Pets -- Singapore Airlines

Plan & Prepare

Transporting your pet can be a stressful experience for both you and your beloved pet, hence Singapore Airlines is committed to providing caring, comfortable, stress-free service for both of you. Read on to find out more information on pet carriage.

Pet Travel Services

Essential Documents and Health Requirements

Comfort and Care

Container Requirements

Pets Not Accepted for Travel

Pets Travelling to the UK

Certified Guide Dogs for Blind, Deaf, or Disabled Passengers

lnterline Carriage

Charges

As advance arrangements for pet travel services are required, please alert your travel agent or local Singapore Airlines office at the time of booking that you will be travelling with your pet. Our staff will check on space availability and provide advice on the regulations and requirements for the carriage of pets to your country of destination and/or transit points.

To arrange for pet carriage out of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and USA, please contact an international pet transportational company.

In general, there are 2 ways for your pet to travel:

Accompanied (for certain breeds of cats and dogs only)
This pet travel service allows you to check-in and reunite with your pet at the passenger terminals of your flight's departure and arrival airports. (This service is only available in selected airports.)
Unaccompanied
This alternative pet travel service allows you to check-in and collect your pet from the cargo terminals at your flight's departure and arrival airports.

In both cases, your pet will travel in full comfort in the air-conditioned cargo hold, located just beneath the passenger cabin.

Please note that the:

carriage of pets in the aircraft cabin is not permitted, with the exception of Guide Dogs;
carriage of live animals is also not allowed on A345-500 ultra long haul flights;
with the exception of live tropical fish, insects and reptiles, carriage of animals is not allowed on all A380 flights.

Please ensure that you have the following documents ready for your pet, at least seven days prior to departure:

Valid export/import permits from the relevant governments of your destination/transit countries.
Valid health and rabies vaccination certificates from appropriate government authorities of your destination/transit countries.
Any additional or special documents that may be required by governments of your destination/transit countries

Please also ensure that your pet meets the appropriate quarantine requirements. Your pet may be subjected to quarantine on arrival at your expense. The quarantine period may vary, at the discretion of your destination(s) veterinary authorities.

Animals travel under less stress when they become accustomed to their shipping container before they travel. To familiarise your pet with its container, place a favourite toy or treat inside the containers to create a positive and comfortable association.

Whenever possible, book a direct, non-stop flight and avoid holiday or weekend travel. Consider schedules that minimise temperature extremes, for example, try to avoid travel during excessively hot or cold periods. Morning or evening flights are preferable during the summer months.

The design and construction of the container must conform to IATA LIVE ANIMALS REGULATIONS. In general, you will have to provide your pet with a correct-sized, well-ventilated, and leak-proof container which meets the following requirements:

Enough space for them to turn about normally while standing
Enough space for them to stand and sit erect and lie in a natural position
Adequate ventilation on at least 3 sides (with the majority of the ventilation on the upper part of the container)
Food and water troughs accessible for replenishment from outside of the container
If wooden crates are used, the sides must be at least 0.5 inch thick

Suitable pet containers are usually available in most professional pet stores. Feeding and watering instructions must be affixed to the container. As our handling agents would like to address your pet by their name, it would be useful if you could indicate your pet's name on the container, as well.

Some animals are prohibited from travel on our flights.
They are the following:

Household pets (dogs and cats) less than 6 months old
All birds, except for farmed ostriches, emus, and birds shipped between government zoos
Pigs (on all passenger aircraft)
All primates intended for research purposes
All snub-nosed dogs such as Pekinese, Shih-Tzus, Boxers, Bulldogs, and Pugs
The following dog breeds and their cross-breeds:
- All Terriers
- All Boxers
- All Pugs
- All Bulldogs
- All Spaniels
- All Mastiff
- Brussels Griffin
- Chow Chow
- Japanese Chin
- Lhasa Apso
- Pekinese
- Pit Bull
- Shar Pei
- Shih Tzu
- Tosa
- Akita
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brazillero & their crosses

The United Kingdom’s Pet Travel Scheme is a scheme that allows your pet to enter the UK without putting it into quarantine, as long as certain conditions are met. It is possible that your pet may be available for collection from customs as quickly as four hours after arrival.

Currently, this scheme is applicable only for flights departing from Singapore to London. This scheme is under the purview of the UK Department for Food Environment and Rural Affairs. Full details about this scheme are available on their website.

A guide dog accompanying its owner can be accepted in the passenger cabin in any class.

However, you are advised to contact your local Singapore Airlines office in advance of your flight to make the necessary arrangements. If your itinerary involves other carriers, separate clearance must be obtained from those carriers prior to travel. You must ensure that all government regulations and documentation requirements for the uplift, transit, and disembarkation stations are complied with.

The guide dog is regarded as unchecked baggage and will be carried without charge, in addition to the passenger’s free baggage allowance. The dog will not be occupying a seat and must not be seated in a location that would block escape routes in the event of an emergency. Moisture absorbent material will be placed on the cabin floor, underneath the dog at all times. The dog must be muzzled and harnessed during the flight.

When interline carriage is involved, please note that on-carriage of pets must comply with other carrier's rules and regulations.

Pets - together with their containers - will be treated as excess baggage and charged accordingly. Please click here to view the excess baggage charge.

Pet Carriage