Leaving Ukraine with a Dog or Cat: What Foreigners Need to Know

If you are a foreigner leaving Ukraine with a pet you adopted or brought here, the paperwork has two halves. The Ukrainian half is the same for everyone: a state vet inspection (Form F-1) and an export certificate. The other half depends on where you are going, and that is what decides how early you need to start. For the EU and the UK, start at least four months before you fly.

Quick answer by destination

• EU countries: microchip, rabies vaccine given after the chip, rabies antibody titer test of at least 0.5 IU/ml at an EU-approved lab, then a 3-month wait from the blood sample date before entry.
• United Kingdom: similar to the EU for pets from Ukraine (titer test and 3-month wait), plus tapeworm treatment for dogs shortly before arrival. Check GOV.UK for the current rules and approved routes.
• United States: the CDC sets strict rules for dogs arriving from countries it lists as high risk for rabies. Check the CDC dog import page before you book anything. Cats follow lighter rules, but airlines and states may add their own.
• Canada: the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) sets the requirements, usually built around a valid rabies vaccination certificate. Confirm on the CFIA website for your pet's age and species.

How the Ukrainian side works

Whatever your destination, the pet leaves Ukraine on two documents issued close to departure:

1. Form F-1 (veterinary certificate No. 1). Issued by a state veterinary hospital after inspecting the animal. According to Ukraine's State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, it is valid for 72 hours, so it is the last thing you get.
2. The international certificate. For the EU this is the EU animal health certificate, signed by an official vet from the border inspection units of the same service. It is valid for 10 days until the EU border check. A new EU certificate format applies from 1 October 2026.

Before either of these, the pet's passport must already show a readable ISO microchip, the rabies vaccine with batch number and dates, and, for the EU or UK, the titer result. The chip number has to match in every document, digit for digit.

A realistic timeline

• Month 0: microchip and rabies vaccine (the pet must be at least 12 weeks old for the vaccine).
• Month 1: blood sample for the titer test, at least 30 days after the vaccine.
• Months 1 to 4: lab result and the 3-month wait required by the EU and UK.
• Final week: book the export certificate appointment.
• Final 72 hours: Form F-1, then the export certificate, then the border.

Flying out and border crossings

While Ukrainian airspace remains closed to passenger flights, most people leave by land to Poland, Moldova or Romania and fly onward from there; check the current situation before you plan. The EU border check happens at the point of entry with veterinary control, so plan your route through a crossing that handles pets, and keep the original documents with you, not in checked luggage.

Let us handle the paperwork

We prepare the whole set for you, start to finish: microchip, vaccines, titer test with an accredited lab, passport, Form F-1 and the export certificate, all timed to your departure date. Send a photo of your pet's passport on WhatsApp or Telegram with your destination and date. We check it free of charge and tell you what is missing and whether the timing works.