Importing Cats from US to Singapore

This post is a little overdue, but I still thought it'd be useful to the procedure with people who are looking to bring their pets (mainly for dogs and cats) from the US back to Singapore.

Mid 2017, I moved back to Singapore from the US. I had two cats and decided to bring them home as well. Problem is, I didn't know where to start. I did some readings, weighed the pros and cons of doing it ourselves, or seeking help from a pet relocation company. Ended up engaging the services of a pet relocating company, Pet Express, as I thought we'd feel more secure knowing that there are professionals helping us every step of the way. They were helpful but the fees were, in our opinion, very high.

I'm hoping to be able to answer some questions that you may have!

i. Can I bring my pet into Singapore?
ii. How are my pets going to fly?
iii. Can I get help with the process?
iv. What do I need to do?

Disclaimer: Please still do continue to do your own research and do not solely rely on these information alone. Things may have changed, or certain things may not apply to you.





CAN I BRING MY PET INTO SINGAPORE?

Consider the risks of putting your pets on the plane
1 per 100,000 pets die while flying in cargo, that doesn't seem like a high number but also consider the airlines that you're flying with and the health condition/age of your pet. Some people include secret cameras in their pet cages, and the journey seems fine. But, there are also people who write about their pets being mistreated, how some of them got overly stressed and were not themselves after the flight. If it's absolutely necessary that your pets come with you, these are things that you need to prepare for.

For pets being imported into Singapore from the US, the Singapore authorities require that the pet be brought into a vet (while still in the US), and certified to be fit for travel. My cats were still quite young (~1 year at that point), so they didn't have an issue with that.

Is your pet breed allowed in Singapore/at your residence?
There are some strict rules on dogs/cats entering Singapore. So make sure your pets do not fall in this list before you even start planning for their flight.

Source: AVA website

There are also restrictions on what types of pets you can keep at your residence, but I'm honestly not sure how that rule is enforced, unless your neighbor tells on you.





HOW ARE MY PETS GOING TO FLY?
There are two ways your pets can enter Singapore.
A) Flying as part of your checked baggage
B) Flying as cargo

The costs will differ significantly. If you want to fly with your pet (your pet will NOT be with you at your seat), you can choose option A. If you have to take a separate flight from your pet, you only have option B.

A) Flying As Checked Baggage
Cost Per Pet: From USD $400 (via SQ)
I was flying via Singapore Airlines, so I did research for SQ only

SQ considers pets as "excess baggage", regardless of whether you checked in any other baggage. Each excess baggage from USA > Singapore is USD $200. BUT, for flights to/from USA, your pet and its container will be charged separately accordingly to the piece concept. The excess baggage charge for flight from Los Angeles to Singapore would be USD$200 per bag. Thus, one pet (in his crate) would be charge USD$400 each.

Things to Note:

• Only domesticated cats and certain breeds of dogs which are 3 months or older can be accepted as checked baggage at selected airports. In certain countries, pets cannot be accepted as checked baggage and have to be shipped as cargo because of local regulations. For us, LAX accepted pets as checked in baggage.
• Even though IATA requirements state that "A maximum of two adult animals of comparable size up to 14 kg each, that are compatible, may be shipped in the same container. Animals over that weight must travel individually" -- SQ does not allow that. If you have multiple pets, each animal must be placed in a separate container or crate. If the combined weight of your pet and crate exceeds 32kg, your pet must be shipped as cargo.
• SQ requires all necessary documentation, permits, etc. at least 2 weeks prior to departure. Plan ahead! You can get more info on SQ's website here.
• USD $400 is when you DIY everything. If you engage the services of a pet relocation company, then you have to add on that administration cost.

B) Flying via Cargo
Cost Per Pet: From USD $1,200, depending on the size of your carrier and which relocation company you choose
For my case, I had to ship our cats via cargo as they didn't get their vaccinations done on time. They flew back in October, while I flew back in August. 

I called several airlines that fly from LA > Singapore and found that for cargo, you MUST engage the service of a relocation company. The airlines will not accept any cargo booking by individuals. Pet relocation companies tend to go with KLM as the airline is more experienced in dealing with the transport of pets. From LA > SIN, my cats had a stopover at Amsterdam.

This means that on top of the cargo fees, you have to pay the relocation company/pet handlers a professional/admin fee. As mentioned, based on a few quotes I got, the administrative fees are typically ~USD $650 - $800.

