Pet air cargo: how a dog or cat travels as freight

When cargo is required

A pet flying in the hold with a passenger is checked in as baggage, at the counter, on its owner's ticket. As cargo, it travels as a shipment in its own right, booked with the airline's cargo department. A neutral comparison of the three modes (cabin, hold, cargo) is in our guide flying with a dog: cabin, hold or cargo? Cargo becomes compulsory in five situations:

• Weight or size. As of 19 October 2026, Air France takes dogs and cats in the hold up to 75 kg including the crate; Air Canada and Air Transat stop at 45 kg, and Air Canada sends anything over 292 cm in total dimensions to its cargo service.
• The destination. By air, a dog or cat enters Great Britain as cargo, unless you charter a private plane or it is an assistance dog. Emirates requires cargo for every itinerary ending in Dubai, and Air France accepts only cargo to the United Kingdom, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and French Polynesia require travel as manifested cargo.
• The airline. Several airlines no longer carry pets in the hold; American Airlines, for example, sends pets that cannot fly in the cabin to its cargo service. Our airline pet policies comparison sets out what each one accepts.
• The breed. Air France bars snub-nosed breeds from the hold but accepts some of them as cargo; French category 2 dogs fly on its cargo flights.
• The pet is not on your flight. A staggered move, an owner who has already left or is held up: the pet goes as cargo.

For dogs, these situations are covered in detail on moving a dog abroad from France; for cats, on moving a cat abroad from France.

How a cargo shipment works

1. The health file before any booking

   The destination's requirements (vaccinations, titre test, permit, official certificate) set the earliest possible departure date. A flight is only booked once it is certain the pet will be allowed in.

2. Booking through a freight forwarder several weeks ahead

   Many airlines accept live animals as cargo only through a freight forwarder, who books with their cargo department. Air France KLM Martinair Cargo is one: it does not take live animals directly from private individuals.

3. The air waybill

   The shipment travels under an air waybill (AWB), which names the shipper and the consignee and carries the number used to track the pet and collect it. It is one of the documents shown to the authorities on arrival.

4. Crate and labels

   A rigid crate meeting IATA requirements, the green "Live Animals" label and "This Way Up" arrows, and a water bowl that can be filled from outside. If the total journey exceeds 12 hours, the animal must be able to get water. See airline pet crates.

5. Acceptance at the cargo terminal on the day

   The pet is dropped off at the airport's cargo terminal at the time set by the airline, which checks the crate, the animal and the documents before accepting the shipment; a non-compliant crate can be refused.

6. Arrival and clearance

   On arrival, the pet goes through documentary, identity and, depending on the country, veterinary checks, then is handed to the consignee or their agent. IATA points out that the cargo facility must be open for collection: a weekday arrival is preferable.

Cargo does not mean a "commercial movement"

Under EU rules, what separates a non-commercial movement from a commercial one is not the hold or cargo, but the link with the owner's own journey. The European Commission spells it out in its FAQ:

• Same flight: if the airline requires the hold or cargo and the owner, or the person they have authorised, is on the same flight and remains responsible for the pet, the movement can stay non-commercial.
• Different flights: it stays non-commercial if the pet travels within five days before or after its owner, under the responsibility of a natural person the owner has authorised in writing (the form in Annex V, Part 1, of Regulation 2026/705); according to the Commission, that person may be a member of the carrier's staff.
• Beyond that: more than five pets (outside competitions and shows), a pet travelling outside the five-day window, or a sale or change of owner, and the movement becomes commercial.

The difference matters most when entering the EU. A pet on a non-commercial movement is checked by customs at a travellers' point of entry. A commercial movement must go through a border control post designated for the species, with a commercial health certificate and a common health entry document (CHED) in TRACES. Destinations outside the EU have their own rules: Singapore, for example, puts a pet that does not arrive within five days of its owner into home quarantine.

French airports: where a dog or cat can arrive as cargo

French customs point out that not every border control post is cleared for dogs and cats. A pet subject to veterinary border control that lands at a post not designated for its species is sent back to where it came from. According to the official list of border control posts dated 29 September 2026:

For a pet arriving as cargo on a non-commercial movement, the official texts do not describe the procedure at airports without a live-animal post: we confirm it with customs and the ground handler before any booking. Airport-by-airport details are on our airports in France page.

Chargeable weight: why the crate matters as much as the pet

As cargo, the price does not depend on your dog's weight alone. Airlines charge on chargeable weight: the higher of the actual weight (pet plus crate) and a weight calculated from the crate's volume, using a factor each airline sets. A large, light crate can therefore cost more than a heavy dog in a compact one. That is why it pays to choose the smallest crate that meets IATA rules for your pet, without ever going undersized.

On top come the forwarder's, handling and customs clearance charges at both ends, and the destination's official fees. Our quote lists each item separately; see also our pricing.

Who does what

A cargo shipment involves several parties. We would rather say so plainly.

We are neither an airline nor a carrier: we organise and coordinate, and every quote names the partner who carries out each physical step.

Frequently asked questions

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