Importing your pet into Singapore

Having a pet is a life-long commitment. The second you decide to bring a furbaby into your life, it’s imperative to follow it through and care for it to your best ability, even if it means traversing across the world with it.

I adopted the two-month-old Simba whilst pursuing my bachelors degree in Brisbane, Australia. Funnily enough, I have always thought of myself as a dog person (sometimes I think I still do!), and would never have imagined I’d become this “crazy cat lady” that all my friends identify me as.

Simba kept me company in my 2 years in Australia, and when it was time for me to come home to Singapore, I knew I had to bring him along. My inexperience in the due processes of bringing my furry best friend home left my helpless and dejected. Thus, I hope that, through my sharing, pet-owners would be less clueless when it comes to importing your pet into Singapore. After all, no one should be separated from their furbabies!

Pre-flight Preparation 

First of all, you need to be prepared to commit time applying for permits (both import and export), bringing your pet to various appointments (i.e. vaccinations, health check-up, etc.), and buying the necessary logistics etc. You will need a Singpass account in order to apply for the import permit, search for “Licence to Import/Export/Transship Animals, Birds, Eggs and Biologics” at this website. Special note for dog owners, you’ll need to apply for a dog licence as well! (not applicable to cats). 

Here are some of the things I prepared for Simba for the flight! 

Airline Approved Pet Carrier I spent about $120 on this as I had to get the large size. Simba weighed about 8kg back then (yeah he’s a huge cat ?).You can find such carriers at pet supplies shops such as Pet Lovers Centre or Kohepets.
Feliway Calming Spray I used this when Simba was younger whenever he was placed in a stressful situation, such as when going to the vet. This spray replicates the natural facial pheromone that reassures, comforts and calms your cat, providing a sense of security in the environment it is located at. It costs around $30 and you can find them easily at Perromart or Nekojam.
His favourite toy! Put into the cage a toy that your furbaby likes to keep him/her company! Simba loved this snake toy when he was younger. Look how well he slept hugging his favourite friend ?

General Timeline

Potential Costs

Secondly, be prepared to set aside at least $1500-$2000 for this whole process. This includes expenses like license application, vet visits, buying of logistics and flight ticket. The final cost will depend on your export location, and the number of quarantine days required for your pet (~$50 per day for Singapore). Other potential costs may also include food that is being fed to your pet while he/she is in quarantine. The exact number of quarantine days is dependent on which country you are importing your pet from (see table below, click on the link to find out more information). Simba did not require any quarantine as he came from Cat A country, so I was able to bring him home straight away after we disembarked. 

Category A Countries/Region of export free from rabies	Category B Countries/Region of export with negligible risk of rabies	Category C Countries/Region of export with controlled risk or low incidence of rabies	Category D Countries/Region of export with undetermined risk of rabies
Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom	Cayman Islands, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Iceland, Japan, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, New Caledonia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, USA (Guam and Hawaii only)	Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Taiwan, United States of America (except Guam and Hawaii)	All countries not listed in Categories A, B, and C.

Cautionary Note

The above article is written by the hooman of @simbathemonstercat.