Singapore Expats

Hi all, I am currently collecting information for relocating to Singapore from the United States. I'm still researching all the facets such as job sponsorship and tabulating a reasonable cost of living, but I came across some information that I wasn't able to find by hitting the "Search" button and figured I'd shoot out the query to everyone here.

I have a 1 year old cat, with full vaccinations and veterinary documentation to show this and I plan to import her to Singapore when I make my move. I live in the contiguous (mainland) United States so I fall under the "Category C" countries as listed by Singapore and thus must go through the 30 day quarantine process.

However, Hawaii is listed as a "Category B" area and thus does not require quarantine and recently a friend of mine mentioned to me Hawaii's pet import program called "5 Days or Less" (http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/faq5#q1). Basically, to summarize, as long as I give a 120 day advance notice and all supporting documents, my cat can pass into Hawaii in 5 days or less. As an example, my friend had her cat pass through the whole process in less than a day.

So my question is this - does anyone know / has anyone tried to import a pet from the mainland US to Hawaii and then to Singapore? It seems like this should work as I could not find any indication in Singapore's pet import forms saying that I could not get my pet certified into a "Category A/B" area before continuing into Singapore.

The only print I could find that could cause me concern is that in the document from Singapore's AVA website stating the following:

(i) the dog/cat had been continuously resident in the country of export, or any country listed under Part I of Category A and B of the Veterinary Conditions for the Importation of Dogs/Cats, for at least six (6) months prior to export, or since birth.

However, Hawaii is part of the United States, even though it's listed in a different category, and I am not sure how the customs agents in Singapore would be able to tell the difference whether my cat stayed in Hawaii for 6 months or 6 days?

Any thoughts / comments are appreciated. Just to be clear, I'm not trying to circumvent Singapore law, rather I'm trying to mitigate as much stress as I can from the relocation process while still adhering to intent of the law - i.e. my cat is certified safe and healthy by Hawaii and thus should be able to enter Singapore.

Sure sounds like you are trying to circumvent to me. I reckon AVA will see it the same way. You might think this country is backward, but you'll just have to learn the hard way. Or should I say, you pet will as it's put first one place and then another and then another because you feel you are smarter the Singapore. Good Luck. Your pet's going to need it.

Look again. Category C, i,e the mainland US is 10 days quarantine once the cat arrives in Singapore (this is dependent on you following the prescribed rules laid out in the AVA import certificate)

The 6 months rule is non-negotiable and I guarantee they will not release the animal early because it passed through Hawaii. There will be a bill of lading that shows your cat passing through and the dates on which it occurred.

We brought 2 dogs from Dubai to Singapore via the UK and had to go through the 6 months quarantine for this reason. You have to remember it's policy and there is very little room for manoeuvre when it comes to bending quarantine rules.

Hope this helps

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Sure sounds like you are trying to circumvent to me. I reckon AVA will see it the same way. You might think this country is backward, but you'll just have to learn the hard way. Or should I say, you pet will as it's put first one place and then another and then another because you feel you are smarter the Singapore. Good Luck. Your pet's going to need it.

please don't put words into my mouth (just for a statement of fact, i think singapore is an amazing place otherwise i would not consider moving there), i appreciate your candor but the demeanor and content isn't helpful. i organized my thoughts into a cogent question with valid concerns, and i would request your response would be as civil, professional, and/or thoughtful in return. lastly, if for whatever reason you do feel the urge to bash me, please do so directly at me and leave my kitty out of it, she has done nothing to you and i take her happiness and well-being very seriously. snide remarks about her welfare are unwarranted and not welcome.

Ratpick_2000 wrote:Look again. Category C, i,e the mainland US is 10 days quarantine once the cat arrives in Singapore (this is dependent on you following the prescribed rules laid out in the AVA import certificate)

The 6 months rule is non-negotiable and I guarantee they will not release the animal early because it passed through Hawaii. There will be a bill of lading that shows your cat passing through and the dates on which it occurred.

