The fitness-to-fly exam happens within 10 days of your flight. Most vets in town can't sign it.

What gets checked

The exam isn’t long — usually 20–40 minutes — but the checklist is specific. A USDA-accredited vet will:

1. Scan the microchip to confirm it reads at airport scanners. Non-ISO chips can fail here.
2. Cross-check the microchip number against rabies certificate, FAVN report (if applicable), import permit (if applicable).
3. Auscultate heart and lungs to confirm no underlying cardio-respiratory issues that get worse at altitude or in cargo conditions.
4. Check for dehydration, fever, visible infection — anything that suggests acute illness.
5. Examine for parasites — fleas, ticks, ear mites. Some destinations require visible-parasite-free certification.
6. For brachycephalic breeds, an additional Fit-to-Fly assessment for breathing capacity at the airline’s request.
7. Confirm crate fit — vet may ask the dimensions of your IATA crate to confirm the pet has the legally required standing / turning / lying room.

If everything checks out, the vet signs the international health certificate (the destination-specific form — UK cert, EU AHC, Japan cert, etc.).

Why “USDA-accredited” matters

Most US veterinarians are licensed by their state but NOT USDA-accredited. USDA accreditation is a separate federal credential a vet earns through APHIS training. Only USDA-accredited vets can legally sign international health certificates for outbound travel.

If you walk into your usual neighbourhood vet without checking, there’s a real chance they can’t help with international paperwork. The exam they do is medically the same — but their signature won’t be accepted by USDA APHIS for endorsement.

Pawvisa’s destination-specific guides reference our scraped LA list of USDA-accredited vets (531 vets). The $29 readiness analysis shortlists the subset most likely to handle your specific destination.

The timing window — when to book

For most destinations, the exam happens within 10 days of your scheduled flight. The cert validity window (see our validity-windows article) drives this.

Practical booking advice:

• EU / UK / China: book the exam 5–10 days before flight. Closer to flight = less buffer if anything fails the exam, but the cert’s still valid on arrival.
• Japan / Australia: cert timing matters less than the FAVN/RNATT clock; book the exam ~7 days before flight.
• Mexico: no health cert required since 2019, but a fitness-to-fly check is still recommended for cargo flights.

Most USDA-accredited vets book 1–2 weeks out for these appointments. Don’t try to walk in the day before your flight — it almost never works.

What can fail the exam (and what to do)

Five things commonly fail or delay the cert:

1. Microchip won’t read.Old non-ISO chips, or chips implanted too deep, sometimes don’t scan reliably. The vet may have to re-chip with a new ISO chip — restarting some destination clocks.
2. Visible illness. Vomiting, diarrhea, ear infection, eye discharge. Most vets postpone the exam by 1–2 weeks and treat. Critical if your flight is close.
3. Dental issues. Some destinations flag visible dental disease as a fitness concern. Usually a treat-and-recheck.
4. Pregnant or nursing.Most airlines refuse pregnant or nursing animals in cargo. Vet won’t sign for flight; reschedule after weaning.
5. Recently sedated or anesthetised. Pets that had anaesthesia within 24–48 hours of exam usually need to wait. Airlines also refuse sedated pets in cargo.

If any of these come up: the exam doesn’t fail outright, it just gets rescheduled. The risk is your flight booking is fixed and the cert isn’t ready in time. Build at least 1 week of buffer between exam and flight in case re-exam is needed.

What to bring to the appointment

• Your dog or cat (obvious but worth saying)
• Original microchip implantation record with the chip number
• Original rabies vaccine certificate with chip number, vaccine details, vet signature
• FAVN / RNATT result (if your destination requires it — Japan, Australia, Hawaii, Korea, Taiwan direct)
• Import permit (if your destination issues one — China GACC, Australia BICON, Taiwan BAPHIQ)
• The completed destination-specific health certificate form (some vets prepare this themselves; others want you to bring a blank — call ahead)
• Your travel itinerary (flight date, airline, arrival airport)

Bring originals, not copies. The vet’s cert is built on these source documents.

After the exam: USDA endorsement

The vet’s signed cert goes to USDA APHIS for federal endorsement. Two paths:

• Electronic (VEHCS): most destinations, 1–3 business days turnaround. UK is electronic for non-commercial.
• Ink endorsement: required by some destinations (UK commercial, some Asia/Middle East). Mail the original cert to APHIS regional office; longer turnaround.

You can do this yourself (the vet hands you the signed cert and you submit) or many USDA-accredited vets will submit it for you for a fee. See our USDA endorsement turnaround article for the process detail.

Cost expectations (without inventing numbers)

USDA-accredited vet exam + cert preparation fees vary widely in LA. We don’t publish specific numbers here pending the pricing data brief results. Pawvisa’s $29 readiness analysis includes current verified ranges for your specific destination and route.

In general: expect the fitness-to-fly exam + paperwork to be one of the larger line items in your pet move, second only to cargo airline rates.