It's easy to become a dog parent in Indonesia. Sometimes you end up with more than one dog and at some point of your life you might want to move to a different country and bring your dog. And it's possible!!
We have seen so many dogs being abandoned by their former "owner", ending up on the street, barely surviving because they are no actual street dog anymore.
Just because either these people didn't know they can bring their dog or they didn't know how. So let us shine some light on how to bring your pet from Indonesia to a foreign country. We are talking mainly about Europe and Canada. But we will also give some insights on other countries on the bottom of this post.
You will also find estimated costs and also different airline restrictions in this post.
Preparation takes time!
You can't just leave with your dog from one day to another. There is a list of things to do, before actually hopping on a plane. It takes around 3 months to get your dog ready to fly, usually a bit longer. Since every country is very different, we will focus on Germany/Europe for more detailed information. Your country might differ.
Let me get that checklist for you:
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Check the restrictions of the country you are flying to. Some countries are really easy (Europe, Canada) and others are extremely strict and expensive (OZ + NZ).
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Check if your pet is actually healthy to fly! Flying will put your dog or cat under some stress for a little bit of time. If your dog is already really old and has a heart disease, you might want to check with your vet.
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Minimum age requirement: 7 months
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Your dog should already have the main vaccinations: Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo, Parainfluenza (DHLPPi)
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Pet microchip
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Blood titer test from EU approved lab (with 3 months waiting period after blood sampling date to enter EU countries)
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Check airlines and requirements
The easiest is to get in touch with a company, that helps you to prepare all the paper work and to get your dog ready to fly out from Jakarta. We have had amazing experiences with Animal Express.
They can help you with all your questions and contacts in case you need a vet and will support you and your pet throughout the whole journey.
Estimated costs
Depending on the size of your dog, the costs can vary from xx to xx. Here's the breakdown you need to consider. (Prices are a rough estimate and can change over the time)
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Blood Titer Test + Microchip = approx. 4mil IDR
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Export paperwork = approx. 3.5mil IDR
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Transport = varies
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Prepare health documents = 350k IDR
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Boarding charge = 150k IDR / day (dogs need to stay at kennel for vet check a few days before the flight)
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Airport transfer 2x = 350k IDR
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Travel crate (depending on the size) = from 700k IDR up to 2mil IDR
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Flight ticket = depends on size of the dog and airline (see below)
Airlines
Always double check the latest regulations with the airline you'd like to fly with. They can change daily and our information might not be up to date. We would also suggest to always call them or mail them, in order to get more information. Written emails are always a good proof in case something goes wrong. Also always make sure you book your ticket first and then register your pet on the same flight and get it booked aswell. Turkish Airlines was very easy and helpful and a simple email was enough.
Turkish offers PETC (in cabin travels) AVIH (air craft hold) and SVAN (Service animals). Prices vary depending on the zone you are flying from and to. PETC: May not exceed 8 kg and max. size of 23 cm (height) x 30 cm (width) x 40 cm (length) for either plastic or soft-sided carriers. Costs: From 8€ - 32€ per kg. AVIH: If your pet exceeds 8 kg it has to fly in the aircraft hold. Costs: From 16€ - 64€ per kg. Be careful this can add up quickly and can get really expensive. SVAN: Dogs especially trained for special needs. Please read carefully on Turkish Airlines website. You can bring 2 dogs at the same time and staff at Jakarta airport was extremely lovely and helpful.
Qatar offers air craft hold travels, in cabin travels for service dogs and also cargo, if they exceed a certain size. In cabin: Service dogs can travel free of charge. However there are some restrictions Aircraft hold: Costs vary from 200USD to 450USD You can bring 2 service dogs in cabin and unlimited number of dogs checked in as baggage. Note: Triple check if they reserved a spot for your animal on the same flight.
Emirates allows dogs in the cabin as service dog for visually impaired, in the aircraft hold under certain circumstances and as cargo. Please read really carefully, if your dog is an exemption and check your travelling route. Your dog will need to travel as cargo if you are transiting through Dubai, if the total journey exceeds 17hrs and if final destination country doesn't allow dogs as checked baggage. In cabin: Only for visually impaired Aircraft hold: Prices vary from 500USD to 800USD
4. Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines excepts dogs as service dog, checked-baggage and cargo. If the weight exceeds 32kg, your pet needs to travel as cargo. Aircraft hold: Prices vary depending on travelling zones. From 4USD to 56USD per kg. Singapore Airlines has long list of restrictions and requirements. Please check here >
5. KLM KLM is very easy when it comes to smaller dogs travelling in the cabin within Europe. Though no dogs allowed in the cabin on international flights. Again aircraft hold and also cargo is possible for your pets. If you'd like to bring more than 3 dogs, they have to fly as cargo.
Aircraft hold: Crate must follow IATA rules and pet plus crate may not exceed 75kg. Under some circumstances dogs can travel together in one crate. Costs: Between 30€ and 200€
How to prepare your dog and the crate?
Make sure your dog is healthy and in good travel condition. This trip might be a bit stressful for them, but usually the dogs do very well after the flight and forget about their trip shortly after. To make sure they have the best travel experience, we suggest you get your pet used to the crate/kennel/skudo before their flight. Use treats and make it fun and appealing for them and give them time to get used to be locked in a small spot for a while. Some dogs might become really used to it and see the crate as their safe heaven. As the pets usually don't get any food or water during their travels, make sure the crate is prepped with a drinking bottle (such like you use for hamsters). Airlines recommend to not feed the dogs before the flight. If your dog is an anxious street dog, your crate shouldn't have plastic windows, but rather metal doors and windows, so they can't chew themselves out of it. Or otherwise they might get denied to board the plane.
Place their favorite blanket and toys in it. Best if it's not freshly washed, but contains their normal smell to make them feel more relaxed.
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get the dog get used to the crate
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prepare the crate with a drinking bottle
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place favorite blanket (with familiar smell)
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add toys and bones
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add a sticker on top with the name of your pet and if it's a friendly animal
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walk your dog before departure
Please don't leave your dog behind and talk to friends and people who have successfully brought their animal to a new country. We bet no one ever regret it!
