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Travelling with pets overseas
Your pet will need to be at least 8 weeks' old and have had a full vet check-up before flying. Read on to find out more about the rules of travelling with your pet overseas.
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Not sure how travelling with your pets overseas works? This guide highlights the rules you need to follow, how to find the best airline for your furry friend, and how to make sure that your insurance covers them both en route and at their final destination.
How does travelling with your pet work?
There are two different ways to fly with your pets. The first is to take their crates with you as checked baggage, and the second is to mark them as cargo. You can only take registered service dogs into the aircraft cabin with you, and you should contact your airline ahead of time to make the necessary arrangements.
If you’re flying a pet domestically, you can usually take their crates through as checked baggage, although restrictions vary depending on the airline.
To fly a pet internationally, you will need to go through an IPATA-approved pet shipper.
You can still travel with your pet during COVID-19 and many of the rules remain the same as before the pandemic. However, with many airlines reducing their flight timetable and the uncertainty of border closures and quarantine rules, you'll need to be prepared for longer waiting times and last-minute changes.
Some countries have introduced new measures for pets travelling overseas, so it's worth checking before you travel. Correct as of August 2021, these are some countries that have introduced extra restrictions:
UAE. All pets will need to quarantine for 14 days before travelling into the UAE and have written proof that it has not been in contact with any humans or animals that have tested positive for COVID-19.
Sri Lanka. All cats and dogs must have a PCR test 72 hours before departure and spend 30 days in quarantine upon arrival.
Indonesia. Pets travelling from a country with a high number of COVID-19 cases will need to take a PCR test and spend 14-days in a government facility on arrival.
New Zealand. Pets travelling to New Zealand can only arrive in Auckland where they will be examined for signs of illness. No quarantine is required.
India. All pets will need to have a negative COVID-19 test result issued within 7 days of travel or a certificate from a vet confirms that your pet has not been in contact with a human or animal with coronavirus.
Regardless of whether you're flying domestically or internationally, you will need to follow some rules when you're travelling with pets overseas:
You need a suitable container. Airlines will usually only accept IATA-approved containers. These need to meet international guidelines for animal welfare and should have enough room for your pet to comfortably lie down, stand up and turn around.
Dog breed restrictions. Some breeds, in particular brachycephalic dog breeds including pugs, bulldogs, Boston terriers, Japanese spaniels and Pekingese, have special conditions you need to be aware of.
Calm animals only. Your pet needs to be used to its container and not unduly aggressive.
Age limits apply. Airlines often won’t accept animals younger than 8 weeks or older than 12 years.
Pets must be in good health. Some airlines require a vet certificate for all animals, while others will specifically require one if your pet is particularly young or old, has recently given birth, is pregnant or has other health issues.
Guidelines for pet containers
IATA-approved pet containers are the only way to fly with your pet on most airlines. They have to be big enough for your pet to comfortably stand up, lie down and turn around. If more than one animal is sharing a crate, all of them need to be comfortable.
A few tips for choosing the right pet container:
Airline restrictions and limits. Depending on which airline you're flying with, and what kind of plane it is, different size restrictions and weight limits might apply. You should check these before booking your ticket.
Material. Plastic isn't always suitable. A nervous flyer might break out of a plastic container. You should consider wood or metal if there's a chance your pet might do this. The container also needs to be strong enough to withstand any outside bumps and should not be collapsible.
Security. Pay special attention to the latches and make sure they’re secure. If the crate is a two-part build, you need to secure both halves with screws, or nuts and bolts, instead of plastic clips.
Ventilation. The container needs to have adequate ventilation, especially if it’s carrying a brachycephalic dog.
Waterproofing. Line the cage or crate with waterproof, absorbent material and ensure that no liquid will escape.
Cleanliness. The container should be clean, in good condition and ready to fly.
5 things to do before your flight
There are a few things you can do before take-off to make your pet’s flight more comfortable.
Exercise your pet
Play with your pet or take them for a walk to tire them out before heading to the airport.
Keep them hydrated
Give them plenty of water before the flight, but don't give them a meal for at least a few hours before take-off.
Make them comfortable
Make sure there's a comfort item in their container with them along with a waterproof matt for any accidents.
Remember important documents
Bring their vet certificate with you, and attach their collar ID to their container.
Pack a bag for your pet
Remember to pack the right toys, medication, food and other pet-care items for your trip.
Top tip. If you’re nervous about saying goodbye to your pet before the flight, try not to show it too much. Dogs and cats are perceptive, and if they pick up your nervousness it might catch.
