🇵🇭 Pet relocation · rules before flights
Moving pets to the Philippines
The Philippines publishes a detailed dog-and-cat route with clear clocks. The SPS Import Clearance comes first; the exporting authority then issues the international health certificate, and the original documents are checked by veterinary quarantine on arrival.
Last verified 12 September 2026
The short answer
Can families move a dog or cat to the Philippines?
Before travel, obtain an approved Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI). The current one-time route covers up to three dogs or cats, requires an ISO-compatible microchip, vaccination and parasite-treatment evidence, and uses an export permit/international veterinary health certificate issued within ten calendar days before departure. Complete documents can allow same-day release, but that is not guaranteed.
The official route
Work backwards from the ten-day certificate window
The permit, vaccines and parasite treatment must already be in place before the departure-country authority creates the final time-sensitive certificate.
Check age and health
BAI's current page requires dogs and cats to be at least 120 days old at SPSIC application. Pregnant pets are not allowed; a recent mother needs the specified recovery period and veterinary certification.
Complete chip, vaccines and parasite treatment
Use an ISO-compatible chip. Follow BAI's rabies, species-specific core-vaccine and internal/external parasite-treatment timings before applying.
Apply for the SPSIC
Upload the vaccination and antiparasitic records, chip proof, actual pet photo and pet passport if applicable. The approved clearance is valid for 60 days.
Obtain the EP/IVHC
Present the SPSIC to the origin-country veterinary authority. The export permit/international veterinary health certificate must be issued within ten calendar days before departure.
Show printed and original records
Present printed SPSIC copies and the original EP/IVHC to the BAI veterinary quarantine officer; cargo arrivals also need the stamped airway bill.
Chip · vaccines · permission · certificate
Make each requirement prove the same journey
Rules can change with origin, disease status, port and travel date. Use the official position below as your starting point, then have the destination authority and departure-country veterinary authority confirm the exact file in writing.
Microchip
ISO-compatible chip requiredIf the chip is not ISO-compatible, BAI says the importer must bring a matching scanner. Keep the number consistent everywhere.
Vaccinations
Detailed species-specific timingPrimary rabies and core vaccines generally need at least 14 days before SPSIC application; annual rabies boosters have different treatment. Read the live BAI page for exceptions.
SPS Import Clearance
Approved before travel; valid 60 daysUse the one-time importer route for the eligible personal movement and keep files merged, legible and within portal size limits.
EP/IVHC
Within 10 calendar days before exportThe government veterinary authority must issue it and the owner, pet, chip, vaccine and arrival information must match the SPSIC.
Build the travel file
Keep originals, scans and names in step
Read the chip before clinical work begins. The pet description, owner or consignee, dates, route and microchip number should agree across government, veterinary and airline records.
SPSIC application
- Vaccination and internal/external parasite-treatment records
- Microchip proof and actual pet photograph
- Pet passport where applicable
Departure originals
- Approved SPSIC
- Original export permit/international veterinary health certificate
- Consistent owner, consignee, chip, treatment and vaccine details
Arrival and onward
- Printed SPSIC copies and original EP/IVHC
- Stamped airway bill for cargo release
- Local collection plan and domestic transport permission if travelling onward
Quarantine and release risk
Plan for the outcome—not only the best case
“No routine quarantine” never means automatic entry. An officer can still inspect, test, detain or refuse an animal when health, identity or paperwork does not meet the current conditions.
Complete compliant arrival
BAI says the animal can be released the same day when all required documents are present, subject to inspection and payment of official charges.
Document query
A mismatch in chip, owner, vaccine dates or certificate wording can prevent immediate release while officials verify or direct the next action.
Ineligible or unhealthy animal
Age, pregnancy, disease signs, missing clearance or an expired final certificate can lead to delay, quarantine, refusal or other official action.
Airline and transit planning
A legal pet can still be refused at check-in
Government import permission, export certification and airline acceptance are separate approvals. Build the route around the animal—not around the cheapest passenger fare.
Read IATA pet guidanceOperating airline
Confirm cabin, accompanied-baggage or cargo acceptance for the pet, crate, breed, temperature, aircraft and every segment. A codeshare marketing carrier cannot answer for the operator.
Travel container
Measure the standing animal, follow the operating carrier's current IATA-based container specification and practise calm crate time well before departure.
Transit and disruption
Check the scheduled transit and every realistic diversion. Ask who handles the pet if a connection is missed, the flight changes aircraft or cargo cannot be transferred airside.
Welfare plan
Discuss fitness to fly with the vet, avoid routine sedation, plan water and feeding, and choose a route that limits heat exposure, handling stages and long layovers.
Breed, species and local restrictions
Check every layer that can say no
A border authority, transit country, airline, local council, building manager or landlord can each apply a different rule. Exotic pets need species-specific CITES and wildlife checks rather than a dog-and-cat checklist.
Age and pregnancy
The current SPSIC route has a 120-day minimum at application, excludes pregnant pets and adds conditions after birth. Do not book around a borderline date.
Airline breed rules
Check brachycephalic and restricted-breed policies with the operating carrier. Country entry and airline acceptance are separate decisions.
Domestic island leg
A flight or ferry after international release may need a local shipping permit and another carrier booking. Build that leg before choosing the international airport.
The first 24 hours
Make arrival calm after a complicated journey
Keep the collection plan simple, leave time for official checks and make one adult responsible for documents while another watches the animal.
Find the quarantine officer
Know whether the pet is released in the passenger or cargo area and where documents are presented.
Use the right document set
Hand-carried and checked pets need printed SPSIC copies and the original EP/IVHC; cargo also needs the stamped airway bill.
Allow time for inspection
Treat same-day release as possible, not promised, and avoid a tight domestic connection.
Confirm the onward island route
If Manila or Cebu is not the final stop, arrange the BAI local movement process and carrier acceptance separately.
Continue the family plan
Connect the pet route to the home and daily routine
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Common questions
Questions about moving pets to the Philippines
How early should we start planning a pet move to the Philippines?
Start several months before the family flight. Vaccination sequences, antibody tests, permits, government-endorsed certificates, quarantine reservations and airline capacity run on different clocks. The route should be checked before any non-refundable ticket is booked.
Can a normal vet issue every document?
A private vet can usually implant or scan a microchip, vaccinate and prepare clinical records. The final export or health certificate may need endorsement or issue by the competent government veterinary authority in the departure country. Confirm that distinction early.
Can our pet travel on the same flight as us?
Sometimes, but cabin, accompanied-baggage and cargo options depend on the operating airline, aircraft, route, pet size and local rules. Ask the operating carrier for written acceptance for every flight segment, not only the ticketing airline.
Should we sedate our pet for the flight?
IATA advises against routine sedation or tranquilisation because of possible adverse effects in transport. Discuss welfare and any medical need with the treating vet and carrier; never medicate solely to make airline acceptance easier.
What if our route changes after the permit is issued?
Stop and recheck the import authority, export authority and airline. A different date, port, transit country, flight number or consignee can invalidate a permit, certificate or quarantine reservation.
Do transit-country rules matter if we stay airside?
They can. A through-airside transfer is not automatically exempt from animal-health, customs or airline-transfer controls, especially when bags or cargo must be collected. Get confirmation for each transit and contingency airport.
Are airline breed restrictions the same as government import restrictions?
No. A country may admit a breed that an airline refuses to carry, while housing, local licensing or insurer rules can add further restrictions. Check all four layers separately.
What should be arranged for the first day?
Confirm who meets the pet, where inspection or quarantine happens, how the crate is collected, pet-friendly transport, a secure home, water and familiar food, and a local vet who can help if the animal is unwell after travel.