International Pet Relocation Specialists

International pet relocation covers all the steps required to move an animal legally from one country to another: obtaining the mandatory veterinary documents, coordinating with the relevant airline or airlines, meeting the customs requirements of the destination country, managing transit if the route involves one or more stopovers, and arranging home delivery on arrival. It is not simply a matter of booking an airline ticket for an animal. Each country imposes its own entry conditions — microchip, vaccines, titer tests, import permits, regulatory waiting periods — and each airline applies its own live animal policies. Professional relocation means ensuring everything aligns correctly before departure.

A passenger needs a passport, a ticket, and depending on the destination, a visa. An animal needs an ISO-compliant microchip, a vaccination record with precise timing requirements, a veterinary health certificate issued within a very short validity window — often 7 to 10 days before departure — and frequently an import permit issued by the destination country, export authorisations, and in some cases a rabies titer test with results that must be obtained months in advance. Airlines impose additional restrictions based on breed, crate size, ambient temperature, and aircraft type. A straightforward itinerary for a passenger can be significantly more complex for their animal.

Fitness to travel depends on several factors: the animal's general health, age, breed, and the specific requirements of the destination country. A pre-travel veterinary consultation is essential, and in some cases mandatory. Animals with cardiac, respiratory, or mobility conditions may require a thorough assessment before travel is approved. Brachycephalic breeds — bulldogs, pugs, shih tzus, Persians — present specific respiratory risks at altitude and are restricted or prohibited by many airlines. Your Swift Pet Flights relocation manager assesses your animal's situation from the quote stage and informs you of any specific constraints before you make your travel decisions.

The total cost depends on several variables: the route, the animal's size and weight with its crate, the airline's cargo rates, official veterinary document fees, veterinary fees for health examinations and required tests, import permits, any quarantine fees on arrival, and collection and delivery charges. Estimates provided by Swift Pet Flights are detailed and transparent, with no hidden fees, so you can plan with full visibility of what your specific itinerary involves. A quote request takes less than two minutes and gives you a clear view of the budget required for your route.

The general rule is to start at least 3 to 4 months before the intended departure date for standard routes. For destinations with strict requirements — Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan — the minimum lead time may be 6 months or more, particularly if a rabies titer test is required and a waiting period applies after the booster vaccination. Families who discover these requirements late often find themselves having to push back their departure date, travel without their pet and arrange for it to follow later, or organise temporary accommodation. Contacting Swift Pet Flights as soon as your departure is confirmed prevents these situations.

Requirements vary by destination country but generally include: an ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip, an up-to-date rabies vaccination administered after the microchip was fitted and within the timeframe required by the destination country, a veterinary health certificate issued within the validity window imposed by the airline and destination, an import permit issued by the relevant authority in the destination country, and in some cases documented antiparasitic treatments, a rabies titer test, or export authorisations. Your Swift Pet Flights manager compiles and verifies the complete documentation file before departure.

Yes, in certain countries. Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and some island destinations maintain mandatory quarantine procedures even when all documents are fully compliant, with durations ranging from a few days to several weeks. Other countries — including most popular destinations for expatriates such as Thailand, Singapore, Japan, and the UAE — allow direct entry without quarantine when documentation requirements are met. Your Swift Pet Flights manager will advise you precisely on the rules applicable to your destination before you finalise your travel planning.

Some airlines accept very small animals in the cabin on international flights, but the vast majority of long-distance pet relocations are handled in the hold or as cargo through the airlines' live animal programmes. Rules vary significantly depending on the airline, route, aircraft type, and animal size. On many long-haul flights — particularly to Asia, Australia, or the Middle East — in-cabin options simply do not exist regardless of the animal's size. Your Swift Pet Flights manager identifies the available options for your specific route and selects the airlines offering the best transport conditions for your animal.

Some owners successfully organise their pet's transport independently, particularly on straightforward routes with few restrictions. But most problems arise not from a single major error but from a series of small misjudgements that are difficult to anticipate without experience: a vaccine administered slightly outside the permitted window, a crate with incorrect dimensions leading to check-in rejection, a cargo booking made without checking breed-specific policies, or a health certificate issued too early relative to the departure date. An experienced company does more than prepare the documents — it maintains current knowledge of each country's and each airline's requirements, and anticipates problems before they arise.

No. Swift Pet Flights is an exclusive specialist in international pet relocation. Our entire activity is dedicated to moving companion animals. We do not handle furniture, personal effects, or general cargo. This specialisation allows us to maintain deep expertise in a domain that evolves regularly: import regulations, airline policies, quarantine procedures, and animal-specific documentation requirements. If you are coordinating both a household move and your pet's journey, our team can recommend trusted partners for the household relocation side.