Get the Philippine import permit before your veterinarian prepares the final export certificate. The permit is not an optional document added after booking: it sets out the health requirements your dog or cat must meet, and its animal details must match the certificate.
For a move from the United States to the Philippines, start with the pet’s records, your intended arrival airport, and who will receive the animal. A flight to Manila and a move ending elsewhere in the Philippines need different receiving and onward-transport plans. This guide covers dogs and cats moving as personal pets, not animals being imported for sale.
Apply for the BAI import permit first
The Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry, or BAI, issues a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance, generally called an SPSIC. USDA’s Philippines requirements direct personal-pet applicants to select “one-time importer” in the BAI registration process.
Up to three dogs or cats in total can be listed on one personal-pet SPSIC. The number of animals on the corresponding export health certificate must match the number on that permit. A permit for one pet cannot support a certificate listing two, and a permit listing two or three should be matched by the same animals on the certificate.
Prepare the microchip details, vaccination and treatment records, animal photos, and the applicable notarized undertaking and importer identification for the SPSIC application. The BAI memo linked by USDA gives an SPSIC a 60-day validity and limits it to one shipment. Use the dates and conditions on the issued permit; do not assume it can be reused after one move.
Use the permit’s actual conditions when arranging vaccinations, treatment, and the final examination. Do not copy a friend’s old checklist or assume another country’s health certificate is interchangeable. More than three pets need a different importer arrangement; the BAI memo linked by USDA requires a supervised quarantine-site inspection for permits covering four or more dogs or cats. Establish that path with BAI before veterinary paperwork or booking.
Give your veterinarian the permit and records
All dogs and cats need an export health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS before travel. The veterinarian prepares it according to the SPSIC, using the Philippines certificate rather than a generic travel letter.
Bring the permit, the pet’s identification details, and vaccination and treatment records to the appointment. Names, animal numbers, and identifying details need to remain consistent across the permit and certificate. A recent examination does not compensate for a required vaccination or treatment that was missed.
The Philippines certificate currently supplied by USDA is valid for 10 days from issue to departure. It specifies rabies vaccination at least 14 days before travel, along with listed dog or cat vaccinations at least 14 days beforehand, and internal and external parasite treatment within 30 days before travel. The SPSIC supplies the conditions for your particular import, so the veterinarian must reconcile the certificate with the issued permit rather than apply a generic checklist.
Read the conditions printed on your SPSIC before booking the veterinary visit. The permit, not another owner’s checklist, sets the vaccination dates and any extra tests for your dog or cat. If it lists a rabies antibody test, allow for laboratory processing and arrange it before the certificate is issued. The veterinarian completes the Philippines certificate according to the SPSIC; differences between the form and permit need to be resolved before travel.
Print the endorsed certificate for travel
USDA’s process for this route allows electronic veterinary signatures and digital endorsement through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System, or VEHCS. USDA can return the endorsed certificate electronically, so it does not have to be mailed back as an ink-endorsed original.
That does not mean your pet travels without paperwork. A printed copy of the endorsed certificate must accompany the animal under USDA’s instructions. BAI’s release instructions ask for the original government-issued certificate. USDA describes a digitally endorsed print for this route, so confirm with BAI or the receiving agent how that print meets the original-document requirement before departure. Carry the printed SPSIC and supporting records; cargo release also requires an air waybill stamped by the airline to confirm arrival.
Complete endorsement before travel. A submission confirmation or an unendorsed draft is not the finished certificate. Give the veterinarian enough time to correct inconsistencies between the SPSIC and the export certificate rather than leaving them to be discovered at departure.
Choose the transport arrangement before buying a crate
A small pet traveling with its owner, a pet accepted as checked baggage, and a manifest-cargo shipment are different airline arrangements. The animal-health permit does not reserve space on an aircraft, and a passenger ticket does not establish that a pet booking is available.
Provide the breed, age, weight, and proposed crate dimensions when the route is being planned. For a dog or cat traveling in a hard crate, the airline needs the animal to have the required room to stand, turn, and lie naturally. Freight costs can also depend on the crate’s chargeable size, not just the animal’s body weight.
Measure before purchasing. A crate that looks large in a photograph may still be too low for your dog. Our crate-sizing guide explains the measurements needed. Familiarize your pet with the crate ahead of travel rather than introducing it on the morning of departure.
Plan who receives your pet
Write down the arrival airport, the receiver, and the final address separately. “Philippines” is not enough detail for an arrival arrangement. A cargo shipment may be collected through a cargo-handling process rather than at passenger baggage claim.
For our Philippines cargo moves, destination clearance is arranged separately with a local receiving agent. Ask whether the quote includes terminal charges, broker services, customs duties and taxes, and delivery. We also check weekend or holiday handling before setting the arrival; do not assume a landing time guarantees same-day release.
The BAI memo linked by USDA calls for document presentation to the Veterinary Quarantine Officer. A representative collecting the pet needs the required identity documents and notarized authorization; arrange those before departure.
Make sure the receiving arrangement includes the relevant document checks and release steps, as well as any transport after airport release. Do not assume an air-freight quote includes delivery to the final home. If the move ends beyond Manila, identify the onward journey and whether a connection or ground transport is required.
Our Manila destination page is the local starting point for a move through Manila. The permit and official entry requirements still control the move; a destination service page is not a replacement for the issued SPSIC.
What is a useful starting budget?
Budget $2,500–$6,000 for pet shipping services and freight from California to the Philippines.
The crate, veterinary expenses, USDA endorsement, and arrival clearance are extra. Add any US collection, boarding, permits or local handling, and delivery beyond the destination airport that are not included in your written proposal. A large crate or multiple animals can materially change the price.
The final quote should show what happens on both ends of the flight. Compare the same scope: departure handling and freight alone are not equivalent to an arrangement that also includes import assistance and final delivery. USDA endorsement is charged at USDA’s current rates.
Information that makes a quote useful
Send these details:
- US starting city, Philippine arrival airport, final destination, and travel window.
- Each pet’s species, breed, age, weight, measurements, and crate details.
- Whether you travel with the animals.
- Who is arranging the SPSIC and destination reception.
Keep the permit and veterinary records available for review. If the travel date changes, revisit the permit and certificate conditions before assuming the paperwork remains usable. A good plan connects the permission to import, the flight arrangement, and the handover at the other end.
Related reading: Choosing the right travel crate, How to choose a veterinarian for a travel certificate
Planning a move with your pet? Get a quote from Transcon Pet Movers.