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Planning pet travel to Singapore can be overwhelming at first glance, but if you allow enough time to carefully map out the requirements and routing, you can successfully manage your pet’s move.

Because the import process is long and detailed, we wanted to provide some insight into a few of the steps that can be difficult to manage without help. Take a look at the information below to understand more about quarantine, import permits, and other items to create a safe move plan for your pet.

Import Requirements
Veterinary Requirements
Pet Quarantine
Import Permit
Health Certificate and Endorsements
Crate Training and Manifest Cargo
Breakdown of Costs
How Long Does it Take to Arrange a Move to Singapore?

Adobo moved to Singapore with PetRelocation.

Pet Import Requirements for Singapore

Traveling with or moving pets to Singapore can be a bit complicated because it’s a designated rabies-free country. This means the rules are a bit more complex than they are for countries like the Australia, but it’s certainly not impossible to bring pets here.

The steps required for pet travel or relocation to Singapore depend on the type of pet, and where you’re beginning your journey. For example, current residents of the U.S. and Canada must provide a health certificate from a local veterinarian as well as government-endorsed paperwork to import a dog to Singapore.

Singapore requires that all pets complete either a 10 or 30-day quarantine. Quarantine length depends on which Country Category you currently reside in:

source: Singapore National Parks Board

Veterinary Requirements 

When traveling to Singapore, you will need to closely follow vaccine and blood test regulations to ensure your pet meets the requirements to travel to Singapore. For entry into Singapore, cats and dogs will need:

• A microchip
• Two rabies vaccines
• A rabies titer test 
• A distemper vaccine for dogs and an FVRCP vaccine for cats
• Internal and external parasite treatments

Estimated costs for vaccinations: There are at least three veterinarian visits required for a move to Singapore. Depending on your own veterinarian’s fees, we estimate approximately $1,000 – $1,200 USD for these services.

Pet Quarantine in Singapore

Before you can apply for an import permit, you must first reserve your cat or dog’s spot in the Singapore Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station. Reservations can be made as far as six months in advance. Spots fill up quickly, especially during the summer months and the winter holidays, so it’s important to reserve your pet’s space in quarantine as soon as you can within that six-month window.

“As a coordinator, one of the most difficult aspects to communicate to a client is when Singapore quarantine cannot accommodate the client’s preferred departure date for their pet. Quarantine reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis with limited space. Essentially, your quarantine reservation date will need to inform your travel dates.”

“Singapore is one of the top destinations we arrange moves for, and because of this, our entire team is well versed on the ins and outs of a Singapore relocation! Some of our best global partners are in Singapore, and we have the experience to navigate dog and cat relocations to this country from all over the world.” 

–Kelcey Shafer, senior international relocation coordinator

The cost for a reservation at the Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station will depend on what type of space you reserve and how long their stay will be. If you make your arrangements and your travel dates change, you can amend your request. However, there are fees ranging from $15-$85 SGD ($12-$65 USD) associated with altering an existing booking in quarantine.

Estimated cost for quarantine: Prices vary based on length of stay and type of room, but generally fall between $130-$200 for a 10-day quarantine stay. 

Obtaining an Import Permit

Once your pet’s quarantine is approved, you may apply for an import permit and dog license (no license is needed for domestic cats). If you’re working with a PetRelocation coordinator, we will apply for this permit and license on your behalf. Import permits are valid for 30 days upon issuance and will be required to receive the USDA endorsement.

Estimated cost for import permits:  Import permits are $50 SGD (about $40 USD) and a dog license is $15 SGD (about $12 USD). 

Health Certificates and USDA Endorsements

For export from the Australia to any foreign country, your pet must have a country-specific health certificate issued by a USDA-Accredited Veterinarian. This health certificate must be issued within 7 days of travel and sent to your state’s USDA office for endorsement. Ask your veterinarian if they have the proper USDA accreditation. Failure to do so could result in extra time and expenses associated with additional appointments and testing. If you are working with a PetRelocation coordinator, we will work closely with your veterinarian to ensure all complicated requirements are met.

Cost for a USDA endorsement: USDA endorsements cost $121 plus $7 per additional pet.

Crate Training and Traveling as Manifest Cargo

Unlike many rabies-free countries, pets traveling to Singapore have the option to arrive in-cabin with their owners, as checked luggage or as manifest cargo. PetRelocation believes manifest cargo to be the best of these options and is our preferred method of travel for our clients. If your pets are not flying on the same flight as you, manifest cargo is the only option.

Regardless of your method of travel, it’s important to start acclimating your pet to their travel crate early and practice crate training often. This will result in a much less stressful travel day for your pet.

Marley moved to Singapore with our help in 2020

Estimated costs for manifest cargo airfreight: Manifest cargo flights for pets are based on dimensional weight (or how much space your pet takes up in the aircraft). For flights to Singapore, these fees can range from $850 USD for a Chihuahua and up to $3,000 USD for a Great Dane.

Breakdown of Costs for Moving Dogs and Cats to Singapore

While this is by no means an extensive list of the possible costs you could incur when relocating your pet to Singapore, this chart should help you in understanding what you should be prepared for when budgeting for a pet’s move.