Philippines – Importing a Pet

Does the Philippines allow pets to be imported, and are there restrictions on which animals are permitted?

Bringing live animals into the Philippines is a regulated activity, and all necessary permits and clearances must be obtained from the appropriate government authority before the animal departs its home country. For domestic dogs and cats, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) — a body operating under the Department of Agriculture — holds responsibility for overseeing and issuing all import clearances.

Only dogs and cats that are at least 120 days old (roughly four months) at the time of the SPSIC application are eligible for importation. Pregnant animals are not permitted to be brought in. If a pet has recently given birth, an SPSIC may still be issued, but only on the condition that the birth occurred no fewer than 12 weeks before the travel date, and a licensed veterinarian must confirm in writing that both the mother and her young are healthy and fit to make the journey.

For animals beyond the standard cat and dog category — including exotic pets, birds, or reptiles — the regulatory landscape is considerably more complex. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) governs the rules for keeping wild animals within the Philippines, and any planned importation of a non-standard species must receive prior approval from this agency. It is also essential to confirm that the animal in question is not listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a concern that is particularly relevant for species such as tortoises, parrots, and similar animals. Anyone planning to bring in a non-standard pet should contact both the DENR and the BAI before initiating any other steps.

Live animals and pets that arrive without a valid international veterinary health certificate and SPSIC will be subject to seizure, confiscation, or outright refusal of entry. This is unlike destinations — such as EU member states — where a harmonised pet passport can offer a degree of flexibility. In the Philippines, the documentation must be entirely in order before the animal boards its flight.

What vaccinations and health requirements do pets need before entering the Philippines?

Because the Philippines carries a high-risk classification for rabies according to international animal health bodies, all incoming pets are subject to robust vaccination standards. All required vaccinations must be administered by a licensed veterinarian; for a first-time rabies vaccination specifically, the injection must not be given fewer than 14 days before the SPSIC application is submitted. For annual booster vaccinations, travel can proceed immediately after administration, but all vaccinations must remain current through the date of arrival in the Philippines.

Dogs entering the Philippines must be vaccinated against rabies, distemper, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and adenovirus type 2. Cats must be vaccinated against rabies, herpes virus, calicivirus, panleukopenia, and feline leukaemia. These requirements reflect the standards in place as of 2025; owners should confirm the current list with the BAI before travel, as requirements may be revised.

One notable exception relates to pets originating from countries that have been officially recognised as rabies-free by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). For animals coming from such countries, the anti-rabies vaccination requirement may be waived, provided that the veterinary authority in the country of origin includes a specific additional statement to this effect within the Export Permit or International Veterinary Health Certificate. Owners travelling from a WOAH-recognised rabies-free country should investigate whether this exemption applies to their situation.

In addition to vaccinations, all dogs and cats must receive treatment for both internal and external parasites within the 30 days preceding travel. Cats are not required to undergo tapeworm treatment, but this treatment does apply to dogs. A licensed veterinarian must document all parasite treatments, and this information should be included within or attached to the health certificate. Vaccination and treatment records should be retained as originals or certified true copies throughout the process.

Dogs and cats must be a minimum of 12 weeks of age at the time of their rabies vaccination. If a pet received a rabies vaccination before reaching 12 weeks, a booster shot must be administered — with the owner’s consent — before the SPSIC application can be submitted. This is an important consideration for owners of young pets who were vaccinated on an accelerated early schedule.

What is the application process for importing a pet into the Philippines, and what paperwork is required?

Anyone bringing a dog or cat to the Philippines must first obtain an approved Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) from the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry. Critically, the SPSIC must be fully approved before the animal departs — not applied for on arrival. The steps below outline the complete process as of 2025; always confirm current requirements directly with the BAI before making travel arrangements.

