Pawsome Adventures: Traveling with Pets

If you’re planning on immigrating with your pets, there are a few important things to consider. First and foremost, check the immigration policies of your destination country regarding pets. Some countries have strict regulations and may require certain vaccinations or quarantine periods. It’s crucial to ensure that your furry friends meet all the necessary requirements to avoid any complications during the immigration process.

We immigrated from South Africa to Montenegro with two cats. The first step would be to visit your local vet. They provided the paperwork for the state vet, who had to issue a travel certificate. Some countries required a titre test for rabies while others did not. Both animals also had to be fully vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped.

Flying with Pets – this was a bit of a challenge as most airlines flying out of South Africa did not allow pets. Turkish Airlines was the only carrier that allowed pets, but they had very stringent requirements. Only one type of animal in the cabin and only one type pf animal in cargo. For example, you could not have a cat and a dog, or a cat and a bird in the same cabin.
We had to notify them and “book” our pets onto the flight. So please make sure you have the pet boarding documentation for your flights. The pets, with carrier were weighed in and a Euro value charged per kilogram. It was not cheap, but it was the only means of getting our babies abroad.
Checking through security was stressful. We had to remove a bewildered animal from its carrier to go through the security scanners. This was also repeated on the 2^nd leg of the journey.

The vet did not recommend tranquilisers as they only lasted a few hours. What she did recommend was a hormone collar that had a sedative effect. This was worn one week prior to departure and two weeks after arrival. I think the cat that went in cargo had a more “pleasant” experience than the one that went with us in the cabin. But hey, we all got there in the end, and they adapted very well to their new surroundings.

After a long haul flight without any food, water or toilet breaks, a stop would be advisable. Dogs are easy and will go to the loo just about anywhere, but a cat is another story.
So if you are not headed straight to your final destination and are staying at accommodation, make sure to research pet-friendly accommodations and transportation options in your new country. Not all hotels allow pets, so it’s essential to plan ahead and book appropriate accommodations and travel arrangements. You can easily do this by selecting the pet friendly filter when searching for accommodation.

Many of our friends considered expensive pet immigration agencies. Yes, they take care of all the hassle but its going to cost you an arm and a leg. Familiarising yourself with the legal requirements is an easy task, and with more airline carriers now allowing pets, finding a flight should be a breeze.
Here is a handy link for more information on which airlines fly pets with costs and requirements.