Flying with a pet
on TAP Air Portugal.

Choose the right pet service

TAP carries eligible dogs and cats in the cabin or as accompanied checked pets in the hold on approved TAP-operated flights. Other species require a separate cargo inquiry. A passenger ticket does not reserve pet space.

This guide covers direct accompanied journeys and the separate cargo starting point. Airline approval, fitness to fly and destination entry permission are separate checks. Confirm the exact flight, aircraft, animal and carrier before committing to travel.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English) · TAP Live animal cargo.

Book and confirm pet space

Request accompanied cabin or hold transport at least 24 hours before departure. Apply earlier while flights and suitable pet space are still available.

• Cabin, after ticket purchase: use Manage your Booking. The policy also lists the TAP Contact Center, an airport TAP desk and your travel agency.
• Cabin, before buying the ticket: contact the TAP Contact Center, an airport TAP desk or your travel agency.
• Accompanied hold: book through the TAP Contact Center, an airport TAP desk or your travel agency. Do not assume the cabin self-service process books hold transport.

Give the species and number of animals, carrier type and external length, width and height, and total animal-plus-carrier weight. Ask for explicit pet-service confirmation and the final price. For a later flight change, contact TAP or the issuing agency: TAP's help page excludes bookings with cabin or hold pets from ordinary online booking changes.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English) · TAP help and contact channels.

Cabin: 8 kg including a soft carrier

The combined animal-and-carrier limit is 8 kg. The maximum carrier dimensions are 45 × 30 × 23 cm, in length × width × height order. Only a securely closable, flexible, leak-resistant carrier is accepted, and it must fit under the seat in front.

Each passenger may bring one cabin carrier, with up to two animals of the same species. Both must fit comfortably within the same weight and size limits and be able to stand, turn or change position, and lie down. They must stay completely inside throughout the flight, including heads and tails; no passenger seat or free movement around the cabin is allowed.

The airline minimum is 10 weeks for cabin pets. Pregnant animals are excluded. Pets must be clean, healthy and non-disruptive. Ordinary pets are not accepted in long-haul Business Class. Destination rules can require an older animal and additional preparation.

If a cabin carrier does not comply, TAP may refuse cabin carriage. Do not rely on an airport move to the hold: hold eligibility, equipment, breed restrictions and space must also be satisfied.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English).

Hold: route-specific weight and age limits

For direct flights to or from the United States, Hungary, France or the Netherlands, the loaded carrier limit is 32 kg. Other eligible direct routes have a 45 kg limit. These figures include the animal or animals and the carrier. A heavier shipment needs a separate cargo assessment.

The usual airline minimum for a hold pet is 12 weeks; the passenger policy lists 10 weeks for the Azores, Madeira and Spain. These are airline acceptance ages, not a waiver of vaccination, import or other government requirements. Pregnant animals are excluded.

TAP does not publish one universal maximum external hold-crate size on the reviewed passenger page. Send all three external dimensions and obtain approval for the actual aircraft. A crate within the weight limit can still be too large for that flight.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English).

Pet numbers, shared carriers and space

Keep passenger allowances, animals per carrier and flight capacity separate. TAP does not provide an unambiguous universal aircraft-wide pet quota in the reviewed policy. Its general five-pet wording includes an event-related exception and should not be treated as five available pet places on every aircraft.

For the cabin, the clear rule is one carrier per passenger and up to two same-species animals in that carrier. For the hold, the detailed section permits up to five carriers per passenger, subject to aircraft confirmation, while an earlier general paragraph says only one carrier is allowed in either location. Obtain a written answer before planning multiple hold carriers.

The detailed hold rules describe two similarly sized adults of up to 14 kg each sharing if they are accustomed to one another. They also describe up to three young animals, each up to 14 kg. Another passage expressly requires the same species and says younger than six months, whereas the detailed list includes animals exactly six months old. Confirm the exact age boundary, same-species grouping, loaded weight and room for all animals before using either sharing option. Animals over 14 kg must travel individually.

