General Rules

Governments have set out rules and laws regarding the transportation of live animals. These regulations govern the import, export and transit of animals in their countries and equally provide guidelines on the Health & Vaccination of said animals and the issue of the respective certificates.

This information may be consulted in the TIM – Travel Information Manual – Airline companies, embassies and consulates may also provide all available information on the transportation of animals.

As long as government laws so permit, the majority of airline companies accepts the transportation of animals on the same flight as the respective passengers, their owners. Some airline companies allow animals to be transported in the cabin together with their owners. Others only authorize the transportation of animals in the hold.

When accepted as transportable by an airline company, animals have to continue their journey in a specific container for this purpose, except in the cases of guide-dogs. Some airline companies sell or lease these containers.

When making a reservation, some details regarding the type of animal and their weight as swell as the size and weight of the container are necessary. In the event the journey in question involves more than one airline company, transportation authorization is required from all the companies involved.

Passengers are responsible for presenting all documents with respect to their animals such as vaccine certificates, health declarations, export and import certificates, etc. They should have also signed a document for the issue of live animals, in addition to arranging for food and water necessary for the entire journey.

Small animals such as cats and dogs may be transported in economy class or tap|executive on most TAP aircraft (except for wide-body aircraft), subject to availability of space.

When weight concept applies, the rates are calculated in accordance with the table of excess baggage weight. When piece concept applies, the rates are calculated according to the following table, which corresponds to twice the normal excess baggage charge.

Guide-dogs accompanying visually impaired and/or deaf passengers may be transported in both classes for free.

ANIMALS GOING TO / IN TRANSIT THROUGH

1. UNITED KINGDOM – no animals allowed in the hold nor in the cabin.
2. REPUBLIC OF IRELAND – cats and dogs can only be accepted as cargo.
3. SOUTH AFRICA – animals are only accepted as cargo.
4. LUANDA – animals are only accepted as cargo, subject to reservation made through the TAP Cargo department up to 2 days prior to departure. If the journey begins at an airport other than Lisbon, the animal will be considered cargo from its point of origin to its destination.

In cabin animal transportation:

Effective January 2008, the only pets allowed to travel in the cabin on board TAP flights are dogs and cats. No other pets are allowed.

Passengers may bring their own animal container or purchase one from TAP.

Animal weight should not exceed 7kg/15lb (animal and container). The container should not exceed 25cm/10in in height, 32cm/12,5in in width and 48cm/19in in lenght nor the total of all 3 dimensions exceed 105cm/41,5in. More than one animal of the same type can be carried in the same container which shall be accounted for as a single animal. Each passenger may only carry a single container. This should be charged as excess baggage and never be included in the free baggage allowance to which each passenger is entitled.

Conditions for transporting animals in cabin space differ according to each airline company.

In the event the animal complies with the necessary conditions for cabin transport, the airline company may authorize the animal to travel at their owner’s feet as long as it does not move about the cabin space or occupy any seating space.

In cases in which the airline company decides that the animal should be transported in a container in the cabin space, this decision must be confirmed and validated by the booking system.

As a general rule, small sized dogs and cats may be transported in the cabin space subject to the following conditions:

- They are clean, healthy, odor-free, not pregnant in the case of females, that they are inoffensive and pose no threat capable of disturbing the other passengers;

- They are transported within a sealed container and remain in it throughout the entire journey and that this does not obstruct free passage within the cabin space;

- Government regulations in countries of origin and destination do not stipulate that all animals must be transported as air cargo.

Animal transportation in the hold:

Whenever the necessary conditions for animal transportation in the cabin space cannot be verified, or, whenever an animal is too large and/or heavy, or of large size, or a wild animal or of uncommon nature, the airline company may only accept transportation of the same in the hold, on the same flight as the passenger, subject to a number of conditions:

- When an animal is accepted as cargo in the hold, it should proceed in a specific container in accordance with its respective dimensions and size. When making a reservation, TAP should be informed of all questions and specifications pertinent to the animal to be transported;

 - The animal is transported in a container with dimensions appropriate to its volume and weight;

- The passenger arranges for sufficient food and water for the entire journey since it will not be possible to feed or allow animals to exercise during stoppages in transit.

You can also go to the site of the Direcção Geral de Veterinária (National Veterinarian Society) and select the option "Controlos Veterinários". Here, you will find more detailed information about the travelling of domestic animals coming from European Union Members and non-EU countries.   

If you are traveling to Brazil and taking your pet animal with you, you must take the following requirements into consideration:

1 – CZI – International Health Certificate (download this document here) issued by the animal health authority of the exporting country (Agency, Department, Ministry, Secretariat) signed by an official veterinary doctor of the exporting country. International Health Certificates signed by private veterinary doctors are not acceptable.

NB: European animal passports are not valid in Brazil. There is no International Treaty between the European Community and Brazil that recognizes the European Passport as a valid document for animal entry to Brazil. Only the International Health Certificate is recognized.

2 – Consular Visa from the Brazilian Embassy on the International Health Certificate.

3 – Vaccine Card with a valid anti-rabies vaccination stamp.

4 – Declaration of Health signed by a private veterinary doctor