Taking Emotional Support Animals on Planes [COMPLETE GUIDE]
Taking Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) on planes used to be a very straightforward process. However, recently, the rules and regulations for flying with emotional support animals have gotten much stricter. As of January 2021, unfortunately many airlines no longer recognise ESAs as service animals, meaning they may only fly under airlines standard pet policies.
This is because people seemed to abuse the simplicity of the process and over the past few years there have even been cases where passengers were accompanied by their pot-bellied pigs and miniature horses. One passenger even brought their peacock on board with them.
However, some airlines still permit emotional support animals on planes, with the correct paperwork. The following airlines still allow taking emotional support animals on planes:
In this article, we will discuss in detail the process of taking emotional support animals on planes and the rules and regulations of different airlines.
We’ve also included some travel tips, to ensure that the process is as stress-free as possible for you and your ESA.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What are Emotional Support Animals?
- What is the difference between an Emotional Support Animals and a Service Animals?
- What is the process of taking Emotional Support Animals on planes?
- What are airline requirements for taking an Emotional Support Animals on planes?
- Which airlines allow taking Emotional Support Animals on planes?
- Tips for taking Emotional Support Animals on planes
- What dog breeds work well as Emotional Support Animals?
- Do I need to pay to take my emotional support animal on planes?
- Can I take a large emotional support animal on planes with me?
- What animal’s are permitted as emotional support animals on planes?
- Can I take my emotional support animal on international flights?
What are Emotional Support Animals?
Emotional support animals (ESAs) are pets that are required for a person’s ongoing mental health treatment by a licensed therapist, psychologist, doctor (GP) or any licensed mental health professional. The ESA is there to bring comfort and minimise the negative symptoms the person’s emotional or psychological ‘disability’.
Unlike service animals, Emotional Support Animals do not need any specific task-training because their very presence alleviates the symptoms associated with a personal psychological or emotional disability. The only requirement is that the animal is fully under control in public and does not create a nuisance in or around the domestic environment.
It’s important to note that there is no official registry for ESAs, and no official certificate. Rather, in order to prove your animal is your ESA, you will need a letter from a credited medical health practitioner.
What’s the difference between an Emotional Support Animal and a Service Animal?
When considering to have your pet approved as your emotional support animal, it helps to understand what makes ESAs different from other types of “specialty” animals, most notably service and therapy animals.
In their most basic definition, ESAs are simply animals who provide their owners with therapeutic benefits. An ESA provides emotional support to their human through love and companionship. As anyone who has ever had a pet knows, animals have an incredible ability to connect with humans on a deep level. For many people, a beloved animal friend may be the first one a person goes to when they need someone to comfort them and talk to without judgement. This comes without the training that a service animal or therapy animal must go through.
Though they provide incredibly important services, emotional support animals are considered to be somewhere in between the realms of service or therapy animals and standard pets. So while they don’t generally get the same legal rights as service animals, they do get some.
What is the process of taking Emotional Support Animals on planes?
The process of taking emotional support animals on planes is as follows:
- Obtain a medical assessment letter / ESA letter
- Obtain your pet’s pet passport
- Book flights and inform your airline you will be bringing an Emotional Support Animal
- Complete sanitation form
Obtain a Medical Assessment Letter / ESA Letter
It’s important to know that you cannot officially ‘certify’ a pet as an Emotional Support Animal. There are no official certificates and no official registration database for Emotional Support Animals. In order to take Emotional Support Animals on planes, you will need an ESA letter, a letter from a medical health professional.
When taking Emotional Support Animals on planes, you do not require a certificate, just a ESA letter. This is a recommendation letter from a licensed medical professional stating your need for an ESA. Medical professionals include psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists or other duly-licensed and/or certified mental health professionals.
The letter should:
- Be legitimate—i.e. on professional letterhead and written by a qualified physician and/or mental health provider.
- Include the provider’s license number, as well as their signature and the date the letter was signed.
- Clearly explain your need for an emotional support animal.
If you don’t already have a mental health provider, you have two options:
- You can either make an appointment with one and get your letter that way, or;
- You can use an online ESA letter service, such as Emotional Pet Support, ESA Doctors, or CertaPet. Please note that these services will charge you, and you will need to complete a mental health evaluation before receiving your letter.
What qualifies you to own an emotional service animal?
Many people who suffer from a variety of illnesses, including mild to severe depression, phobias, PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks have found that companionship of an Emotional Support Animal alleviates symptoms, sometimes even when prescription medications failed or had adverse side effects.
