Flying with a pet
on Japan Airlines.

1. Choose accompanied baggage or international cargo

JAL’s international passenger-pet process checks the animal as baggage into the bulk hold. It is not an ordinary-pet cabin service. Request approval through the JAL Contact Center; the response may take several days. Provide species, age, crate dimensions and loaded weight. Codeshares follow the operating carrier’s requirements.

JALCARGO is a separate international freight product, principally for dogs and cats. Book through a freight forwarder. A pet travelling in a cargo compartment is not necessarily booked as manifest cargo: identify the booking product before arranging documents or handovers.

Sources: JAL: international passenger pets · JALCARGO: international animals.

2. Keep passenger and cargo breed rules separate

Passenger dogs and cats must be at least eight weeks; pregnant pets are excluded. Bulldogs and French Bulldogs are not accepted. Country requirements remain additional.

International JALCARGO excludes 23 listed dog breeds year-round, a broader restriction than the passenger list, and excludes dogs/cats younger than eight weeks. Have the forwarder check the precise breed and destination; do not substitute a domestic-cargo news rule for this international policy.

Pets Delivery Expert’s brachycephalic planning is cabin-only. This description of airline hold and cargo products is not an offer to ship a brachycephalic animal as cargo.

Sources: JAL: international passenger pets · JALCARGO: international animals.

3. Obtain aircraft-specific crate acceptance

Crate capacity and acceptable size vary by aircraft. The passenger policy normally permits one pet per crate. Use a robust, ventilated, escape-resistant container that allows natural standing, lying and turning; soft or folding carriers are unsuitable.

No universal passenger crate-size or loaded-weight maximum is established by the reviewed page. Ask JAL to approve the actual assembled crate rather than applying another airline’s limit. For cargo, obtain the forwarder’s complete container checklist and ensure shipment documents accompany the air waybill.

Sources: JAL: international passenger pets · JALCARGO: international animals.

4. Plan the time after check-in

Arrive at least 120 minutes before departure. JAL says its agents will not provide food or water after passenger check-in. A water dispenser is required for itineraries exceeding twelve hours; Frankfurt departures have a separate bowl-type requirement.

Record the whole period from handover to collection, including any onward connection or inspection wait. Confirm arrangements for disruption and how the animal will access water. Do not assume the passenger check-in process includes cargo care services.

Sources: JAL: international passenger pets.

5. Obtain a route-specific price

The reviewed passenger page refers applicable charges to check-in staff and does not give a universal numeric pet tariff. Request the amount, original currency and charging basis from JAL for your exact itinerary before committing.

For international cargo, request a separate freight-forwarder quotation. Ask whether it includes the crate, export handling, receiving agent, transit care and government charges. Keep the passenger ticket’s change conditions separate from the pet booking.

Sources: JAL: international passenger pets · JALCARGO: international animals.

6. Use Singapore’s actual arrival process

JAL explicitly directs passengers taking pets to Singapore to AVS. Its generic baggage-claim handover description must not replace Singapore’s country-specific arrangements.

For ordinary dogs/cats imported through Changi, appoint an AVS-recognised clearance agent and prepare the rigid crate required for CAPQ transfer. This also matters if a different airline accepts a soft carrier in its cabin. Check clearance hours and use the Singapore guide for appointment planning.

Transiting Singapore is a separate procedure: a transshipment licence is required for dogs/cats, including assistance dogs. An arrival-import workflow should not be copied automatically onto an airside connection.

Sources: JAL: international passenger pets · AVS: dog and cat imports · AVS: Changi clearance · AVS: dog and cat transshipment.

7. Separate Japan departure, arrival and transit

For a Japan departure, apply for AQS export inspection at least 14 days before the desired inspection. Complete the destination’s preparation as well. If you may return, check the Japanese re-entry procedure before leaving.

For arrival, use the applicable Japan import pathway; Singapore is not on Japan’s designated-region list. Transit needs its own assessment: changing airport, airline or transport mode can require full import procedures. Send the complete itinerary to the responsible authority rather than assuming one ticket is sufficient.

Sources: Japan AQS: export dogs and cats · Japan AQS: non-designated-region imports · Japan AQS: designated-region imports · Japan AQS: transshipment.

8. Genuine assistance dogs have another process

JAL permits qualifying guide, hearing and mobility-assistance dogs in the cabin without charge; register the dog when booking. Broader task-trained service-dog categories, including psychiatric and alert dogs, have specified U.S./Canada route eligibility and documents. Emotional-support status alone does not establish that eligibility.

Confirm every operating sector and the destination’s animal-entry pathway. An approval for a U.S.-linked flight should not be assumed to apply to an onward Japan–Singapore flight. Singapore also has a separate AVS assistance-dog assessment.

Sources: JAL: assistance dogs · AVS: assistance-dog imports.

Prepare a route review

Share your route, operator, dates, pet’s breed and age, loaded crate weight and external dimensions. Include previous airline replies and who will receive the animal. A useful proposal identifies each booking party and handover, the itemized price and what still needs approval. Request a route review.

Questions before you book

Related reading: Airline pet travel guides · Japan entry planning · Singapore entry planning · Carrier fit and preparation.

Official sources and scope

• JAL: international passenger pets
• JALCARGO: international animals
• JAL: assistance dogs
• Japan AQS: non-designated-region imports
• Japan AQS: export dogs and cats
• Japan AQS: transshipment
• AVS: dog and cat imports
• AVS: Changi clearance
• AVS: dog and cat transshipment
• AVS: assistance-dog imports
• Japan AQS: designated-region imports

Official sources checked October 12, 2026. This is a planning guide, not live pet-space confirmation, a veterinary checklist or a complete freight quotation. Country and operator restrictions remain additional. Source ambiguities are identified where material.