Bringing your pet to Panama is an easy process

Bringing a pet to Panama? The process isn’t as challenging as you’d think. Many expats have moved to Panama with cats or dogs. Though it is a process, a bit of preparation can help everything go smoothly.

Three Important Steps for Bringing a Pet to Panama:

Here’s how you do it:

1. Within 10 days of your departure, take your pet to your vet and get an international health certificate. The certificate will describe your pet and confirm that he or she is healthy and up to date with vaccinations and immunizations. You may need to then send the certificate to a state office (such as the USDA, if you’re in the U.S.) to get it stamped. Check with your vet and/or your nearest Panamanian consulate.

2. Take the completed, stamped health certificate to a Panamanian embassy or consulate near you. You’ll need to pay a fee (approximately $30) for the Panamanian officials to authenticate and stamp it. Make sure you keep the certified document handy when you go through Panama customs.

3. The veterinarian on duty at Panama’s Tocumen International Airport will take the certificate and grant you permission to keep your pet with you (you are asked to keep him or her on “in-house” quarantine for 40 days). This costs $130. If you don’t have your paperwork in order, your pet will be held in airport quarantine for up to 40 days at $10 a day. If your flight arrives after hours, you may have to leave your pet until the next day, as the airport vets work standard office hours.

Tell the Airline that You’re Bringing Your Pet to Panama

Remember that the above tips concern Panama government requirements for cats and dogs. Before flying with a pet, make sure you notify your airline, get a confirmation number, and check to ensure you satisfy airline requirements for animal transport and pet carriers.

If your pet is small and can fit in an “under the seat” pet carrier, it may be allowed to travel in-cabin. Larger pets must travel as cargo. When you get to the airport, present your pet and its carrier when you check in. Ask the airline attendant when you must kennel your pet. (You can usually wait until just before you go through security.)

In the carrier with your pet, include a plastic bowl of ice so your pet can stay hydrated (ice is better than water, which tends to spill). Most vets advise against drugging a pet for travel unless the pet has a condition that requires medication. If you are traveling a long way, consider breaking the trip into two days. Finally, remember that flying can be traumatic for sick, anxious or older pets. For these pets, consider whether or not it would be more humane to leave them with loved ones back home.

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