No aircraft-wide cat-versus-dog incompatibility rule was found in the reviewed sources. That does not establish unrestricted mixed-species availability: ask TAP to approve the actual combination and space.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English) · TAP passenger pet policy (Portuguese cross-check).

Prepare the hold crate

Use a robust pet-transport crate with secure door locks and pins, and nuts and bolts fixing the upper and lower sections together. TAP requires ventilation on all four sides. The animal must be able to stand with its head fully raised without touching the roof, change position and lie comfortably.

Remove wheels. Use absorbent bedding that retains fluids; straw and newspaper are excluded. Food and water vessels must be secured to the door, refillable from outside, non-toxic and free of sharp corners. Supply adequate food and water. Do not leave a leash or muzzle on the animal or inside the crate.

TAP discourages tranquilizers and sedatives. Discuss fitness and any medication with the veterinarian and disclose relevant treatment when seeking airline approval. No universal outside-temperature acceptance threshold was verified; check restrictions for the departure date.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English).

Check breed and route restrictions

TAP's hold exclusion list includes named dog and cat breeds and their crosses. It extends beyond familiar flat-faced examples: Chihuahua, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier appear, as do Scottish Fold cats. Check the complete current list against the pet's breed and ancestry.

The passenger page describes a possible veterinary-certificate exception involving corrective surgery or absence of the listed breed characteristics. Its wording is not a blanket clearance. Obtain TAP's assessment and written acceptance before relying on any certificate; the veterinarian's welfare assessment remains essential.

The separately listed Fila Brasileiro, Argentine Mastiff, Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiler and Tosa Inu require a CR82 wooden or metal crate when aged six months or older under TAP's published dangerous-breed provision.

Ordinary cabin and accompanied-hold pets are not accepted on flights to the United Kingdom. Departures from London Gatwick also exclude these passenger-pet services. On Lisbon-to-Luanda flights, TAP says pets must use cargo. These directional rules must not be reversed or generalized to every route. Service dogs follow a separate policy.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English) · TAP Live animal cargo.

Cabin prices: channel and season matter

The following EUR amounts were checked on October 14, 2026. They are published starting prices per route, with low-season / high-season values shown. The live quote can depend on the booking channel, timing and specific journey.

• Domestic Portugal: online €40 / €50; Contact Center €43 / €53; airport or travel agency €45 / €55.
• Europe, Morocco, Tunisia, and Accra–São Tomé and Príncipe: online €70 / €80; Contact Center €73 / €83; airport or travel agency €75 / €85.
• Intercontinental: online €150 / €170; Contact Center €157 / €177; airport or travel agency €160 / €180.

The cabin high-season periods currently listed are December 11, 2026–January 4, 2027; March 19–April 5, 2027; and July 1–August 31, 2027. The rest of the year is labelled low season.

TAP also publishes USD, CAD and miles amounts. Outside Europe, local-currency conversion normally uses the published USD figure, with Canada excepted, so a EUR illustration is not a guaranteed converted price. TAP labels the pet service non-refundable. Ask about the consequences of changes or a refused animal before paying.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English).

Hold prices: use the loaded-weight band

These EUR figures were checked on October 14, 2026 and are published per route. Each pair shows low season / high season. Ask TAP to confirm the billable unit when booking more than one carrier.

Loaded carrier up to 32 kg:

• Domestic Portugal: Contact Center €78 / €88; airport or travel agency €80 / €90.
• Europe, Morocco, Tunisia, and Accra–São Tomé and Príncipe: Contact Center €118 / €128; airport or travel agency €120 / €130.
• Intercontinental: Contact Center €227 / €247; airport or travel agency €230 / €250.

Loaded carrier above 32 kg and up to 45 kg, only where that weight is accepted:

• Domestic Portugal: Contact Center €128 / €138; airport or travel agency €130 / €140.
• Europe, Morocco, Tunisia, and Accra–São Tomé and Príncipe: Contact Center €228 / €238; airport or travel agency €230 / €240.
• Intercontinental: Contact Center €297 / €317; airport or travel agency €300 / €320.