The cargo freight fees will depend on how big your carrier is. We decided to go with a slightly bigger carrier for the comfort of the cats - we got this Petmate Sky Kennel 28"L x 20.5"W x 21.5"H for each cat. The air freight for the cats in those carriers were ~USD $950 per carrier. If we went with a smaller carrier of 21"L x 16"W x 15"H, the air freight would have cost ~USD $510 per cat. The bigger your carrier, the more expensive it will be (I don't think they consider weight for cargo).

Adding that up, admin fee for pet relocation company of min. $650 + cargo cost of min. $510 --> Starting price from about USD $1,200.



CAN I GET HELP WITH THE PROCESS?
tldr; Yes, you can, at a fee.

There are plenty of pet relocation companies out there. There are people who relocate pets full-time and they know every single detail there is about exporting your pets. They will typically walk you through the entire process with a checklist to ensure you get everything done. We used Pet Express, but also got quotes from other companies. Sandy from Jet Pets was really helpful when we enquired, though we didn't go with them in the end.

The amount you pay them vary based on the type of service you require. The basic fees are the standard administrative fee, and the airline fees that you need to pay. Based on a few quotes I got, the basic administrative fees are typically ~USD $650 - $800 (not including airline costs).

Everything else are add-ons that you can choose to have them do for you, or do it yourself. (E.g. Purchasing carriers, getting approval from USDA, etc.)





WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

Ask yourself, what is your budget and how confident are you in getting all the necessary documentation in place? It'll help you determine if you'd like to engage in professional help, or DIY.

Engage Professional Help
If you are not confident doing this on your own, pay a pet relocation company to do it for you. Be rest assured as they will walk you through each step of the process and provide you with a schedule on what to do. You can also pay extra to get them to settle ALL the administrative documentations for you. You pay more, but have minimal worries.

Do It Yourself
You save on costs, but you must be on top of everything. In general, most of the info you need can be found on AVA's website.

For myself, I decided to handle most of the administrative work ourselves, while having our pet relocation company, Pet Express, book the flights, transport the cats to the airport, and check them in.

I'm breaking down the steps based on what I did. Again, I am stressing that you just take this as additional info for your prep, please still do your own research as things may have changed since then and not everything would apply for your case.

1. Decide which risk category you fall under
2. Plan out your to-do checklist
3. Plan out your timeline to prepare the necessary documents in the US
4. Settle administrative work on the Singapore side
5. Get IATA-approved Travel Crates
6. Check your pets in for travel
7. Receive them at Changi Airport
8. Quarantine, and home! :)

STEP 1: Decide which risk category you fall under

1.1. Check the country's rabies risk category
This may change from time to time, so always refer to the AVA website for a more updated list.

Download the relevant Veterinary Conditions documents based on which country category you are in. For the US, it is Country C. The documents can be found at the AVA website here. Again, always check back to the website directly to ensure that you get the most updated copy.


1.2. Decide if you want to go with Category C1 or C2
Main difference:
C1: 10 days quarantine in Singapore.
First vaccination > blood test > second vaccination

C2: 30 days quarantine in Singapore.
First vaccination > blood test

We went for C1 as we wanted the cats to spend as little time in quarantine as possible. Your choice may be dependent on your timeline. Some people may choose to go with C2 if they are flying soon and do not have time to bring their pets for the second vaccination. (You can always visit your pets during quarantine as well).


STEP 2: Plan out your to-do checklist

• Book travel flights
• Microchip pet
• Vaccinate your pet + obtain original vaccination certificates (rabies, cat flu, etc.)
• Send pet for blood test + obtain original rabies serology / blood report
• Have your vet fill in a pet health certificate / vet certificate
• Have USDA endorse pet health certificate / vet certificate filled in by your vet
• Apply for pet import license
• Book quarantine space
• Inform CAPQ of your pet's arrival

STEP 3: Plan out your timeline to obtain necessary documents in the US
This step will vary from individual to individual, depending on what kinds of vaccinations your pet already has. It'll be useful to determine when exactly you'll be flying, so you can work backwards from there. My cats didn't have any rabies vaccination done at that point, and we ended up taking them to the vet three times before everything was done. Here was the timeline:

3.1. First Vet Visit

• Microchip your pet (if you have not already)
• First rabies vaccination
• Canine vaccine (for dogs) OR Cat flu vaccine (for cats)
• This vaccination does not have to be done on the first visit, it can also be done on the second vet visit as it just has to be done more than 2 weeks before export of the pet
• Obtain ORIGINAL copies of vaccine certifications for the above two vaccinations

Make sure you have ORIGINAL copies of the vaccination certificates. If your pet has had a rabies vaccination done before but you do not have the original copy, request for it from your vet. If your pet was from a shelter, the shelter should have all original copies. Alternatively, to play safe, just take your pet in for the vaccinations again. Make sure the vaccine certificates have the microchip number of your pet (for verification purpose).


