Tortola, Ho! Part 4a: Pet Import Permit

Once HB decided to accept the job in the BVIs, the matter that became front and center for us was how to move the dogs with us. Research was definitely the first step, and these are the sites that were most helpful for us:

Pet Import Info:

BVI Conditions for Pet Importation

Pet Importation Information (not an official site; may contain incorrect information)

More Pet Importation Information (not an official site; may contain incorrect information)

Caribbean Pet Entry Requirements (great intro resource for people going somewhere other than the BVI)

The first website listed actually provides the first two pages of the BVI Pet Import Permit Application. The third page, which is not shown in that link, is the Permit Application itself, which is a brief, fill-in-the-blank form to provide the basic information about the pet, its owners, and its shots. The difficult part comes in all the things that have to be attached to the Application. To obtain a blank Application, you can call the BVI Department of Agriculture at 284-495-2110, and they will fax one to you.

The primary item that needs to be attached to the Application is a Health Certificate. In the case of people coming from the US, the Health Certificate must be filled out and signed by a USDA-certified Vet. The Health Certificate must then be sent to the USDA APHIS field office for your state and be stamped and signed by the APHIS vet. To find your APHIS field office, go to: www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/area_offices/

Note that if you are planning on flying your pets, most airlines require the Health Certificate to have been stamped within 10 days of the flight. As a result, you will need to plan on sending your Application (with attached Health Certificate) to the BVI by fedex, with a return fedex envelope. Application processing usually takes about 2-4 business days. In our case, we didn't know about the 10-day requirement, and so had to get a second Health Certificate filled out and stamped in order to get Flash and Roscoe on a plane.

So, getting a piece of paper filled out by your vet and signed by the USDA doesn't sound too difficult, right? Tomorrow, we'll examine all the components that go into preparing the Health Certificate.