Travelling with pets

Travelling with pets

We welcome your pet on board our flights*, whether they are travelling as checked baggage or in cargo. You’ll also need to prepare all necessary accompanying documents to ensure a smooth journey for both you and your four-legged friend.

If you are travelling with an assistance dog, please refer here.

*Please note:

  • We only permit the carriage of cats and dogs. Please ensure that your cat or dog does not belong to a prohibited breed.
  • We are unable to carry pregnant pets. 
  • As there is no temperature control in the cargo hold, we are unable to accept your pet on all our Boeing 737-operated flights. If you are unsure of the type of aircraft that you will be travelling on, please refer to the Flight Schedule page. 
  • Due to operational constraints, we are unable to accept your pets on Flight SQ21 departing from Newark to Singapore and SQ23 departing from New York to Singapore. You may travel with your pet from New York to Singapore on SQ25.


Checked baggage
Your pet can travel with you on the same flight as checked baggage, as long as it's at least three months old.  We're happy to accommodate most domesticated cats and most dog breeds. Depending on your departure, destination or transit country, other restrictions may also apply.

Due to Occupational Health and Safety rules, if the combined weight of your pet(s) and its container exceeds 32kg, please make arrangements for your pet(s) to travel via cargo instead.

Cargo
To arrange for your pet to travel in the air-conditioned comfort and security of our cargo, contact your local Singapore Airlines Cargo office before your flight.

Getting your pet ready for travel

To help prepare for your travel, we encourage you to go through the Self-checklist for Travelling with Pets as Checked Baggage before proceeding to the airport.

Before your travel
Contact Singapore Airlines at least two weeks before your departure. We will need the following information on your pet: 

  • Type / breed / species
  • Gender
  • Name
  • Age
  • Colour
  • Weight of pet
  • Weight of container
  • Dimensions of container (length x breadth x height)


Do note that every country has its own set of requirements when it comes to travelling with animals. We encourage you to always check your departure, transit and arriving country's local requirements and restrictions.

We'll need the following documents if your pet is travelling out of Singapore:   

  • Export license
  • Indemnity form
  • A veterinary health certificate
  • Rabies vaccination letter
  • Transshipment license (if any)
  • Pet's passport (if any)
     

We'll need the following documents if your pet is travelling to or transiting in Singapore:   

  • Import license/Transshipment license, valid for 30 days
  • Indemnity form
  • A veterinary health certificate
  • Vaccination records with dog's or cat's microchip number indicated
     

Remember to bring all these documents along when you check in at the airport.

Preparing for your travel
Pets can get anxious in unfamiliar surroundings, but there are steps that can be taken to help them relax.

We recommend you do the following:

  • A few weeks before departure, acclimatise your pet to the container it will be traveling in. Periodically place your pet within the container and keep it closed for about 2 hours, before giving it a treat.
  • Place a familiar blanket, and absorbent material on the container floor.
  • On the day of departure, provide your pet a light meal and a little water 2 hours before placing it in the container.
  • Walk your pet before proceeding to the airport.
  • Always remove your pet’s leash before placing it in the container.
  • Do not administer any forms of sedatives or tranquilisers to your pet before prior to the flight.

Restrictions

Dog breeds
We're unable to accept the following dog breeds (including crossbreed and any other brachycephalic breeds dogs) for carriage on SQ flights, whether as cargo or as checked baggage. 

  • Akita
  • Boerboel
  • Boston Terrier
  • Boxer
  • Brussels Griffon (Petit Brabancon)
  • Bull Dogs, including American, French, and English Bull Dogs
  • Chow Chow
  • Dogo Argentino
  • Fila Brasileiro
  • Japanese Chin (Chin, Japanese Spaniels, Japanese Pug)
  • Lhasa Apso
  • Mastiffs, including Neapolitan, and Dogue de Bordeaux
  • Perro De Presa Canario
  • Pit Bull (American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bull Dog, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier)
  • Pugs, including Carlino, Chinese, Mopshond, Mops Hund, and Pekingese
  • Shar-Pei
  • Shih Tzu
  • Brachycephalic Spaniel, including Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, English Toy Spaniel (King Charles Spaniel), and Tibetan Spaniels
  • Tosa


Cat breeds
We're unable to accept the following cat breeds (including crossbreed and any other brachycephalic breeds cats) for carriage on SQ flights, whether as cargo or as checked baggage. 

