Vaccination Certificates in Dogs and Cats: Immunological Basis, Health Validity and International Regulatory Framework

Objective. To analyze the immunological basis of rabies vaccination certificates for dogs and cats,their international health validity, and the criteria determining their acceptance or rejection at border control.Method. Review of regulatory frameworks from major destination countries, primary and boostervaccination protocols, and identification and traceability requirements. Results. Certificate validity dependsnot solely on the vaccination date but on the concordance between microchip, species, approved vaccineproduct, complete primary schedule, and the time window required by the destination country. Conclusion.Correct management of the vaccination certificate is the first critical link in the pet export file anddetermines the animal's admissibility regardless of its serological status.