04 Aug Qatar Airways Pet Travel Policy
Headquartered in Doha, Qatar Airways has been sailing the skies since 1994. Now operational in 150 countries, Qatar airways also allows pets to travel with their owners, so your furry friend can savor the sights with you. Here is everything you need to know about the Qatar Airways pet policy.
Qatar Airways Check in Policy for Pets
Qatar Airways accepts domesticated dogs, cats and birds as checked baggage, either on your flight or on a separate one, in accordance with international air travel regulations. Qatar requests customers to inform them of the requirements to travel with a pet at the time of booking. If this is not possible, they request a 48-hour notice prior to departure, so they may service you without any delays.
Travel regulations require you to make all necessary documentation for your pet available before travel. Documents include their health certificate (also known as a fit-to-fly certificate, signed by your veterinarian, indicating that the animal is fit to fly) and identification or pet passport (their vaccination record).
On certain routes, Qatar Airways allows service dogs in the passenger cabin, free of charge, to accompany a passenger with a disability. On all other routes, service dogs will be accepted free of charge as checked baggage within the aircraft hold., Not all countries allow service animals/emotional support animals to arrive in the passenger cabin of the aircraft. Therefore, you should contact their call center to verify any limitations that may exist for the countries in your itinerary.
Pet Crates
Your pet’s crate should be sufficiently spacious and properly sized. It must be of suitable design, and sturdy enough to prevent an escape. There are also limits on including more than one pet in a single container. For your pet’s well-being, Qatar Airways reserves the right to refuse the transportation of any animal if they find the container is too small. For safety, an IATA-approved fiber crate is typically recommended.
Pet Food
Qatar Airways recommends that you provide enough food and water for your pet’s journey in their crate or kennel, as you will not be able to access your pet for the duration of the journey. Consider the following when preparing your food and water containers:
- Food and water containers must be present and affixed within the shipping container with provisions to fill it from the outside, which does not require the opening of the shipping container.
- Water bottles or similar dispensers that are attached inside or outside the shipping container are not considered suitable for refilling.
If food is not provided by the owners, their ground services staff will provide your pet with food evert three to four hours (up to two hours before departure), while water is changed every hour (provided the water container attached to the kennel can be refilled from the outside)
Health, Breed or Age Restrictions
Qatar Airways does not permit transport of certain breeds of dogs and cats, as these animals are normally susceptible to increased risk of heat stroke when exposed to stress or temperatures above 21°C (69.8°F). These include:
Cats
- Exotic
- Persian
- Shirazi
Dogs
The following breeds of dogs and mixes will not be accepted for carriage on Qatar Airways including all snub or pug-nosed.
- Affenpinscher
- Bichon Frise
- Boston Terrier
- Boxer
- Brussels
- Dogue de Bordeaux (French Mastiff)
- English/British Bull Dog French Bull Dog
- French Terrier
- Greyhound dogs with the exception of pets (No more than two greyhound dogs can be booked as pets)
- Japanese Chin
- King Charles Spaniel
- Neapolitan mastiff
- Pekingese
- Pug (all breeds)
- Shar Pei
- Shih Tzu
- Valley Terrier
The below list of dogs can be accepted only when carried as Cargo on Qatar Airways, and all requirements are in compliance with the IATA Live Animal Regulations (LAR) container requirement 82.
- American Bull Dog
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Bull Mastiff (English Mastiff)
- Bull Terrier
- Cane Corso
- Chow Chow
- Dogo Argentino
- English Mastiff
- Pitbull
- Presa Canario
- Stafforshire Bull Terrier
Note: For the carriage of cats and dogs, we recommend that you obtain a veterinary certificate certifying that the animal does not fall within any of the above categories. They also will not accept:
- Primates that are being carried for research purposes
- Animals younger than twelve (12) weeks
- Fragile/weak animals ∙Female animals with suckling young – carriage will only be permitted on the basis of a veterinary certificate stating that both mother and young are fit to travel
- Cats or dogs which are more than six (6) weeks pregnant – carriage will only be accepted if a veterinary certificate certifies that the animal is fit to travel and there is no risk of birth during the journey
- Certain breeds of dogs and cat (such as snub-nosed breeds) as they are susceptible to increased risk of heat stroke when exposed to temperatures above 21 degrees Centigrade, or when under stress.
- Rodents such as mice, rats, marmots, and rabbits are not allowed as excess baggage. Such animals must be transported as cargo.
Health, Breed or Age Restrictions
There is a temporary suspension for dogs arriving into the United States from countries that CDC considers high risk for dog rabies. This includes dogs that have been in any high-risk country during the previous 6 months.
Dogs from high-risk countries may be brought into the U.S. only with CDC’s advance written approval (CDC Dog Import Permit) which must be provided at the time of requesting a dog either as a service animal or as checked baggage. For more information, visit the CDC’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/.
