Transiting in Singapore Airport with a dog is very easy. I flew in cabin with Singapore Airlines as an ESA (emotional support animal) from Munich to Singapore. My transit time was 5.5 hours and then I had another 2.5 hour flight to Bangkok.
I commonly get asked how to book the vet inspection or how to get an approved crate. Many people read various websites and believe that you need to book your pet for an inspection if your layover is over 4 hours. Or that you need to put the pet in a hard crate during the transit. Neither of these things are true if you are travelling with your dog in cabin.
Both of these things only apply if you are travelling with your dog in the hold. This is because otherwise they would be unattended, so they need to be taken to the quarantine facilities. These are located outside of the airport, so there’s no way you could take your dog there if you are travelling with them in cabin. As you would need to go through security etc which would mean importing and exporting them into Singapore. It just isn’t feasible.
It will state on your transshipment licence also that the vet inspection is needed. And that you must make the appointment in advance. Again, this is only if you are travelling in the hold. The licence doesn’t differentiate between travelling in the cabin or in the hold.
So don’t worry if you are transiting in Singapore Changi airport with your dog in cabin. You can simply carry them with you in their carrier no matter how long the layover is. On our latest trip we used our trusty K9 Sports Sack which is a god send. We walked through the airport, went to the lounge and boarded with this bag and it was totally fine. In fact, we got so much attention and I got lots of strokes and photos taken!
Pet Relief Area
A 5.5 layover after a 12 hour flight was pretty long and we had previously been told there was no pet relief area in the airport. However, when we entered the lounge, the lady on the desk told us that we could go downstairs to the smoking area which was outdoors. As it was outdoors there were some plants and greenery and it was the perfect place to go. We went 3 times during the layover but I only did one wee on my third attempt, I am so good at holding it when I need to and shows I wasn’t desperate to go too.
The long layover was tough on us all but the fact I got to go pee made it much easier for the second, shorter flight. We also had access to the lounge which helped.
But to calm anyone’s fears when transiting with a dog in cabin at Changi airport, you don’t need a vet inspection and you don’t need a hard crate. The dog stays with you the whole time and no-one checks any of your papers at all. In fact, you’ll most likely find you will get a lot of attention as it’s not often you see a dog in Changi airport, so expect lots of strokes and photos to be taken!
I hope this helps anyone worried about the transit. Keep watching for more updates on my travels and info to help you on yours. Whilst you’re here, check out my recommendations for pet friendly hotels on arrival in Bangkok.
Don’t forget to check out my Amazon store (affiliate link) which has all the details all of my recommended products I use then travelling. You can check it out here.
Woof woof, Wylie x
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Hi Wylie! Your blogpost is really helpful as I am also planning to transit via Singapore Airlines. May I ask how long usually does the transshipment license takes to process and get approved?
Thank you in advance!
Hey Max, you can check out my other post which explains all about the transshipment licence – https://wylietraveldog.com/getting-a-transshipment-licence-in-singapore/ for my last trip it took a whole week from submitting to getting it printed. Although the approval itself took less time you then have to pay and then wait for the licence to come through. So best to do it as early as you can (earliest is 30 days before your flight).
Hi which lounge was this please? I need to check if can pay for this lounge as won’t be doing business class. Also how long did the approval take after you booked your flight? I have PSD dog.
This is the Silverkris lounge which is only accessible if you fly business, you can’t pay to access it. But I think there are other lounges in Changi you can pay for, you’ll just need to check if they will allow you to take your dog inside as I believe the SQ only allows them because Singapore Air allow ESA’s. Since Singapore itself doesn’t recognise ESA themselves.
It took us ages to get approval for our latest trip. I applied 3 months in advance and was told can only apply 28 days in advance then took at least 3 weeks of chasers to get an answer.
My YouTube account has lots of various videos about flying and my experience as well as being in Changi airport – https://youtube.com/c/WylieWestie
Hi, I am planning to travel with my 3.2kg yorkshire terrier from Melbourne , Australia, to Sao Paulo Brazil. We will be transiting through to Singapore, then Istanbul before we reach our final destination. We will be possibly using Turkish Airlines as I didn’t know Singapore airlines ALLOW SMALL DOGS IN CABIN on international routes?? Could you please tell me if you have flown business class or first class with Singapore airlines? I can see you dog was allowed out of the crate/carrier during the flight???
Any advise on this would be very helpful. Thanks Edna Petreceli
Hi, we flew Singapore Airlines in cabin when they allowed ESA animals to fly in cabin. This has been stopped for a long time now. Only fully trained service dogs eg for the blind/deaf are allowed in cabin now.