Last Updated April 3, 2014 

Bringing Your Pet to Kuwait

Information Compiled with Special Thanks to Krystalle Dickinson, Lyndsey Sowell and Jennifer Fuentes

• You must have up to date vaccinations for your pet if you are coming from another country, but to obtain an import permit, you will need to make sure that your pet is microchipped, has been vaccinated, and has had a rabies shot.   Take note that microchips are specific to regions of the world, so check with your veterinarian to make sure you have the correct one. 

• **Many AIS Employees use a service called “Pet Passages” (petpassage@yahoo.com).   Our contact person’s name is Karen.  She can do the import permit for you and have it ready when you arrive in Kuwait. You are advised to contact Karen as soon as possible so she can provide you with all the specifics. There are differences for dogs and cats.  

• CANADIANS: o If you are coming from Canada, you will have to take your pet to a vet about a week before 

you leave for a general health check.  o You will then need to go to the Canada Food Inspection Agency and pay to have a form 

completed for you to leave Canada with your pet, approximately $20 per pet.  ** Most current staff report that they have NEVER been asked to present this document, but it is better to be safe than sorry. 

• AMERICANS o You need to have a board certified veterinarian complete a health form and then have it 

stamped by the USDA office that is closest to you.  This stamp is good for ONLY 10 days so you cannot file it too early, but you can contact your vet so that he/she has the paperwork ready to go when you need it.  Current staff members suggest that you find a vet who is experienced in filling out these forms.   The time it takes to process the form depends on 1) your vet’s experience with the form; 2) where your USDA office is located in proximity to you; and 3) how well staffed your USDA office is.   

o To find the office nearest you and numbers to call with questions, the USDA site is: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/importexport?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2FAPHIS_Content_Library%2FSA_Our_Focus%2FSA_Import_Export%2FSA_Animals%2FSA_Pet_Travel 

• There is a new rule here in Kuwait where you have to clear your cat/dog through customs in Kuwait. You will not need to do any additional paperwork, but they will take your pet from the plane to the cargo area where you will have to claim the animal there.  It could take up to a few hours, but it seems that they are not following through with this new rule, and it is not happening very often, at least not to any of our teachers as far as anyone knows. Worst case scenario? You spend a couple hours waiting for your pet to be cleared at cargo. 

• AS SOON AS POSSIBLE email your flight carrier to book a spot for your pet—either in the cabin with you or under the plane with the excess baggage. Consider the length of your flights and weigh the pros and cons of having your pet(s) travel under the plane in excess baggage as opposed to being “stuffed” under a chair for a 12‐hour flight.  Veterinarians can prescribe sedatives to help your pet 

Last Updated April 3, 2014 

be less stressed in the process.   **Several staff members have encouraged that the better option is to go with the pet as baggage.  

o Some staff have found that calling the airline is the easiest way to ensure your pet is booked.   

o Make sure you get a booking number for your pet’s accommodation as you may have to present it at check‐in, along with the medical (vaccination) and USDA paperwork. 

o Be aware that cargo space fills up fast on some outgoing flights, two or more months in advance of the outbound date is not uncommon.   

• Be advised you will have to book your pet ALL the way through to Kuwait. This can be a problem if you are flying with Lufthansa, which the school generally uses, if the flights are codeshared with a company like Air Canada for one of the legs of the trip. Lufthansa is excellent at pet travel, but Air Canada (and many other American airlines) are not. **Several staff members have advised that it is worth it to ask to have the school’s travel agent book a pure Lufthansa flight from Canada or the USA to Kuwait to save the hassle, even if it means you end up spending an extra few hours in layovers.  It is advised that you contact the airline directly or research their website thoroughly to learn of any required additional paperwork.   

• Be aware that many airlines have heat restrictions and will not ship pets above certain outdoor temperatures (85 Fahrenheit is a common standard).  Lufthansa is one of the only airlines which will ship animals in and out of Kuwait during the summer months.  Be aware of this if you have a layover with a different carrier. 

• **A recommended resource is http://www.pettravel.com/immigration/Kuwait.cfm. • The following is a cut‐n‐paste from www.lufthansa.com: 

Animals

Lufthansa will transport your animals either in the cabin or in the cargo hold of the aircraft depending on their weight and size.

