Do Horses Need Passports?

My friend and I were travelling outside of the country for a horse event recently, and though we weren’t bringing any equine passengers along with us, we did get talking about how these horses are able to travel across borders.

Many animals and even plants often need their own passports in order to be able to get across borders, so what about horses?

I decided to look into it.

So, do horses need passports?

In the United States, horses do need passports to travel outside the country, and to get back in. Equestrian passports are primarily issued for FEI competitions by the USEF (United States Equestrian Federation). Horses need to be registered with the USEF and be owned by a U.S. citizen to get one.

Horses need to pass border security just like we do, then.

Passports are issued for animals for many reasons, but when it comes to competing horses in particular, the simple fact is that there is typically a great deal of money involved.

In the horse itself but also in the competition it’s going to.

Keeping a record, therefore, is essential.

Read on to find out more about horse passports.

Is it illegal for a horse to travel without a passport?

Unless the horse is being transported for emergency veterinary treatment, it is illegal for a horse to travel without its passport.

The passport should always be readily available if you are moving the horse around, and ready to show the authorities at any time.

Even if your horse is not a competing horse, they still need passports for other reasons.

The horse must be life recorded, and all owners of the horse must be active members of the USEF.

As I mentioned earlier, the owner must also be a US citizen.

With the permission of their own National Federation, non-citizens can still apply for FEI passports.

Though we use the term ‘passport’ mainly when we’re talking about travel, it actually has several uses when it comes to your horse.

It is essentially a record of the horse and its ownership, and the passport also allows veterinarians to get an at a glance view of any medical treatments a horse has received.

Your horse’s passport will expire every four years, at which time it will need to be renewed.

Again, keeping it up to date is really important in case there are any changes in the horse’s health or ownership.

It certainly is a legal requirement for a horse to have a passport not only for when it travels but simply in order to keep its records up to date.

How much is a horse passport?

For an FEI horse passport, you will pay $300 for the document.

This covers the application fees, but typically does not include the required veterinary examinations needed to validate the passport.

Your passport will typically take six weeks from beginning to end for the whole process to be completed.

The cost of the medical requirements can vary, but the vaccines can cost around $130 for the whole set.

USEF National Passports, which are meant primarily for use in transporting horses across borders, are $50, but will require you to already have your FEI passport to begin with.

One more thing to be aware of is alterations to the horse’s details.

There is a $30 fee for changing the ownership of the horse, and name changes in particular are strongly discouraged and run up a charge of $1,250.

There are fees associated with virtually any change you might need to make, so be aware of that before changing any of your horse’s details.

Is a horse passport proof of ownership?

Yes, your horse’s passport is essentially your proof of ownership more than anything else.

You must regularly update the passport with the newest information, if anything changes hands in terms of who owns the horse.

For competitions and travel, you need to be able to prove that the horse belongs to you in order to be able to move it around.

If your passport expires and you don’t renew it before travelling, you won’t be able to prove that ownership of the horse.

Your horse, obviously, is an animal who cannot prove his own identity or vouch for you.

So, keep your horse’s passport up to date.

Keeping your horse’s records up to date is really important if you wish to have it competing internationally, then. keeping records of everything moving across international borders is always strictly enforced, so be sure that you have everything you need before attempting to take your horse into another country.

Without the passport, you won’t be able to bring your horse into the country.

And the passport is a lot more than just a horse’s means of travel; it’s an overall record of everything you are legally expected to know as the horse’s owner.