Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! Based on the subject of bringing a pet home from Korea, I am positive many of you will be new here and need some help and tips on how you can bring your new furry friend home with you when moving out of Korea. Since I have now officially gone through the processes of bringing a pet home from Korea, I would like to share my personal tips on how you can go about doing this successfully with as little stress as possible.
Booking a Ticket – bringing a pet home from Korea
Booking your tickets is the first thing to consider when you’re thinking of bringing a pet home from Korea. This is actually more important than you may think. Not only do you have to book a ticket for yourself, but you also need to book one for your pet. Oh.. and there are lots of restrictions, guides and rules you need to follow. Not too mention many airlines don’t even allow you to bring pets. So your best bet is to book your ticket with Air Canada as they allow you to bring pets with you. Make sure you check out their website to know everything you need to know about booking your pets’ flight.
There are 2 options, bringing your small pet in the cabin with you or bringing your pet as baggage. If you choose the cabin, then you will have to manage your pet the entire flight, and deal with its crying or meowing. This can be very stressful and embarrassing. However, if you are okay with this, then go for it. You will also save around $100 if you book your pet in the cabin with you. If you choose to book your pet as baggage, it certainly will be easier on you, however, this costs around $100 more and your pet needs to weight over 10lbs in weight. Of course, the decision is up to you. On the website of Air Canada, you will see there are time restrictions for when you can book your pet in the baggage. These are time restrictions due to hot and cold weather. Usually, during summer and winter, you cannot book your pet in the baggage.
Now before you book your tickets, you need to buy a proper carrier.
If you have opted on bringing a pet home from Korea, for the cabin, your carrier will need to be soft-sided and should have enough room for your pet to stand and turn around while still being able to fit under the seat. For the baggage, the carrier will need to be airline approved as hard sided, strong and allow room for your pet to move. To make your life easier, try buying one off of Global Gmarket. I bought my baggage carrier for my 11lbs cat HERE.
To make sure your carrier fits your pet, be sure to measure your pet before purchasing a carrier. You can buy a ruler or someĀ measuring tape from a local Daiso š
But before you commit to all this, do the paperwork beforeĀ booking your ticket.
English Vet in Bundang for Travel Documents
Before dropping hundreds of dollars on your plane ticket for both yourself and your pet, you first need to sort out your paperwork before bringing a pet home from Korea. If you have either already booked your ticket or you want to get all the paperwork done first (which I recommend) then these are the steps you need to take, including my personal recommendations.
Where to go?
You will need to find a vet near you that speaks English and can provide travel documents in English. For anyone living in or near Bundang, I recommend B4U Animal Hospital. This English vet in Bundang is located in Jeongja near Shinbundang exit 5 towards the Jeongja station. It is on the main road, making it hard to miss. This animal hospital in Jeongja has English speaking staff, although not all the staff speak fluently, but the doctor is fluent in English and provides travel documents in English for foreigners.
For the travel documents, you will need to get a full health check and rabies vaccination. However, the doctor here knows everything your pet will need so you don’t need to stress.
I recommend doing this all before booking your ticket because if for some reason, your pet has an illness, it not be able to go home with you until it is fully treated. So make sure your pet is healthy and has its vaccinations and health documents before booking your ticket. The travel documents will cost around $150 –Ā $270 depending upon factors such as if your pet needs to be tested for heartworms or not.
NOTE! The English doctor only works weekdays 12pm-6pm and maybe Saturday 12-6. So you will have to take time off work or go in after work to confirm if you can go on Saturday. (as this article may become “dated”, please do check their website or call the confirm a date when the Dr will be available as this information may become irrelevant.)
BONUS TIP
Since we are bringing a pet home from Korea, you want to make sure your pet is comfortable. While you’re at the vet, ask for a sedative for your travels. This is your choice, but getting a mild sedative for your pet will help the pet to have less stress during the process of your long journey home. Not only will this make your time at the airport easier but it will also make things easier for your pet. The sedative will be just enough to calm your pet to hopefully prevent them from meowing/howling/crying/etc while you are at the airport. This is also great if you are travelling in the cabin with your pet.
The sedative can be purchased at the animal hospital for around $35.
Okay, if your pet is in good health, then you’re all set to book your ticket or are now all set to go!
You’re all ready to travel with your pet. All that is left is going to the airport. Remember to have money for the health inspection fee and the cost of your pets flight ticket as these things will be charged at the airport and not in advance. Be sure to confirm these prices on the phone with Air Canada(or whichever airline you fly with) when you are booking your pet’s ticket.
Now you can book your ticket!
So, you’re set on bringing a pet home from Korea, Now you need to make it official and learn how to buy the tickets. To do this, you first book your own ticket and make sure it is on a plane that allows pets. Once you have booked your ticket, you will need to call Air Canada within 24hrs to book your pet. You can only do this by calling them. You can find their number on the website of your booking ticket. Once you call, they will ask you what type of pet you’re bringing, if you want to bring it in the cabin or baggage, how much it weighs (be sure to say 10lbs+ if you plan to put your pet in baggage, no pets under 10lbs can go into baggage), what type of carrier you’ll have, as well as the dimensions of that carrier. After they confirm all your information, they will tell you the additional costs which should be roughly around $270 for your pets ticket and inspection fees.
Then they will tell you to make sure you have all your pets health travel documents. I suggest getting these done before you book your ticket.
INCHEON AIRPORT
There aren’t many signs or information on what to do when you actually get to the airport. First thing, make sure you arrive 4 hours before your flight. You will have to go to the Animal Inspection Office upon arrival and get a form made for your pet. This inspection has no signs leading to it(2015), however, it is actually located behind “F” section. On the back wall, you will see a blue sign saying Inspection, go in there and enter the first door on your left. This is the animal inspection office. The personĀ in there will ask to see your pets health documents and there will be a fee of 10,000 won for the document they will make. Once you have the document, go to theĀ ticket counter to check in and get your ticket as per usual.
You will be required to pay the fee for your ticket at this moment, this cost depends on how you are bringing your pet on the plane, ex. baggage or carry-on. Make sure you have enough money in Korean Won on hand or you can pay with a credit card. You will need to go to a different counter to pay this fee which the ticket assistant will point you in the direction of.
If your pet is flying in the baggage, the ticket assistant will guide you to drop your pet off in the Extra Baggage section which is behind “K” section(from what I remember). If your pet is going with you on carry-on, then continue to immigration and customs.
Good luck and safe travels!