What Pennsylvania requires when a cat arrives — whoever you are arriving from. These rules hang off the arrival, not the trip type: a flight from Frankfurt and a flight from Los Angeles are treated the same here. Requirements can change — always confirm with the authority before you travel.
These requirements come on top of the country's — they can only tighten or add, never loosen.
Under Pennsylvania law, dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies within four weeks after reaching 12 weeks of age and must maintain current immunity.
⚠️ This is worded as a keeping requirement for animals in Pennsylvania, not explicitly as an entry condition. For international imports the authority refers to the USDA.
Pennsylvania requires no permit for cats. If a health certificate is present: Pennsylvania honours it for 60 days regardless of what the originating form says, and APHIS Form 7001 has not been accepted since 1 March 2018.
⚠️ The Dog Law certificate rules concern dogs in licensed kennels; the source says nothing about cats as an entry case.
🗓️ Read at the state authority on 01/08/2026.
Source 1: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/animals/diseases/rabies
Arriving from Germany/the EU, the national entry requirements of USA apply on top. Arriving from another part of the same country means crossing no international border — then only the section above applies.
Not required by US authorities; however, nearly all airlines require a health certificate (veterinary certificate, often valid max. 10 days before departure). Please check with your airline.
No permit; no CDC form for cats
Not federally required (recommended)
Not federally required
Cats: no CDC minimum age; valid rabies vaccination (~12 weeks).
No
None
Not required
None
Standard
These apply on the ground in the destination country — to everyone, not as an entry condition — and depend on the breed and situation (e.g. public transport, listed breeds).
No federal breed bans
None (cat)
Cat must appear healthy; check destination-state rules; Official source: cdc.gov/importation
Authority: USDA APHIS (CDC-Hunderegel gilt nicht für Katzen)
🗓️ Read at the responsible authority on 20/07/2026.
Check your specific route & airlines →For informational purposes only. Regulations change frequently — verify with the relevant authorities before travel.