Air Travelling With Pets
So you want to go on a holiday and would like to bring your pet with you? Think twice, because although it is not impossible, it’s gonna cause you a great deal of hassle. Think hard, and plan well in advance. In most aircrafts, unless it’s a service animal (such as guide dogs for blind passengers), pets are not allowed inside the cabins. However, some, like Thai Airways does allow, small pets in the cabin, as long as there are no more than two animals aboard the cabin at the same time (you’ve got to coordinate with the airline). The regulations and requirements naturally depend on the destination, and in places like Hongkong, for example, pets need an import permit even for transit. But here are a few other factors you might want to consider:
Import Permit: Contact the government bureau of your destination country (usually that dealing with Animal and Plant Quarantine) to check your pet’s immigration requirements. For pets flying in to Taiwan for example, pet tags, no matter how fancy they may be, just won’t suffice.
The dog or cat to be imported shall have been implanted microchip and vaccinated against rabies when at the age of at least 90 days old; and the period between the day of vaccination and the day of shipment shall be no less than 30 days and no more than one year.
Cages/Kennels: Whether your pet will join you in the cabin or in the cargo section, your pet will need a cage or a kennel. In some cases, the kennels would even have to be pre-approved with the airline you’re flying.
Quarantine: Find out how long will the destination country will keep your pet in quarantine, if this is necessary. In some countries, this can be up to 6 weeks!
Pet Travel is a good starting place to browse information, but feel free to contact your airline. Any good airline should have their regulations in place and should be able to help you out if you have specific situations.
Enjoy sharing your Asian travel experience with your pet (if you really must).
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POSTED IN: Getting There and Away : Asia
1 opinion for Air Travelling With Pets
Pets
Mar 31, 2006 at 5:55 am
Nice Site! I have a bearded dragon called Gucchi and a border terrier called Ruby.They both hate each other and run a mile when they see each other! I enjoyed your blog- Thanks. R
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