Pet Transport USA to Belgium: The 2026 Process Explained

The health certificate for a US-to-Belgium move works as a chain of authentication. Your USDA-accredited vet examines your pet and completes the certificate in the EU Annex IV format. They then submit it to USDA APHIS Veterinary Services, which verifies the content and adds its endorsement. The endorsed document is the one Belgium recognises at entry.

From start to finish, this takes a vet appointment plus two to five business days for USDA processing. Some vets use the VEHCS electronic system, which can reduce the processing time. The 10-day window between examination and your pet’s arrival in Belgium is generous enough for most direct transatlantic itineraries, but it requires some planning. Don’t leave the vet appointment until the day before you travel.

The USD 38 USDA endorsement fee is per certificate, not per pet. If you’re travelling with two animals, you’ll likely need two certificates and two endorsement fees, though some offices accept multiple animals on a single certificate in certain circumstances. Ask USDA APHIS directly if this applies to your situation.

Brussels Airport (BRU) has a Veterinary Border Inspection Post (BIP) that processes pet arrivals from outside the EU. For dogs and cats from listed countries like the USA, this is typically a document check rather than a lengthy inspection. Your pet needs to be present with the USDA-endorsed health certificate and microchip documentation. Most arrivals from the USA clear the BIP within an hour.

Multiple carriers fly cargo to Brussels from the USA. Brussels Airlines has direct connections from JFK and IAD. Lufthansa routes via Frankfurt are another good option, as is United Cargo. Book cargo space early in summer: Brussels is a popular destination for families relocating from the USA, and cargo capacity is shared with general freight.

Belgium’s climate is temperate with mild summers, so heat embargoes on pet cargo are less common here than on southern European routes. That said, brachycephalic breeds face year-round airline restrictions on transatlantic cargo regardless of destination temperature.