International Travel

[LyanaAlesha]

Greetings!

I am PCSing soon and want to know how to internationally ship my 3 Torts from here to the states. Preferably shipping/cargo travel, no flying.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Lyana, and welcome to the Forum!

I'm not real sure, but I THINK there's might be some quarantine involved. I looked it up online and found this:

"Info can be found with USFWS importation of wildlife (turtles). There is a form required to import non protected, non CITES turtles into the U.S. I believe it's called the I-377 form if I'm remembering correctly. Different countries have different rules though. As far as I know, no airline allows reptiles in the cabin. The 6 per box under 4 inches is just for the U.S. I don't know about other countries. Of course if it is CITES listed CITES permits will be required. There is no limit to the number of turtles over 4 inches being imported into the U.S. as long as IATA guidelines are followed and all paperwork is in place. "

 

[Lyn W]

Greetings!

I am PCSing soon and want to know how to internationally ship my 3 Torts from here to the states. Preferably shipping/cargo travel, no flying.

Sorry if this is a stupid question - I know nothing about transporting animals,
but wouldn't flying be quicker therefore less stressful for them?

 

[Tom]

I know of no way to do this without a ton of paperwork and hiring people who know the system to set it all up for you. I would not even attempt this without flying. Anything else would take to long and be far to rise for my comfort level.

What is PCSing?

 

[Prairie Mom]

What is PCSing?

I'm an army brat. P.C.S.= Permanent Change of Station. Usually means a military family moving overseas either a foreign Base or back to America.

 

[Yvonne G]

When my grand daughter was going to move to Hawaii with her navy husband, it would be months of quarantine for their little dog, so they decided to not take him. I don't know about tortoises. "They" ship tortoises all the time to pet stores and warehouses. I suppose it would be like that???

 

[Prairie Mom]

Not sure what the laws are about bringing animals into the U.S. from Japan. Germany used to have a quarantine period. (They don't anymore as long as you've gone through all the red tape). We DID have to quarantine our family dog and cat. It was a really positive experience. A local German vet actually took our beasties into his home and lovingly cared for them. We were allowed to visit until the quarantine period ended. NOW-I believe they have European Pet passports and requirements regarding specific vaccinations and microchipping.

I wonder if the military has any special cargo arrangements for pets from Japan that would include the three tortoises? I may poke around the internet a bit.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Greetings!

I am PCSing soon and want to know how to internationally ship my 3 Torts from here to the states. Preferably shipping/cargo travel, no flying.

I came across this website while poking around the internet. This might be a decent place to start. It looks like they have links to travel documents etc...
http://www.happytailstravel.com/ Most likely they would be shipping your tortoises in the cargo section of a plane anyway. I would seriously consider contacting your airline for info regarding packing your tortoises on your same flights just to get all info available.

 

[LyanaAlesha]

Sorry if this is a stupid question - I know nothing about transporting animals,
but wouldn't flying be quicker therefore less stressful for them?

I'm unsure of any airlines that will fly them. That's why I asked if Cargo would do it. I've exhausted my avenues of approach with flying.

 

[Yvonne G]

We ship turtles and tortoises overnight on airplanes all the time. We're just unsure about out of the country shipping.

 

[Prairie Mom]

I'm unsure of any airlines that will fly them. That's why I asked if Cargo would do it. I've exhausted my avenues of approach with flying.

I apologize if I misunderstood you earlier. I see what you're saying...Just out of my own curiosity, I looked into some international airline policies. Most of the ones I came across will not allow passengers to even check cold-blooded animals into the luggage/cargo area. It's annoying, because I know Delta used to be super pet friendly and it looks like they got stricter regulations only recently!

I did come across a few companies that I would contact if I were in your shoes. I'm crossing my fingers that you'd come across someone who can offer some helpful insight...

http://www.intradco-global.com/about-us
https://www.ups.com/animals
http://www.movepet.com/

You're in a difficult situation. I sincerely wish you luck.

 

[deadheadvet]

Here is the link for info regarding importation of Tortoises into the United States. If the Tortoise(s) are Cites species, you may or may not be allowed. CITES1 is a worldwide ban on importation of any tortoises listed. Otherwise you will need an international health certificate accompanying the shipment and all proper paperwork, the tortoises will have to go to a designated USFWS port for entry, than they can be shipped onto the destination location.
They will be inspected up[on arrival by a USDA veterinarian. Shipping should be done via Delta Cargo or Other airline that allows the tortoises to be shipped as cargo on the same flight you are traveling on. Sending them in a shipping container makes no sense. They likely will arrive dead.

 

[deadheadvet]

http://www.fws.gov/le/commercial-wildlife-shipment.html

 

[Prairie Mom]

I'm REALLY hoping Deadheadvet is right. Maybe there is a difference in how you book the cold blooded animal through Delta. I was reading regulatory info on Delta Airlines' site. I didn't go to the separate cargo website!!!! -Didn't even know it existed.

https://www.deltacargo.com/PetShipment.aspx
Try listing "cold blooded animal" and see if they have an airport in Japan you could use. Try to get a quote and response from a customer service person and tell us what happens!! I want to know!

 

[deadheadvet]

Any tortoise I ship valued at over 3,000$ goes Delta Cargo or Dash

 

[Prairie Mom]

Any tortoise I ship valued at over 3,000$ goes Delta Cargo or Dash

No problems shipping internationally vs domestic??
(assuming all the guidelines and red tape have been successfully navigated)

 

[deadheadvet]

It is all about the paperwork, They can't go unless it is all in order, All documentation gets presented at the airport of debarkation. The animals get loaded on the plane after everything checks out. You typically have to apply for an export/import permit for a specific species and there are companies who will do the paper work for you for a fee.