IMPORTATION OF LIVE PETS AND PLANTS

There are quarantine and regulatory agency restrictions and conditions to the importation of pets/animals and household plants to the Philippines.

Importation of Household Plants

Phytosanitary Certificate must be obtained from the concerned Government Agency at the port of origin and presented to the Plant Quarantine Officer. 

Plants arriving in the country without this certificate as well as those falling in the alert list may be detained.

For the pertinent rules and regulations on commercial shipment of plants and their products/ by-products, write to:

The Director
Bureau of Plant Industry
692 San Andres, Malate, Manila.

Importation of Live Pets / Animals

Below is the revised requirements and procedures for the transport of pets from the United States to the Philippines. 

Requirements

Import permit issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

Please read the other requirements on the permit in order to import your pet(s), i.e. Veterinary Health Certificate and the updated Vaccination Record.

For the updated Vaccination Record, the following is needed:

  • DOGS: rabies vaccination and vaccination against distemper, leptospirosis, parvovirus, adenovirus type 2.
  • CATS: rabies vaccination and vaccination against herpes, calicivirus, panleukopenia and feline leukemia

Procedure

How to obtain import permit from BAI:

Go to http://www.bai.da.gov.ph/ and click BAI ONE TIME LINK (almost at the bottom of the page). This leads to the form to fill out and submit. 

Alternately, go directly to https://www.intercommerce.com.ph/registrationbai.asp and fill out the form.

Applicant will be asked for a Username (email) and password, which will be used to check the status of the application. The status could be:

  1. For Endorsement (meaning the application is waiting for the signature of the approving authority);
  2.  Approved
  3. Rejected (the applicant will have to re-apply).

To check the status of the application, go to http://www.intercommerce.com.ph/home.asp or http://www.intercommerce.com.ph/login.asphome=HOME

If approved, click the reference number and it will bring applicant to the 3-page SPS permit.  Print the permit and present this at the Quarantine station in the airport (Philippines).

Approval usually takes 1-2 days.  Validity of the SPS permit is two months.

Health Certificate issued by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarian or USDA-accredited veterinarian, dated within 30 days of arrival in the Philippines.

Authentication of the health certificate by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate is no longer required and that the issuing authority of the health certificate in the United States should be USDA veterinarians or USDA-accredited veterinarians only.

How to obtain a health certificate from US authority:

Secure a health certificate for each pet from a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarian or USDA-accredited veterinarian.

The health certificate should:

  1. Be dated within 30 days before the date of arrival in the Philippines.
  2. Certify that the animal is free from, and has not been recently exposed to, any dangerous or communicable disease, and that it has been given anti-rabies and other required inoculation.

Mandatory identification of pet dog or cat with ISO compliant microchip / RFID (radio-frequency identification)

Note:

  • Failure to present these requirements may result in pet/s being quarantined upon arrival in the Philippines.
  • Effective June 01, 2018, dogs and cats imported without the required identification will be declined entry and returned to its origin. All costs incurred will be shouldered by the importer.