Military Pet Relocation
PCS Back to the U.S. with Pets: Military Pet Relocation Guide
Bring your dog or cat home from Japan, Korea, Germany, the UK, Italy, or any overseas tour — CDC rules, export steps, and arrival through Seattle or Los Angeles in one place.
From the CDC Dog Import Form and export inspections to Patriot Express arrivals at SEA-TAC, LAX customs clearance, and ground transport to your new base, we help military families get their pets home.
Bringing Your Dog or Cat Home After an Overseas Tour
Coming home is usually easier than going out — but not automatic. Every dog entering the U.S., including military pets returning from a PCS, needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip, and to be at least six months old. Your pet also has to clear the country you’re leaving, and then get from the airport to your new duty station.
This guide covers the CDC rules, the export steps for the countries where most service members are stationed, and what happens when your pet lands at Seattle-Tacoma or Los Angeles — the two West Coast gateways for families returning from Asia and the Pacific. Across The Pond Pets has teams at both airports, and we can receive your pet, clear it, board it, and deliver it to bases from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Camp Pendleton.
Adopted a puppy overseas? Check its age against your PCS date. The CDC doesn’t allow dogs under six months old into the U.S. — with no exception for military families. If your puppy won’t be six months old by your travel date, it will need to stay behind with a caretaker or boarding facility and follow later.
CDC Rules for Dogs Returning to the U.S.
What your dog needs depends on every country it has been in during the six months before arrival — including layovers. Most overseas military locations are classified as dog rabies-free or low-risk, so most returning dogs need only the CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Always check the CDC’s current high-risk list, which it updates each year.
| Your dog’s last 6 months | Documents needed | Where it can arrive |
|---|---|---|
| Only rabies-free or low-risk countries (Japan, Korea, Germany, UK, Italy, and most of Europe) | CDC Dog Import Form receipt | Any U.S. airport |
| A high-risk country, U.S.-vaccinated dog | CDC Dog Import Form receipt plus a USDA-endorsed Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination | The port listed on the form receipt |
| A high-risk country, foreign-vaccinated dog | CDC Dog Import Form receipt, Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip, and a CDC-registered animal care facility reservation | Only an airport with a CDC-registered facility, such as LAX — not Seattle |
| A high-risk country, no rabies vaccination | — | Not allowed to enter |
Every dog must also appear healthy on arrival, be at least 6 months old, and have a microchip that a universal scanner can read. Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries without a qualifying titer may need revaccination and a 28-day quarantine at the animal care facility.
Stationed in a high-risk country such as Turkey? Start the CDC paperwork 60–90 days before you leave and work with your military veterinary treatment facility — whether your dog counts as U.S.-vaccinated or foreign-vaccinated changes which forms you need and which airports your dog can use. Cats aren’t covered by the CDC dog rules, but your airline and destination state may have their own requirements.
Your Return Checklist, Step by Step
Start about two to three months before your departure date, especially in summer, when flights and pet space fill up.
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2–3 months before departure
Confirm your dog’s CDC category and age
List every country your dog has been in during the last six months, including vacations and layovers, and check them against the CDC high-risk list. Confirm your dog will be at least six months old on arrival.
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2–3 months before departure
Book your pet’s flight
Request Patriot Express pet space through your transportation office, or book a commercial flight. From Japan and Korea, the Patriot Express arrives at Seattle-Tacoma; from Europe, it arrives at Baltimore/Washington. Commercial flights from Asia and the Pacific often arrive at Seattle or Los Angeles.
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1–2 months before departure
Check the microchip and rabies vaccination
Have your vet scan the microchip and confirm the rabies vaccination will be current on arrival. The CDC strongly recommends it, most states require it, and airlines often ask for it.
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Varies by country
Complete the export steps for the country you’re leaving
Some countries require an export inspection or certificate before your pet can leave. See the table below for Japan, Korea, Europe, and more.
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Usually within 10 days before departure
Health certificate
Most airlines and the Patriot Express want a health certificate from a vet within about 10 days of travel. Your installation’s veterinary treatment facility can often issue it.
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2–10 days before arrival
Submit the CDC Dog Import Form
Fill out the form online for each dog, with a clear photo and the microchip number, and list the airport where your dog will arrive. Print or save the receipt — airlines will check it before boarding and CBP will check it on arrival.
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Arrival day
Entry check and pickup
Pets traveling with you are checked with your other documents. Pets arriving as cargo must be cleared through U.S. Customs at the airport’s cargo facility before release — we handle that clearance at Seattle and LAX.
Leaving Your Overseas Country: Export Steps
Each country sets its own rules for pets leaving. Here’s what to expect from the most common overseas assignments.
| Leaving from | Export steps | CDC category |
|---|---|---|
| Japan & Okinawa | Export inspection by Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service at the departure airport; apply in advance | Rabies-free |
| South Korea | Export inspection and certificate from Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) | Low-risk |
| Germany & Italy | No EU export certificate needed for the U.S.; airline health certificate | Low-risk |
| United Kingdom | No export certificate needed for the U.S.; airline health certificate | Rabies-free |
| Guam & Hawaii | U.S. territory and state — domestic travel, no CDC form; airline and destination state rules | Not an import |
| Turkey and other high-risk countries | Local export steps plus additional CDC rabies documentation | High-risk |
Requirements change. Your military veterinary treatment facility and our team will confirm the current steps for your country before you book.
Arriving Through Seattle or Los Angeles
Most families returning from Japan, Korea, Guam, and the Pacific land at one of two West Coast gateways. Our teams at both airports can meet your pet, clear it, care for it, and get it to your new duty station — even if you’re still out-processing or traveling separately.