3.2. Second Vet Visit

• Rabies Blood Test
• Second rabies vaccination
• Obtain ORIGINAL copies of vaccine certifications

This visit must be at least 1 month after their first rabies vaccination. This vet visit must also be within 6 months prior to export. Blood tests are about ~USD $300+ per pet and it takes a couple of weeks for the reports to be sent back to the clinic (you can pick them up on the third visit).

Please inform the vet that the second rabies vaccination has to be done after the blood test. But yes, we were told by our pet relocation company that the rabies blood test and the second rabies vaccination can be done on the same day (saves some cost there with regard to vet visit fees).


3.3. Third Vet Visit

• Treatment against external AND internal parasites
• Vet to fill in, and sign on Vet Certificate (the template provided by AVA. See page 4 - 7).
• Obtain ORIGINAL copies of rabies blood test reports

This visit must be 2-7 DAYS before export/your pet leaving the US.
There are 4 pages on the Vet Certificate, the vet should fill in the first 3 pages, and the last page is for USDA (see next section)


3.4. Visit to USDA
The Vet Certificate (template provided by AVA) has to be filled in by a certified vet and signed on the 3rd page by the vet (see previous section), AND endorsed by an official government veterinarian of the country of export i.e. USDA, on the 4th page.

This visit must be after your third vet visit, after you obtain the vet certificate that is filled in and signed up till the 3rd page. Try to plan this visit days before your flight. They are only opened on Monday - Friday, 7.30AM - 11AM and the lines are always really long. Our vet clinic advised us to go at 6AM to queue. If you somehow get turned away due to lack of certain documents, at least you still have another day.

The address for Los Angeles is:
The Los Angeles Animal Import Center
USDA, APHIS, VS, National Import Export Services
222 Kansas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
Contact Number: (310) 955-3311

Alternatively, if you have at least 4 days to get the endorsement, you also have the option to mail the export health certificate to Sacramento and avoid the line altogether. You can contact their office for more details at 916-854-3960, or sacanimalexport@aphis.usda.gov. Due to the time crunch, I would not recommend this. If your mail somehow gets lost in transit, there will be a huge issue. Consider this only if you really cannot make it to the USDA office.

Documents you need to bring along:

• i) Complete health certificate (i.e. the vet certificate)
• ii) All rabies vaccine certificates (signed by vet, with microchip numbers)
• iii) Other Vaccine certificates (signed by vet, with microchip numbers) This can be the canine/cat flu vaccine
• iv) Rabies Serology/Blood Test Results

We were charged USD $120 per endorsement.

We did not have all the original copies on hand so I emailed the USDA office to ask about bringing copies and got this response: "For Singapore, the only original document our office needs is the original health certificate. Copies are acceptable for all supporting documentation, such as vaccine certificates and testing results."


STEP 4: Settle administrative work on the Singapore side

4.1.  Book a Quarantine Space
More info can be found on their site here. Make reservation via QMS.

What you need to pay for:

• Transport from CAPQ > Sembawang: $74 SGD per pet
• Quarantine fee
• $16.80 SGD per day for non air-conditioned
• $26.25 SGD per day for air-conditioned
• Fees include vet examinations and food. If your pet needs extra rabies vaccine, it'll be $65 SGD per shot.

4.2. Obtain Import License
Book your quarantine space first, then obtain the license as they'll ask for the quarantine space info.

Each license costs $50 and is only valid for 30 days (which means you only can do it 30 days prior to your pet's arrival). Each pet needs one import license each. I used this link.


4.3. Make appointment at CAPQ for pet inspection

All animals arriving at Changi International Airport must undergo inspection at the Changi Animal & Plant Quarantine Station (CAPQ). Make appointment online at least 5 working days before arrival of the animal at this link. Things you need on hand to make the appointment online:

• AVA Import license #
• Pet's flight details.

This is free BUT if you don't make an appointment beforehand, you'll be charged at $80/hour.

STEP 5: Get IATA-approved Travel Crates
I followed this document that was found on SQ's website.

Among other things, one important factor is the size of the crate -- you want your pet to be comfortable during the (potentially traumatic) plane ride.


