Five Things to Remember when Moving Pets to Singapore

We've had so many people moving pets to Singapore lately! The following are some things to remember when considering a pet move to Singapore:

1. Thirty-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival: Unless you are moving from a rabies free country like Australia or England, your pet will have to be quarantined for 30 days upon arrival in Singapore. The Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station is actually quite modern and nice, and you can even request air-conditioned kennels as well as special feeding & medicine routines.

2. Plan ahead to avoid delays: Quarantine space fills up fast! During the summer months, the aforementioned air-conditioned dog and cat kennels are heavily booked. It's a good idea to make your reservation at least 2 months in advance. If you hire our services, this is something PetRelocation does on your behalf as part of our door-to-door pet transport services.

3. Spayed & neutered pets need documentation: Singapore's Animal Quarantine officials require a letter from your veterinarian stating that your pet is spayed or neutered, particularly in order to obtain a dog license. It's a good idea, as with all health paperwork, to have your pet's microchip number on this document as well.

4. Obtain a dog license after arrival: While an import permit is required for moving pets to Singapore, all dogs over 3 months of age will need to have a license before they are released from quarantine. You can apply for a Singapore dog license online at the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority website, find a list of fees for the license, and more.

5. Fully vaccinate your pets in advance: This catches many people off-guard, as Singapore has very strict rules on what vaccines dogs & cats need prior to import. We have a full listing on our Singapore Pet Import Requirements page, but it's important to remember that all vaccines must be older than 30 days prior to export, but given within the last year. Three-year vaccines, even if they are still technically current, are not recognized by Singapore once they have been given more than a year prior. Additionally, Singapore requires cats to be fully vaccinated for "chlamydia psitacci," which many veterinarians in the US do not give as part of their regular routine vaccinations.

Please don't forget that we're always happy to give advice over the phone or via email -- contact us today!