Moving your pet out of Panama
The hard part is not the flight. It is the chain of documents, which has expiry windows and does not forgive improvisation.
The calendar rules everything
Most countries require the veterinary certificate to be issued within a window of a few days before the flight, and some ask for laboratory tests months ahead. Break the order and the animal does not fly, and the whole process starts again.
So the first thing we build is the calendar, backwards from the flight date: what happens today, what at three months, what in the final week. That calendar is the work. The rest is executing it.
The crate is not a detail
Airlines refuse any crate at check-in that does not meet the IATA standard, and the criteria are concrete: the animal must be able to stand without lowering its head, turn around, and lie down. An undersized crate is the most common reason a booking is refused on the day.
We measure the animal and specify the exact size. Buy it weeks ahead so the animal sleeps in it before the trip: a pet entering its crate for the first time at the airport travels far worse.
Breeds and routes with restrictions
Flat-faced breeds (bulldogs, pugs, Persians and others) have breathing trouble in flight, and many airlines refuse them or accept them only in cabin. There are also temperature limits: above or below certain figures at any stop, the booking is cancelled.
That shapes the route and sometimes the date. Better to know while planning than at the counter.
What it includes
- Calendar built backwards from the flight date
- Veterinary certificate arranged inside the valid window
- Export health permit
- Animal measured and an IATA-compliant crate in the right size
- Booking with airlines that carry live animals on that route
- Entry requirements and paperwork at destination
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I start?
It depends on the destination. For the United States or Latin America weeks are usually enough. For the European Union, the United Kingdom or Australia allow months, because of laboratory tests and, in some cases, quarantine on arrival.
Can my pet travel in the cabin with me?
Only if the animal and its carrier stay under the airline's weight limit, which is usually low. Above that it travels in the pressurised, temperature-controlled hold of the same aircraft.
What if I have a bird or an unusual pet?
The process changes: beyond the health permit, CITES rules may apply if the species is protected. It can be done, but it has to be studied case by case and with more time.
Shall we quote this service?
Tell us what you need to move and from where. The quote comes from a home survey, not from a phone estimate.