Plan animal travel
on airBaltic.

1. Passenger pets

Cats/dogs only. Other species/over 75 kg: cargo. Weights include containers; dimensions are L/W/H. Ask about space before booking; confirm before online payment. Flight quotas are unspecified.

Cabin: one carrier/person; two same-species pets may share. Combined maximum 8 kg; 55 × 40 × 23 cm. Keep closed beneath the seat.

Hold: combined maximum 75 kg (Amsterdam: 39 kg); 84 × 142 × 84 cm. Sharing: two same-species pets, each ≤14 kg; or three same-species youngsters ≤6 months. Arrive ≥2 hours ahead.

Hold fees: €130 for 1–32 kg; €220 for 33–75 kg, per crate/direction. Cabin connections exceeding 24 hours incur per-flight fees; other airlines charge separately.

To UK/Ireland/Iceland/UAE: cargo only; from them: hold only, except Gatwick/Dublin, cargo only. Riga–Tel Aviv both ways: no checked pets until 31 March 2027.

Source: airBaltic: pets.

2. Payment and booking

The ticket-type table lists cabin pets at €70 per crate/direction, with hold transport starting at €130. It lists the call centre or ticket office for these services and says additional-service payments are non-refundable.

Source: airBaltic: ticket types.

Confirm the whole itinerary

Use the airline’s contact page and pet-payment service. Payment alone should not be treated as an acceptance message. Ask which operating flights are confirmed, the final total and currency, and whether changes require a fresh pet request.

A numeric hold allowance per passenger, pet-booking cutoff, or universal passenger-pet agency workflow was not established. Ask separately about flight capacity and your own allowance. The sharing rules do not permit mixing cats with dogs. Treat the pet route restrictions above separately from assistance-dog arrangements below.

3. Prepare the animal and container

The live-animal checklist checks apparent fitness, cleanliness, non-sedation, documents and arrangements for interline sectors. It asks whether the animal can sit, stand, turn and lie naturally; the container must meet airline size/weight rules, prevent leakage and escape, have ventilation and a live-animal label, and comply with IATA LAR standards. Provide a reachable 24-hour contact.

The checklist asks for proof of at least 12 weeks of age. This is not sufficient evidence of travel eligibility: the current pet webpage states 15 weeks. Resolve the discrepancy with airBaltic before booking a young animal.

Source: airBaltic: animal checklist.

Container locking and short-nosed animals

When a plastic container is used, the requirements sheet requires rigidity and additional removable door fasteners at all four corners. Moving or rotating door locks are unacceptable; locking pins must extend at least 1.6 cm beyond the extrusions.

For short-nosed cats and dogs, it calls for a cage one size larger than its instructions prescribe and ventilation on four sides. These construction conditions do not establish fitness or acceptance for every breed and route. Have airBaltic assess the actual animal and carrier.

Source: airBaltic: container requirements.

4. Manifested cargo

Cargo is a separate booking product from accompanied checked pets. For Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, airBaltic recommends agents trained in IATA Live Animal Regulations; they advise on packaging and documents, quote and reserve. Elsewhere, use its airfreight-forwarder or agent network. The cargo page links sales agents and handling warehouses.

Obtain an itemised cargo quote, booking deadline, handover address and collection instructions. Passenger pet fees do not quote this service.

Source: airBaltic: cargo.

5. Assistance dogs

Eligible dogs travel free, without a carrier or weight cap, at your feet; aisles and exit rows are excluded. Submit training evidence when booking. The baseline is a registered school certificate from an ADI-, IGDF-, ADEu- or EGDFEF-approved school. The page rejects self-training, online training, obedience-only certificates and DOT-only evidence.

Citizen/resident pathways: Latvia specifies Agricultural Data Center certification; Germany, state-authority recognition; Austria, Messerli-accredited training organisations. Ask which pathway applies.

For UK arrivals, it specifies ADI/IGDF schooling and contacting the arrival Animal Reception Centre ≥72 hours before flight for pre-approval. Non-EU journeys require destination-specific checks. Emotional-support status provides no assistance-dog entitlement; eligible dogs/cats may use pet arrangements.

Request boarding assistance ≥48 hours ahead; this is not stated as the dog-document deadline. Capacity is limited, without a published numeric quota.

Source: airBaltic: assistance dogs.

Submission and unresolved cabin details

Use the dedicated assistance-dog request linked by the airline. We verified the destination, but not its interactive upload fields. Ask how to submit copies and receive written acceptance for each flight.

A numeric per-passenger dog limit, universal muzzle/leash rule, detailed behaviour/refusal standard and a general dog-specific processing cutoff were not established. Confirm restraint, behaviour expectations, floor space and any extra-seat arrangement before committing. Certificates, forms and another airline’s approval do not guarantee acceptance. Review every operating carrier separately; see the service-dog planning hub.

UK-specific airline checklist

The UK checklist records flight and handler details, a 24-hour contact, entry pre-approval, pet passport and/or health certificate, microchip, rabies vaccination, recognised training and a travel-restraint harness. It checks recorded tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before arrival. It has passenger and acceptance-agent signatures and says a negative answer prevents acceptance.

This is airBaltic’s acceptance checklist, not an independent statement of every UK import rule or exemption. Complete the current version with the airline and arrival reception centre; review its certification and cost-indemnity wording before signing.

Source: airBaltic: UK checklist.

6. Government permission and preparation

Airline approval and government entry permission are separate. Check origin, transit, destination and return requirements with the responsible authorities before buying non-refundable travel. Use the service-dog hub for government-source navigation; this page is not a complete import checklist.

Make a preparation plan with your veterinarian, practise comfortable carrier use, and arrange suitable bedding, water and airport handover. Do not use medication advice from a travel webpage as a prescription. Reconfirm acceptance after any operating-airline, route, animal or container change.

Related planning

Related reading: Airline pet travel guides · Carrier preparation · Service-dog planning.

Official sources and scope

• airBaltic: pets
• airBaltic: ticket types
• airBaltic: assistance dogs
• airBaltic: assistance request
• airBaltic: UK checklist
• airBaltic: animal checklist
• airBaltic: container requirements
• airBaltic: cargo

Official sources checked October 16, 2026. Obtain current acceptance for your own itinerary.