Flying Pets To America
Fly my dog to USA, or your cat, bird or other special friend.
We fly animals regularly to the United States of America including the independent states of Hawaii and Alaska.
We have direct services to:
Auckland to Los Angeles
Auckland to San Francisco
Auckland to Houston
Auckland to Honolulu
Auckland to New York (one stop)
In addition we can utilise our AirCare Network to tranship to other cities and airports.
Mainland USA
The veterinary requirements for mainland USA are relatively simple. Your dog or cat will need to be microchipped and obtain a certificate of health from a New Zealand veterinarian. An Animal Welfare Certificate is required from MPI NZ, we will organise this for you.
Rabies vaccinations are required for all dogs travelling beyond the first port of entry. This is not mandatory for animals existing at Los Angeles.
Talk to your AirCare Pet Travel consultant about this requirement.
No import permit is required for pets arriving in to mainland USA. There are Customs and biosecurity clearances to be completed and travellers should allow adequate time for these processes.
Hawaii
Animals travelling to Hawaii need to meet greater veterinary regulations. Your AirCare Pet Travel consultant can provide a list of the requirements and a timeline to ensure full compliance with the export regulations.
An import permit is required for animals enetering Hawaii, this can be applied for online from the USa Agriculture authorities. There is no quarantine stay on arrival for pets arriving from New Zealand or Australia.
General requirements for pets travelling from New Zealand:
Microchip (aka Transponder)
All animals being exported must be clearly identified with a 15 digit microchip. The chip must be inserted and checked PRIOR to any export oriented treatments or vaccinations.
The number sequence must be recorded as having been verified when all treatments have been administered. If you are contemplating a move overseas you should have your pet microchipped by your vet as soon as possible.
Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC)
All animals leaving New Zealand on an international flight greater than 5 hours must have an Animal Welfare Export Certificate, known simply as an AWEC.
The certificates are issued by the Ministry of Primary Industries official vet office. AirCare Pets normally undertake this process as part of the export procedure carried out the day before departure.
The vet will inspect the animal and assess its ‘fitness to fly’ as well as check the travel cage and itinerary for adherence with IATA standards and the general requirements of the NZ Animal Welfare Act.
An AWEC is not required for travel to Australia from New Zealand.
Zoosanitary Certificate
This is the official MPI veterinary certificate which accompanies the animal and contains all the veterinary and biosecurity details required by the destination country. We prepare this document on behalf of the owner and submit the document, test results, vaccinations details etc for the Official NZ Government Vet to check and stamp the formal travel document. We process these documents to the airline and the receiving Customs station where required.
Only registered exporters can complete this process.
Import Permits:
Some countries require the owner to obtain an import permit for any animal entering their country.
In general these permits must be applied for by the owner or the intending owner residing in the country of destination. Import Permits should be applied for well in advance of the pet’s travel date.
The permit must be supplied to our office for inclusion in the official travel documents. Many countries require the permit number to be shown on the airline records, it is best to forward us the details as soon as you receive them.
Countries requiring Import Permits:
- South Africa
- Singapore
- Japan
- China
- Hong Kong
- Hawaii
- New Caledonia
- Tahiti
- Most of the smaller Pacific Island Nations
Quarantine:
Quarantine stay on arrival at destination is required for:
- New Caledonia
- Tahiti
- Fiji
This should be booked by the owner (or intending owner) in the destination country. It is normally booked as part of the Import Permit process.
Check with AirCare for updates.
The above is a list of the requirements for popular travel destinations and their requirements at time of printing. For destinations not on the list and for the latest updates we recommend discussing your travel needs as soon as possible with an AirCare Pet Travel Consultant and receive all the latest details.