Departing Bangladesh with Pets

Two basic options exist for exiting Bangladesh with your pets. You can either ship your pets as cargo or you can ship your pets as excess baggage.

Pets as Cargo

To ship pets as cargo, you must use a qualified and licensed shipping company. The information here has been provided to the U.S. Embassy by Homebound, a local shipping company with offices in Gulshan. Other shipping companies may follow slightly different procedures but the general process should be the same. The export of live animals from Bangladesh can be extremely difficult and there are limited airlines that can accept animals for export; be sure to contact a shipping company and begin arrangements well in advance your travel.

Preliminary arrangements: Contact your selected shipping company as soon as possible to begin arrangements. A physical inspection of the kennel and the pet will be essential. The shipper will need to determine the following:

• Kennel measurements.
• Kennel weight.
• Weight of the pet.
• Breed of the pet.
• Does the kennel meet relevant requirements to accommodate the pet?
• Shipping destination with complete address, contact name, and telephone number.
• Approximate date when the pets is to be shipped.
• Import regulations of the country where the pet is going.
• Airline booking.

Once the shipper has the above information, they will then contact the airlines to determine the best and shortest route. As soon as they have the confirmation from the airline, the details will be passed to the you, the customer.

Veterinary Records

You will need your pet’s vaccination records and veterinary health certificate. Your shipper needs these to obtain necessary documents. Which vet you use is a matter of personal choice. However, Homebound lists Gulshan Pet Animal Clinic as an option. Their address is 4&5 DCC Super Market, Gulshan-2, Dhaka-1212. Their phone number is 9883486.

Documentation

Several documents and permissions are required to take your pet out of Bangladesh. As early as possible, you should begin the necessary paperwork, either on your own or through your office or organization.

The following documentation will be required for the export of live pets:

1. No objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bangladesh government’s Department of Livestock Services. Either you or your employer will write a letter to Livestock Services, enclosing a copy of a valid health certificate and vaccination records. Your shipper can assist. The time frame to get approval is 5-6 working days.
2. No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Foreign affairs. This permission is only required for employees for foreign embassies. Private citizens do not require this permission. Your assigned embassy will apply to the MFA with a copy of a valid health certificate and vaccination records. The shipper will follow up. The time frame to get approval is 7-10 working days.
3. After approval of these No Objection Certificates, the shipping company will apply to the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports. A copy of the health certificate and vaccination records will also need to be attached.  The time frame to get approval is 3-4 working days.

After having all the above approvals, the shipping company will then complete the customs procedures. The time frame to get approval and clearances is 1-2 working days.

Transferring the Pet to the Airline

All live pets should be handed over to the airlines 2-3 hours prior to the flight’s departure. The shipping company will coordinate the pick-up of the pet from your residence or other designated location. They will transport the pet in the kennel and hand the pet over to the airline. The shipping company will attach copies of the health and vaccination certificate to the cage and the originals to the air way bill. The shipping company will then confirm the flight’s departure with the owner and hand over a copy of the airway bill.

Additional Guidelines:

• You will need to provide a blanket inside the cage for your pet’s comfort and to absorb water in case of spillage.
• You will need to attach a water dispenser to the cage.
• Stop feeding your animal 5 hours prior departure.
• You will need to attach any feeding instructions to the cage.
• Attach both your address and the consignee address along with a 24 hour contact number to the cage.
• The airline will provide freight bar coding and Live Animal and This Way Up stickers for the kennel.

Pets as Excess Baggage

If you elect to bring your pet as excess baggage, you will need to communicate directly with the your travel agency or airline to make the arrangements. Each airline may have different policies and procedures and these are subject to change at any moment.

But as a starting point, you will need your pet’s vaccination records and veterinary health certificate. You will work with your veterinarian to obtain these.

Once you have the appropriate veterinarian records, you will obtain a No objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bangladesh government’s Department of Livestock Services. Either you or your employer will write a letter to Livestock Services, enclosing a copy of a valid health certificate and vaccination records.
If you are in Bangladesh as a diplomat with a foreign mission, you will also need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Foreign affairs. Again, this permission is only required for employees of foreign embassies. Private citizens do not require this permission.

After approval of these No Objection Certificates, you will apply to the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports. A copy of the health certificate and vaccination records will also need to be attached.

Bringing Pets into Bangladesh

Pet as Excess Baggage:  If pets accompany the traveler as excess baggage, the customs formalities are minimal. If the pet is accompanied then only the No Objection Certificate (NOC) will be required from the Bangladesh Department of Livestock Services.

Never assume that you can take your pet on the same flight with you.  You must confirm this weeks in advance with your airline(s).

Pet as Cargo (General): If unaccompanied (as cargo) both the No Objection Certificate from Department of Livestock Services and prior permission from Bangladesh Customs will be required.  If pets are shipped as unaccompanied air freight and booked as cargo under an air waybill, you will need to notify the clearing agent of your intention to import the pets at least thirty (30) working days in advance of their arrival in Dhaka. Failing to notify as requested may cause inconvenience to the traveler and the pets.

Obtaining No Objection Certificate: An agent in Bangladesh has to apply for the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Department of Livestock Services. The Department of Livestock Services is located at Krishi Khamar Sharak, Farm Gate Dhaka-1215.  To obtain the NOC the agent will need the following documents from you:

1. A description of each of your pets including their name, breed, color, sex, and age.
2. A current health certificate (If your pet is NOT coming from an avian influenza-infected country, the certificate should indicates that your pet is in good health and does not have avian influenza).
3. Current vaccination certificate (If your pet is NOT coming from an avian influenza-infected country, the certificate should indicates that your pet is in good health and does not have avian influenza).
4. Photo of the pet.
5. Copy of the pet owner’s passport.
6. If your pet is coming from a country where avian influenza has been detected, you will need a statement signed by you and your vet indicating that the pet has been under in-house quarantine for the last 21 days and has not come into contact with any animals that have avian influenza.

Your agent will also tell the Government of Bangladesh that these pets will remain under in-house quarantine (at your home) for at least 21 days after arrival in Bangladesh.

If you are unclear whether or not your country has an active avian influenza outbreak, you can refer to the World Animal Health Information Database.

As soon as the No Objection Certificate is received, your agent will forward a copy to you and advise you to book your pet with the airlines so that you can start processing the shipment of your pet.

Obtaining Permission from Bangladesh Customs:  After getting the NOC from the Department of Livestock Services, your agent will apply for prior permission from Bangladesh Customs.  It’s requires 4-5 working days to get a permission. Therefore, you must send a copy of the Air Waybill at least 5 working days prior to your pet’s arrival in Dhaka.

The above information has been provide to the U.S. Embassy by a private company, Homebound. The U.S. Embassy assumes no responsibility for the ability or integrity of the agent. The agent’s contact information appears below.

Homebound
SW (A) 26, Gulshan Avenue
Dhaka-1206, Bangladesh
Tel: 880-2-9894745-50
Fax: 880-2-8823416
Cell: 01711-679065
E-mail: import1@homebound.com.bd
Website: www.homeboundbd.com