To qualify for an ESA, a licensed medical health care professional will determine whether you have a disability and whether an ESA would help manage your symptoms. A “disability” for purposes of qualifying for an Emotional Support Dog means a mental health condition like depression or severe anxiety that substantially limits one or more major life activities, like the ability to study, work, travel or sleep.
Please note that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Emotional Support Animals are not considered Service Animals and are therefore not given the same rights and privileges. However, Emotional Support Animals have the right however to accompany their owners in many other instances, such as traveling with many airlines.
Obtain your Emotional Support Animal’s pet passport
In order to take Emotional Support animals on planes, they must have a pet passport.
The requirements for obtaining your Emotional Support Animal’s pet passport will differ depending on where you are travelling to and from, and the species of your pet. However it is likely that your pet will need the following:
- Microchip
- Rabies vaccination
- Animal health certificate
- Additional vaccinations
- Rabies titer test
- Parasite treatment
This is just a guide on what is required, please check the requirements for the specific country you and your ESA are visiting.
a) Microchipping your ESA.
Your Emotional Support Animal can get microchipped at your local vet or a charity, such as RSPCA.
Not only is it a requirement when getting a pet passport, it is in your best interest. If your ESA was to go missing whilst abroad, then you are far more likely to be reunited.
b) Rabies vaccinations.
If you want your take Emotional Support Animals on planes, it is mandatory that he/she has a valid rabies vaccination. This is a requirement for entering most countries.
Most countries require dogs to have their rabies vaccination between 30 days and 12 months prior to importing.
You can get your pet’s rabies vaccination at your local vet, alternatively some charities offer this service for free or for a discounted price.
c) Animal health certificate.
Most countries will require an official animal health certificate issued by an accredited veterinarian in order to export and import pets.
In most cases, your health certificate will also need to be endorsed by the country’s authority responsible for the import and export of animals. For example, if you are traveling from the US, you will need your documents endorsed by the USDA. If you are traveling from Canada, you will need to have your documents endorsed by CFIA.
d) Additional vaccinations.
Depending on where you are flying to, your ESA may also require additional vaccinations or treatments.
For example, Turkey requires that all dogs are vaccinated against parainfluenza, leptospirosis, parvovirus, bordetella, hepatitis and distemper before being allowed into the country.
e) Rabies titer test.
Some countries require pets to have a rabies titer test before entering. This is usually the case when you are traveling from a country that is considered high risk for rabies.
If your ESA requires a titer test the process is as follows:
- Your pet will have a blood sample taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination.
- Your vet will then send the blood sample to an approved blood testing laboratory.
- Your pet’s blood test results must show a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
- You must wait 3 months from the date the blood sample was taken before you travel.
- The vet will give you a copy of the test results.
f) Parasite treatment.
Many countries require that dogs are treated against internal and/or external parasites before entering. This includes treatment for tapeworm, fleas, ticks, nematodes and cestodes.
Book flights and inform your airline you will be bringing an Emotional Support Animal
Complete a Sanitation form
A sanitation form is required by some airlines, if your flight is over 8 hours long.
This form states that during the flight, your service animal or ESA will not defecate or urinate on a flight. Furthermore, the forms requires you to inform the airline how you’d go about dealing with a scenario in which they will need to defecate or urinate.
Check the airline policy of who you are flying with, to see if a sanitation form is required.
Airline requirements for taking Emotional Support Animals on planes?
a) Your ESA must usually be a dog.
Sadly for all the emotionally supportive hamsters and frogs out there, many airlines have tightened their rules regarding Emotional Support Animals on airplanes. Airlines said this was necessary because too many passengers were taking advantage of the free transport of ESAs. Furthermore, they said that the type of animals passengers claimed they needed with them on board for emotional support was getting out of hand. A number of people were claiming that they couldn’t fly without their turkey, peacock, pig, goat, spider or snake for support.
Therefore, the majority of airlines will now only accept dogs as emotional support animals on planes.
b) Your ESA must be an approved breed and size.
Not only must your Emotional Support Animal be a dog, it must be an approved breed. Different airlines have different policies on which breeds you can take on a flight, as an ESA.
Check the airline policy for who you are flying with, to ensure your dog’s breed is permitted to fly.
If you have a large dog, call your airline as soon as you have booked the tickets. Ask the airline to reserve the bulkhead so that your ESA can sit at your feet with more room. However, it’s important to note that not all airlines will allow you to reserve seats beforehand. In these cases, you will need to show up early to talk to the airline representative at the counter.
c) Your ESA must be well behaved and calm on the flight.
