Here are five tips when moving your pets abroad.

Research The Destination Country’s Quarantine Laws

Each country has different rules about what animals need to be quarantined before entering the country. Make sure you know yours. This includes how long they’ll need to be in quarantine (if applicable) and whether it’s mandatory or voluntary. Again, the government agency’s website responsible for importing and exporting animals to and from the country will have the most up-to-date quarantine information.

Quarantine Facilities

If your pet is going to be quarantined, find out which facility will be handling the detainment. Pet owners need to make sure their animal will be in good hands by checking reviews of overseas removalists online. Also access the quarantine facilities if they can’t visit personally. This all needs to be done before deciding where their pet should spend its time in quarantine.

As well as finding out which quarantine facility your pet will be kept at, it’s also important to consider any additional fees you’ll be expected to pay. These can be on top of standard captivity costs. Some places do charge an additional fee for each day an animal spends in quarantine. Therefore make sure you budget accordingly!

Get Your Pet Microchipped! 

This is especially important if you are travelling with a dog. It means that your pet can be easily traced back to you should they go missing at any point. Also, make sure to update the contact details on your animal’s chip before departure.

Vaccination Requirements

If you’re travelling with a cat or dog that isn’t old enough for vaccinations yet, consult your vet. You need confirmation whether it would be safe for them to travel abroad at such a young age. Plus they can tell you what risks they may encounter if they do so. Many airlines will not let newborn animals fly until they are older than eight weeks. However a few will permit them to travel from around three months old.

Find out if your destination country has restrictions on how much or what type of medication can be brought in by air. Then make sure you bring only the amount your vet recommends to avoid any problems with customs officials. For example, some countries have strict guidelines about bringing opioid-based cat and dog painkillers into the country. Therefore it’s important to check beforehand whether this is allowed through customs or not.

Identification Documents

Make sure your beloved animal has proper identification before leaving their home country. You should have some form of paperwork for any pets travelling to other countries. Dogs need special documents such as a ‘passport’, while cats are often given an implant.

When it comes to moving your pets abroad prepare them for the journey ahead of time. No one wants to travel with a stressed out or badly behaved pet! Familiarizing your pet with all of the equipment that will be used on it while travelling, such as crates, water bottles etc. That will ensure your pet doesn’t get too anxious when being transported. Plus you could consider using a medication to calm your dog for the journey such as YuCALM.