Importing Pets to the Philippines
Importing dogs and cats into the Philippines is a relatively simple and inexpensive process, especially in comparison to countries such as Australia. So animal lovers and loyal pet owners do not need to be concerned about leaving their four-legged family members behind in their home countries.
Photo by Scott Allford
Official Documentation
If you plan to bring your pet to the Philippines with you the first thing you need to do is contact the Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Animal Health Division (AHD). If you know people in Manila they may be able to make the trip out to the head office which is located at Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines, for you. Otherwise you can check the website www.bai.ph (However, at the time of writing this article the site was undergoing maintenance) or contact the Bureau by Telephone +632 928 2743; or Fax +632 928 2836. What you will need to do is send a letter to the BAI Director DAVINIO P. CATBAGAN, DVM containing the following information:
1. The species and breed of your pet.
2. The sex, colour, and how many pets you are bringing. (If you are bringing more than 5 pets they will have to be inspected at the quarantine site)
3. The date you will arrive.
You will then be sent an import permit which costs 50 pesos (about US$1). You can pay this fee when you arrive at the airport or your friends in Manila can pay this for you.
Once you have that out of the way you have to organise a valid health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian which states that your pet has been examined and is free from communicable diseases at least 10 days before the move. This is not that difficult, just ask your pet’s vet and they should be able to do this. I organised this in Korea with a vet who spoke very little English for a fee of 20,000 Won (about US$20 at the time).
If the country you are importing the pet from is not free from rabies you have to get certification stating there have been no rabies cases within a 20 kilometer radius of the pet’s home in the last 6 months. My Korean vet couldn’t do this so I went to the Icheon City Hall and they gave me this for free.
The last form you need is your pet’s vaccination card showing they have been vaccinated against the following:
rabies, canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, leptsopirosis, canine parvovirus, or feline panleucopenia and proof that your animal was treated for internal and external parasites.
Flights
Once these things are organized you’re ready to take your pet to the airport. To my knowledge, the budget airlines do not allow pets to fly. However, most major airlines will carry pets but you must inform them in advance when you book your ticket. I brought Aslan over with Asiana Airlines. For pets under 5kg you can have them in the cabin with you. Sadly, Aslan is a bit fat (close to 7kg) so he had to ride under the plane as cargo. Asiana charged 7,000 Won (About US$7 at the time) per kilogram and I didn’t actually pay anything as they gave me the option of using my frequent flyer points to cover the cost.
If you want, you can organize for your pet to be sedated for the flight as it can be stressful for them, speak to your vet and contact the airport about this. As Aslan is very sensitive to drugs I didn’t have him sedated, he was a bit frightened and unusually quiet but only took a few hours to get back to his usual habits.
On Arrival
After getting off the plane and going through Immigration you can pick up your pet with your bags. Then the Quarantine personnel will do a quick inspection of your pet. This is also when you have to present your pet’s documents and pay for the Import Permit if you haven’t already. You will also have to pay 165 pesos (About US$4) for the first 2 pets and 220 pesos for each additional pet (3 or more). In addition to this you will have to pay 50% duty of your pet’s value + 10% tax. As Aslan was a street cat I just put down that he cost US$15.
If you don’t meet any of the documentation requirements then your pet will be placed in quarantine and possibly even “disposed of”, as the BAI site so graphically states. If you can meet all of these requirements then you and your pet can leave the gritty Ninoy Aquino International Airport and go to your new home.
Aslan has settled in very well and following in my footsteps, has started to explore the Philippines himself.
Photo by Scott Allford
Scott M. Allford has lived and worked in Australia and South Korea and has travelled extensively throughout Asia- Mongolia, China, Tibet, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan – fell in love with the Philippines and decided to allocate at least two years to comprehensively cover the country.
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Hi!
I’m planning to take my dog with me on my way back to the Philippines this September. what should I say or tell the officer if they asked the price of my dog? I didn’t bought it. It was given to me. Im currently here in Bangkok.
Thank you
Hi Aiai,
Just do what I did and wrote about in the article, say that it cost 15 bucks or some other small amount.
Hi Again Mr, Scott,
I seem to have a trouble in get a health certificate and the certification about the rabies. My vet doesn’t speak English. I tried to explain in Thai but he said he don’t understand. Hahaha.. Can you send me a sample of those documents? I will show it him. Or I might be the one to make it and let him sign it. Here’s my email : aiai_21_pedroso@yahoo.com
It will be very much appreciated.
Aiai
Hi Scott, Good Day!
Maybe cats and dogs is easy, but what about ferrets, turtles, chameleons, rare/exotic animals? Do they have the same process/requirements? My sister is in Canada right now and thinking i’d let her buy there and let her bring home the pets when she comes back next year, or my brother in NZ, I can maybe handle the papers here and all they have to worry about is bringing the pets here…
Thank you so much, i’ve come upon your bLog site and it is really helpful and informative, thank you! ^_^
Sincerely,
Villy
Hi Villy,
Exotic animals are different. As I’ve never travelled with exotic animals, I can’t give you any advice other than contact BAI. I also know that in some countries you have to provide documentation for exotic animals before departing. This documentation has to show that a government authority has allowed this species of animal to leave the country.
shoot… >.< thank you very much though! ^_^
regards,
villy
Hello Scott
How are you? I am planning to go to manilla in September 2011. I want to bring my Beagle with me instead of paying some $1000 to keep him. He is 9 years old. We will be flying from Chicago, IL to Korean to manilla. Will it be hard for him since its a 22 hours flight? His shots are updated and he is in good condition. How much money do I need? Thanks!
Hi Wardell,
It’s always hard for animals to fly. It’s up to you whether you choose to sedate him, I suggest discussing this with your vet. You will need to contact the airline to find out how much they charge per kilogram to work out the cost. Then you just need to follow the information in the article for other documentation and costs.
Hi Mr. Scott,
I am planning to bring my pet rabbit to the philippines, I am presently working here in Singapore, I sort of adopted this rabbit.
What are the necessary fees and documents should I prepare in order for me to able to bring my pet with me?
Thank you.
Hi Scott, I have not perused the back pages of comments yet but my issue is that we are currently living in India, have a cat we brought with us here from the states 3 1/2 years ago, and we are moving to Manila at the end of June. I KNOW there has been rabies within 20 kilometers of here in the last six months, it is not uncommon in many areas of India. If I am dealing with an honest vet, there is no way I an get a statement saying otherwise. Do you know if there are any alternatives for situations like this? Our cat has been a mostly indoor cat, but she does go out sometimes and I know she has been close to other cats, though not dogs. Thanks in advance for any help you, or anyone else, are able to give!
hi scott,ur blog is very helpful,,i am planning to take my dog in philippines on sept.but i was a liitle bit confused on how to put what kind breed my dog is,because i brought it in pet shop and the owner don’t know what is the english breed of my dog…do you think it could be a big problem for me to take my dog in philippines?thanks a lot..hope u coud answer my question..more power!!