Our dog “Jammai” is going to visit home in USA!
Long story short, here is what you need to fly your dog with you from South Korea to USA..
 1. Your dog has to have a MICROCHIP.2. TRIP ITINERARY – Your flight details and departure date. We fly our dog with us in the cabin, so we have to call the airline to reserve a spot for our dog (some airlines have limited spots for the pets onboard). Make sure you got the reservation no. from the call center.The best practice for us, the same airline all the way back to your home country helps. |
 3. VACCINATION & VETERINARY INSPECTION CERTIFICATEWhere: Your local vet at your animal clinic/ animal hospital When: within 10days before travel date (departure date), clear Vaccination Records, using a local form which is valid for 10days after the issued date. That means you have to get this form done within 10days before traveling. The form required the vet’s name, license no., and full address of their clinic/hospital Note: This is a fixed form by the Korean Government. |
 4. HEALTH CERTIFICATIONWhere: with Your local vet at the local animal clinic/ animal hospital. When: within 10days before travel date (departure date) This form is to make sure that your dog or your pet is fit to fly The form depends on each clinic format. We had this form provided by the Flying Pet advice company but signed by our local vet. NOTE: Bring your dog with you. |
| ***you have to have the above 4 items, then you can do the next step*** |
 5. HEALTH CERTIFICATE FOR ANIMAL QUARANTINEWhere: (1) Incheon Airport (SEOUL, open 7days a week, 9am-6pm). Terminal 1: behind Counter G check-in counter on the 3rd floor/ 09:00 to 18:00 all day, lunch break: 12:00~13:00/ Tel 82-32-740-2660Terminal 2: One-stop public service on the 2nd floor / 09:00 to 18:00 all day, lunch break: 12:00~13:00/ Tel 82-32-740-2028 *About 10-15mins train ride between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2* (2) Gimhae Airport (BUSAN, open Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm) *Average 20-25 mins per pet. There are no queues, no ticket for the line. And the officer stops at lunchtime.* When: You might have to visit the office at least 3~4 hrs before your departure time or preferably within 7 days on the departure. |
*Click a form to enlarge the image
Our Story from START to FINISH:
We had to relocate back to the USA as soon as possible, SO we paid for the pet agency advisor to work on our documents, they asked for 150,000won.
The pet agency might ask you different prices but in our case, our dog has a microchip and she has clear vaccination records.
So the pet agency helped us to contact our dog’s hospital for document no.3 and no.4 as listed above.
They also provided all the questions we needed and arranged for document no.5 at the Airport.
The Animal Quarantine Office: we had experience with the Busan Airport (Gimhae) and Seoul Airport (Incheon) office.
Busan Airport, Open Monday to Friday, Time: 9 am-6 pm (break at lunch at 12 pm-1 pm)
If this was open 7 days a week, it would be the best Animal Quarantine office for us! They are very helpful and foreigner-friendly.
Honestly, we would have a little harder time to figure out how to do this without the pet agency because of no English signs (you just need more time to figure out).
Busan, Gimhae International Airport, the Animal Quarantine Office is right next to YOGERPRESSO COFFEE shop, International Terminal, Arrival floor (1st Floor)
We went there with our dog, handed all the documents that we have (also our passport). They checked microchip on our dog and then started to print out the Quarantine Certification (No.5) for us to check all info on that paper. If it’s all correct they will stamp and give us 2 copies. The fee is 10,000won ($10).
*It’s a little strange that they put KIMHAE AIRPORT which we thought it supposed to be GIMHAE. But the officer said, it’s the same.
If there is no line, it will take about 20mins!
Seoul Airport, Open 7 days a week, Time: 9am-6pm (break time at lunch).
We had our document done on Saturday, there was only one officer in the office! We actually were there to update our paper for flight info but its like he just started all over for us.
There were 2 people in front of us, it took more than 40mins to wait for our turn and it took more than 20 mins to finish our paper.
The fee is 10,000won (same as Busan but they really have the sign for CREDIT CARD ONLY).
The FLIGHT TICKETS that didn’t work for us!
Our company bought our ticket to fly from Busan to Narita, Japan by Air Busan. Then we change our flight to United Airlines from Japan to Houston.
So we had no problem to call United Airline(only one problem, we can’t have our dog in Business class, due to no storage areas under the seat in front of, but the Economy Plus is very nice, enough leg room to put our dog bag under)
Then we tried to call Busan airline but we couldn’t get through to the English representative. So we asked our pet agency to call for us. They are an expert about flying pets and able to communicate well in both Korean and English. They seemed to have no problem, they called and got information that we have to pay 70,000won and got the reference names for who they talked with (Ms. WonJu Jang and Mr.Seoung Kyong Lee).
The calls were made only 1-2days before we flew.
*Notes from our Pet Agency
We got all the documents set up. It looks like we are ready to go.