1. Have your pet microchipped. Your pet must carry a 15-digit microchip that meets International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 11784 or Annex A of 11785. The microchip number must appear consistently across all documentation. This implant should be carried out by a qualified veterinarian or trained professional as the very first step in the process.
2. Bring all vaccinations and parasite treatments up to date. Ensure that rabies and all other required vaccinations have been administered by a licensed veterinarian and fall within the mandated timeframes. Complete both internal and external parasite treatments no more than 30 days before departure. Retain originals or certified copies of every vaccination and deworming record.
3. Submit your SPSIC application online. The SPSIC application is completed through the BAI online portal. Personal pet owners should select the “one-time importer” category when applying. All supporting documents must be uploaded in PDF or JPG format, with individual files kept below 5 MB. Filipino nationals are required to submit a Notarised Affidavit of Undertaking, while foreign nationals importing a pet must submit the Undertaking for Foreign Importers form.
4. Upload all required supporting documents. The documentation needed to secure the SPSIC includes: vaccination and antiparasitic treatment records covering both internal and external parasites; confirmation of microchip implantation; a clear photograph of the pet; and a pet passport if one is available or applicable.
5. Wait for SPSIC approval. Once a complete application has been submitted, approval is typically granted within one to two days. The approved SPSIC is valid for two months from the date of issue (as of 2025). The portal will display one of three statuses: “For Endorsement” (pending the approving authority’s signature), “Approved”, or “Rejected” (requiring a fresh application).
6. Arrange a veterinary health certificate. Your pet must travel with an Export Permit or International Veterinary Health Certificate (EP/IVHC) that was issued no more than ten calendar days before departure from the country of origin. This certificate must also be dated within 30 days of the Philippine arrival date and must confirm that the animal is free from — and has not been recently exposed to — any communicable or dangerous disease, and that all required vaccinations have been administered. The certificate must be issued by a government-accredited veterinarian or a government veterinary authority in the country of origin; a private veterinarian acting alone is not sufficient.
7. Print your approved SPSIC and travel. Once approval is confirmed, click the application reference number to access the three-page permit, print it, and carry it alongside all other documents. Present the printed SPSIC to the quarantine station officer at the arrival airport in the Philippines.
8. Pay the applicable fees on arrival. Fees for the SPSIC are collected in person upon arrival at the Veterinary Quarantine office at the airport — there is no advance online payment required. An import permit issuance fee of PhP 100 and a quarantine inspection or landing permit fee of PhP 250 are payable at this point (as of 2025 — confirm current figures with the BAI before travelling, as these amounts may be revised).

If all documents are in order and the pet passes its inspection, release can occur on the same day of arrival. Carry duplicates of every document, as BAI Veterinary Quarantine Officers at the port of entry will check everything thoroughly.

Does the Philippines require pets to undergo quarantine on arrival?

Provided all health and documentation requirements have been met in full, your pet will not be sent to a government quarantine facility upon arrival in the Philippines. This sets the Philippines apart from countries with extremely strict biosecurity frameworks — Australia and New Zealand, for instance, mandate facility-based quarantine of up to ten days even for pets that arrive with all paperwork correctly in place.

Instead, the Philippines requires a 30-day period of home quarantine. Your pet remains in your own residence under your supervision rather than in a government-run facility. If you are importing more than five animals at one time, your residence will also be subject to an inspection. Owners should ensure that their home environment is suitable for isolating a newly arrived pet throughout this mandatory period.

For any pet that fails to satisfy import requirements on arrival, the consequences are severe: the animal may be quarantined in a government facility, returned to its country of origin, or euthanised. All costs arising from any of these outcomes fall on the importer. This makes it absolutely essential to have every document verified and current before departure — there is no opportunity to remedy incomplete paperwork once the animal has landed.

The Philippines’s home quarantine model is broadly similar to the approach taken in certain other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, where documentation compliance is the central requirement rather than mandatory institutional detention for compliant pets. However, the Philippines differs from a number of European destinations where quarantine has been abolished entirely for pets travelling with a recognised pet passport, valid microchip, and current rabies vaccination — the 30-day home quarantine requirement in the Philippines remains firmly in place regardless of origin country.

Is the Philippines part of any international pet travel scheme?

The Philippines is not a participant in the EU Pet Travel Scheme, nor does it belong to any comparable formal regional arrangement. This means there is no streamlined pet passport route that satisfies Philippine import requirements automatically, regardless of the country the pet is travelling from. EU-issued pet passports, or those issued by other countries, may be submitted as supplementary evidence of vaccination history during the SPSIC application, but they carry no special status and cannot substitute for the Philippine-specific documentation that is required.

A pet passport, where available, serves only as a convenient summary of vaccination and identification records. It is a useful supporting document but not a standalone entry document. Every owner — no matter where they are travelling from — must still secure a BAI-issued SPSIC, obtain an official veterinary health certificate from a government-recognised authority in their country of departure, and fulfil all microchipping and vaccination requirements independently.

Owners who are accustomed to the EU’s streamlined system — where a single valid pet passport, a compliant microchip, and an up-to-date rabies vaccination are sufficient for movement between member states — will find the Philippine process requires considerably more preparation. Those arriving from ASEAN countries that have bilateral animal health agreements with the Philippines should also note that such arrangements do not automatically reduce the documentation burden for individual pet owners; current requirements should still be confirmed directly with the BAI.

In practice, this means every incoming pet owner faces the same essential process: apply for an SPSIC ahead of travel, obtain a government-certified health certificate from the departing country, and present a complete set of documents to quarantine officers upon arrival in the Philippines.

Do pet owners need to register or licence their pet after arriving in the Philippines?

