Veterinary Health Certificates

Certificates of Veterinary Inspection/CVIs

GlobalVetLink takes the guesswork out of Certificates of Veterinary Inspection.

Veterinary Health Certificates, or Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), are official documents required by law when transporting animals domestically. A vet health certificate for travel helps prevent the spread of diseases by verifying that an animal has been inspected for illnesses by an accredited veterinarian and was found to comply with movement regulations. The GVL Compliance Assistant platform assists practices in preparing veterinary health certificates online.

GlobalVetLink provides Certificate of Veterinary Inspection CVI solutions for domestic travel for all species, as well as International Health Certificates and Hawaiian Health Certificates for international and Hawaii pet travel.

How long is a health certificate valid?

In most cases, a CVI is valid for 30 days after the date of issue. In cases of disease outbreaks, CVIs may need to be re-issued sooner than 30 days.

Easy health certificates. Yes, really.

Don't waste time figuring out state movement rules and staying up-to-date on travel policy changes. GlobalVetLink does it for you.

GlobalVetLink helps veterinarians support their clients' animal movements with easy-to-use software that creates complete health certificates, seamlessly and without error.

GVL Health Certificates:

  • Are approved for all US states and territories
  • Allow auto-fill client and animal information
  • Feature built-in state movement requirements
  • Enable immediate submission to state officials
  • Provide a secure alternative to 7001 forms
  • Are easily shared with clients online
Vet in field

Creating Digital CVIs with GlobalVetLink

Using GlobalVetLink's digital Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVIs) can significantly streamline the process of animal movement documentation for your clinic.

Our easy-to-use software ensures the generation of error-free health certificates, simplifying compliance and enhancing the service you offer to your clients. Experience a smoother, more efficient operation that allows you to focus on the care of your patients while we handle the complexities of USDA health certificates.

New - Additional CVI Workflow for Production Animal Veterinarians

As more states require electronic CVIs, veterinarians need a reliable way to ensure compliance while conducting inspections in remote settings. Our new Production Animal Wet-Ink Signature CVI workflow was designed with these challenges in mind, allowing seamless pre-inspection preparation and straightforward wet-ink signature certificate completion.

How It Works:

  • Prepare in the Clinic: The veterinarian or staff can generate the Production Animal CVI before the inspection, selecting the wet-ink signature option.
  • Field Inspection: After inspecting the animals, the veterinarian signs the printed CVI, provides it to the transporter, and takes a picture for record-keeping.
  • Post-Inspection Reconciliation: Within 48 hours, the clinic updates the electronic CVI, uploads the signed image, and completes the electronic signature for final submission to the states of origin and destination.

Extended Equine CVIs – 6 Month Health Certificates

GlobalVetLink provides a seamless digital solution for the Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (EECVI) program.

EECVIs function just like traditional animal health certificates but last for six months and provide a better solution for frequent travelers with horses.


How do I obtain a veterinary health certificate?

Animal owners can obtain a pet health certificate through their veterinarian. Ask your vet how you can get started with digital animal health records through GlobalVetLink!

To find a veterinarian in your area, use our free Find-A-Vet search tool.

If your animal health practitioner is not listed, ask them to subscribe to GlobalVetLink, or contact us to let us know the clinic name, contact and location.

The GlobalVetLink platform keeps animal owners and livestock producers connected to their veterinarians and animal health records to improve animal wellness and ease pet travel and animal transport.

Time Savings with GlobalVetLink

“The time it takes us to put these documents together is cut in half. Our doctor’s time is very valuable. They have sick pets in the clinic, and the fact that they don’t have to do much with these documents is invaluable. They can just log in, click a button, do their exam, and be on their way. Time is the biggest savings we’ve found with the platform!”

Shannon O'Daniel

Bond Vet

Frequently Asked Questions About GlobalVetLink’s CVIs

A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, is an official document required by law when transporting animals domestically. CVIs help prevent the spread of diseases by verifying that animals have been inspected by an accredited veterinarian and were found to comply with movement regulations. In most cases, a CVI is valid for 30 days after the date of issue, though some states may require re-issuance sooner during disease outbreaks.

Yes, GlobalVetLink digital health certificates (CVIs) offer a secure alternative to APHIS Form 7001 for domestic travel for all species. GVL CVIs are approved for use in all 50 US states and territories, including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. They offer significant advantages over paper forms, including auto-fill client and animal information, built-in state movement requirements, immediate submission to state officials, and easy online sharing with clients.

SmartEngine is GlobalVetLink’s patent-pending intelligent rules engine, which automatically verifies the accuracy, completeness, and compliance of certificates with state and federal regulations. When creating a CVI, SmartEngine checks the regulations of both the origin and destination states, alerts you if required information is missing, and ensures only compliant information can be entered. This eliminates the need for manual research of requirements and reduces the risk of rejected certificates, saving veterinarians significant time and frustration.

Upon completion and signing by the accredited veterinarian, GlobalVetLink CVIs are automatically routed and submitted electronically to the state animal health officials in both the state of origin and the state of destination. This intelligent routing fulfills regulatory requirements without any additional steps, eliminating the need to mail paper certificates or manually submit forms, and ensuring immediate compliance with state reporting requirements.

Yes, GlobalVetLink supports CVIs for all species. When creating a certificate, you can select from Equine CVIs, Companion Animal CVIs, Production Animal CVIs, or General CVIs to accommodate any species. The platform includes species-specific remarks, allows you to add tests, vaccinations, and treatments specific to each species, and automatically applies the appropriate regulatory requirements based on the selected species and destination.

The Production Animal Wet-Ink Signature CVI workflow is designed for field veterinarians who need to conduct inspections in remote locations with limited internet access. You prepare the CVI in the clinic before the inspection, print it for use on-site, conduct the animal inspection in the field, apply a wet-ink signature on the printed certificate, and then reconcile the electronic CVI in the platform within 48 hours. This ensures compliance with state regulations while accommodating veterinarians working in areas with limited or unreliable internet connectivity.

Animal owners can access completed CVIs through their MyVetLink account, which provides 24/7 online access to view, download, and print certificates as often as needed. This owner portal reduces phone calls and email requests to your clinic, as clients can access their own documentation at any time. Owners simply need a valid email address to set up their MyVetLink account and must be granted access by their veterinarian.

GVL SmartEngine® technology includes built-in state movement requirements that are automatically applied when creating CVIs. You can also use AnimalRegs.com, GlobalVetLink’s free public animal movement requirements look-up portal, to research specific state import requirements. The platform works directly with state animal health officials to verify and update regulatory information, ensuring you always have access to the most current requirements.

Only the Accredited Veterinarian (AV) who physically inspected the animals is legally allowed to sign a CVI. By signing, the accredited veterinarian attests to having personally examined the animals and confirms that the information on the certificate is accurate. Once a CVI is signed in GlobalVetLink, it cannot be edited, ensuring document integrity and compliance with regulatory standards.

GlobalVetLink prevents errors through multiple built-in safeguards. GVL SmartEngine® technology verifies all information against current state and federal regulations before signing. The platform alerts you immediately if required information is missing. Only compliant combinations of data can be entered. Certificates are pre-audited before completion, and automatic submission ensures certificates reach the correct state officials. This means you know right away if something needs correction rather than finding out weeks later that a certificate was rejected, saving time and preventing compliance issues.