All airlines require your emotional service animal to be well behaved in public and calm on the plane. Your ESA won’t be permitted in the cabin if they display any form of disruptive behaviour that can’t be successfully corrected or controlled. This sort of behaviour includes (but isn’t limited to):
- Growling at others;
- Biting or attempting to bite others;
- Jumping on or lunging at others
If the airline observes any of this behaviour at any point during your journey, then you may be liable to pay the fees required to fly with a pet.
You may want to look into training your ESA, to ensure your experience is as pleasant as possible for you both.
d) You must have an ESA Letter.
As mentioned above, you will need an ESA letter from a medical health professional, stating that your animal is there to provide you with emotional support. For more information on this check the ESA letter section above.
e) Your ESA must have a pet passport.
It is important to note that both service and emotional support animals are subject to the same requirements when flying internationally as other animals of their species. This means you will need relevant documentation to show that your ESA is fit for travel.
A Pet Passport contains a record of the pet’s health and vaccinations. Additionally, it allows animals to travel without the need for quarantine. However, this is providing that they meet certain conditions, such as having the correct documentation, identification, vaccinations and treatments.
For more information on obtaining a pet passport, check the pet passport section above.
f) You may require a sanitation form.
A sanitation form is required by some airlines, if your flight is over 8 hours long. This form states that during the flight, your service animal or ESA will not defecate or urinate on a flight. Furthermore, the forms requires you to inform the airline how you’d go about dealing with a scenario in which they will need to defecate or urinate.
Check the airline policy of who you are flying with, to see if a sanitation form is required.
Which airlines allow taking Emotional Support Animals on Planes (IN CABIN)?
The rules and regulations for flying with a emotional support dog differ slightly between airlines. We will outline the different airline policies in detail below.
China Air’s policies for taking emotional support animals on planes, are as follows:
- Only dogs are accepted as emotional support animals on planes.
- The ESA dog should be able to fit on your lap or within the foot space of passengers on the aircraft.
- You must provide the following documents:
- Professional medical or mental certificate signed by the passenger’s physician or psychiatrist
- Service dogs declaration form
- ESA dogs must be well behaved and obey commands. If disruptive behavior is observed at any point during the journey and isn’t corrected or controlled, in the reasonable exercise of our discretion, China Air reserve the right to refuse carriage or to claim for any loss and damage caused by the service dogs.
- Emotional support dogs are only accepted free of charge in the cabin on the direct flights to/from the U.S.A. (including Guam). For other routes, emotional support animals are recognized as pets and need to be transported as checked baggage. You will have to pay for this.
- You must inform China Air at least 48 hours prior to departure, and passengers are obliged to meet the relevant animal transit and entry requirements with all the necessary documents.
- Your ESA dog must be vaccinated from rabies and must be free of pests and diseases that would endanger people or public health.
- Emotional support animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered or stayed in their travel carrier at all times.
- Passengers travelling with emotional support animal’s are not permitted to seat in the exit row, for safety reasons.
Latam Airlines’s policies for taking emotional support animals on planes, are as follows:
- Only dogs are accepted as emotional support animals on planes.
- You may only travel with one large ESA dog.
- Your ESA dog must be at least 4 months of age.
- Your dog must not show any signs of bad behavior (barking, growling, jumping on other passengers or relieving themselves in inappropriate areas) at any time during the trip. If they do, the airline will ask that you control your dog and/or take necessary hygiene measures (put on a muzzle, diaper, clean it, etc.).
- Your ESA dog can travel at your feet, under the seat in front of you, or on your lap if it’s smaller than a 2-year-old child.
- Your ESA dog is not permitted to occupy more than your space, block aisles, take up a seat or sit in the emergency exit.
- ESA dogs are only permitted to fly with you in the cabin on flights to or from Mexico, Colombia, and on domestic flights within Colombia. If you are planning on travelling on other routes, you can request to travel with your dog in the cabin or to transport it in the hold of the airplane, by contacting their pet service.
- You must fill out a request form at least 48 hours before your flight departure time via the Contact Form. This document is valid for 1 year from when your treating physician signed it. It can be used for all flights you take during that year. However, you must travel with all the original documents, since they may be requested at the airport or during the flight.
- Final approval to board will be given when you check-in at the airport. This is to ensure that you have met all the requirements and conditions (behavioral and size) needed to guarantee its safe transportation in the cabin of the airplane. If all the conditions are not met, then your dog must travel in the hold of the airplane, inside an appropriate carrier at no additional cost to you.
Singapore Air’s policies for taking emotional support animals on planes, are as follows:
- Only dogs are accepted as emotional support animals on planes.