Registration of dogs and cats with the Local Government Unit (LGU) Veterinary Services is a legal obligation for all pet owners in the Philippines, and registration must be renewed each year. This requirement is enshrined in national law. The Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 places the responsibility for monitoring and controlling dogs on Local Government Units, and LGUs are required to ensure that all dogs within their jurisdiction are properly immunised, registered, and issued with a corresponding dog tag as evidence of immunisation and registration.

To register a pet, the owner should bring the animal to the municipal or city veterinary office, where a physical registration certificate will be issued. This visit also provides an opportunity to access related services such as anti-rabies vaccination, immunisation updates, and spaying or neutering programmes. The registration process itself is straightforward once the animal is in residence — though it is an obligation that should not be deferred after settling in.

Registration costs differ considerably from one municipality to the next. In some areas, fees are as low as PhP 100 per pet, while higher-income cities — including Quezon City, Pasig City, and Makati City — offered free registration as of 2025. Always check directly with your specific LGU for the current fees in your area, as amounts vary significantly.

Typical city licence fees for dogs run from PhP 100 to PhP 500 per animal per year, and proof of a valid rabies vaccination is usually required (as of 2025 — verify with your local LGU, as this varies). Pet owners must comply simultaneously with national statutes, administrative orders, and local ordinances, which can differ substantially between barangays and cities. Expats who have recently arrived should contact their barangay or city veterinary office promptly to understand which local obligations apply to them.

On the question of microchipping after arrival: since an ISO-compliant microchip is a prerequisite for importing a pet in the first place, this element will already be in place. As of 2025, microchipping for locally registered pets remains voluntary in many LGUs, though there is an expectation that mandatory requirements may be introduced in the future to encourage broader compliance.

Are there any additional rules or costs expats should be aware of when bringing a pet to the Philippines?

Pet numbers per importation. A single personal SPSIC covers a maximum of three animals. Owners may bring in up to three animals once per year, or import the same three animals more than once a year as long as they can be identified by their microchip numbers. Anyone wishing to import more than three animals at one time must register with the BAI as a commercial importer — a considerably more involved and time-consuming process.

Approved ports of entry. Live animals may only be cleared through designated ports of entry, which include Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Cebu. Owners travelling to other Philippine destinations will need to clear customs at one of these airports before boarding a domestic flight to their final destination. Attempting to clear a live animal at a smaller regional airport is not possible. Travel itineraries should be planned with this in mind from the outset.

Airline transport policies. Airline rules for carrying pets are entirely separate from Philippine government import requirements and must be confirmed independently. Whether your pet flies in the cabin or as cargo in the hold depends on the animal’s size and weight, the breed, the specific route, and the carrier’s own policies. Many airlines impose restrictions on brachycephalic or flat-faced breeds transported as cargo because of the heightened risk of respiratory distress during flight. Availability for pet transport is typically limited, so confirm arrangements with your airline well in advance of booking.

Routing and layovers. Where possible, choose a flight that is direct or routes through a country with good rabies control status. Transit through an EU member state will trigger additional requirements for the pet, and routing through countries with active disease outbreaks can create further complications for the import process. Discuss your planned routing with the BAI and your airline when finalising travel logistics.

Brachycephalic and restricted breeds. The Philippines does not currently maintain a national breed-specific ban list comparable to those found in certain European countries. However, as noted above, individual airlines frequently restrict or decline to carry flat-faced breeds — such as Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs — in the cargo hold. Owners of such breeds should contact their carrier directly and check the BAI and the relevant embassy for any breed-specific conditions that may have been introduced at the national level since this guide was written.

Condition on arrival. All dogs and cats must be free of any signs of disease communicable to humans when examined by officers at the port of entry. If an animal appears unwell on arrival, further examination and treatment by a licensed veterinarian may be required entirely at the owner’s expense.

CITES considerations. Any applicable CITES permits must be presented alongside other documentation. If you are travelling with a bird, reptile, or other non-standard species, check the relevant CITES appendices well before travel to establish whether an export permit from the country of origin and an import permit from the Philippines via DENR are required. Arriving without the required CITES documentation can result in the animal being seized.

Where can expats find official information about importing a pet into the Philippines?

Since regulations and fee schedules are subject to revision at any time, it is important to verify all requirements directly with the relevant Philippine authorities before finalising your travel plans. The key official sources are listed below.

• Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Department of Agriculture. The BAI is the primary authority for all pet import permits (SPSIC) and animal health requirements for incoming pets. The SPSIC application portal is accessible at www.intercommerce.com.ph/registrationbai.asp, and the BAI’s dedicated page for pet importers is at bai.gov.ph/Stakeholders/PetImport. The BAI’s National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division can be contacted directly for specific queries about permits and health certificate requirements.
• Bureau of Customs, Philippines. The Bureau of Customs provides guidance on border requirements for live animals and clarifies which documents quarantine officers will review on arrival. Their guidance page for pets and live animals is at customs.gov.ph/pet-animals-household-plants/.
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The DENR oversees regulations governing the keeping of wild animals in the Philippines and must give pre-approval for the import of any permitted non-standard species. If your pet falls outside the domestic dog and cat category, contact the DENR before applying for any other permit.
• Department of Agriculture (DA), Philippines. The DA is the parent body of the BAI and sets overarching animal health policy. Its website at da.gov.ph publishes current administrative orders and memorandum circulars that govern pet importation.
• Your nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate. Philippine diplomatic missions can direct you to the most current requirements applicable in your host country and often publish practical guidance for prospective importers. For the most authoritative and up-to-date information, refer to the BAI website or the Bureau of Customs, or contact the BAI directly.

Information found on third-party websites — including those of pet relocation companies and travel forums — should be treated as background reading only. Always confirm all details with the BAI or the Bureau of Customs directly before your pet travels. Philippine regulations can be amended by memorandum circular with relatively little notice, and arriving with incomplete or incorrect documentation carries serious consequences for the animal.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if my pet arrives in the Philippines without the correct paperwork?

Any pet that does not meet the Philippines’s import requirements on arrival may be held in quarantine, sent back to its country of origin, or euthanised, with all associated costs falling on the importer. There is no provision for correcting missing documentation on the spot once the animal has landed. This makes thorough advance preparation an absolute necessity — not simply a recommendation.

How long does the full process typically take from start to finish?

The timeline varies depending on how quickly vaccination records can be compiled, treatments completed, and the SPSIC application submitted and approved. The SPSIC itself is generally approved within one to two days once a complete application has been lodged. That said, if your pet still needs vaccinations, parasite treatments, or a microchip, you should allow a minimum of four to six weeks from the start of preparations to the point where your pet is ready to travel. Bear in mind that the initial rabies vaccination must be given at least 14 days before submitting the SPSIC application, so this element cannot be left to the last moment.

Do the rules differ for cats versus dogs?

The fundamental process — SPSIC, health certificate, microchip — is the same for both species. The main practical difference lies in the vaccination schedule: dogs must be vaccinated against rabies, distemper, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and adenovirus type 2, while cats require vaccination against rabies, herpes virus, calicivirus, panleukopenia, and feline leukaemia. Additionally, cats are not required to undergo tapeworm treatment, whereas dogs are. In every other respect — the permit process, applicable fees, and 30-day home quarantine — the requirements are identical.

Can I import a rescue animal into the Philippines?

Yes, in principle. A rescue animal can be imported provided it satisfies the same requirements that apply to any other pet: a valid SPSIC, an ISO-compliant microchip, current vaccinations, completed parasite treatments, and a veterinary health certificate. The principal challenge with rescue animals is often the lack of a reliable vaccination history. All vaccinations must be verified and documented by a licensed veterinarian, and the animal must be at least 120 days old at the time of the SPSIC application. Where a rescue animal’s prior vaccination record is absent or uncertain, establishing a fresh vaccination schedule with sufficient lead time before travel is essential.

Is a rabies titre test required to import a pet into the Philippines?

No. The Philippines does not require a rabies titre test as part of the import process; instead, it requires a valid import permit, evidence of parasite treatment, and an official veterinary health certificate. This is notably less onerous than the requirements in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, where a titre test forms part of the standard biosecurity process. Always verify the latest position with the BAI, as requirements are subject to change.

Can I bring more than three pets to the Philippines?

Under a personal SPSIC, the maximum permitted number is three animals per one-time importation. Owners who need to bring more than three animals must register with the BAI as a commercial importer, which entails a separate and considerably more complex application process, including facility registration. Contact the BAI’s National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division for advice if this applies to your circumstances.

Are there any breed-specific bans for dogs entering the Philippines?

There is currently no publicly enforced national breed ban list for dogs entering the Philippines. However, owners of brachycephalic breeds — including Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs, and Shih Tzus — should be particularly careful when researching airline options, as many carriers restrict or refuse to transport these breeds in the cargo hold because of the respiratory risks associated with flight. Confirm transport options with your airline before making any bookings, and check the BAI for any breed-specific conditions that may have been introduced since this guide was written.

Where do I pay the import fees, and how much are they?

Import fees are paid in person at the Veterinary Quarantine office at the arrival airport — there is no requirement to pay anything online before travelling. The amounts payable are an import permit issuance fee of PhP 100 and a quarantine inspection or landing permit fee of PhP 250 (based on the most recently available information as of 2025). These figures should be confirmed with the BAI before departure, as fees may be updated. No advance online payment is required; the full amount is settled at the quarantine counter on the day of arrival.