How to import a dog to Singapore

First, arrange for a friendly well-qualified dog-loving family to look after your pet while you head overseas to set up your new home.

Book a pet transport company in Australia to look after the flight booking and vet certificate requirements at the Aussie end of things. However, they can't actually book a flight without the import license but you can't get an import license without a dog license.

So ...get a dog license in Singapore. Make sure you don't download an old form from the AVA website (Vet Authority) which states the costs is $21.50 because they'll send your cheque back and then you have to resend the correct $14 cheque - adding possibly another two weeks of waiting time....

Now you can get an import license except when filling out the form they want to know what flight your pet is booked on. But you can't book a flight without the pet import license. So you just have to break out of the circle and guess which flight he might be booked on.

All is set, the day is booked and hopefully you guessed the correct flight. Your pet says his tearful farewell to his foster family and boards the plane.

Now is the big test of character - you have to pick up your dog from the Airfreight terminal - so take a support person. This is a frustration best handled by two. If your babysitter has the flu, and can't look after the kids, you may just be lucky enough to get her Dad fill in on her behalf and for free!

Head to the Airfreight Terminal - it is tucked behind Changi Airport and people have been known to spend two hours looking for it. Bring import licence and flight confirmation form. Bring passports and a second form of photo ID. Find a Chinese taxi driver who will take dogs (Malays are cat people) and preferably one who has been to the Airfreight Terminal before. In that case he'll be prepared for the hours of trying to locate desks in various buildings to fill out bits of paperwork. His own mantra will be "you just have to keep asking everyone you see what you have to do or you will never get out of the place." And he means that literally! Every time you are filling out a piece of paperwork he is out of his taxi quizzing people on procedure and directions.


At the Airfreight terminal:

1. Fill in form at Police Checkpoint. Everyone in the car needs to handover their passports and get a pass. Taxi drivers are exempt because obviously they are super trustworthy people.
2. Find Airfreight Terminal 6 (on your right), even though one set of instructions direct you to terminal 4. Go up the ramp to the Imports office. Get directed to catch a lift down to level 1M. Produce photo ID and get some paperwork. Go back up to the third floor, hand in paperwork, fill out some paperwork, get a stamp and then wait until your dog arrives.
3. It's now 10.15pm. Vet Authority closes at 10.30pm and you need the vet sign off before you can take the dog. Ring the Vet Authority and tell them to wait for you at a cost of $133 for every hour they have to wait.
4. After asking several times if dog has arrived yet, man at the desk checks his computer again and finds that it has. Get directed through some double doors into a cargo area filled with boxes and forklifts and no one to help you.
5. Friendly taxi driver comes to find you as he has been doing his own investigations and thinks this time he has found your dog (first one he found wasn't yours but this didn't deter the amateur sleuth) He gets forklift guy to drive up next to his taxi.
6. Look inside the box to see dejected sad-looking puppy. He looks too timid to be the lively dog you know. Recognition dawns, little yelps of joy and the four-legged gaping hole in your heart is finally filled after nine weeks of separation. Jubilation from everyone including taxi driver.
7. Drive over to Vet Authority for quick check. Arrive at 10.35pm. Get a stamp. They choose not to charge for the overtime. More jubiliation. Taxi driver discovers that the dog box he'd just put on the leather seat of his Mercedes has a white, paint-like substance on the bottom which is now covering his seat. He remains cheerful while trying to scrub it off.
8. Head towards the exit and through the red "items to declare" channel. No wrong office, need to go to that one over there. Fill out some more paperwork. Get another stamp.
9. Go to police checkpoint and pick up passports.
10. Head home, cuddling the furry bundle of joy. Give the taxi driver a serious tip. Dog jumps all over peacefully slumbering children and kisses their faces. Sleepy murmurs of happiness. The family is now complete.

This story brought to you by Buckley's family.
"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

We are indebted to Melissa, David, James, Thomas, Ben, Dusta and Bobby for their wonderful care of Buckley. Thanks to Geoff for babysitting. Thanks to Jen and Ellie for the advice - fortunately we learnt from your ordeals and no children had to be left at police checkpoints. Thanks to Jetpets for the service. Thanks also to a Singaporean taxi-driver who joined in the adventure.