Please note that the applicable animal welfare regulations as well as the import and export regulations of the countries concerned

must be adhered to. Please contact the Lufthansa Service Centre or the relevant consulate for more detailed information before

ur flight. For some dog breeds special transport regulations apply. yo

Timely reservation is necessary If you like to take your pets along on your Lufthansa flight, please notify us when you make your booking but at the latest 24 hours

before the departure date by contacting our Lufthansa Reservation Offices or tell our Lufthansa Airport Ticket Teams in person.

In case of selecting a code-share flight where the operating carrier is not Lufthansa, please ensure that you contact our Reservation

Last Updated April 3, 2014 

O ffice before purchasing the ticket. The booking procedure and policies are different for different carriers.

Transport of small dogs and cats into the passenger cabin You may take a dog or cat into the cabin, if the weight of the animal (including transport container) does not exceed eight kilograms.

The animal has to be kept in a box measuring not more than

5 cm x 40 cm x 23 cm. You may use your own transport box if it has the necessary measurement and is watertight and bite proof. 5

Transport of larger animals in the cargo hold Animals that cannot be transported inside the cabin will be transported by Lufthansa in appropriate containers in an air-conditioned

area of the cargo hold. Please note that you must provide your own container for your pet and this must comply with the appropriate

IATA (International Air Transport Association) requirements. The container must in any case be large enough to ensure that the

animal can stand up and has sufficient space to move. Furthermore, containers shall be equipped with a water dish (empty).

For further information, please contact your nearest Lufthansa reservations office.

Please also ensure that you arrive at the airport with your animal in plenty of time before departure. In Frankfurt you should be at

check-in at least one hour before departure.

There is also the option of unaccompanied animals being carried by Lufthansa Cargo. For more information about this, please call

ufthansa Cargo (in Germany: +49 - 1806 747 100*) or visit our website L Lufthansa Cargo.

The transportation of dogs classified as fighting dogs Please note that special conditions apply for the transportation of breeds of fighting dog. In each case the animal must be carried in

a special cage* which meets the requirements laid down by IATA (International Air Transport Association).

You will find a diagram illustrating the requirements for the special cage for fighting dogs here.

For further information, please contact your nearest Lufthansa reservations office.

*IATA Container Requirement #82 states that the container or crate must be constructed of wood, metal, synthetic materials, weld

mesh or wire mesh. Additional design principles regarding frame, sides, floor, roof and doors also apply. No portion of the crate may

be plastic. The crate door must be made of heavy wire mesh, metal or reinforced wood and should have a secure means of

stening that cannot be opened accidentally. fa

Tariffs for the transport of animals Animals are not included in the baggage allowance, and are counted as excess baggage.

The amount charged therefore depends on the size of the cage. The maximum weight restriction of 32 kg per item of baggage does

not apply to the transport of animals in the cargo hold. You will find detailed information on how excess baggage charges are

calculated here:

Last Updated April 3, 2014 

Within Germany Within Europe and third countries Intercont

Per cage

Per cage

Per cage

Small: Animals in the cabin, max. 8 kg

35 EUR, 50 USD/ CAD

50 EUR, 70 USD/ CAD

70 EUR, 100 USD/ CAD

Medium: Animals in hold, cage size 1+2

70 EUR, 100 USD/ CAD

100 EUR, 150 USD/ CAD

150 EUR, 200 USD/ CAD

Large: Animals in hold, cage size 3+4

150 EUR, 200 USD/ CAD

200 EUR, 300 USD/ CAD

300 EUR, 400 USD/ CAD

Cage size Measurements in cm Weight in kg

1 60 x 45 x 40 4

2 80 x 55 x 55 6

3 100 x 65 x 70 13

4 125 x 75 x 85 22

Guide dogs and other service dogs Guide dogs for the blind and deaf as well as other service dogs that you depend on are transported free of charge on Lufthansa

flights and may also travel inside the cabin. Please remember to notify us of your guide dog ahead of time.

Further information Your Lufthansa Airport Ticket Teams or travel agent will be happy to give you more information.