How to Fly Your Pet Out of Peru

Whether you’ve fallen in love with an animal that you volunteered with in Peru or are relocating to a new country and want to bring your pet, flying an animal out of Peru isn’t as easy as putting Fido in your carry-on bag.

But it’s not impossible, either.

Get ready to put all “paws” on deck. We’ll help you understand how to fly your pet out of Peru.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is a guide, and Leaving Pawprints isn’t responsible for changes. It’s your responsibility to double-check requirements with your airline and stay up-to-date on Peru’s exit policies and your country’s entrance policies. If you travel with your pet out of Peru, we’d love to hear from you in the comments section, as your recent experience will help others in your “paws.“

Airlines in Peru that Allow Animals

Several airlines allow their owners to fly with their pets out of Peru. Below is a quick chart summary of airlines that fly pets out of Peru on international flights. We’ll then dive into more details below.

LATAM Airlines

LATAM offers flights out of Peru for dogs and cats. There are three ways you can fly with your pet, largely determined by their size. They include:

• In the cabin with you
• Passenger aircraft hold
• LATAM Cargo (a separate plane)

On December 15, 2021, LATAM began implementing a new policy that you can only fly out of Peru with a dog or cat that’s at least 16 weeks old.

Delta Airlines

If you’re traveling with a bird, cat, or small dog, Delta allows you to carry them on the plane with you from Peru. The cost isn’t as much as you might think, at only $200 USD for your pet’s ticket. In order for your pet to fly in the cabin with you, you’ll need to ensure they have a Delta-approved carrier and that you have it in advance, for Delta will ask for the carrier’s dimensions when you make your pet’s reservation out of Peru.

If you’re traveling with a larger dog, Delta can arrange to fly them out of Peru in their (precious) cargo flights. Like LATAM, your pet must be a minimum of 16 weeks old to board the flight.

SKY Airlines

Sky is a Chilean airline that offers excellent pet travel from Peru. You can book your pet’s flight out of Peru with as little as 48-hour notice, provided SKY has space since only two pets are allowed in the cabin per plane. If your pet and carrier’s total weight is over six kilograms, they can either travel as checked baggage or in SKY’s cargo planes.

Certain breeds of dogs must be at least nine months old to travel and use a sturdier carrier than other breeds. It’s cheaper to add your pet to your reservation at the same time that you book your ticket (a $61 USD fee) versus adding them at a later time (a $73 USD fee).

American Airlines

At the time of this writing, American Airlines doesn’t offer international pet travel out of Peru.

Resources for Flying a Pet from Peru to Other Countries

Meeting Peru’s exit requirements for flying your dog or cat out of the country is only half the battle. You also need to ensure that you comply with your arrival country’s pet immigration rules.

We’re not sure whether this will sound comforting, but if you don’t have all your literal or figurative ducks in a row before leaving Peru, you can pretty much guarantee that your airline will deny boarding for your pet.

Yikes!

So, where do you find pet immigration requirements for your destination country? Contacting your country’s consulate is an excellent start. Below are some resources that can help you out, too, if you’re flying to one of the following countries.

United States: Centers for Disease Control and Protection

Canada: Canadian Food Inspection Agency

United Kingdom: Great Britain Pet Requirements

European Union: Your Europe

Australia: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment

Rules for Bringing Pets on a Flight Out of Peru

According to the Lima airport, your pet will need to meet requirements set by the National Agricultural Sanitation Service (SEN​ASA) in order to leave Peru. SENASA offers a list of items they mandate, although they encourage you to contact them directly for more details.

To fly your dog or cat out of Peru, your pet will need the following:

• Health certificate from a certified, private veterinarian
• Vaccination certificate from a certified, private veterinarian
• Rabies certificate*
• Up-to-date on dewormer
• Exportation certificate from SENASA

*A rabies vaccine is only required if the arrival country mandates it.

You’ll need to visit the SENASA office at the Jorge Chávez International Airport with your pet 72 hours before your flight departs. Their office is open 365 days a year, and they’ll need to know your final destination along with the pet entrance policies for that country.

That means you must fly out of Lima if you’ll be traveling out of Peru with a pet.

If your pet gets approved, you’ll receive the coveted Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación, which is an exportation certificate that let’s an airline know you have the okay to fly your pet out of Peru.

Additional Potential Requirements

Many countries require one or more of the following items. You only need to complete these steps and present them to SENASA if it’s your arrival country’s policy:

• Rabies antibody titration test
• Microchip with ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 (your country will indicate which one they require)
• Kennel disinfection certificate
• Payment confirmation

Furthermore, if you’ll be traveling with a Peruvian Hairless Dog, you must obtain a special exportation certificate from the Peruvian Hairless Dog National Protection Committee regardless of the country you fly to.

You might remember hearing about this breed when the Peruvian Hairless Dog Association offered the Obamas one named Machu Picchu upon learning that they were seeking a hypoallergenic dog.

Bringing Pets on a Domestic Flight in Peru

There’s so much more to see in Peru than Lima. So, if you and your dog or cat are elsewhere in the country, you’ll need to head to the capital before boarding your international flight.

Domestic airlines in Peru that allow pets include:

• LATAM Airlines
• SKY Airlines
• Viva Air

Your pet will need a valid health certificate to fly within Peru. However, you won’t need to obtain a SENASA Exportation Certificate, making the process easier than traveling internationally.

Check List: Flying Your Pet Out of Peru

Phew, what a process! We hope this information helps make it easier to fly out of Peru with your furry or feathered loved one.

We won’t get redundant on you here, as the “Rules for Bringing Pets on a Flight Out of Peru” section covers the essentials. However, below are a few other items to consider to help you prepare.

• Check your airline’s carrier restrictions and buy the carrier in advance
• The health and vaccination certificates must be in Colegio Médico Veterinario format
• You must work with a Médico Veterinario Colegiado (certified veterinarian) from a private practice

About Leaving Pawprints

Leaving Pawprints connects travelers with animal shelters across the globe for free. We lay the foundation by communicating with the shelters to find out what support they need. If you want to volunteer abroad with animals in Peru, check out the animal shelters we’ve partnered with to find out how you can help.