For most destinations, the listed high-season dates match the cabin dates above. Certain African routes have different direction-specific periods. The page also flags seasonal excess-hold-baggage restrictions for some African destinations; it does not clearly resolve their effect on confirmed pet carriage. Obtain a date-specific acceptance and price rather than treating a displayed price as proof of availability.

The published currency-conversion and non-refundable-service conditions also apply to the hold service. Cargo is quoted separately and does not use these passenger-pet prices.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English).

Documents and airport handover

Prepare the identification, vaccination evidence, veterinary certificates, permits and other documents required for the animal's actual departure and destination. Use the relevant government authority and the destination guide for entry rules. Some country-law details on TAP's page need separate verification; airline approval alone is not entry permission.

If you are accompanying somebody else's pet, TAP asks for the owner's signed authorization, a copy of the owner's identification, the pet's identification in that owner's name, and proof that the owner travels within five days before or after the pet. Have these available at check-in and when requested.

For a hold pet, present the animal inside the approved crate at the check-in or bag-drop desk. Keep the pet-service confirmation and original travel paperwork ready for inspection. Ask the departure station when it wants you to report: the airline publishes airport-specific counter hours, and no single pet-specific arrival interval was verified.

Check documents, final loaded weight and carrier condition again before leaving for the airport. An accepted booking does not override an unsuitable carrier, an ineligible animal or missing entry documents.

Sources: TAP passenger pet policy (English) · TAP check-in information.

TAP Live is a separate cargo booking

TAP Live is the starting point for animals outside the passenger-pet product, heavier consignments and cargo-only cases. Contact the local TAP Air Cargo representative or an IATA freight agent to establish species, route, equipment and documentation acceptance. TAP can issue the air waybill at some origins; the office must confirm whether this is available.

The current cargo product page requires a booking seven days before the intended flight. Do not substitute the passenger service's 24-hour request deadline. Obtain an individual cargo quote, including destination collection charges.

The cargo crate and breed rules must be checked separately. The general cargo page requires at least three ventilated sides for its dog-and-cat crate description, while the accompanied-hold page requires four; use the stricter specification required for the actual booked product.

Cargo does not mean every species is accepted. TAP Air Cargo's operational alerts still list a rodent transport suspension, dated November 20, 2024 and continuing until further notice, including examples such as hamsters, guinea pigs and chinchillas. Obtain species-specific acceptance rather than relying on the general cargo description.

Sources: TAP Live animal cargo · TAP Air Cargo operational alerts · TAP Air Cargo contacts.

Service dogs have different requirements

Qualifying service dogs travel without the ordinary pet fee. TAP accepts dogs as service animals and excludes emotional-support-animal reservations. Use the separate service-animal policy and assistance request channel rather than buying an ordinary pet add-on.

TAP recommends making the request at least 48 hours ahead; its online assistance form also states a 48-hour submission requirement. Provide the dog's weight and dimensions, the required health and entry documents, and the applicable training evidence. Training certificates are generally required, with a specific exception for flights to or from the United States, where TAP instead requires the relevant US Department of Transportation forms. A relief-attestation form is listed for flights of eight hours or more.

Service dogs normally stay leashed at the passenger's feet, without occupying a seat or moving freely around the cabin. Space, behavior and route requirements still apply. Confirm the detailed arrangements directly through TAP's assistance team.

Sources: TAP service-animal policy · TAP assistance request form.

Related planning

Related reading: Airline pet travel guides · Carrier fit and preparation.

Official sources and scope

• TAP passenger pet policy (English)
• TAP passenger pet policy (Portuguese cross-check)
• TAP Live animal cargo
• TAP Air Cargo operational alerts
• TAP service-animal policy
• TAP assistance request form
• TAP check-in information
• TAP help and contact channels
• TAP Air Cargo contacts

Official TAP passenger-pet, assistance, check-in and TAP Live sources checked October 14, 2026. Hold-carrier quantity, the exact six-month sharing boundary and certain certificate/seasonal restrictions require airline confirmation. Fees are dated route/product examples, not a guaranteed quote. This guide does not establish complete government entry requirements.