Exporting Animals Abroad

Transporting animals to another country is a big stress for the owner. It seems like it will take forever to gather all the documents and get the necessary vaccinations. In reality, it’s not that scary. In this article, we explain how to organize animal transport across the border, what documents you’ll need, and what procedures to go through.

Preparing Your Pet for the Trip

- Research the requirements for animal transportation in the country you are visiting. Some countries prohibit the import of certain breeds: for example, Israel does not accept bull terriers — this breed is considered fighting. Documents may also vary: to bring a cat or dog into the Emirates or Taiwan, you will need to test your pet for rabies antibodies.

- Check with the carrier if you can take your animal on the plane. Sometimes carriers limit the number of animals on a specific flight, and there simply won’t be enough space for your pet, as all spots may already be taken by other passengers with pets.

- Prepare documents for animals traveling abroad, get vaccinations, and complete all necessary procedures. We’ll tell you exactly what those are next.

Rabies Vaccination

This is one of the main requirements for transporting animals abroad — without a rabies vaccine, you and your animal will not be allowed to cross the border. Since rabies is a fatal disease and its spread is controlled, vaccination is free if you go to a state clinic. But faster, of course, the vaccination will be done in a private clinic. You can only leave the country 21–30 days after the injection, so that the pet develops immunity.

Important: be sure to ask the veterinarian if the vaccine given to your pet is recognized abroad.

Anti-parasitic Treatment

The standard procedure for pet owners is to treat the pet for parasites before any annual vaccination. This should be done 14 days before vaccination. If you are traveling abroad and updating vaccinations, the same will be required.

Don’t look for medications online: it’s better to bring the animal to a clinic, and the vets will do everything themselves (and your pet definitely won’t bite your finger when you try to persuade it to eat a pill). Specialists will weigh the animal, calculate the dose, and administer the medicine. If parasites are found in the body, the medication will have to be prescribed again. And that’s another two weeks added to the preparation time: so allow for various contingencies in advance.

Vaccinations for Other Diseases

Along with the rabies vaccination, you can vaccinate against a number of diseases typical for cats and dogs (panleukopenia, parvovirus, calicivirus). These are standard annual vaccinations that should be given so that the animal does not contract an infection during a walk or from your shoes in the house. These are also checked, so the veterinary passport must contain marks: vaccine name, stamp, signature. Sometimes vaccination against common diseases and rabies is a single injection.

Microchipping

Microchipping helps identify your animal abroad. During the process, a chip containing a microcircuit with unique information — from the owner’s contacts to the pet’s name and date of birth — is implanted into the pet using a syringe. If the animal suddenly gets lost in an unfamiliar country, and someone catches it and takes it to veterinarians, specialists will scan the chip and contact the owner.

Microchipping information is entered into the veterinary passport. It’s best to check this after you microchip the animal: enter the chip code into the international search system EuroPetNet.

When you can microchip your pet: at any time, regardless of its age. Ideally, this should be done when it is still young, to save time later. But even if you need to urgently microchip an animal before traveling, specialists will not refuse.

When Special Documents for Animal Transportation Are Required

The most important rule: you need to prepare for pet transportation as early as possible. If you have a microchipped animal that has received all vaccinations, preparation will take up to 5 days. But if there is no chip and no vaccination records, you should plan for 1.5 months.

- Most of the time will be taken up by rabies vaccination. First, the pet will be given anti-parasitic pills, and after a couple of weeks, the vaccination can be done. After that, you will have to wait again: the period is up to 30 days. Only after this will you be able to take your pet out of the country.

- Some countries require presenting the results of a rabies antibody test at veterinary control — for example, in the UAE. This will take another two to four weeks.

What Documents Are Needed for Animal Transportation

Veterinary Passport

The first and main document for your pet, issued at a veterinary clinic after the first vaccination — usually at 1–2 months of age. It contains all records of annual vaccinations and deworming. But even if you haven’t vaccinated your pet before, the passport will still be issued regardless of your cat’s or dog’s age.

Veterinary Certificate Form No. 1

This document can only be obtained at a state clinic — it is not issued in private veterinary clinics. Essentially, it confirms that the pet is in good health and the data in the veterinary passport is correct. A specialist examines the pet and delivers a verdict: whether it can travel or not.

The veterinary certificate must be issued 5 days before the departure date (or less — but not earlier than this period).

Rabies Antibody Test Results

This is only required in a few countries (UAE, Israel, Turkey). The test is expensive, and you will need to take the results with you to show at veterinary control.

Eurocertificate

You receive this at the veterinary control point at the airport, where documents for exporting animals abroad are checked. For this, you will need to show the staff of the point a veterinary certificate form 1. This certificate is a guarantee that your pet is not sick. And that you are not going to sell it abroad or engage in breeding.

