Travel with your pet
Bringing your pet to Thailand
Planning a move to Thailand with your dog or cat? Start with your departure country, then work through permits, paperwork and flights. The requirements and timing depend on your route.
Choose your departure country
From the UK
From the USA
From the EU
From Australia
From Canada
From Japan
From Singapore
From the UAE
From Germany
From Russia
From Sweden
From Norway
From Denmark
From Finland
From the Netherlands
From France
From Switzerland
From Ireland
From New Zealand
From India
From the Philippines
From China
From South Africa
From Italy
From Malaysia
From South Korea
Thai requirements can vary by origin and case. Obtain the responsible AQS's written vaccination, test, filing, certificate and arrival instructions before booking.
Build the route-specific process
Build the route-specific process (7)
Import checklist
A printable route-planning checklist for the whole move.
PrepareMicrochip
The implantation certificate and identifier-matching evidence.
PrepareVaccines & destination tests
The source-scoped vaccine list and any separately required titer.
Route fileDLD application & permit
Pre-travel and accompanied-arrival paths, subject to AQS and carrier rules.
Route fileHealth certificate
The exact origin certificate, issuer, endorsement and validity window.
CarrierAirline pet policies
Cabin, checked baggage or cargo — and IATA travel containers.
ArrivalArrival in Thailand
The documented Animal Quarantine Station inspection and unresolved outcomes.
Plan and budget
Plan and budget (4)
What it costs
Itemised cost categories and a sourced Thai arrival fee.
ArrivalU-Tapao or Bangkok?
Which airport to fly your pet into, and how to reach Pattaya.
DogsBring a dog to Thailand
Dog-specific vaccines, CDC notes and settling in Pattaya.
CatsBring a cat to Thailand
Cat vaccines, cabin travel and indoor life in Pattaya.
Background & sources
Before you start
The single most important thing to understand is timing. The detailed vaccination-to-permit sequence in the reviewed consular guide is limited to USA-origin dogs, cats and rabbits. For any other origin, obtain the vaccination sequence, filing window and processing lead time from the responsible arrival AQS rather than copying the USA route. Origin certificates, airlines and onward destinations add separate clocks. USA-scoped Thai source.
The process is overseen by Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development (DLD). Below, each document stage has its own page. Build the order from the responsible AQS, origin authority and operating carrier: the reviewed USA pre-travel path puts the permit before the official health certificate, while its accompanied-traveller exception has the endorsed certificate ready for an arrival application. USA-scoped route options.
Moving to Thailand with a pet usually sits alongside visa, housing and transport planning. Keep those human arrangements separate from the animal’s regulated DLD and airline paperwork.
The identified Thai import claims were rechecked on 5 August 2026 against Thai consular/DLD guidance updated 2 February 2026. This is an orientation: rules can change without notice. Before booking or travel, confirm every requirement with Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development (DLD), your airline and your origin-country authority.
Official sources to verify against: Thai consular/DLD pet-import guide (updated 2 February 2026; its detailed instruction is scoped to dogs, cats and rabbits from the USA); DLD import application form R1/1 (via the guide or DLD Animal Quarantine stations); Suvarnabhumi AQS import: qsap_bkk_import@dld.go.th.