FAQS & Advices

Helpful advices for the transport of animals

A lot of technical and practical information in order to organize with serenity the journey of your domestic animal.

The planning of the transfer of an animal overseas may reveal to be a stressful and challenging job, especially for those people who do not know well the dynamics of air transportation. Since we know very well the difficulties involved during the process of the organization, we want to help you, through a well studied section, to clear all of your frequent doubts which normally afflict whoever has to transfer himself to another country and desires to take with him his faithful and beloved pet friend. Whether it’s a dog, or a cat, or a ferret & co., the procedures to be followed and the paperwork and formalities to be done for the shipment of animals abroad via air are rather complicated, particularly because, in some circumstances, they differ from one country to another.
We can help you! In this page you will find a series of information and helpful advices, which are fundamental for your tranquility and the welfare and serenity of your animal. In order to receive further details and go deeper into the argument, we invite you to fill out the contact form.

Note well: Only general information must be indicated in the FAQ and Advices. You should further indicate to “contact us” in order to know more. Take everything away, from the actual online page, which concerns the documents ….

frequently asked questions

1. Is it safe for my pet to travel by air?

Yes, absolutely! Flying is certainly the safest and least stressful way for your pet's journey. Pets that travel unaccompanied are embarked in a pressurized, ventilated and air conditioned hold. Its temperature is programmed before the taking off of the plane based on the animals transported and the external temperature; for example, for cats and dogs, the temperature ranges between 15 and 25° C (77° F).

Please read the results of a research carried out by Air Cargo World, according to which, following a thorough statistical survey, they show that the percentage of incidents suffered by animals embarked on planes is equal to an average of 0.1%.

Sedatives shall not be used on animals to be transported, unless strictly necessary. It has been scientifically proven that the administration of sedatives on animals may be harmful during the flight.
Moreover, neither Pet Wings Pets nor the airline companies accept sedated animals.
If your pet is particularly nervous and, for example, it refuses to get into the pet crate, the advice that we always give is to purchase the crate some time before the trip so as to make your pet get used to the “new environment”, both at home and in your car, and to the various movements and noises. A good method is to make your little friend eat and sleep inside the crate.
During the flight, the crate shall contain only and exclusively the absorbent pet travel pads at its bottom, and the bowls for water and food. It is forbidden and prohibited to leave items such as little balls, fake bones, toys ,etc., while, after consultation with the concerned airline company, usually it is possible to leave a small blanket or a piece of clothing belonging to the pet’s owner so that the animal may recognize his/her smell and feel “at home”.
Animal must travel without wearing a collar or a leash, which are packed externally with respect to the crate.
Besides making your pet get used as much as possible to the crate, our advice is to slightly and gradually reduce the amount of food during the days prior to its departure, and to not give it any food in the 6 to 8 hours prior to the flight.
Animals traveling unaccompanied, who are therefore accepted on board the plane as “special cargo”, can travel from Monday to Friday, and not during holidays to avoid any hassles at any point of Clearance . Some races (such as brachycephalic breeds) may be subject to restrictions by airline companies or airports during excessively hot or cold periods of the year.
Airline companies require that the delivery of animals me made, on average, between 4 to 5 hours before their departure so that the various document checks procedures, the verification of the transportation crate and the handling at airport may be done in due time. Furthermore, it is our concern to make sure that your pet does not suffer any further stress; if it refuses to get into the crate, we want to make sure that we have as much time as required to make it calm down and wait for it to enter on its own.
Based on the destination, the various bureaucratic and non-bureaucratic requirements (documents, vaccinations, certificates, etc.) entail different processing times. For example, for destinations such as Australia and New Zealand, between 4 to 7 months are needed to prepare all the required documentation.
Usually, for destinations with simpler import regulations, our advice is to start planning the departure at least 2 weeks in advance.
Your furry friend must travel inside an IATA compliant crate, which can be supplied by us, upon request.
Said crate must be approved by and comply with certain standards; otherwise, the airline companies shall not embark your pet. For example, the crate must have ventilation grids on the sides and the back, and a door in the front with a metal grid and a safety lock. Inside, the crate must be at least 7 cm higher than the animal in an erect position.
The documents needed for the transfer of a pet abroad are many and vary according to the type of animal, the country of origin and the one of destination.
This depends on the destination and the airline company. First of all, you must remember that even if animals are carried on board the plane as cargo and they travel in the hold, they still fly on passenger planes.
Usually, for direct flights, the pet's owner may easily book the same flight as that of his/her pet, obviously this is subject to the airline company's availability.
If the journey is long, e.g. with one or more stops, it is important to bear in mind that while for passengers the stop may even last only one hour, for animals there are minimum time-frames which last between 4 to 6 hours; this time is needed so that they may be transferred to the area designated for the transit of animals and where they may receive the appropriate sanitary and veterinarian assistance and, moreover, so that the arrival time at destination may take place during the working hours of the authorities responsible for receiving them. Therefore, in many cases it may be necessary to make the animal stay overnight in a facility adequately equipped for these purposes, inside the same airport.
Furthermore, one must also remember that during the stop, the pet owner is not allowed to see his/her pet. It is therefore very difficult that in these cases the pet and its owner get to fly on the same plane.
During the quotation phase, Pet Wings will supply you with all the transit details available, such as the airline company, the number and time of the flights, any intermediate stops, etc.
We would like to remind you that Pet Wings does not book the flight for the pet's owner, who, in this regard, shall personally contact the airline company.
A = length of the pet from tip of nose to root of tail.
B = Height from ground to elbow joint
C = width across right & left shoulders
D = height of the pet in natural standing position from ground to the top of the head or the tip of the ear in erect ear breeds.
The size of the container (crate, kennel or carrier) must be such that it will allow the pet to stand in a natural position without hitting the ceiling of the crate, turn around with ease and to lie down in a naturally at all times.
Most airlines have designated cargo holds specifically designed for the safe transport of animals. These cargo holds are temperature-controlled and pressurized to ensure the comfort and safety of pets. Pets are kept in secure, well-ventilated crates or containers within these holds. The cargo hold is separate from the passenger cabin, and access to it is restricted to trained personnel.
Every country has its own specific vaccination requirements for pets entering their borders.
For your pet’s well-being and smooth travel, we highly recommend maintaining the following vaccinations:
For Dogs:
  • Rabies ( Should be minimum One Month Old and not more than 11 months)
  • DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
  • Bordetella (Kennel Cough)
  • Leptospirosis
  • CIV (Canine Influenza Virus) – boarding may require this
For Cats:
  • FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)
  • FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) – boarding may require this
  • Rabies ( Should be minimum One Month Old and not more than 11 months)
It’s important to understand that this list is not a complete list of requirements, and the specific requirements can vary depending on the destination country. To ensure that you’re meeting all the necessary criteria for your pet’s travel, we strongly advise consulting with our professional pet travel coordinators. They will be able to provide you with detailed, country-specific requirements tailored to your pet’s journey.
Whether or not your pet has to go into quarantine when flying to another country depends on several factors, including the destination country’s specific regulations and pet’s vaccination and health status.