Returning to Australia
Australia’s pet quarantine requirements are some of the strictest in the world. The moment your pet leaves the country, it no longer qualifies for its Australian health status and will need to go through quarantine to get back in.
It can take a long time to bring a pet back into the country, sometimes as long as six months. To help things go smoothly, it’s a good idea to plan ahead of time. Depending on your destination, you may be able to speed things up by visiting vets overseas, getting the right permits and booking quarantine accommodation ahead of time.
Use the Australian government’s pet import tool to find out whether your pet is eligible for import back to Australia and get a recommended timeline.
Register for an import permit. You need this to bring your dog or cat back into the country. If your pet will be leaving and returning within a six month period, it’s a good idea to do this before departure.
Taking pets on international flights
If you need to fly an animal overseas, the procedures are the same for all airlines. You will generally have to book your pet’s crate through to your destination as cargo, instead of checked baggage. Do this by finding an IPATA-approved shipper. They can work with you to find a flight path that takes your pet where they need to go.
You can only take pets on your flights as checked baggage if you're flying domestically.
Taking pets on domestic flights
If you’re taking your pets with you on domestic flights as checked baggage, conditions and costs will vary between airlines. If you’re not careful, you might end up booking a flight with an airline that won’t accept your pet.
In particular, it’s worth paying attention to size restrictions, fees and restrictions on the types of pets that you can transport.
Travelling with pets on Air New Zealand
You can only book domesticated cats, dogs and birds through as checked baggage on flights that you are taking. Any unaccompanied pets, business animals such as racing greyhounds, or animals other than cats, dogs or birds need to be booked through IPATA agents as cargo, even when flying domestically.
Container size limits. The maximum size of a container depends on the size of the plane.
Cages for 2000, 5000 and 8000 flights can be no larger than 70 cm tall and 50 cm wide.
For A320 flights, they can be no larger than 65 cm tall and 85 cm wide.
There is no limit on the number of containers you can check in as baggage, but each will incur a fee based on total weight.
Up to 25 kg: NZD $75
26 kg and over: NZD $100
You cannot have more than one animal per cage, unless they are of comparable size, less than 14 kg each and are used to cohabitation. You can have up to three animals per cage if they’re younger than six months old and from the same litter.
You cannot book pets and containers with a total weight of more than 32kg onto flight numbers in the 2000s range.
Travelling with pets on Qantas
Qantas lets you make bookings specifically for your pets to make sure they end up on the same flight as you. If you want to travel with your pet, you should book their flight before your own. However, restrictions apply to the types of pets and breeds that you can bring on board. Ineligible pets need to be booked through Qantas Freight or an IPATA-approved shipper.
You cannot use wire crates or ship animals for cosmetic or testing purposes.
Animal restrictions. In general, you may take cats, dogs, birds, guinea pigs, rabbits and similar animals as checked baggage in appropriate containers. You cannot take the following animals:
Puppies or kittens under eight weeks old
Animals that show excessive chewing or cage-destructive behaviours
Guard or racing animals
Police or defence force animals
Freshwater live fish
Specialised zoological, native or other exotic pets
Breed restrictions also apply:
Brachycephalic dogs cannot be on any flight longer than five hours in length or for more than two sectors per journey without an indemnity form. Their crates must be double the minimum required size.
American Staffordshire terriers are only permitted when 12 weeks old or older
English Staffordshire terriers must travel in wooden crates.
Travelling with pets on Virgin
For pets flying as checked baggage, your options are limited depending on the type of plane you’ve booked a flight on. You cannot put more than two compatible animals of up to 14kg each in the same container.
A320. Can't carry pets
F70 or F100. 0-10kg pets only. Up to four cages 65 cm in height, 70 cm in width and 110 cm in length.
ATR. 0-20kg pets only. No more than one cage 80 cm in height, 60 cm in width and 110 cm in length.
A330, 737, Embraer. 65kg maximum weight limit, including the crate. No more than 2 cages 80 cm in height, 70 cm in width and 110 cm in length.
Other restrictions also apply:
Dogs and cats only
Animals must be in good health and not unduly aggressive
They must be over eight weeks old
A vet certificate is required for the following reasons:
Your pet is pregnant or has given birth within 48 hours of departure time
Your pet is over 12 years old
Your pet is between 8 and 12 weeks old
Your pet is sick, injured or recovering from surgery
What to know about pet travel insurance
Your own travel insurance policy is unlikely to cover your pet when you travel. For this, you'll need pet insurance instead. Pet insurance helps to cover any veterinary bills you might face overseas, but most insurers will only cover you for trips to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. You can compare policies and get instant quotes using the table below.
Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification.
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