Bringing Your Pet to Russia

Prior to travel, the pet’s owners must ensure that the pet, regardless of age, is vaccinated against rabies earlier than 21 days before departure and no later than 12 months after the last vaccination.

Pets imported to the Russian Federation must be accompanied by the International Veterinary passport or Veterinary Certificate, which contains a mark of the departure country‘s competent authority (official veterinarian) verifying conduct of a clinical check-up within five days before departure.

Pets must be accompanied by the Veterinary Certificate Form No. 15, which must be filled in by the departure country competent authority (official veterinarian).
Explanations on how to fill out this form can be downloaded here.

In this case, pets mean only cats and dogs. For the carriage of any other type of animal, it is necessary to clarify the information at the Veterinary Control of your airport of arrival. For example Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow:

Contacts of the Veterinary Control at Vnukovo airport:
Tel: +7 (495) 198-07-61
Cell: +7 (925) 082-08-40
Office 3163, Departure floor, Terminal A, Vnukovo International Airport

Please, remember that airlines and shipping lines have their own policies and requirements for transporting pets. Check with your airline or shipping representative to determine what requirements they may have.

When bringing a pet Russia, you will need to have the following documentation:
Vaccination records
Veterinary health certificate bearing a seal of the local Board of Health (issued no more than 10 days prior to arrival)
Import license
Identification (microchip)
Animals other than dogs and cats require special import permission from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Work with the pet’s veterinarian to determine the Russia's country’s requirements, including any necessary vaccinations, tests, or treatments. I recommend creating a schedule to make sure all requirements are met within the specified timeframe.

Fill out this checklist before you go to you veterinarian in the USA.

Microchip

It is also advisable to ask your vet to verify that your pet is fitted with a 15-digit ISO-compatible microchip.

The 15-Digit ISO compatible microchip is the international standard that will allow most vets across the world to connect you with your pet in the unfortunate event that you get separated. 

Even if you are certain your pet has already been microchipped, it is important to ensure the distinction is made on the type of chip, as other models may not be readable abroad.

It is also worth mentioning that microchips generally reunite pets and owners using the owner’s cell phone number. If you plan on changing your sim card out when abroad, consider adding a friend or family member’s details to the chip so the vet can track you down as quickly as possible.

International Health Certificate

An International Health Certificate is a permit that certifies your pet is in good health and is ‘fit to fly’. They can only be issued by certain government-approved veterinarians following a thorough health check and should include details such as your pet’s name, age, breed, weight, microchip number, vaccination status and owner details.

As International Health Certificates must be issued within 10 days of travel, a second appointment will likely be necessary. It is advisable to discuss it early, however, as not all vets are authorized to issue the permit and in some instances, blood tests may be required.

One more important thing. When importing your personal dog or cat, customs officers usually do not pay attention to you. But you can get their interest in you if you bring more than one animal per person. In this case, it is better to fill out a customs declaration indicating the value of all imported animals is less than 1000 US dollars ( you put $900). This way you will not pay customs duties. If the delivery of an animal to Russia is carried out according to the CARGO principle and through a cargo terminal, then it will be necessary to draw up and notarize in the country of departure an Invoice, which will indicate the cost of importing animal.

Prepare Your Cat or Dog Travel Bag, depending what you need:
collar or harness
leash
ID tags
food and water bowls
dog food
water
pet first aid kit
plastic bags
paper towels
treats
toys
bedding
crates or carriers
pet seat belt or harness

Please make sure that your pet is wearing an ID tag with their name and your contact information when travelling from the USA to Russia.

You may want to visit US Department of Agriculture page:
Pet Travel Guidance for Pets Traveling to Another Country from the United States

and
Pet travel from the U.S. to the Russian Federation