We brought 2 dogs from Dubai to Singapore via the UK and had to go through the 6 months quarantine for this reason. You have to remember it's policy and there is very little room for manoeuvre when it comes to bending quarantine rules.

Hope this helps

thank you for this response, this indeed does help. seems like the concern here is mostly focused on rabies, she just got her shot in april but it looks like i'll have give her at least 2 more shots to meet the requirements for C1.

it just strikes me as interesting that a pet can be certified by an entity under Category A/B for example and live in said area for 6 months, where anything could happen, and then goto singapore without any problems (assuming all blood and paper work passes); rather than say get checked out multiple times in a row by mainland US, Hawaiian, and Singaporean authorities. just makes me curious as to the reason behind the intent of the law.

anyways, thanks a bunch for replies, it gave me insight into both Singaporean pet import laws and these forums.

thanks.

zt2012 wrote:

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Sure sounds like you are trying to circumvent to me. I reckon AVA will see it the same way. You might think this country is backward, but you'll just have to learn the hard way. Or should I say, you pet will as it's put first one place and then another and then another because you feel you are smarter the Singapore. Good Luck. Your pet's going to need it.

please don't put words into my mouth (just for a statement of fact, i think singapore is an amazing place otherwise i would not consider moving there), i appreciate your candor but the demeanor and content isn't helpful. i organized my thoughts into a cogent question with valid concerns, and i would request your response would be as civil, professional, and/or thoughtful in return. lastly, if for whatever reason you do feel the urge to bash me, please do so directly at me and leave my kitty out of it, she has done nothing to you and i take her happiness and well-being very seriously. snide remarks about her welfare are unwarranted and not welcome.

How do you know about how amazing Singapore is? Have you actually lived here? Being here for even a week as a tourist is completely different to living here for 20 years as SMS has done. You will find very quickly that there is only 1 way to do things here. A to B to C with no deviations and no shortcuts. You will get frustrated with it, but it sounds like you'll fit in well as the locals don't understand the concept of sarcasm either.

Add to that your inability to read and understand (what sounds like basic ) instructions, as evidenced by Ratpick's feedback will also help!

You and your cat live in the continental USofA. Any attempt to circumnavigate that fact supports what I've said. Full Stop. It is you who is attempting to change facts to suit your purposes. The one who will suffer will be the cat when it gets caught up in the bureaucracy and she can't voice her displeasure. Think of your pet first and a worst case scenario.

carteki wrote:How do you know about how amazing Singapore is? Have you actually lived here? Being here for even a week as a tourist is completely different to living here for 20 years as SMS has done. You will find very quickly that there is only 1 way to do things here. A to B to C with no deviations and no shortcuts. You will get frustrated with it, but it sounds like you'll fit in well as the locals don't understand the concept of sarcasm either.

Add to that your inability to read and understand (what sounds like basic ) instructions, as evidenced by Ratpick's feedback will also help!

i don't know singapore is an amazing place, i said i think it is, big difference, hence the research, hence posting on these forums.

there is a difference between being sarcastic and being rude, i grant you that it is difficult to effectively communicate either via the medium of internet type, but when in doubt i tend to err on the side of politeness, but that's just me and my personality.

for example, i hope you're just poking fun at the locals, i actually have a few friends who live in singapore who have never said anything negative about the place or people.

and (this is just my opinion, so take it for what you will) in retort to the 20 years thing - that is awesome that SMS has that experience, but i feel that is all too often a scapegoat for brushing off newcomers with legitmate concerns. what i mean is, i know all the established experienced folks get inundated with people who are too lazy to use the "Search" button and get frustrated but i don't feel like that is a good reason to be curt to everyone.

