Cooper is a 30kg Golden Retriever, so Singapore Airlines has always meant the cargo hold for us — the cabin simply isn't an option for a dog his size, and that holds for every dog on this airline. One thing just changed that's worth flagging up front: snub-nosed breeds are now barred from the hold. If you've got a bulldog or a pug, that single shift matters more than anything else on this page.

Singapore Airlines's pet policy splits into cabin and cargo. This page summarizes the weight limits, fees, brachycephalic-breed restrictions, and carrier specifications for both modes — sourced from the airline's official pet pages.

How Singapore Airlines handles your pet

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

In the hold / cargo Accepted
Snub-nosed breedsNot accepted

Cabin policy

Snub-nosed breeds listPugPekingeseShih TzuLhasa ApsoChow ChowDogue de BordeauxJapanese ChinShar PeiStaffordshire Bull TerrierMastiffverified 2026-08-25
Sedation allowed Noverified 2026-08-30
Crate must have/beventilated, absorbent linerverified 2026-08-18

Hold & cargo policy

Hold: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-08-28
Hold: Snub-nosed breeds banned Yesverified 2026-08-28
Hold: Snub-nosed breeds listPugBoxerBoston TerrierPekingeseShih TzuLhasa ApsoChow ChowDogue de BordeauxBrussels GriffonJapanese ChinShar PeiStaffordshire Bull TerrierMastiffverified 2026-08-30
Hold: Min age months3 monthsverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Sedation allowed Noverified 2026-08-13
Hold: Max weight (pet + crate)32 kgverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Crate must have/beIata compliant, water bowl, ventilated, IATA-compliant, absorbent liner, live-animal label, a carrierverified 2026-07-14
Cargo: Snub-nosed breeds listPugPekingeseLhasa ApsoChow ChowDogue de BordeauxJapanese ChinStaffordshire Bull TerrierMastiffverified 2026-08-29
Cargo: Sedation allowed Noverified 2026-08-24
Cargo: Pregnant animals accepted Noverified 2026-08-13
Cargo: Crate must have/bewater bowl, ventilated, absorbent liner, live-animal label, a carrierverified 2026-08-28

Health & documents

Health certificate validity90 daysverified 2026-08-31
Downloadable forms📄 Acceptance checklist formverified 2026-08-28
Health certificate required Yesverified 2026-08-28
Health certificate validity30 daysverified 2026-08-29
Quarantine · TypeQuarantine Stationverified 2026-08-28
Quarantine · Required Yesverified 2026-08-28
Quarantine · Approved facility required Yesverified 2026-08-28
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-08-28

Other rules

Dangerous breeds banned Yesverified 2026-08-28
Breed restrictions apply Yesverified 2026-08-28
Assistance animals accepted Yesverified 2026-08-18

Service & assistance animals

Fee waived Yesverified 2026-07-14
Recognized Yesverified 2026-08-28
Cabin allowed Yesverified 2026-07-14
Esa recognized Yesverified 2026-08-28
Breed restrictionsbrachycephalicverified 2026-08-30
Advance notice hours48 hoursverified 2026-08-28
Documentation required Yesverified 2026-07-21
Singapore Airlines only carries pets booked on its own flights, and does not accept animals handed over from another airline mid-journey. On a codeshare itinerary that distinction decides everything: confirm the pet is ticketed on the SQ-operated segment, not just the SQ flight number. Book the animal directly with Singapore Airlines rather than through an interline partner, or the hold reservation can be refused at the counter.
Singapore Airlines does not accept brachycephalic dogs in the cargo hold, and snub-nosed breeds such as bulldogs, pugs, and boxers are barred outright. There is no cabin alternative for them on this airline, so a snub-nosed dog cannot fly Singapore Airlines at all. Check the breed against the airline's restricted list before booking any segment, and route around a carrier that accepts it if needed.

The cargo brachy ban value for Singapore Airlines changed from 'None' to 'True'. Verify against the latest official source.

Singapore Airlines does not publish a flat one-way cargo fee; the charge is quoted per booking from the crate's dimensional weight. Budget beyond the airline line item: an IATA-compliant CR82 crate runs roughly 80 to 200 EUR by size, plus the export health certificate and its endorsement. Request a written cargo quote at reservation so the total is fixed before travel.
The hard limits here — hold-only travel, no snub-nosed dogs, and pets booked solely on Singapore's own flights — are exactly what you want nailed down before buying a single ticket. Build your Pawgo plan for this route and it maps the crate timeline, the vet paperwork, and the precise booking sequence to your dog and your dates, so nothing catches you off guard at the Changi cargo counter.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Singapore Airlines →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.

What changed recently

The rule for a requirement changed from 'None' to 'True'. Plan accordingly.