  • British Shorthair
  • Burmese
  • Exotic Shorthair
  • Himalayan
  • Persian
  • Scottish Fold


Destinations
For destination specific regulations and documents required for pet travel, refer to IATA Travel Centre.
Due to specific destination restrictions, we're unable to transport your pet into or out of the destinations below as checked baggage. For assistance on transporting your pet as cargo, get in touch with your local Singapore Airlines Cargo office.

  • Into/Out of Australia
  • Into/Out of Brunei
  • Into/Out of Denpasar, Bali
  • Into/Out of Houston
  • Into/Out of London Gatwick Airport
  • Into/Out of Manchester
  • Into/Out of New Zealand
  • Into/Out of South Africa
  • Into Dubai
  • Into Hong Kong SAR
  • Into London Heathrow Airport

 

Pet container requirements

The design and construction of your pet's container must conform to IATA standards.  The maximum height of the container depends on the aircraft in which your pet will be travelling: 70cm on A350 aircraft, 60cm on A380 aircraft, 101cm on B777 aircraft and 111cm on B787 aircraft.

For a safe and comfortable journey for your pet, the container must:

  • Be of the right size.  The container should have enough space for your pet to turn about normally while standing, for it to stand and sit erect, and lie in a natural position.
  • Be well ventilated.  The container must have adequate ventilation on at least three of its sides, with the majority of the ventilation on the upper part of the container.
  • Come with food and water containers. Either fixed inside the container or accessible for replenishment from outside the container.
  • Be properly secured. To prevent your pet from escaping. 
special-assistance

The minimum dimensions (in length, width and height) of the container are based on the size of your pet, where:

Length = A + ½ B

Width  = C x2

Height  = D

A = length of your pet from the tip its nose to the base/root of its tail

B = height from the ground to its elbow joint

C = width across its shoulders or its widest point, whichever is greater

D = height of your pet in its natural standing position, from the top of its head or ear tip to the floor, whichever is higher

If more than one pet is travelling with you, they must be housed in separate containers.  Puppies or kittens from the same litter may occupy the same container if they're three to six months of age, and weigh less than 14kg each.  A maximum of two puppies or kittens are allowed in each container.

Visit IATA for more details.

At the airport

Check-in
We recommend that you check in at least two hours before your scheduled flight departure. If you are departing out of the United States, please check in at least three hours before your departure for security screening.

Pets should be checked in at the same check-in counter as yourself. Please present the documents required upon check-in, as well as the signed indemnity form.

Before boarding
After check-in, you may proceed to the boarding gate as per normal. Your pet will be stored in the baggage storage and transported to the aircraft just before departure, to minimise exposure to weather and temperature. 

Inside the aircraft
Checked-in pets will be placed in the bulk cargo hold, which is temperature controlled. Please note that temperature conditions may vary between cargo and passenger cabins. During the flight, your pet will have access to food and water bowls that are fixed inside the container, which can only be replenished while the flight is on the ground.

On arrival
Different airports have different conditions of quarantine, and locations where they present the pet for collection. Check with the arrival staff at your destination airport for more details.

Connections, transshipments and transits

Interline carriage
If you're connecting to another airline, you must comply with the airline's rules and regulations for pet travel. Get in touch with the airline for more details.  Note that we do not accept pets from other airlines on all our flights.

Import, export and transshipment of pets into, out of or through India
If you're importing, exporting or transshipping pets into, out of or via India, please obtain the information on the required certificates and licenses from the Animal Quarantine & Certification Services (AQCS).

Import, export and transshipment of pets into, out of or through Singapore
If you're importing, exporting or transshipping pets into, out of or via Singapore, apply for the relevant Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) licenses.  Transshipment, import permit of export permit fees will be payable to the AVS.

Transiting in Singapore
If you're transiting through Singapore, with a duration of more than six hours, your pets will be safely transferred to our Ground Handling Agent, SATS. Your pets will be placed in a comfortable and air-conditioned area, with water provided. There will be no feeding or walking of pets during this period as SATS staff are not trained to do so.

Import and transshipment of pets into the United States
If you're importing or transhipping dogs into the United States, please complete the US Dog Import Declaration Form.

Charges

If you’re travelling with a pet, your pet and its container are not counted as part of your free checked baggage allowance.  They are considered additional baggage, and will incur additional baggage fees. Pre-paid and discounted rates will not be available for your pet’s carriage.

For all flights, except those to and from the USA
Your charges will be charged separately, according to the total weight of your pet and its container.

For flights to and from the USA
According to the piece concept, your pet and its container will be considered as two additional pieces of baggage, and they will be charged separately. 

If your pet is transiting or being transshipped in Singapore, additional fees may apply.