and have not been exposed to rabies.
Don't tick the microchip statement unless you scanned the chip at this exam.
Validity, endorsement and the mistakes that get a 7001 refused
Form 7001 is valid for 30 days after issuance, but that is the form's ceiling, not the deadline that applies. The destination state, country or airline can set a shorter window, and the shortest one wins. In our rules base, Costa Rica requires the clinical exam within the two weeks before travel.
When can the vet issue the health certificate?
Enter your arrival date, get the days to book the vet.
Endorsement. Interstate 7001s generally don't need USDA endorsement. International 7001s usually do. The APHIS country page says whether APHIS must ink-sign and emboss the paper copy or can endorse it digitally. APHIS charges $101 per certificate with no lab tests, more when tests are listed, and payment must be in before it endorses.
Medical requirements behind the certificate. For dogs leaving the US, our rules base requires the following on both routes checked for this guide (Italy and Costa Rica):
An ISO 11784/11785, 15-digit microchip, implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination.
A primary or booster rabies vaccination given at least 30 days before travel, with the pet at least 12 weeks old. A primary vaccination is valid for 1 year only, even with a 3-year vaccine.
A current DHPP vaccination given at least 30 days before travel.
Flea, tick and tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment within 10 days of travel.
Errors to check for before you sign:
Using a 7001 where the destination has its own form. Check the APHIS country page or the destination state first.
Signing too early. A certificate dated 25 days before departure is valid on the form but fails a 10-day or two-week rule.
Box 3 doesn't match box 7. The total count must equal the animals listed, including continuation sheets.
Microchip number typed, not scanned. One wrong digit invalidates the documents at the border.
Rabies duration box left blank in box 8, or the vaccine product not named.
Missing destination statements in box 9.
Microchip statement ticked without a scan at this exam.
Accreditation fields left empty on a certificate going for APHIS endorsement.
Know which form, and what goes on it, before the appointment
The hard part of a 7001 is not the boxes. It is knowing whether the destination accepts it, and which vaccines, treatments and statements it expects.
Pet Holiday Club answers that per route:
A checklist for the exact trip. Requirements come from a curated rules base of around 1,660 rules, matched to origin, destination, species, breed and airline.
Ordered like the journey. Restrictions that stop travel come first, then medical requirements, documents, travel day and arrival.
Lead times on each item. Vaccine, treatment and exam windows are shown against the travel date, so you know when to sign.
Records read before the visit. Owners upload the pet's documents, and the scanner flags gaps against the checklist.
Your accredited vet examines the pet and completes the certificate with the requirements already in front of them.
See how Pet Holiday Club works →
FAQ for vets
Is Form 7001 the same as a CVI? It is one kind of CVI. Many states also have their own CVI forms or accept electronic CVIs, and some accept only those.
How long is an APHIS 7001 valid? The form states 30 days after issuance. The destination or airline can set a shorter window, and that shorter window applies.
Does a non-accredited vet's 7001 work? The form allows it for some interstate moves, but APHIS will not endorse it for export, and many states require accreditation. Use an accredited vet.
Can I use Form 7001 for the EU or UK? No. Both have their own certificates, listed on the APHIS country pages.
Does an international 7001 need USDA endorsement? Usually. Check the APHIS country page; where requirements are unknown, APHIS strongly advises endorsement anyway.
Can I list several pets on one 7001? Yes, if they are the same species. Box 1 allows one type of animal, and box 3 must match the number listed.
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