Singapore Expats

Hi folks,

So I think I will be relocated to Singapore from US next summer around June, and I have two little kitties that I hope to travel with me. I've been to a couple websites and it seems like there's one month quarantine period here in the US and then another 30 days of detention in Singapore, which will add up to 2 months while I'm paying for all the charges. This seems rather harsh, and so I was wondering whether there is a faster, or maybe more convenient way for me and my kittens to get together again.

Also, a couple shorter questions below:
- can someone tell me how much I expect to pay for the entire process, per cat?
- if for some reasons I cannot take care of my kittens while I am away from Singapore after the relocation, what would be the best way to keep them healthy and safe? Are there many animal service centers or some shops that provide services for boards, food, etc?
- do most apartments or condominiums let residents keep pets? I'm thinking of renting a place near the city center but afraid that it might get exponentially harder to find a decent place if I were to keep my cats.

Thanks a lot in advance and your tips will be much appreciated!


EDIT: so I saw this link, too, and I'm not looking for HBDs. http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic73037.html

Why would your (now) kittens (who will not be kittens by next June) have to do a month quarantine in the US before coming to Singapore? That doesn't make sense.

They will have to do a quarantine in Singapore however from the US, I believe it's 10 days and not 30. I'm not sure...

For importation of pets into Singapore, you need to read the information on this website:

http://www.ava.gov.sg/AnimalsPetSector/ ... sPersonal/

PS- there is no way to get around quarantine. If you want your pets with you in SG, it's something that has to be done.

good luck!

Pretty much the same reason why Singapore has that quarantine period - the animal regulation here stipulates the any outgoing pet shall undergo a month period of separation and full vaccination(like rabies). So essentially those cats are "double-quarantined" unless one country shows enough consideration to waive its own.

Come to think about it perhaps the more crucial issue for me in the longer term is to find a good yet affordable place to live with my cats. If someone knows some specific apartment or region that is more tolerable toward having pets, it will be very helpful.

- OP

Try and do a search about cats on here. I remember reading one which said that cats are pretty hated in singapore and most apartments won't allow them, even though they allow dogs. Just something you might want to check out. Before we moved to China, our kitty went to live with my sister because we were worried that the trip and quarantine would be too hard on her. Good luck.

TravelingCircusof5 wrote:Try and do a search about cats on here. I remember reading one which said that cats are pretty hated in singapore and most apartments won't allow them, even though they allow dogs. Just something you might want to check out. Before we moved to China, our kitty went to live with my sister because we were worried that the trip and quarantine would be too hard on her. Good luck.

It's not the best news I wanted to hear, but thanks a lot.

try these people, we are using them to export our cat to australia from singapore (cat will be shipped in the next week). they organise the entire process, door to door (any country). we tried a few others but they gave us conflicting and inaccurate info.

we now own the most expensive longkang (stray) cat in singapore


company: animal world express ptd ltd
contact: bernard liew
email: [email protected]
web:http://www.awexp.com

mrlily wrote:try these people, we are using them to export our cat to australia from singapore (cat will be shipped in the next week). they organise the entire process, door to door (any country). we tried a few others but they gave us conflicting and inaccurate info.

we now own the most expensive longkang (stray) cat in singapore


company: animal world express ptd ltd
contact: bernard liew
email: [email protected]
web:http://www.awexp.com

Awesome! I'll write them an email. thanks so much.

Though you have to inquire about pets when renting, I've seen no particular dislike towards cats. We've also found it relatively easy to find pet-sitters who will come to your house and feed/pet your animals when we're away. As stated earlier, it is upon arrival that the quarantine occurs - not in the States. You'll need to arrange this in advance - it isn't cheap but they take good care of the animals in their care. You can pay additionally for air-conditioning which would help your animals adjust if they aren't accustomed to the heat of Singapore.

Dear Meron,
We brought 2 cats from the US this past Aug 2010. The Singapore gov information from the AVA is daunting, so do not try to figure it out yourself. We hired a service Pet Express (San Francisco, 415-821-7111) and this company coordinated all paperwork in US and Sing, ground transport in US and Sing, and all medical tests.

Depending on the age of the cats, they will require 2 rabies shots, rabies blood test titres (this takes time), and other tetss. The shots must be done with the correct timing, so I urge you to make sure you have one shot already, and then figure out when the next shots/tests are required.

ONLY 10 days quarentine in Sing is required, nothing in the US. This can be air conditioned and you can visit the animals. Our cats went throught the transition happily.

It cost about $1500 per animal for the service if I remember correctly, not including airfare, but it was worth it in my opinion, especially because we had other things to worry about (school placement, etc.). I haven't noticed any predjudice against cats here, though I have seen a lot of strays which might not be a good sign. We keep our cats indoors, because we don't want them to be harmed by monkeys (I'm not kidding).

Hi Meron,

I currently living in The Netherlands and i'm gonna move to Singapore by the end of January 2011 and will bring my cat Tabby with me. Please check this PDF Veterinary Conditions for pet from country under the category C (Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, Spain & USA), this is also gonna be your Veterinary Certificate along with the pet passport which your vet will need to fill and you'll need to legalized (USDA) it a week before the departure date. There are 2 quarantine options (min 10 or 30 days), depends on whether the pet can get the Rabies vaccine and the blood test on time. If you starting it now, you can manage to get the 10 days quarantine time.
http://www.ava.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/A17F ... 170810.pdf

As a guide, you can also make use of the Import Calculator to plan for your pet's travel to Singapore : http://app.ava.gov.sg/Import_Requiremen ... fault.aspx

Check also the USDA website for more info about the regulations in your country: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals/

As for the Pet Relocation service, i found out it would be much cheaper if you get 2 kind of service, Door to Destination Airport and Destination Airport to Quarantine place. Mine is euro 530 (NL-Singapore) and euro 400 (Singapore-Quarantine), which make the total of euro 1000. Please use only the IPATA members Pet Movers :
http://www.ipata.com/find-a-pet-shipper ... t-shipper/

Get a quotations from several of them, to make sure you get the right service ok (i myself even get a quote from US company). Feel free to contact me if you need more info. Good luck..