Traveling with pets

There are three ways of transporting your dog or cat by air. Bear in mind that if the kennel does not meet the requirements specified below, you can be denied boarding privileges:

• In the cabin: In the case of small cats and dogs, you have the option of allowing them to travel with you in the cabin under the seat in front of you. Since this space is small, you should keep the following points in mind:
  • Your pet will have to fit into a kennel no larger than 43 x 31 x 20 cm (length x width x height).
  • The combined weight of the kennel and your pet cannot exceed 6 kg.
  • For more information about this, please contact KLM Reservations.
  
  
• In the cargo hold: your pet can travel in the same aircraft in a ventilated baggage compartment in the cargo hold. For safety reasons, your pet will have to travel in a specially designed carrier that meets the legal requirements established by the IATA (International Air Transport Association). The carriers that meet these requirements (Sky and Vari carriers being good examples) can be purchased at larger pet supply outlets or from a specialised cargo agent. If your carrier does not meet the IATA requirements, it will be refused during the check-in process. For more information about the sky carrier and travelling with pets, click here.      

• Via KLM Cargo: If you wish your pet to travel unaccompanied, this is only possible via KLM Cargo.                            

All documentation in relation to your pet must be drawn up in English.

If you are traveling outside the European Union, we would advise you to
contact the local embassy well in advance of your departure date to
obtain information on the pet import rules, restrictions and required
health documents.

The following regulations apply when traveling within the European
Union:

• To be able to travel, your pet must have a valid health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian. This certificate must be issued between two and eight days prior to departure.
  
  
• Additional conditions often apply to puppies up to 12 weeks of age. As these conditions can differ per country, we would advise you to contact the embassy of the country that you are traveling to for further information.
  
• Your pet must have a valid certificate stating that the animal has been vaccinated against rabies at least 28 days before departure. This certificate must be signed by a local veterinary service officer or other official.
  
  
• Pets traveling from/to the European Union must have an identification microchip or tattoo and an official EU Pet Passport issued by a licensed veterinarian.  
  
                  
• The pet passport must contain the following details:
  • Name and full address of the owner
  • Description of the pet, such as the color of its fur
  • Type of identification: microchip or tattoo
  • The date and the brand of the vaccination against rabies
  • Rabies serological test
  • Tick treatment
  • Echinococcus treatment
  • Other vaccinations              

Please take the following restrictions into account should you wish to take your pet with you on your flight:

• If the kennel including your pet exceeds the maximum weight of 75 kg, your pet has to be transported by KLM Cargo 
• If the kennel is larger than 292 cm (length+width+height), your pet can only travel via KLM Cargo. However, on certain types of aircraft, the maximum size of a kennel is 247 cm (length+width+height). Please contact your travel agent or KLM Reservations for an advice on your specific situation.
• Your pet can accompany you on your flight only if you have made a reservation for the animal by ontacting KLM Reservations, open 24 hours a day. 
• On flights to Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, South Africa and the United Kingdom pets can only be transported via KLM Cargo 
• Cats are not permitted to travel to Peru. 
• No animals can be transported in the hold on flights operated by KLM cityhopper lasting more than two hours. Furthermore, an embargo is placed on all KLM cityhopper flights during the winter months (from 1 November through 31 March) because the holds of Fokker aircraft cannot be heated.  

Please contact KLM Cares for information on the special rules that apply in relation to service animals that are trained to assist disabled passengers or rescue teams.

Charges always apply for the transportation of pets. The rates in this regard depend on which baggage concept applies to your baggage. There are three possible baggage concepts which determine the rate that you pay for traveling with your pet. The piece concept, the weight concept or the costs of shipment with KLM Cargo.

• Costs if the piece concept applies to your baggage
  

  Charges for basket plus Pet (Piece Concept)
  Weight of basket plus Pet		Costs of single flight in EUR*
  Weight in kg	Weight in lbs
  Less than 32 kg	Less than 70 lbs	150
  32 - 45 kg	70 - 99 lbs	450
  46 - 55 kg	100 - 121 lbs	600
  56 - 65 kg	122 - 143 lbs	750
  66 - 75 kg	144 - 165 lbs	900

  
  *For tickets sold in Canada, these rates apply in Canadian Dollars
  *For tickets sold in the USA, these rates apply in American dollars
                     

Costs if the weight concept applies to your baggage
The cost of taking your pet with you is calculated per kg. The rate is the same as the excess baggage rate per kilogram. To calculate the cost, multiply the weight of your pet plus the basket by the excess baggage rate. 

Exception 
A fixed rate of EUR 75 applies between the Netherlands and Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Paramaribo and Sint Maarten.