Moving Pets to South Africa

Name: Chip
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Labrador/Pit Bull mix
From: Chicago, USA
To: Cape Town, South Africa

Hi PetRelocation,

What is the easiest way to transport my dog to Cape Town? We are moving in early January for at least a year to Cape Town and would hate to leave our dog here. Also, I am disabled and our dog is a service dog, but only 7 months old (will be 9 months at travel date).

Thanks!
Chip
 

Hi Chip,

Thank you for submitting a question to us. We've helped several pets move to South Africa and typically use KLM for their flights, as they area a pet-friendly airline. For an idea of the preparations that will be necessary, take a look at the pet import requirements for South Africa, which you'll need to follow carefully.

Next, here are a few pet travel tips to get you started. Generally speaking, we advise that you start the pet travel process early, talk to your vet about any health concerns you may have, and work on crate-training your dog. If your dog is a certified service animal and you'd like her/him to fly in the cabin with you, contact the airline you'll be flying with to discuss the procedures (here are KLM's animal travel guidelines, for example). We recently discussed typical scenarios for service dog travel on our blog if you'd like to take a look.

If this sounds overwhelming and you think you'd like some help with your move, please fill out our online consultation form. We'd be happy to further assist you, just let us know.

Either way, good luck and have a safe trip!