SEA-TAC
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
The Patriot Express gateway for Japan and Korea, plus commercial flights from Asia. Seattle has no CDC-registered animal care facility, so foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries can’t enter here.
- Pickup at the Patriot Express terminal or cargo facility
- U.S. Customs clearance for pets arriving as cargo
- Overnight or extended boarding while you settle in
- Ground transport to bases across Washington
- Onward domestic flights to your new duty station anywhere in the U.S.
LAX
Los Angeles International Airport
A major arrival point for commercial flights from Asia, the Pacific, and Europe, and one of the few U.S. airports with CDC-registered animal care facilities for dogs that need them.
- Pickup at the cargo facility or arrivals
- U.S. Customs clearance for pets arriving as cargo
- Coordination with CDC-registered facilities when required
- Ground transport to bases across Southern California
- Onward domestic flights to your new duty station anywhere in the U.S.
Landing in Seattle but headed to California? Patriot Express families from Japan and Korea arrive at SEA-TAC even when their next assignment is Camp Pendleton or San Diego. We can take your pet from Seattle to your new base by ground or connecting flight, so you don’t have to drive cross-state with a crate on day one.
Patriot Express, Reimbursement, and Pets Flying Separately
Patriot Express
Returning flights carry a limited number of dogs and cats for families on PCS orders — two pets per family, with each pet and crate under 150 pounds combined. A signed Risk Acknowledgement Document is required to book pet space.
Pets must travel with you or a designated representative.
Up to $2,000
For PCS orders effective on or after January 1, 2024, the Joint Travel Regulations reimburse qualifying costs for one household pet (a dog or cat) on an OCONUS move, including the move back to the U.S. — such as health certificates, export fees, boarding, and transport.
Keep itemized receipts and confirm details with your finance office.
Flying separately
If your pet can’t fly with you — a full Patriot Express, a pet over the weight limit, or a third pet — we can ship it as cargo, clear it on arrival, and board it until you’re ready.
Commercial shipping where the Patriot Express flies requires a non-availability letter for reimbursement.
Bases We Deliver to from Seattle and LAX
From our two West Coast gateways, we provide ground transport to installations across Washington and Southern California, and can connect your pet by air to any other duty station in the U.S.
| From SEA-TAC | Branch | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Joint Base Lewis-McChord | Army / Air Force | Tacoma area |
| Naval Base Kitsap (Bremerton & Bangor) | Navy | Kitsap Peninsula |
| Naval Station Everett | Navy | Everett |
| NAS Whidbey Island | Navy | Oak Harbor |
| Fairchild Air Force Base | Air Force | Spokane |
| From LAX | Branch | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton | Marine Corps | Oceanside, San Diego County |
| MCAS Miramar | Marine Corps | San Diego |
| Naval Base San Diego, Coronado & Point Loma | Navy | San Diego |
| Los Angeles Air Force Base | Space Force | El Segundo |
| Naval Base Ventura County (Port Hueneme & Point Mugu) | Navy | Ventura County |
| Vandenberg Space Force Base | Space Force | Lompoc |
| Edwards AFB, Fort Irwin & MCAGCC Twentynine Palms | Air Force / Army / Marine Corps | High desert |
Other Things to Plan For
Summer heat and domestic connectionsEven if your international flight is fine, a summer connection or a hot tarmac in Southern California can trigger airline heat embargoes. Ground transport from the gateway avoids that second flight.
Your new state’s rulesMost states require a current rabies vaccination, and some require a health certificate. Heading to Hawaii next? It has its own strict rules — see our PCS to Hawaii guide.
Temporary lodgingPet-friendly temporary lodging near West Coast bases fills fast in summer, and pet boarding isn’t always reimbursable. We can board your pet near the gateway until your housing is ready.
The right crateAirlines and the Patriot Express require an approved hard-sided crate sized to your pet. If your pet has grown during your tour, check the fit before you fly. See our crate guidelines.
PCS Back to the U.S. with Pets: FAQs
What does my dog need to return to the U.S. from Japan, Korea, or Europe?
If your dog has only been in rabies-free or low-risk countries for the last six months, it needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip, to be at least six months old, and to appear healthy on arrival. Japan, Korea, Germany, the UK, and Italy all fall into this group.
Does my cat need CDC paperwork?
No. The CDC dog import rules don’t apply to cats. Your cat still needs to meet your airline’s requirements and your destination state’s rules, which usually include a current rabies vaccination.
My puppy is under six months old. Can it come home with us?
No. The CDC doesn’t allow dogs under six months old into the U.S., including military pets. The puppy will need to stay with a caretaker or boarding facility until it’s old enough, then fly as cargo. We can arrange the shipment and receive it on arrival.
When should I submit the CDC Dog Import Form?
Submit it online for each dog shortly before travel — generally 2 to 10 days before arrival — and list the airport where your dog will land. Bring the receipt; airlines check it before boarding.
We’re landing at SEA-TAC on the Patriot Express but moving to San Diego. Can you help?
Yes. Our Seattle team can meet your pet at SEA-TAC and move it to your new base by ground or connecting flight, or board it until you’re ready to pick it up.
Can my pet arrive before or after me?
Yes. Pets can fly as cargo on a different date. We clear the shipment through U.S. Customs at Seattle or LAX and board your pet until you arrive, or deliver it to your new home or base.
Will the military reimburse my pet’s move back to the U.S.?
For PCS orders effective on or after January 1, 2024, the JTR reimburses qualifying expenses for one dog or cat up to $2,000 on an OCONUS move, including returning to the U.S. Confirm your eligibility and documentation with your finance office.
Coming Home? Let’s Plan Your Pet’s Return
Send us your departure country, arrival airport, new duty station, and your pet’s records. We’ll confirm the CDC and export requirements and handle every step from departure to your new front door.
