A practical 2026 guide to moving pets from the Netherlands to the United States — CDC low-risk pathway, NVWA export process, KLM’s published fees, and timeline.
Everything you need to navigate international pet relocation: import rules, customs, costs, timelines.
Easy
4–8 weeks
No authoritative total verified
None required (mainland US)
The federal paperwork for this route is simple, but general-public cabin and hold pet space is limited by aircraft, route, and operating carrier. Book it as early as possible rather than assuming it will be available close to departure.
A practical 2026 guide to moving pets from the Netherlands to the United States — CDC low-risk pathway, NVWA export process, KLM’s published fees, and timeline.
US federal agencies don't publish a general certificate requirement for this pathway, but your airline may still require one.
Check the NVWA Export Assistant
Check the NVWA’s Export Assistant tool for the Netherlands→US result. If no binding certificate is listed and your airline or itinerary requires documentation beyond the EU pet passport, contact the NVWA directly.
Not Required
The Netherlands is not currently under USDA’s temporary FMD restriction (only Cyprus, Hungary, Greece, and Slovakia are) and is not on the screwworm-affected list, so no extra APHIS disease certificate applies.
Set by Your Airline, If a Certificate Is Required
There’s no federal validity window for this pathway. If your airline requires a certificate, confirm its validity window with them directly.
Printed or Digital
The CDC receipt can be printed or shown on your phone — CDC doesn’t require a unique paper original. Carry the microchip record and any airline-requested documentation too, plus an offline backup either way.
→ The Netherlands is not on the CDC high-risk dog-rabies list
→ The Netherlands is not currently under any USDA FMD or screwworm restriction
→ Every dog needs a readable microchip and CDC Dog Import Form receipt
→ The dog’s full 6-month travel history controls the pathway
→ KLM publishes a direct fee table for both cabin and hold travel
→ Assuming the EU pet passport replaces the CDC form
→ Assuming KLM’s hold service is available on every aircraft
→ Assuming KLM cargo is bookable directly by an individual
→ Ignoring the dog’s 6-month travel history
→ Assuming no federal certificate means no certificate at all
Cabin & Hold
$200 cabin / $400 hold
8 kg cabin / 75 kg hold
National carrier, full published fee table
Follow this timeline to make sure you complete everything on time for a smooth, stress-free travel day.
KLM excludes pets from the hold on Boeing 787-9, 787-10, Airbus A321neo, and German Airways-operated flights.
KLM cargo requires a forwarding agent — it isn't a self-service option like cabin or hold.
The Netherlands' low-risk status only applies if the dog hasn't visited a CDC high-risk country in the prior 6 months.
Costs vary based on pet size, airline, season, and any additional Services.
No single authoritative Netherlands-to-US total was verified. Costs depend on the airline and service level (cabin vs. hold), whether extra NVWA documentation is needed, and crate choice.
Typical total cost
Price in USD, Estimate only.
→ CDC Dog Import Form receipt — dogs
→ Microchip record — dogs
→ EU pet passport with current rabies vaccination (the Netherlands’/EU’s own document — not a U.S. federal entry document and not a substitute for the CDC Dog Import Form; useful supporting paperwork)
→ NVWA documentation, only if required
→ Airline confirmation
Start with your origin country guide for route-specific requirements, timelines, and common pitfalls.
→ No. The Netherlands is not on the CDC’s high-risk list.
→ The dog’s complete 6-month travel history still controls which pathway applies.
→ Healthy appearance, minimum age of 6 months, readable microchip, and CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
→ This assumes exclusively low-risk travel history.
→ $200 for cabin.
→ $400 for hold (checked baggage), per KLM’s own published fee table.
→ Not as a general U.S. federal rule for this pathway.
→ If your airline requires documentation beyond the EU pet passport, contact the NVWA directly.
→ Not for a compliant mainland-US arrival.
→ Hawaii and Guam have separate programs.
Our pet relocation experts are here to guide you every step of the way.
If a regulation changes after this page was published, the official source always takes precedence over this guide — check the links above for the current rules before you travel.
Compared to routes with airline restrictions or complicated origin-country certificate processes, Netherlands to the US is close to the simplest case this site covers.
This is the only one of this site’s three most recent EU routes where the national flag carrier’s own fee table was directly available, giving readers a genuinely complete cabin-vs-hold cost comparison from a single source: KLM.
The NVWA doesn’t impose its own US-specific checklist — its 8-step process routes travelers toward whatever the destination country actually requires. Check the NVWA’s Export Assistant tool for the current Netherlands to US result, and contact the NVWA directly if no binding certificate is listed there.
For a straightforward cabin or hold move with a healthy pet, most owners can manage this route themselves using KLM’s published fee table directly. Professional help becomes more valuable for a large dog needing cargo transport, a multi-leg itinerary, or a restricted breed.
If a regulation changes after this page was published, the official source always takes precedence over this guide — check the links above for the current rules before you travel.
Select your origin and destination countries.
Select your pet type, size, and breed characteristics.
Select how your pet will travel and any additional services.
Review your itemized breakdown and quote below, then submit your details.
