Before booking, confirm current requirements with the Thai DLD, your airline and the destination-country authority.
Source check details
The regulated claims and authority links cited on this page were checked on 1 August 2026. Export rules — Thai DLD procedures, destination-country requirements, airline policies and CDC/APHA rules — change without notice. Use this as orientation, then confirm every current requirement with the DLD and the destination country’s authority before booking.
Timeline at a glance
Work backwards from your departure date. The destination country’s rules — not the Thai desk alone — usually set the calendar.
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| As early as the destination requires | Complete that country’s pathway. UK and EU routes may require titer testing and a waiting period; Australia requires an approved-country pathway. |
| As soon as dates firm | Obtain destination import permit or written requirements to show the AQS |
| As the responsible AQS directs | Submit DLD export application form R1/1; the reviewed procedure does not give one universal email channel or 15-day deadline |
| No more than 2–3 days before travel | Attend the mandatory DLD health examination. If compliant, the station issues the R9 export licence and health certificate. DLD source |
| Departure day | Final AQS check at the airport; airline accepts pet with matching paperwork |
What the export permit is
The export permit is issued by the Department of Livestock Development (DLD) through the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS) at your departure airport. It confirms your pet may be exported and is paired with a DLD health certificate after a veterinary inspection.
Start with the destination country
Thailand exports pets to another country’s rules. Before you apply, obtain that country’s import requirements or import permit and show them to the AQS — the Thai health certificate must match what the destination expects. Start with the export process and the destination page in our export guide — for example the UK, the USA, or the EU — and confirm with the foreign authority directly.
When to apply
Ask the Animal Quarantine Station responsible for your departure port how and when to submit R1/1. The current procedure reviewed for this page does not establish a universal 15-day deadline or one email channel for every station. Allow enough time for destination-side documents and the AQS response.
The destination calendar can include the UK’s three-month post-sample wait or the EU’s 90-day pre-certificate titer period, which can mean starting months before you book the flight.
How to apply
Applications go to the AQS at your port of departure using DLD form R1/1 (export application). Contact that station directly for its current submission channel, location and office hours; this guide has not verified one method for every AQS.
A DLD officer reviews the documents and must examine the animal no more than 2–3 days before travel. If the animal and documents comply, the station issues the R9 export licence and health certificate. DLD procedure.
What you will typically need
- Completed form 1/1 and a copy of your ID (passport for foreign nationals)
- Your pet’s microchip number and vaccination records
- The destination country’s import permit or written health requirements
- Flight details and consignee details matching all other documents
- Any test results the destination or AQS requires (such as a rabies titer result for the UK or EU)
Keep printed originals of the export permit, health certificate and every supporting document for the airport and the destination border check.
Attend the final health examination
Arrange the mandatory DLD examination for no more than 2–3 days before travel. Give the station the itinerary and destination requirements it requests. The reviewed DLD procedure does not state a separate universal rule to email a flight confirmation at least three days before departure.
Common mistakes
- Starting with Thailand only — finish the destination pathway early enough to show it to the AQS.
- Missing the examination window — the DLD examination must be no more than 2–3 days before travel.
- Mismatched microchip numbers — across Thai export papers, airline booking and destination import forms.
- Wrong airport AQS — export paperwork must match the actual departure port; confirm which AQS is responsible.
- Destination import proof missing — the AQS needs to see what the receiving country expects before issuing the health certificate.
What comes next
Book the flight under airline pet policies, budget in our export cost guide, and, if requested, obtain an itemised scope from a pet relocation agent while continuing to verify every regulated rule directly.
Departing from Pattaya — confirm the port and DLD sequence
Ask the AQS responsible for the departure port how and when to file R1/1. The reviewed DLD procedure does not establish a universal email intake, 15-day deadline or separate three-day flight-confirmation rule. It requires the animal’s health examination no more than 2–3 days before travel; if compliant, the station issues R9 and the health certificate. DLD procedure. The reviewed DLD map does not list a U-Tapao/Rayong airport AQS, so obtain written DLD confirmation before routing there. DLD AQS map.
Using an agent is optional
An agent cannot change government or airline rules. If you request assistance, obtain an itemised scope and verify each regulated requirement directly with the authority. PattayaPets has not independently measured agents’ prices, error rates or outcomes.
Official sources
Official sources to verify against: DLD Region 9 export procedure; UK pet travel; CDC animal import (USA); EU pet movement; Japan MAFF Animal Quarantine; Singapore AVS; UAE MOCCAE pet import; Australia DAFF; New Zealand MPI; Canada CFIA; Switzerland FSVO.
Frequently asked
Can I get the export permit on the day of the flight?
Do not plan for same-day clearance. Ask the responsible AQS for its R1/1 intake timing and attend the mandatory health examination no more than 2–3 days before travel. Destination documents may require substantially more lead time.
Do I need an agent for the export permit?
The reviewed Thai DLD procedure does not establish a mandatory agent for its filing, but that does not decide destination or checkpoint handling. Confirm the entire route; if you request help, obtain an itemised scope and independently verify government and airline rules.
Which airport AQS handles Pattaya departures?
The current DLD AQS map reviewed for this guide does not list U-Tapao/Rayong airport. Confirm the available clearance port with DLD before booking; do not infer a current U-Tapao service from airport expansion plans.
What is form 1/1 vs form 9?
R1/1 is the export application. After the mandatory examination no more than 2–3 days before travel, the station issues the R9 export licence and health certificate if the animal and documents comply.
Do I confirm the appointment with the AQS?
Yes. Ask the responsible AQS what itinerary details it requires and how it schedules the examination. This guide found no current universal three-day flight-confirmation rule separate from the mandatory 2–3-day examination window.
Can I fly my pet out of U-Tapao?
The reviewed DLD map does not list a U-Tapao/Rayong airport AQS. That is a verification gap, not proof that no later service exists; obtain written DLD confirmation before booking.
How should I plan the transfer to the departure airport?
Use a vehicle that accepts the animal and crate, confirm the airline’s check-in cut-off and leave route-specific contingency time.
Should I stay near the departure airport?
Decide from the confirmed examination appointment, airline check-in time and road conditions. This guide has no evidence for a universal recommendation.