Check-in at Busan airline (Busan to Narita, Japan)
The check-in counter told us, they didn’t have our booking for the dog!!!
Then we called our agency to talk with her, they were on the phone right away (6 am!) and told us to wait and she is going to do it!!!
So we’re put to the side while the gate agent tries to fix our issue and check-in other passengers?!?!?
We actually wait for more than an hour totally!!
During those times, we were told that they’re calling Japan and waiting for a reply.
Until the last minute to check-in, the counter lady started to check our bags and printed our tickets.
She said “You go now, but you NOT go to Japan” and I was like WHAT??? And where we are going?
The pet advisor told us, they will keep working with Japan Airport, just go there first…!!!
We passed to the security check (we took off all laptops and show what we have in the carryon bag). Once we passed through the security check, they pulled us back to the check-in gate again!!!
We came back to her counter and gave us back 70,000won. And she tried to say sorry…
But for all those 2hours we were wasting our time, sorry wouldn’t make anything better.
She is back to show me her translater app which says, To fly to Japan, You need to have at least 40days Notice to inform the Japan customs about importing your pet!!!
40days?!?!?!? If there is a policy that exists, why not just tell us in the first place?!?!
And what about those 2 Busan Airline representatives who talked with our pet advisor, how come they said ok?
And why didn’t our pet advisor didn’t know about this stuff, the airline even took our bags to put on our flight?
I don’t want to think about if we boarded to Japan and then we have to fly back to BUSAN???
We have no time to complain, we lost one flight then we have to cancel another connecting flight.
We changed our flights to fly from Seoul to San Francisco and then San Francisco to Houston.
Our travel plan from Busan Airport to Seoul Airport, red color is the real timeline and how much it costs us!
We gotta get a HEALTH CERTIFICATE FOR ANIMAL QUARANTINE (#5) change to new flights. We have only 8hrs to get all done!!! And it costs us a lot more!!!
First, We jumped in a taxi(1) from Busan Airport to Busan station (18,000won, 40mins ride)
All the way to Busan Station for KTX, Tim was working on our new flight tickets and trying to call UNITED AIRLINE about our flight changes!
(2) KTX High Speed Train from Busan Station to Seoul Station, (168,600 won for 2 of us – First Class, it takes 2hrs 16mins)
We are in the KTX from Busan Station to Seoul Station.
(3) AREX Train (Airport Railway Express) from Seoul Station to Incheon airport (terminal 1), 45mins. I bought tickets on KLOOK.com during the ride on the KTX from Busan to Seoul, the ticket is 7000 won each (you have to pay 500 won at ticket station for passcard, so totally 15,000won for 2 of us – normal price ticket is 8,200won each)
We traveled with two big suitcases, once we got off KTX at Seoul Station this guy showed up and offered to carry all the bags for us to the AREX which we only had 10 mins to board the train, I think he was our angel!!!
We wouldn’t make it in 10mins because it was our first time to change the train here. All he asked is for 20,000won!!!
The Baggage handler led us to the train, and put our bags in the train – 20,000won!
Finally, we got a new HEALTH CERTIFICATE FOR ANIMAL QUARANTINE (#5) !!!
But I would like to thank you for the good transportations in South Korea, we could get to Incheon Airport like a pro!
We have no words left for that pet advisor. That’s why we wouldn’t recommend or mention their company name on here. I just felt bad, I thought they were good!
So if you want to fly back to the USA with your pet, don’t book the flight that you have to change flights in the Japan airport!
A direct flight from South Korea to the USA will make your trip much easier.
Check-in at United Airline (Incheon Airport, Seoul)
This is the first time for our day that we feel like we are dealing with outstanding people!
They got our booking record for our dog, all we have to pay is $125 for a pet fee (this includes the connecting flight in San Francisco to Houston).
Tim and Jammai in Economy Plus on United Airline.
USA Immigration at San Francisco, USA:
Don’t forget to fill up the Custom Declaration form in the US that you have the dog with you.
After we picked up our bags at the baggage claim, we have to stop at the Customs Inspection to check all our belongings again. At this point, the customs inspector asked to see only our dog’s VACCINATION & VETERINARY INSPECTION CERTIFICATE (#3) and he kept it.
Our dog has a diet food, you can bring her food as long as it is in the original bag/can (He said it’s ok if the bag is already opened as well).
Jammai likes airports in the US because they provide the Animal Relief Room!
From Geoje Island, South Korea to Houston in the USA, we took 31hrs to travel on this trip!!!
Our expenses for today (excluded our Air Tickets):
Pet Agency Advisor:150,000won
Animal Quarantine Certificate: 20,000won(Busan and Seoul)
Travel from Busan Airport to Seoul Airport: 230,600won
Jammai (Pet’s in cabin)’s fee = $125
Total: ~549,200won (~$462)!!!
And if you have to go back to South Korea —> https://www.somethingjam.com/our-experience-traveling-with-our-dog-from-the-usa-to-south-korea