- When flying with ESA dogs, they must sit on the cabin floor in front of the passenger seat, or on the your lap if they are no bigger than a 2 year old child.
- Your ESA dog is not allowed to obstruct the legroom of other customers, and must not block the aircraft aisle or emergency exit.
- Dogs must be at least 4 months of age.
- ESA Dogs must be trained to obey commands, behave appropriately, and must not pose a direct threat to the health and safety of other customers.
- A moisture absorbent material must also be placed on the cabin floor underneath your ESA dog at all times during the flight.
- ESA dogs must not occupy a seat.
- ESA dogs must be harnessed and leashed, or remain in a pet carrier at all times.
- You are required to have the following documentation:
- Import/transshipment/export permits (subject to country-specific regulations)
- Veterinary health certificate
- Rabies vaccination letter
- A completed acknowledgement form
- Signed statement from a licensed mental health professional no older than one year prior to your flight date stating:
- you have a mental or emotional disability recognised in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and is under his or her professional care
- you need the emotional support dog for air travel and/or for activities at your destination
- licence information of the mental health professional (issue date, licence type, and jurisdiction and state where it was issued)
- If your flight duration is over 8 hours, you will have to provide an additional document (sanitary form) to certify that your ESA will not need to relieve itself on the flight, or that it can do so in a way that does not create a health or sanitation issue on the flight.
- If your dog is one of the following breeds (including mixes), you must muzzle them and must provide additional documents regarding your dog’s behaviour:
- Akita
- Boerboel
- Bull Terrier
- Doberman Pinscher
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
- German Shepherd Dog, Belgian Shepherd Dog, East European Shepherd Dog
- Mastiffs, including Bull Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Cane Corso and Dogue De Bordeaux
- Perro De Presa Canario
- Pit Bull, including American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog
- Rottweiler
- Tosa
Virgin Australia’s policies for taking emotional support animals on planes, are as follows:
- Only dogs are accepted as emotional support animals on planes.
- ESAs must sit at your feet, without obstructing aisles and other passengers seats.
- ESAs are only permitted on board flights to and from the United States.
- You must request to travel with an emotional support animal on an international flight, prior to your flight. You will need to call their Guest Contact Centre.
- Your ESA dog must be harnessed at all times. It must also wear an identifying coat. Handlers must supply a suitable restraint or an approved in-cabin kennel for smaller Service Dogs in-flight.
- You must accompany your emotional support animal at all times at the airport and during the flight.
- If you are travelling on our international long haul services with a group of 10 or more Service Dogs, you must contact Virgin Australia at least 10 days before departure so that they can ensure your needs are met on board.
- Your dog must sit on an absorbant mat for the whole duration of the flight.
Volaris’ policies for taking emotional support animals on planes, are as follows:
- Only dogs are accepted as emotional support animals on planes.
- Flying with ESA dogs is permitted as long as they can be seated at your feet without protruding into the aisle, and without occupying the foot space of adjacent passengers. Animals are not permitted to occupy a seat.
- ESA dogs must behave properly in public and follow directions from its owner.
- You must check in at least 3 hours before your departure time if boarding a domestic flight, and at least 4 hours before an international flight. This is to ensure your ESA meets all conditions of flying.
- All ESA dogs must be harnessed and leashed at all times.
- You must confirm that your ESA dog doesn’t pose a threat to the health and safety of other and assumes full responsibility for the safety, well-being, and conduct of its dog.
- You must provide Volaris with the following documents at least 48 hours before your flight:
- Veterinarian health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian. This certificate must be (1) on a headed paper containing the license number of your veterinarian (2) the date of expedition must be less than 5 days from your flight date (3) must contain your full name and address (4) has to state that your ESA dog has been inspected before the trip and is clinically healthy.
- Vaccination card issued by a licensed veterinarian. The card must show that your ESA dog has had a rabies vaccination between 30 days and 1 year before your flight. It must also show that your dog has received anti-parasitic mediation within the last 6 months, from your flight.
- Headed letter filled by a licensed mental health professional. It must state (1) the license number of your mental health professional (2) that you have a mental or emotional disability (3) that you need your ESA dog (4) the date and type of the metal health professional license and the state in which it was issued (5) the date of the letter must be less than a year since the date of the flight.
- Brachycephalic dogs are not allowed to travel with Volaris.
Westjet’s policies for taking emotional support animals on planes, are as follows:
- Only dogs are accepted as emotional support animals on planes.
- ESA dogs are permitted on board, as long as the dog fits in the space by your feet. Emotional support dogs are not permitted in the emergency exit row on any aircraft or to occupy an empty seat.
