What is the Rabies Titer Test for Pet Travel?

If you are planning on transporting pets to Singapore, Australia or a number of other rabies-free countries, your pet will need a rabies titer test prior to travel.  The steps below explain how someone who is planning on a pet move can obtain these test results from their veterinarian and issuing laboratory.

What is the Rabies Antibody Titer?

The Rabies Antibody Titer or FAVN-OIE Tests (FAVN stands for Fluorescent Antibody Viral Neutralization) is to ensure that the rabies vaccinations have provided adequate rabies antibody levels for travel.  The test should be issued by a USDA accredited veterinarian, sent to an approved rabies laboratory and then the results of this test will need to be certified by an approved government facility prior to export (i.e. the USDA).

How to Obtain a Rabies Antibody Titer/FAVN Test

Your vet will need to send a serum sample, accompanied by a completed FAVN Report Form, to the Rabies Laboratory at Kansas State University to do the FAVN test. The Rabies Laboratory will then send the FAVN Report Form with the original "stickered" results of the test back to the submitting clinic. If the destination on the FAVN Report Form is listed as Hawaii, Guam or any of the Caribbean Islands, the original "stickered" results will be sent directly to the destination's quarantine station, and a copy of results will be sent to the submitting clinic. Results can take up to six weeks to be returned. Make sure to plan accordingly. 

The results of the FAVN test must be 0.5 IU/ml or above in order to qualify for entry. 

Pet owners do not need to call KSU prior to sending a serum sample for a FAVN test.

For more information on Rabies Titer/FAVN test submissions, please see the KSU Rabies Laboratory website.  There you will have access to shipping instructions, current FAVN Report Forms and test fees.

Need help planning your pet's international move? Contact us to discuss your options. 

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in May 2010 and has been most recently updated on January 14, 2020.