Individual countries and airlines determine their own regulations about access for assistance dog teams, and some may only allow access for teams that were trained and certified by an ADI Accredited Member program. Assistance dogs partnered teams which are not trained by a program accredited by ADI or International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) are currently assessed on a case-by-case basis by the individual airlines. ADI does not make these determinations or have any influence over decisions about access for individual teams. If you have the correct information and conduct your research before you schedule your trip, traveling with your assistance dog does not need to be stressful. The following links are provided as a service to assist with your research and information.
If someone has an assistance dog that has personally or privately trained their dog, they may receive certification from an ADI Accredited Member program if they become a client of an accredited program. Some ADI Accredited Member programs will accept a privately trained team for evaluation and possible further training/certification if they meet their requirements. ADI standards require that there is a minimum six-month training period for these teams. ADI or any of our member programs do not just administer tests to verify or certify any type of assistance dog. Check our Member Search to find an ADI Accredited Member program that will consider working with a personally or privately trained dog in your area.
Make sure to check with the individual airlines and countries to learn of their specific requirements.
Australia
New Zealand
Canada
Entering USA – check CDC page – Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Recovery from COVID-19 for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States | CDC
Import/Export of dogs:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to be the organization the governs animal imports. They should be consulted every single time as their policies can change without notice. The link here goes to their import reference system where you enter information about the animal. Canadian Food Inspection Agency also handles exports.
Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) – Canadian Food Inspection Agency (canada.ca)
- The border situation is currently evolving rapidly, and things seem to change daily. To learn more about the import requirements into Canada, please contact AIRS https://inspection.
canada.ca/importing-food- plants-or-animals/food- imports/airs/eng/ 1300127512994/1326599324773 The AIRS portal will ask qualifying questions to determine specific requirements based on the age of the dog, country and city of origin and end use to make sure you have everything covered.
AIRS will tell you if you need an import permit via MyCFIA, what health certificate information is required, if you need to book a CFIA vet inspection etc. As an example, the import requirements for Commercial Dogs, over 8 Months of Age, originating in California for Special “Training Status” end use.
You can also engage a customs broker as commercial dogs are considered import goods.
For anything border specific, CBSA contact number: 1-800-461-9999.
To find an approved air or ground transportation company search IPATA – https://www.ipata.org/ipata-
pet-shippers-air-and-ground.
New Czech Republic
https://www.csa.cz/cz-en/travel-information/before-the-flight/travelling-with-animals/
Great Britain
From 1st January 2021, the rules for travelling to Europe or Northern Ireland from Great Britain with an assistance dog have changed. ADEu has compiled a Travel Guide and Flow Chart for information on the new regulations for travelling with an assistance dog.
Please click on the links below to access the information:
United States
US Transportation Security Administration
TSA blog – Travel Tips: Navigating the airport with a guide dog
US Department of Transportation
A compilation of rules, guidance, enforcement orders and publications on disability issues in aviation
TravelPaws Facebook Page for Graduates
ADI member organizations have been invited to let their graduates know about a new Facebook page created for service dog handlers to share experiences with traveling with their assistance dog.
Please click here to learn more.