- If you feel your emotional support dog requires additional floor space to ensure its comfort and safety on board, you should contact the airline at least 48 hours before your flight. You will need to inform them of your dog’s breed, weight, length, height and width. The airline will use this information in accordance with Canadian Transportation Agency’s requirements to determine the seating needs of your dog.
- You can fly with your ESA dog on your lap as long as they are no bigger than a 2 year old child.
- Only one ESA dog is allowed per guest.
- ESA dogs must be at least 4 months of age.
- The airline strongly recommends a form of restraint so your dog is always under your control (a harness and leash).
- Westjet strongly suggest that your ESA dog wears its identification (e.g. vest) at all times while on the aircraft.
- Any dog that poses as any type of threat to health and safety to crew members or other guests may be denied transport as an emotional support dog.
- Any dog that has not been trained to behave properly in a public setting (and therefore may cause a significant disruption to cabin service) may be denied transport as an emotional support dog.
- Westjet require the following forms are printed, completed, and emailed to SpecialCareDesk@westjet.com no later than 48 hours before you leave. The forms must be dated no more than one year before travel and kept with you while travelling
- Confirmation of animal training – to be signed by the owner/trainer of the dog.
- Medical/mental health professional – to include your medical professional’s license number, type of license, and jurisdiction in which the license was issued. Must be signed by your medical professional (e.g. psychiatrist, psychologist, or general practitioner).
- Veterinary health – to be signed by the dog’s veterinarian.
- Animals are not accepted on flights to or from:
- Bridgetown, Barbados
- Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica
- United Kingdom (Great Britain and Scotland) – only service animals are accepted, emotional support animals are not accepted.
Tips for taking Emotional Support Animals on planes
1. Train your ESA to stay calm.
Your ESA will need to stay calm on the flight otherwise they risk being sent into the cargo area of the plane.
2. Exhaust your ESA before the flight.
Try to exhaust your ESA a little by increasing the level of activity before your trip.
If you have a dog, take them out for longer walks or runs. A sleepy animal will be less prone to getting stressed out on the flight.
3. Limit access to food and water before the flight.
Limit your ESA’s access to food. Therefore, it’ll be less likely that they will need to ‘defecate or urinate’ on the flight.
Additionally, some dogs may experience motion sickness if they eat just before a flight. If you are flying in the morning, then feed them the night before.
4. Get your ESA used to it’s travel carrier.
5. Familiarise yourself with the airport that you are departing from and arriving to.
Most airports will have a dedicated area for pets and service animals to rest. It is actually a legal requirement that all U.S. airports have pet-relief areas available for working animals and pets to rest. Take some photos of the airport maps, so you don’t have to wander around on the day trying to find a resting place.
What dog breeds work well as Emotional Support Animals?
Any breed of dog could make a wonderful Emotional Support Animal. You can qualify for an ESA letter before or after adopting a dog. Unlike a Service Dog, Emotional Support Dogs do not need to be specially trained to perform tasks for their owners, they are intended instead to provide comfort and support to their owners through their companionship.
However, many airlines require that dogs are well behaved and well trained in order to fly in the cabin with their owners. It’s also important to note that many airlines will only allow small dogs to fly as emotional support animals on their planes. This is because they often must fit in the area by your feet. However, some airlines will allow larger dogs, as long as your inform them at least 48 hours before your flight. In these cases, they will need to reserve a special spot for you on the plane.
You will also want to consider how the dog may affect you. For example, if you have severe anxiety a canine that is hyperactive may not be the best choice, and you may want a dog that has more of a calming influence. Visit a number of canines and ask questions about different breeds until you find a dog that is right for you. It is important to find the right type of dog for you, and also to be able to provide the right type of environment for the dog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pay to take my emotional support animal on planes?
No. You will not need to pay to take your emotional support animal on planes. Of course this is as long as the airline you are flying with allow emotional support animals, and your ESA complies to all of the airlines regulations.
Can I take a large emotional support animal on planes with me?
This depends on which airline you are flying with. Most airlines will not allow large emotional support animals in their cabins as they will often need to sit in the space between your feet and not obstruct other passengers or isles. However, some airlines will allow larger dogs, as long as your inform them at least 48 hours before your flight. In these cases, they will need to reserve a special spot for you on the plane.
What animal's are permitted as emotional support animals on planes?
Usually, just dogs are permitted as emotional support animals on planes.
Can I take my emotional support animal on international flights?
You may be able to yes. This depends on which airline you are flying with as they all have different regulations. Singapore Air and China Air all allow ESAs on international flights.
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