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Bringing a Dog from the USA to France: Requirements & Timeline

Standard EU entry — chip, shot, 21-day wait, 10-day certificate window — with one French twist: category-1 dogs can't enter at all, and category-2 dogs need pedigree papers.

Rules last verified against official sources: 2026-07-24

Planning for a cat instead? See the cat version of this route →

Pick your travel date to get a dated, backward-planned checklist. (This tool needs JavaScript; the full requirements are listed below either way.)

France follows the EU playbook exactly: ISO microchip implanted and scanned before the rabies vaccination (a shot given first doesn't count), vaccination at 12 weeks or older, a 21-day wait after a primary vaccination (shot day = day 0), and a USDA-endorsed EU health certificate with arrival inside 10 days of endorsement. No titer test from the US, no tapeworm treatment for France, no quarantine when it's done right.

The French twist is breed law. Unregistered dogs of Staffordshire-terrier/pit-bull, mastiff (boerbull) and Tosa type are category-1 "attack dogs" and prohibited from entering France. The same types with recognized breeding-book registration — plus Rottweiler types — are category 2: they may enter, but you must carry the pedigree documents proving it, and muzzle/leash rules apply in public.

Minimum lead time: about 0.7 months (21 days). France is achievable in under a month from a standing start; the 21-day post-vaccination wait is the floor. Check the breed rules before anything else — for category-1 dogs no timeline exists.

The requirements, in order

Order matters — several steps are only valid if the earlier ones were done first. This is the same sequence the planner above turns into dated deadlines.

  1. ISO microchip implanted
    ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip, implanted and scanned BEFORE the rabies vaccination. Under EU rules a rabies shot given before the chip — or without scanning the chip first — simply does not count and must be redone.
    Official source ↗
  2. Rabies vaccination (then a 21-day wait)
    Given at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older, after the microchip. For a primary vaccination the EU counts the vaccination day as day 0: validity starts 21 days later, and your pet cannot enter the EU before that. A booster given before the previous shot expired needs no new wait — but one day of lapsed coverage makes the next shot a 'primary' again.
    US primary rabies vaccinations count for 1 year in the EU regardless of the label. APHIS suggests vaccinating 3–6 months before travel to keep paperwork simple.
    Official source ↗
  3. EU health certificate issued & endorsed by USDA APHIS
    A USDA-accredited veterinarian completes the EU non-commercial animal health certificate (submitted via VEHCS); USDA APHIS ink-signs and embosses it. Your pet must arrive in the EU within 10 days of the endorsement. The certificate then covers onward EU travel for 4 months (6 months for certificates under the new EU rules from 1 Oct 2026) or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever is first.
    Book the vet appointment and USDA endorsement inside the same 10-day pre-travel window — cutting it close on day 10 leaves no room for a delayed flight.
    Official source ↗

The 10-day certificate window

Within the 10 days before arrival: a USDA-accredited vet completes the EU non-commercial certificate (via VEHCS) and USDA APHIS ink-signs and embosses it. Land in the EU inside that window — early in it, ideally, so a delayed flight can't strand your paperwork. After entry the certificate covers onward EU travel for 4 months (6 months under the new EU certificates from 1 Oct 2026) or until the rabies vaccination expires.

Arriving in France

Enter through a designated Travellers' Point of Entry and present your dog for documentary and identity checks, with the signed owner declaration from the certificate. Maximum 5 animals per person, and the pet must travel within 5 days of you or the move counts as commercial. Puppies and kittens: France refuses animals under 16 weeks — vaccinated-but-still-waiting doesn't qualify either.

What it costs (rough US figures)

Same as any EU route: microchip and rabies shot if needed, the certificate visit, USDA endorsement fee, airline pet fee — a low few hundred dollars in paperwork before airfare. Confirm current fees with your vet and APHIS.

Official sources

These are the only authorities on this route. If anything here disagrees with them, they win — and please tell us.

Rather have a professional handle the whole move? Pet relocation companies manage the vet visits, paperwork, and bookings end-to-end. (Referral placement — link to relocation partner here.)
Traveling internationally with a pet? Vet visits abroad are out-of-network by definition. (Pet insurance affiliate placement here.)

FAQ

How long does it take to bring a dog from the US to France?
About 3–4 weeks from a standing start: microchip and rabies vaccination now, a 21-day wait (shot day is day 0), then the EU health certificate endorsed within the 10 days before arrival. Already-vaccinated dogs can go as soon as the certificate is arranged.
Which dogs are banned from France?
Category 1: Staffordshire terrier/American Staffordshire (pit bull), mastiff/boerbull and Tosa types without breeding-book registration — import prohibited. Category 2 (the same types with pedigree papers, plus Rottweiler types) may enter with documents attesting registration.
Does my dog need a titer test or tapeworm treatment for France?
Neither. The US is an EU-listed country (no titer), and tapeworm treatment only applies to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway.
Can I bring a puppy to France?
Not under 16 weeks. France refuses unvaccinated young animals and vaccinated ones still inside the 21-day wait.
Is it different for cats?
Cats follow the identical chip → vaccine → 21-day wait → certificate chain, and none of the breed rules apply. Use the cat toggle in the planner.

Other dog routes

Disclaimer: Preflight Pet is a planning aid, not legal or veterinary advice. Import rules change; airlines add their own requirements. Always confirm every step with the official government sources linked on this page, and with your airline and accredited veterinarian, before booking travel.