8 steps to bring your dog from Singapore to Portugal (European Union)

How to prepare the documentation for your dog to leave Singapore for Europe

Since my published post "Everything you need to know about flying with a dog", a lot of people have been asking for further information about the documentation to travel with a dog from Singapore to the European Union. The procedure is very similar to almost all the countries within the EU, but don't forget to double-check the specific requirements for each country here. Today, I am going to give you an example of the documentation for Lisbon, Portugal (as "excess luggage" in the cargo hold). 

Here are the 8 steps you need to do:

1. Send your dog for general vaccinations, if you don't have them up to date.
   
2. Send your dog for rabies vaccination. The rabies vaccination has to be given at least 1 month before the departure date. This is because the rabies vaccination only starts to be valid 21 days after the shot (this is similar to the COVID-19 vaccination procedures for humans... As you know, you had to wait 2 weeks until we were considered fully vaccinated, so your dog also has to wait 21 days until he/she/it is considered fully vaccinated against rabies). Request the vet to do a letter of "Microchip verification" at the time of the Rabies vaccination. 
3. 30 days before departure, apply for an Export License at the GoBusiness portal. I applied for Dante's license on 2nd September 2021 for our departure on 1st October 2021, so it doesn't need to be precisely 30 days per se. Then I paid it and got it approved right away. Therefore, I got my Export License on 6th September 2021. How to apply for an Export License? Please apply for this license here. Need more guidance? Check this.
4. 2 weeks before the arrival date, apply for a "Veterinary Health Certificate application" here. Check this for more info. After applying for this, you will receive an email from the NParks staff about one or two working days later to invite you to submit the original documents at the drop-off box located on Level 1, JEM Office Tower from Mondays to Fridays, 8:30am to 5:00pm for manual endorsement. This means that the application will be pending on the GoBusiness portal until the original printed documents have been dropped off at the mailbox. It's all good, don't worry. For example, I applied on 15th September 2021 for a flight on 1st October 2021.
5. 7-5 days before the arrival date, go to the vet with your dog to do the "health check for export". On this day, the vet will help you to fill in the veterinary health certificate EU template. Bring a printed copy of this form to the vet though. Vets do not have it in hand...! Check and download the veterinary health certificate EU template here. Additionally, fill in this written declaration EU template regarding the non-commercial nature of this trip. Don't forget to request to the vet a "Private Health Certificate for Export". For your reference, I went to the vet to do these documents on 27th September 2021 at 10:00am for a flight on 1st October 2021. 
6. Right after completing the "health check for export" at the vet, go to the AVS drop-off box located on Level 1 of JEM Office Tower and bring all the necessary documents (veterinary health certificate EU template, written declaration EU template, letter of microchip verification, vaccination record/booklet, private health certificate for export, and a printed copy of the approved export license) in an envelope. I went on 27th September 2021 at 12:00pm for a flight on 1st October 2021. 
7. Once you drop off all these original documents, relax. You got this. The AVS staff checks the mailbox regularly and so on the same day I got a notification saying that the veterinary health certificate was approved in the GoBusiness portal. I proceeded to do the payment immediately after I got this notification. A few hours later I got a phone call from the AVS staff asking me to collect all the documents on the next working day in the afternoon. This means I collected the documents from AVS located on Level 1, JEM Office Tower on 28th September at 2:00pm. 
8. Now you just need to inform your "Port of Entry" of your arrival (see more on EU Ports of Entry here). Firstly, I emailed the Portuguese authorities "DGAV" at pcflisboaa@dgav.pt to book the "vet check at the Lisbon airport". I also attached this form to the email. This was on 18th September 2021. Secondly, I paid for the "vet check at Lisbon airport" on 27th September 2021. Please be informed that I decided to pay in advance via bank transfer because I wanted to minimize the time spent at the airport. But, hey, you can also pay upon arrival via card, if you wish to do so. Anyway, I sent them the online transaction receipt and "DGAV" confirmed it. Last but not least, I scanned all the original documents (at this point in time, all of them were ready and endorsed by AVS) and emailed them once again.  Particularly, I attached the letter of microchip verification, vaccination record, private health certificate, veterinary health certificate EU template, and the written declaration EU template. This was on 28th September 2021 at around 4:00pm. A few hours later, "DGAV" acknowledged my email and confirmed that my dog was ready to enter Portugal. Make sure to email "DGAV" at least 48h before your arrival though. 

And... that's all the documentation you need! You are ready to take off! Bring ALL these documents to the "normal" check-in counter of your airline. In our case, we brought all of these documents to the Lufthansa check-in counter. The staff was particularly interested in the Export License so make sure you have 2 printed copies with you. We didn't need to request the "Live Animal" stickers and so on because the carrier we had bought had a pack of them. However, they have these stickers available at Changi Airport. 

To end, my husband and I would like to express a big thanks to a couple of people in Singapore. Firstly, "The Visiting Vets" team. They have been such an amazing help for all this lengthy process! Particularly, Dr. Dawn. Secondly, we would love to thank Christine from the "Ruff Cuts" team (she was Dante's groomer since he was a 6-month old pup). Christine dropped us off at the airport in her "magical school bus" van. It made the farewell so much nicer than being in a regular taxi. Last but not least, Kevin from "Exclusively Mongrels" (Dante's dog shelter), who has been so encouraging and supportive all the way. THANK YOU! 

***Disclaimers: 

• Kindly note that we are not affiliated, associated, sponsored, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the brands and/or platforms mentioned in these posts.
• Please check the specific requirements for the country you want to relocate to. This post is based on the case of Portugal in October 2021. 
• We've done all these procedures by ourselves. We did not arrange any pet agency or transporter for our travel whatsoever.