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.
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.
Good to know. Pets may soon be allowed to travel in the cabin with their owners on domestic flights, but it'll be up to each airline to set their own guidelines. Read more here: Pets in cabins "soon" on domestic flights: What's the catch?
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:
Compare pet insurance policies to cover your pet overseas
Regardless of whether you're flying domestically or internationally, you will need to follow some rules when you're travelling with pets overseas:
| Response | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 70.86% |
| Sometimes | 15.02% |
| I don't travel overseas | 9.17% |
| Never | 4.95% |
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:
There are a few things you can do before take-off to make your pet’s flight more comfortable.
Play with your pet or take them for a walk to tire them out before heading to the airport.
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 sure there's a comfort item in their container with them along with a waterproof matt for any accidents.
Bring their vet certificate with you, and attach their collar ID to their container.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Breed restrictions also apply:
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.
Other restrictions also apply:
A vet certificate is required for the following reasons:
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.
The best travel insurance policies are different for each individual traveller.
Hitting the slopes? Avoid huge bills by getting ski travel insurance for your trip.
Check out these travel insurance coupons to save on your policy.
Find out how travel insurance covers frequent flyer points if you need to cancel.
Why purchase travel insurance before you leave? Turns out there's plenty that can go wrong.
How much does a hospital bed cost in the most popular destinations for Australian travellers and how good is the healthcare system?
Better late than never! Compare up to 20 Australian travel insurance brands in 10 seconds. Use our free and easy comparison tool to find the right policy for you. Cover is just a few clicks away.
Long term travel insurance is designed to meet the specific needs of travellers planning extended trips away, including backpackers and business travellers.
A guide to understanding cruise insurance - why you need it, what's covered, and what's not.
Domestic travel insurance can provide cover for trip cancellation (domestic flights), loss or damage to luggage and expensive items, car rental excess charges and much more. Find out why domestic travel insurance is worth getting and compare policies from Australian insurers.