The pet logistics of a PCS move come in two categories: the stuff you can figure out as you go, and the stuff that has hard deadlines.

Paperwork falls firmly in the second category. We’ll go through what you need, when you need it, how to get it, and what’s reimbursable under the 2024 JTR update, so you don’t hit any snags along the way.

What’s Reimbursable: the 2024 JTR update

As of January 1, 2024, JTR paragraph 050107 authorizes reimbursement for certain pet relocation expenses for PCS orders dated January 1, 2024 or later. This is a significant change that many families don’t know about.

• CONUS moves: up to $550 per PCS order
• OCONUS moves: up to $2,000 per PCS order
• Reimbursable paperwork-related expenses include mandatory microchipping and, for OCONUS moves, titer testing and quarantine fees
• Health certificate vet visits are not explicitly listed but microchipping — which can happen at the same appointment — is reimbursable
• Only cats and dogs qualify. One pet per service member or dependent per PCS order.

Keep all receipts for any qualifying expenses and submit with your travel voucher. Talk to your finance office for branch-specific claim procedures.

For everything else, check out our Complete Guide to PCS Entitlements.

The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate)

The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, or CVI, is the document most people call a health certificate. It’s an official statement from a licensed veterinarian that your pet is healthy and up to date on vaccinations. Most states and all airlines require it for travel, and it’s the single most time-sensitive piece of pet travel paperwork.

The 10-day rule

A CVI must be issued within 10 days of your departure date. Not 11 days. Not two weeks before just to be safe. Your vet has to examine the animal in person and sign off on the certificate within that 10-day window.

This means you need to schedule the vet appointment as soon as your travel dates are confirmed. Vets can book out pretty far during spring and summer, which overlaps almost perfectly with PCS season. If you wait too long, you may not be able to get an appointment in the window you need.

A practical approach: as soon as you know your departure date, count back 10 days and block that period on your calendar. Then call your vet the same day you get your orders and get on the schedule. This gives you the most time for your CVI to be valid while traveling in case you run into delays.

Do you need a CVI for a CONUS road trip?

It depends on the states you’re traveling through. Some require a CVI for pets entering the state, some don’t. Most CONUS road trips pass through enough states that the safe answer is yes, get one anyway. If you want to double check all the states on your route, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provides guidelines on what’s required when traveling with pets between states. This applies whether you’re traveling with your pet yourself or having them transported with another person or company.

Beyond state requirements, having a CVI on hand is useful in any number of situations: hotels that ask for documentation, emergency vet visits along the route, boarding facilities if you need to leave a pet for any reason. It’s one vet visit worth of effort and it covers you for the whole trip.

OCONUS Moves Require More Than Just A CVI

If you’re moving overseas, a standard CVI isn’t enough. Most countries require a USDA-endorsed health certificate, which means your vet issues the CVI and then a USDA-accredited vet (which may or may not be your regular vet) endorses it. Some countries require the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories to process additional documentation. Costs for OCONUS pet moves are reimbursable up to $2,000 under JTR 050107.

The USDA APHIS website also has country-specific requirements. Start there as soon as you know your destination. Some countries have timelines that start months before your move date, and there is no catching up once you’ve missed them.

Vaccination Records

Your vet has digital records, but it’s smart to print physical copies before you leave. All of them. Rabies is the most commonly requested, but having a full vaccination history on paper means you’re covered regardless of what anyone asks for.

What vaccinations are required for pet travel?

For a CONUS road trip, rabies is the baseline requirement. Most hotels, boarding facilities, and emergency vets will ask for proof of a current rabies vaccine. For dogs, distemper and bordetella (kennel cough) are commonly required by boarding facilities and sometimes by hotels. For cats, FVRCP (distemper combo) is pretty standard.

For OCONUS moves, requirements vary significantly by country. Some require specific vaccines to be administered within defined time windows before entry. Check USDA APHIS for your destination country’s requirements and confirm with your vet well in advance.

Rabies titer test (usually only for OCONUS moves)

Some countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, require a rabies titer test in addition to a current rabies vaccination. A titer test measures the level of rabies antibodies in your pet’s blood to confirm the vaccine is effective.

The test has to be processed by a USDA-approved laboratory, and results can take 30 or more days. Some destinations require a waiting period after the test comes back positive before the animal is cleared for entry. This is why the timeline for OCONUS moves starts months in advance, not weeks.

If you’re doing a CONUS move, you almost certainly don’t need a titer test. Check your specific destination requirements on USDA APHIS to confirm.

ID Tags And Microchip Information

Update your pet’s ID tags and microchip information before you leave. Tags should have your current cell number, not a home number that rings an empty house or a number you no longer use. If you have a destination address, you can add it, but your cell number is the most important thing.

For cats who don’t normally wear collars, consider a breakaway collar with a tag for the duration of the move. The risk of escape is higher during travel and moving than at any other time, and a tag on a collar is visible in a way a microchip isn’t.

Microchip registration

Microchipping is the fastest and most reliable way to reunite a lost pet with their owner. For a PCS move, it shouldn’t be not optional. Pets go missing during moves more often than anyone likes to admit: open doors, unfamiliar territory, the chaos of loading and unloading, rest stops where a leash slips.

If your pet isn’t microchipped, your vet can do it at the same appointment as the health certificate. Mandatory microchipping is explicitly listed as a reimbursable expense under JTR 050107 for both CONUS and OCONUS moves. If your pet is already chipped, confirm the registration has a current phone number and email address.

ISO chips for OCONUS moves

Most countries outside the United States require an ISO 11784/11785 microchip, which is a 15-digit chip. Many pets in the U.S. have 9- or 10-digit chips that don’t meet this standard. If you’re moving overseas, confirm your pet’s chip type before you get too far into the process. Inserting a second ISO chip is an option if your pet has an older non-ISO chip, and some USDA requirements specify that the chip must be read before the rabies vaccination to establish the timeline.

What Pet Paperwork To Keep With You During Your PCS

Your pet’s paperwork should travel with you, not in the moving truck. Keep these accessible in your car:

• Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) for each pet, issued within 10 days of departure
• Printed vaccination records for each pet
• Microchip numbers and registry information written down separately from each pet
• Any prescription medications with pharmacy information and dosage instructions
• Your current vet’s contact information
• A recent photo of each pet saved on your phone and printed, in case you need to share it if they go missing

A Note On Military Move Pet Fees

None of the paperwork costs outlined in this post are reimbursable through your PCS travel entitlements. Health certificates, vet visits, titer tests, microchipping, updated tags — all out of pocket. The JTR covers your household travel expenses, and pets aren’t included in that calculation.

What this means practically is that getting ahead of the paperwork timeline isn’t just about compliance. It’s also about not paying for emergency vet visits or rushed USDA endorsements because you ran out of time. Save yourself extra cost (and stress!) and plan ahead.

While you’re planning the pet paperwork, plan the rest of the trip too

Pet health logistics are just one piece of PCSing with pets. Knowing your per diem, authorized travel days, mileage reimbursement, and route are all part of it.

Luckily, our free PCS road trip planner handles that side of the equation. Plug in your details and it maps your route, calculates your entitlements, and shows your logical overnight stops with pet-friendly lodging options.

You’ve got a ton on your plate, let us take a few things off of it.

Frequently asked questions about pet PCS paperwork