the closest analogy i can think of is like the martial arts gym that i goto - alot of the "experienced" members act like "who the hell is this" whenever a new person comes to the gym because they don't know how to punch or kick or whatever. sorry, that probably wasn't a perfect analogy but i hope you get my point, new people will always have questions (whether stupid questions or otherwise) and people who instruct or lead shouldn't be bothered by it as it is the position they signed up for, it's just part of the knowledge dissemination process.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:You and your cat live in the continental USofA. Any attempt to circumnavigate that fact supports what I've said. Full Stop. It is you who is attempting to change facts to suit your purposes. The one who will suffer will be the cat when it gets caught up in the bureaucracy and she can't voice her displeasure. Think of your pet first and a worst case scenario.

thank you SMS, actually my original questions were in the way the document were meant to be interpretted. if you are so inclined to believe me, let me try and explain what i meant - the document from the AVA separates regions into different categories, but the wording in the explanations say that the animal must reside in the country for 6 months or more, Hawaii is not a country, it is a state that is part of the country of the United States. therefore it wasn't clear to me whether my cat, which is owned by a citizen of the US would be able to be "OK'ed" by Hawaii first before moving onto Singapore.

it is an interpretation hanging on what i guess would be called a technicality, but let's just say i work in a field which requires attention to detail and i'm used to questioning every little thing - again not to circumvent, but to try and fully understand, sorry if i didn't make this clear before.

by posting on these forums, i have gotten my answer and, just like you mentioned, thinking of my cat first i will obviously not do the aforementioned mainland US -> Hawaii -> Singapore plan. 10 days is a far better cry than 30 which is far better than the worst case scenario as you mentioned. the fact that it wasn't clear you can blame on my "illiteracy" or "dumbness" or whatever; i treat my cat like my own baby so i get a little testy when people suggest some ill-fate for her, it's like saying "hope your kid enjoys their fate living with you", so i hope you understand and forgive my irritable response.

thanks.

Just remember two things:

The Rabies Serology test and vaccination which enables your animal to have an antibody level above the minimum requirement is a rule prescribed the world over. In some countries, such as the UK and the EU, there are reciprocal agreements whereby the total eradication of Rabies in that country means the animal is safe. The USA (and by default, Hawaii) does not qualify under this category, hence the "C" category.

Singapore is not strict, or unusual in their interpretation of the quarantine rules, quite the opposite in fact. Try taking your moggy to the UK for a holiday if you don't believe me!

Second thing: its TEN (10) days. You can do that in your sleep. The quarantine facility here in Singapore at Sembawang is world class, and is in fact better than most kennels I have used. You can visit your cat between 4-6pm every day and it'll be over before you know it.

My advice: concentrate on booking the quarantine facility, getting the animal license and raising an airway bill for your cat to enter the country. Let me know if you need advice with the shipment. There are a few companies that are half decent.

Good luck

Ratpick_2000 wrote:Just remember two things:

The Rabies Serology test and vaccination which enables your animal to have an antibody level above the minimum requirement is a rule prescribed the world over. In some countries, such as the UK and the EU, there are reciprocal agreements whereby the total eradication of Rabies in that country means the animal is safe. The USA (and by default, Hawaii) does not qualify under this category, hence the "C" category.

Singapore is not strict, or unusual in their interpretation of the quarantine rules, quite the opposite in fact. Try taking your moggy to the UK for a holiday if you don't believe me!

Second thing: its TEN (10) days. You can do that in your sleep. The quarantine facility here in Singapore at Sembawang is world class, and is in fact better than most kennels I have used. You can visit your cat between 4-6pm every day and it'll be over before you know it.

My advice: concentrate on booking the quarantine facility, getting the animal license and raising an airway bill for your cat to enter the country. Let me know if you need advice with the shipment. There are a few companies that are half decent.

Good luck

We just went through this process back in January and the wife handled it all. It can be overwhelming but if you stick to Ratpick's advice then that will be the bulk of the work. After that I would recommend writing out a calendar to have everything timed correctly with vet appointments etc then it's smooth sailing once the pet is on the ground.