Veterinary Certificate Form 5a

If it’s about countries outside the Schengen area, you will be issued a special certificate for transporting animals abroad directly at the airport. The veterinary control officer will enter data about the animal, its owner, and all procedures completed before the trip, in English. The document has international status.

Important: this certificate is issued only if you have a Form 1 certificate in hand.

How to Pay for Pet Transportation

Before buying tickets, find out from the airline how much it will cost you to transport animals abroad. Be sure to do this in advance — as you will still need to check if vaccinations are in order, microchip your pet, and prepare the passport and certificate.

Once the airline approves the animal’s transportation, confirms that there is space on the plane, and provides the price — you will be able to pay for your tickets and simultaneously the cost of transporting your pet.

Which Animals Can and Cannot Be Transported on a Plane

Dogs and cats are definitely fine: you can fly everywhere with them. But here are the animals with which problems may arise:

- aquarium fish;

- arthropods;

- reptiles — snakes, lizards;

- wild animals and birds;

- dogs with flat snouts (brachycephalic breeds) — pugs, Pekingese, bulldogs. The fact is that due to anatomical features, stress, and pressure changes, such animals may experience breathing difficulties during the flight.

Some companies allow the transportation of brachycephalic dog breeds on planes. But before taking your pug on a plane, be sure to assess your pet’s stress tolerance and check with a veterinarian if the animal is ready for the trip.

Snakes, spiders, and other animals that cannot be transported on a plane with people can be sent abroad as cargo. There are many companies that specialize in such transportations.

Rules for Animal Transportation on a Plane

First, you need to understand how much your pet weighs. This determines whether you can take it into the cabin or the cargo hold.

Airlines usually allow small, lightweight animals to fly in the cabin: up to 8 kg, including the carrier. You can take one pet or two — but only if together they “fit” within the allowed weight.

For transporting an animal in carry-on luggage, there are the following rules:

- the carrier must not leak liquids;

- an absorbent pad should be placed at the bottom;

- the animal must not be let out of the carrier on the plane. And not held in arms either.

For more details on how to transport a cat on a plane, read the Kupi.com Blog: it contains step-by-step instructions on what to do before traveling.

If your pet weighs more than 8 kg, the airline will require you to transport it in the cargo hold. You need to approach this trip very carefully: after all, you will be separated from your animal for a long time, and it will worry about being left alone. Therefore, you need to make the journey as comfortable as possible for it. Don’t worry: your pet will not fly in the same compartment as bags and suitcases. A special heated compartment is arranged for animal transportation on planes.

To prepare, purchase a sturdy container that complies with IATA rules — with an impermeable bottom, large enough for the animal to stand up freely and turn around its axis.

What to Do with Your Pet at the Airport

- Arrive at the airport in advance. Be sure to allocate at least an extra hour to complete all formalities related to checking in an animal for a flight.

- The empty carrier will need to be scanned at the airport entrance. Your pet can sit in your arms. Don’t forget to put a leash or harness on it.

- Then head to the veterinary control point. Prepare all documents in advance.

- The check at the veterinary control department will take 20–30 minutes. But most likely, you will also have to wait in line. Specialists will check all documents and issue you certificate No. 5a if you are flying to another country.

- After veterinary control, proceed to the check-in counter. Your pet will be weighed along with its carrier, all documents will be checked, and a receipt for the animal’s transportation will be issued. Once you pay for the transportation, you will receive your boarding pass.

- If the animal is flying in the cabin with you, go through the red customs corridor to fill out the declaration for exporting the pet and crossing the border.

- If the animal is flying in the cargo hold, head to the oversized baggage drop-off area. An employee will accept the pet for transportation, check the strength of its container, and you will meet it again in another country.

Important: before leaving the animal in the cargo hold, give it water and remove its collar to prevent breathing problems for the pet.

Veterinary Control in the Country of Destination

Veterinary control at your final destination will be the same as at the departure airport — there is no significant difference. The main thing is to clarify whether the veterinary control point will be open when you arrive. Specialists will check all import documents and direct you to the customs declaration.

What to Take With You

List of things that will be useful at the airport:

- water — so you can give the animal a drink at any time;

- absorbent pads;

- a little food, if the flight is long and the pet is traveling in the cargo hold;

- a favorite toy that will calm the pet and relieve stress.

If you are transporting your pet in the cabin, you cannot take it out of the carrier. According to the rules, the carrier must be at your feet. If there are not many passengers on the plane, flight attendants may allow you to hold your cat or dog — so that the pet feels better, as an unfamiliar environment will cause it stress. But if there is no such permission, do not argue: airline rules must be followed.