What are the steps to export a dog or cat from Singapore?
Use the AVS export process alongside the destination authority’s rules. Check both before booking appointments or non-refundable travel.
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| Step | What you do | Fee (S$, 2026) | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Destination rules | Read the destination government's import page for dogs and cats | None | Months ahead for strict countries |
| 2. Export licence | Apply on the GoBusiness Licensing Portal | 50 normal; 100 express | Within 90 days of departure |
| 3. Health certificate | Arrange the required private vet examination and any AVS certificate service | AVS: 23 normal; 46 express where available; private vet fees separate | Destination sets validity; AVS QR certificate 7 days; no express physical endorsement |
| 4. Pre-export inspection | Only if the destination requires it; book on AVS e-services | Fee if no appointment | At least 5 days before departure |
| 5. Departure arrangements | Confirm airline and ground handling arrangements; prepare required originals and permit copy | Quote required | Arrange ahead; complete required paperwork before departure |
After the pet has left, cancel its dog licence in PALS.
How much does the AVS export licence cost?
The AVS export licence costs S$50 for normal service or S$100 for express service, as of 2026. It is called the Licence to Import/Export/Transship Non-Food Animals, Birds, Eggs, and Biologics (personal), and you apply for it on the GoBusiness Licensing Portal within 90 days of leaving Singapore.
Normal service is issued two working days after AVS has the complete application; express takes one. The licence stays valid for 90 days from the date of issue, so match the application and travel dates to that validity window.
How does the veterinary health certificate work?
If the destination requires a veterinary health certificate, your private vet completes it; some countries also require AVS to endorse it. Endorsement takes two working days with no express option, and the certificate's validity is set by the destination.
For manual endorsement, apply on GoBusiness and follow the AVS document checklist. Submit the original completed template, vaccination records and any applicable laboratory results, with the application number and checklist, at its Raffles Building drop-off box. Processing depends on receipt of the complete documents.
If the destination has no template of its own, AVS instead converts your vet's certificate into a QR-verifiable veterinary health certificate, and that one is valid for only seven days from issue. Arrange the examination and application so the certificate meets the destination’s timing and remains valid for travel. Seven days runs from certificate issue, not automatically from the vet visit.
The AVS FAQ lists veterinary certificate processing at S$23 normal (two working days) or S$46 express (one working day), after complete documents. Express service is not available for physical endorsement. These are separate from the export licence and private vet charges.
When is a pre-export inspection needed?
A pre-export inspection is needed only when the destination country requires one. If it does, book the inspection through AVS e-services at least five days before the animal's departure and bring the pet to the Changi Animal & Plant Quarantine Station during operating hours.
Bringing a dog or cat for inspection without an appointment attracts an inspection fee, so book as soon as the flight date is fixed.
How long does it take to export a pet from Singapore?
There is no fixed end-to-end duration. Published processing times assume complete documents; veterinary preparation, appointment availability and destination conditions can extend the schedule. Do not treat the licence’s one- or two-working-day service as the time needed for the entire move.
Work backwards with your vet from the destination’s required dates. Book any required pre-export inspection at least five days before departure and allow time for certificate processing within its validity window.
What does the destination country decide?
The destination country sets its entry conditions, including rabies vaccination timing, blood tests, treatments and any waiting period before entry. AVS cannot shorten any of it.
Our guide to flying with a dog from Singapore covers airline acceptance, checked baggage versus cargo, crate preparation and comparing itemised relocation quotes. If you are moving the other way, the rules are on our importing a dog to Singapore page.
What to do next
Keep a dated checklist of the requirements that apply to your particular journey.
- Open the destination government's pet import page today and work the timeline backwards from your flight date.
- Apply for the export licence on GoBusiness once the departure date is within 90 days.
- Agree the examination and certificate dates with your vet using the destination’s rules. Book any required pre-export inspection at least five days before departure.
