How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Pet from the USA to Belgium?

The endorsement sits in the $101 band because the United States is a listed country for EU entry and no rabies titer test is required. APHIS does not count rabies vaccinations toward the number of tests on a certificate, so the vaccination on its own does not push the fee into a higher band. Where a test is required the same schedule charges $160 for the first animal and $10 for each additional animal. The fee is per certificate rather than per pet, so two animals on one certificate costs far less than two separate certificates.

The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain publishes the list of places where a pet arriving from outside the EU can be checked in. For dogs, cats and every pet except birds there are seven: Brussels Airport, Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Antwerp International Airport, Liege Airport, Ostend Bruges International Airport, the Port of Zeebrugge, and Brussel-Zuid, also written Bruxelles-Midi, which is a railway station rather than an airport.

For pet birds the list narrows to two, Brussels Airport and Liege Airport, which is worth knowing before anyone plans a bird move through Antwerp or Charleroi.

For a flown pet from the United States the practical answer is usually Brussels Airport. The point of the list is that Belgium leaves room to move when a schedule falls apart, which most member states do not. Sweden designates two airports for the whole country and Norway one.

The EU replaced its non-commercial pet movement rules in 2026. The framework in force is Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, with the country lists in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 and the document models in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705, both applying from 22 April 2026. The animal health certificate model is now Part 1 of Annex III to 2026/705.

The changeover runs on two dates, and it is worth getting both right. A certificate on the old Annex IV model counts as compliant only if it was issued before 1 October 2026, and even then only for a transitional period ending 31 March 2027. After that the new model is the only one accepted. One change in the other direction: once your pet has been checked at the point of entry, the same certificate now covers onward movement inside the EU for six months rather than four.

None of this changes what the move costs. What it changes is which form your accredited veterinarian completes and which form the APHIS endorsement office will accept, and the certificate is valid for only 10 days from signature to the check at the point of entry. On a Belgian move we confirm the current model with the endorsing office before the vet appointment is set, because a rejected form means a new appointment, a second endorsement fee and a missed flight.

Your vet sets their own fees. The examination and the certificate paperwork are priced by your clinic and vary between practices, so ask your vet directly. Ground transport at either end is quoted per route. Our coordination fee is included in the total we quote you and itemized on your invoice.

One thing the table cannot show. These figures assume the pet travels with its owner, or that the owner travels within five days either side of the animal. Where that is not the case the EU treats the move under its commercial entry rules instead, which bring a registered establishment of origin, a registered destination, a registered transporter and clearance at a border control post rather than a point of entry. That is a different job at a different price, so tell us your own travel dates early and we will tell you which one you are in.

Crate size is the single biggest lever, because it drives chargeable weight. Direct routings cost more per kilogram than they look but remove transfer handling, and Brussels is one of the European airports where a nonstop from the US east coast is realistic. Season matters too: summer heat embargoes narrow the booking window and winter cold rules do the same. Two pets on one certificate share the USDA endorsement, while each extra pet adds its own crate and freight, up to the EU maximum of five animals in a non-commercial movement. Breed rules are set nationally and separately from the EU entry conditions, and in Belgium some of them are regional rather than federal, so tell us the breed and the destination region when you ask for a quote.

Freight calculated from the American Airlines Cargo published live animal tariff. Endorsement fees from the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services user fee schedule. EU entry conditions from the European Commission page on bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country, the listing that exempts the United States from the rabies titer test, and the Commission list of travellers points of entry. Belgian points of entry from the list the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain publishes and the European Commission links to. Government fees change, so every figure here is tied to the authority that publishes it. Verified September 2026.

Send us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemized plan, a timeline and clear next steps. For entry rules and the full paperwork timeline, see our guide to pet shipping requirements for Belgium, or compare other routes on the pet shipping cost calculator.