IATA recommends minimum dimensions (in length, width and height) of the container are based on the size of your pet:

• Length = A + ½ B
• Width = C x2
• Height = D

After much research, I decided to go for Petmate Sky Kennel 28"L x 20.5"W x 21.5"H. The reviews on this Amazon listing are great, you can get more pro-tips from other people who have brought their pets overseas, there are also recommendations on where you can get metal bolts/cable ties etc.

Note that the bigger your crate, typically the more expensive your pet's flight cost will be. Weigh the pros and cons when deciding on this.


STEP 6: Check your pets in for travel
I had our crates purchased on Amazon sent directly to Pet Express' office (our pet relocation company). My dear friend, Sangji, who was babysitting the cats and championing all of the administrative work for us dropped the cats off at their office. Given our absence from the US, we could not have done any of the administrative stuff needed if it weren't for her. Thank you, Sangji!

From here, Pet Express handled all the administrative/logistics work needed. Before we knew it, the cats were on a plane to Amsterdam, and back to Singapore.

If you do not have a pet relocation company helping you with this, you need to bring your pets to the airport yourself. I'm sorry I won't be able to comment much on this portion, but what I would recommend is calling your airlines and having everything that you need noted down. Have them send you an email in black and white just in case of disputes, you'll have something to fall back on (apart from just phone calls). Have all your documents ready, print them out even if they seem unnecessary just to be on the safe side.

Cats in their travel crates. Bru (left) looking scared AF, Pocky (right) seems chill lol.

Pet Express added that extra "board" thing in their crates to create an extra layer so that they have their litter box below, yet have a space above to chill. I thought that was really smart!


STEP 7. Receive them at Changi Airport
The cats flew on KLM as cargo. When they arrived in Changi, they were delivered to CAPQ
(Address: Gate C7, Airport Cargo Road Changi Airfreight Centre
Changi Animal & Plant Quarantine Singapore 918104)

Steps taken upon their arrival:

• Go to Changi Airfreight Centre, present a copy of the AVA import license and your ID/passport to exchange for a visitor pass
• Proceed to the cargo office (SATS/dNATA) of the relevant airline that carried your pet
• At SATS/dNATA, produce the AVA import license and collect ALL the documents that accompanies your pet (health certificate, original vaccine records, original rabies serology/blood test results)
• Proceed to CAPQ with all the documents that you just got (note: office closes at 10.30PM, make sure you get everything done before that)

At the CAPQ, the AVA officer will verify the following:

• AVA import license
• Your pet's health/vet certificate
• All vaccination records
• Rabies Serology/Blood Test results
• Verify pet's microchip number
• Virtual inspection to see if your pet is healthy

At this point you'll get to see your pet! My cats were a little shaken from the ride to Singapore, one even refused to leave the crate. But after some rubs and hugs, they seemed to calm down a little. Once the inspection is done, they will be sent to Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station (SAQS) for quarantine.

Costs involved:

Transport from CAPQ > Sembawang Quarantine per cat: $72 SGD
Quarantine at Sembawang per cat = $168 SGD for 10 days

Other info:
CAPQ opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 8AM to 10.30PM. If your pet arrives outside of these hours, they will be held at the respective Ground Handling Agents' air-conditioned animal holding room overnight. Try as far as possible to schedule a flight that arrives within their opening hours so your pets can see you and be moved to quarantine ASAP.

STEP 8: Quarantine, and home! :)
You can visit your pets at Sembawang during the quarantine (address: 10 Lorong Chencharu Singapore 769197) and bring them some treats or toys as well.

Visiting hours are as follows:
Monday - Friday: 4PM - 6PM
Saturday: 2PM - 6PM
Sunday, PH: Closed

Quarantine release times are 10AM - 12PM daily.

While the spaces are not huge, the cats had enough space to walk around and jump around. Pocky got sick during his time in the quarantine center so he got isolated in a "sick room". Fortunately he got better after he checked out from his 'staycation' :)

Left: Pocky in the "isolation ward". Right: Random cat in the normal AC room.

There you have it. This has been sitting in my draft for the longest time. My cats arrived in Singapore in August 2017, a little shaken but safe! I still find it amazing that years back they were two strays wandering the streets of LA, and now they have a forever home in Singapore, halfway around the globe! If cats could talk to each other, would they have a different accent? Lol.

Although I'm no longer their owner and no longer see them, I hope some of these information will be able to help someone make a better decision in bringing their loved furbabies with them.  Feel free to drop me a message if you need clarity on anything, though it has been awhile I'll try my best to help if possible!