Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ben_and_bree]

Hello,

I have been trying to get answers from this end about how to bring our cat with us to Korea, but I can't seem to get any information except that I need to fill in a declaration form and talk to my vet.

Can anybody give us any ideas about quarantine time, costs, etc?

Thanks,

Ben

[Octavius Hite]

OK, I will tell what I told my ex who brought a cat. I told him to make sure the cat was all up to date on the shots and neutered and have all the necessary documents on hand.

However, customs at Incheon airport is a joke. Don't declare anything just walk through. Make sure your cat carrying case looks like luggage (not one of those plastic cages) and just walk through. If they stop u just play the stupid foriegner and then they will quarantine the cat.

My ex did this and walked right through customes with the cat no problems, when he left he got all the documents updated in Korea and took it back to Canada with no problems.

That's my advice and it works. Good luck.

[Jellypah]

[ben_and_bree]

Hi there,

Thanks for getting back to me. The advice is useful, but I think I want to know the formal regulations as well. If anyone could fill me in it would be greatly greatly appreciated. My wife and I really don't want to leave our beloved moggie at home for a year.

Thanks,

Ben

[The Chewbacca Defense]

You also might want to check what the regulations are for returning BACK to Australia form Korea.

Nobody wants their furry little chum in quarantine for six months!

[fandeath]

Octavius Hite that is solid advice. I wish more people gave practical advice like that on this board.

And looking at some of the replies, some people in this forum don�t have to play the �stupid foreigner�

[Octavius Hite]

No, you don't have to put the cat through the x-ray machine, in Australia you put the case through a pyhsical hand inspection and then in Incheon there is no x-ray machine after you get off the plane, usually. I know that if you get busted at customs then they have the x-ray machine but as long as you don't declare anything and just look kool you'll be ok. In 4 years in Korea I have never been searched or scanned at customs.


Everybody on this board pisses and moans about how stupid Korean this or that is. Well use it your advantage. It has been my experience that Koreans are terrified of speaking English so they leave us alone as long as we don't look like criminals. I have never had a proiblem with customs, the airport, immigration etc even when I was working illegally here. Play the game.

[cathenry]

We've travelled with our cats twice now (Korea to Japan and then Japan back to Korea). I'm not sure about the rules from Australia but I'm sure it can't be too different.

This is what we did both times for entering both countries.

1. Go to your vet and get a declaration of health. It's basically just a letter saying that they are in good health and that their shots were up to date. The vet will sign, date & stamp it. I can't remember how soon in advance this had to be done but I know it's within a month. Unforutnately I can't find the website I got this information from. It's also a good idea to microchip your cat at this point if you haven't already done so. When we left Japan it made it easier and I can't remember if was a requirement for Korea or just a recommendation.

2. When you are booking your flight make sure that you can bring animals on. Some flights won't take pets and there is often a limit of 3-4 pets per flight. You'll also have to give the dimension of your cage. The price for your cat will be determined by the dimensions of the cage and the total weight of your cat & cage. Our cats went in cargo and they had to be in separate cages.

3. Before you check in at the airport head to quarantine. Give them your cat's papers (the declaration of health from your vet & it's a good idea to bring it's vaccination book too if you have one). They'll quickly check out your cat & give you yet another form. Their microchips were also scanned at this point. Give yourself an hour to do this.

4. Check yourself in at the airport. They will weigh your cat & cage and check out your cat's papers again. You will then be given a voucher and you will take this to a desk and you will pay for your cat's spot on the plane. Then you will bring the receipt back proving you paid and they will give you another receipt that you will need to pick up your cat.

5. Once our bags were checked in we had to bring our cats to the oversize/heavy luggage area & personally hand over our cats. That was the last we saw of them until we landed.

6. We landed in Korea, went through customs & when we got to the carousel to pick up our luggage an airport employee was there waiting with our cats. We showed our ID/papers/pickup receipt and got our luggage.

7. She then escorted us to the Korean quarantine and we handed over our papers yet again. They looked at the papers thoroughly, asked some questions and waved us on our way. The cats never came out of the cage.

All in all a really easy process. Just give yourself plenty of time at the airport before you leave. I'd also recommend having a large envelope/file to keep your cats papers in. You'll be given a bunch of new forms throughout the day and every step of the way I had every single paper checked again and again.

I think all this cost around $400 (Canadian) for both cats including vet check, Japanese quarantine, flights. There was no charge when we landed here.

Good Luck!

[korea252]

I think you need the health certificate from the vet less than 10 days before you fly and the cat needs its shots over 30 days before. Ask your vet they might have more info, also speak to the airline you'll be flying with - IME they can answer most questions.

[sadsac]

Why bring your cat? Can't you leave it with family or friends. This is not a pet friendly society, children are quite cruel to animals. I understand that you may well ahve a strong emotional attachment to your pet, but you should consider its long term welfare as well.