NAIA Check-in Guide for Pet Parents

NAIA can feel overwhelming with a pet in tow. Here's exactly how a smooth pet check-in runs, terminal by terminal.

Before you leave home

Feed a light meal four to six hours before departure, allow a long toilet walk, and attach an ID tag with your destination phone number to both collar and carrier.

Arrival window

• Domestic in-cabin: 3 hours before departure
• International in-cabin: 4 hours before departure
• Cargo / manifest cargo: 5–6 hours, at the cargo terminal, not the passenger terminal

The counter sequence

1. Present passenger documents and pet documents together.
2. Carrier is weighed with the pet inside.
3. Pet fee is paid and the booking is annotated.
4. For cargo, the crate is sealed, tagged, and moved to the animal holding area.

What to carry in your hand luggage

A collapsible bowl, a small bottle of water, absorbent pads, spare zip ties, a slip lead, and photocopies of the paperwork. We also bring one familiar toy that smells like home.

Common mistakes we see

Arriving late, letting a health certificate lapse, using a carrier that is a few centimetres oversized, and forgetting that the pet must be quiet and contained the whole time in the terminal. Plan for a wait — bring patience and a book.