Planning a pet’s move to Costa Rica: check the whole journey before booking

An interview with Karina Fay, Co-Founder and International Pet Relocation Coordinator at Planet Pet Relocation.

Before booking your own flight, check whether the proposed journey works for your dog or cat. A pet’s measurements, the operating airline, connections and document deadlines can change the plan. Planet Pet Relocation explains how it coordinates those moving parts and why arrival arrangements deserve attention before departure.

This interview has been edited from written answers. It reflects the company’s international coordination experience, not a country-specific legal checklist or veterinary assessment. Official requirements and airline policies must be confirmed for the actual route and travel dates.

1. What should families establish before choosing travel dates?

Start with whether the journey is feasible for the individual pet. We ask about species, breed, age, weight and physical measurements, as well as origin, destination and approximate travel period. Those details can affect airline acceptance, kennel size and seasonal restrictions.

Next, establish how the pet will travel. Accompanying an owner in the cabin or as checked baggage is different from traveling independently as manifested live-animal cargo.

Before booking, check government requirements at origin, destination and any transit points; the operating airline’s rules; and the veterinary documents, treatments, certificates and endorsements that apply. Cargo journeys also require careful investigation of destination customs and airport clearance. Our role is to coordinate these elements into one plan.

2. How do you assess an airline and route?

There is no single best route for every pet. For live-animal cargo, we consider the animal’s characteristics, kennel dimensions, season, airline restrictions, aircraft limitations, connections and the airline’s experience transporting animals.

A route suitable for one dog may not work for another. The shortest itinerary is not automatically the best, and every connection adds another handling point to evaluate.

Confirm current temperature and seasonal restrictions with the operating airline. For in-cabin or checked-baggage travel, owners should speak with the airline’s passenger department. Choose the route around the pet and the complete journey, rather than choosing a flight first and trying to make the pet fit it.

3. How do government requirements differ from airline policies?

Governments set the conditions for leaving, transiting through or entering a country. Airlines set their own conditions for transporting the animal. Meeting import requirements does not automatically secure airline acceptance.

We work through the chain: origin requirements, airline requirements, transit rules where applicable, destination requirements, and arrival and clearance arrangements. Veterinary-document timing must fit that chain, including any validity periods and airline documentation windows.

Check current rules with the responsible government authorities and the operating airline. For Costa Rica’s regulatory, customs and airport procedures, we work with local specialists and defer to the relevant Costa Rican authorities. Our international coordination role is distinct from destination-specific official authority.

4. What should families check about the travel kennel and preparation?

Incorrect kennel sizing is a common problem. Measure the pet and check the transporting airline’s requirements before buying a kennel. A carrier that looks comfortable at home may not meet airline acceptance rules.

Introduce the chosen kennel well before travel, where possible, so it becomes familiar rather than something new on departure day.

Medical fitness to travel, health conditions, anxiety requiring medical assessment and medication belong with the treating veterinarian. A relocation coordinator manages logistics; veterinary decisions remain with the veterinarian.

5. What responsibilities and contingencies need to be clear?

Identify who handles veterinary preparation, government documents, export procedures, airport acceptance, airline transport, transit handling, destination clearance and final delivery. Understand the associated costs and what changes to the itinerary could mean.

Handoffs are especially important. Our work connects owners, veterinarians, airlines, origin specialists and destination partners in the required sequence.

If a flight changes or a document needs correction, assess the effect on the whole journey before proceeding. A new date may affect document validity, reservations, airport arrangements and destination services. It is one interconnected relocation, not a collection of unrelated bookings.

6. What are your three checks before committing to a booking?

First, confirm that the pet and required kennel are acceptable on the proposed airline and route.

Second, confirm government, veterinary and airline documentation requirements, including timing.

Third, confirm what happens at destination, including any customs or airport handling and who will receive and clear the pet.

We prefer to point readers to real cases on our company’s Instagram account rather than invent an example. Our relocations have involved changes prompted by kennel size, airline restrictions, seasonal limitations and destination procedures. The central lesson is to plan from beginning to end before booking transportation.

About Karina Fay

Karina Fay is Co-Founder and International Pet Relocation Coordinator at Planet Pet Relocation and a company spokesperson for international pet relocation matters. The company coordinates international pet journeys across Central America and worldwide through origin and destination partners. Its service description is supplied by the company and is not an independent accreditation or guarantee of a particular journey.

Website: Planet Pet Relocation website
Instagram: Planet Pet Relocation on Instagram
Facebook: Planet Pet Relocation on Facebook

Editor’s planning links

For departures from the United States, consult USDA APHIS’s Costa Rica pet-travel guidance: USDA APHIS: pet travel from the US to Costa Rica
For general airline preparation, see IATA’s Traveling with Pets information: IATA: Traveling with Pets
These links do not replace route-specific confirmation with authorities, the airline and the treating veterinarian.

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