Relocating Your Family to Malaysia 

You’ll know that relocating to another country has its challenges and can be grey-hair inducing. Add an animal or two into the mix, and your anxiety levels could be through the roof. At PetAir, they understand that these furry animals are very much part of your family, and will help guide you through the process with ease. Remember it’s something that they do all day, every day. PetAir has fine-tuned their services to accommodate both you and your animals and take the stress out of travelling. 

What is the process?

We firstly recommend that you give yourself ample time to ensure the smooth running of your relocation. Please start the process as soon as you have your relocation confirmed because it can take a few months. There can be unplanned setbacks or delays with vaccination requirements, animal illness or administration errors.

Recruit PetAir

The rules and regulations surrounding pet importation are often changing. You can breathe easily with PetAir. They have fully trained experts that understand the importance of your pets and the ever-changing landscape. They will make sure that your pets meet the import requirements. Each pet must be fully vaccinated and be at least three months old. 

Banned breeds

The government has specific guidelines that you must follow. The criteria to import dogs are strict.

The following dogs appear on the restricted list:

• Bull Mastiff 
• Bull Terrier 
• Doberman 
• German Shepherd (Alsatian) or Belgian Shepherd and East European Shepherd
• Perro de Presa Canario 
• Rottweiler

If your dog appears on this list, then written approval from the Director of State Veterinary Services is required. PetAir will liaise with the department on your behalf and provide the following documentation: 

• Importer name and telephone number
• Breed, age and sex of the dog
• 15-digit microchip identification number
• Country of origin
• Pedigree certification (this must also include the microchip identification number)
• Pet certificate and vaccination records
• New residential address of the dog in Malaysia

Sadly, there are several breeds of dog that are banned, including:

• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Pit Bull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• American Bulldog
• American Pit Bull
• Pit Bull
• Akita
• Fila Brasileiro
• Japanese Tosa
• Dogo Argentino
• Neopolitan Mastiff

Vaccinations

It’s essential to ensure that your pets have all of the relevant vaccinations within the stipulated times.

Dogs

• Leptospirosis
• Parvovirus (DHLPP)
• Hepatitis
• Parainfluenza
• Distemper

Cats

• Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis
• Calicivirus
• Panleukopenia (FVRCP)

All of these vaccinations should be administered no less than two weeks before your export date and must be valid.

Rabies Vaccine and Certificate

Cats and dogs must be vaccinated against rabies. Your veterinary surgeon will provide you with a certificate that states the microchip number, the validity of the vaccination, and the date of inoculation. Rabies vaccines are valid for one, two or three years. The vaccine must be the inactivated variety. The vaccine must be administered between 30 days and 12 months before your pet’s flight into Malaysia. You do not require a titre  test. 

Microchip

The authorities will only identify your pets with a microchip and the corresponding vet stamped pet passport. A microchip is an integrated identification circuit placed under the skin of your pet. The rice grain size chip uses passive radio-frequency identification technology. It must be implanted before the rabies vaccination is administered. The Malaysian government accepts microchips that comply with  ISO Standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO standard 11785.

Import Permit

PetAir will provide you with the necessary import permit that is required to allow your pets into Malaysia. Each of your pets will require this import permit from the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Service Department (MAQIS). The team will provide you with the exact requirements for your country of origin.

Important Information 

• Confirmation of the quarantine booking is required to obtain an import permit unless you are importing your pet from a quarantine-exclusion country 
• Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Service Department will only permit your PetAir agent to apply for the import permit. You will need to submit to them the required paperwork from the export country ** days in advance
• Be attention when planning your flights into Malaysia. Any pets not cleared to arrive into quarantine before 19.00 must stay overnight in the airport holding facilities. This is at your cost, and the time is not deducted from the length of your pet’s overall quarantine stay

Veterinary Certification

You will need to send an official health certificate that states the name, age, description and microchip identification number of each pet within seven days of your flight. The microchip identification number is 15-digits long. Without this, the government will deny your pet entry into the country. 

 The health certificate must also include the following information before export:

• The animal has been examined and found to be healthy and free from any clinical sign of rabies and infectious or contagious diseases 
• The animal has been vaccinated against rabies using an approved anti-rabies vaccine
• The vaccination history and health status of your pet
• That your pet is healthy enough for air travel 

Make at least five copies of the certification and vaccination records for the following:

• Airline
• Pet travel crate
• Transit permit (if necessary)
• Malaysian quarantine
• One for you

Quarantine

Your pets will need to be quarantined at the airport into which they fly, which are located at Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Depending on your country of origin, your pets will generally need to be in quarantine for up to seven days. If your pets are from Australia, the quarantine period is 10 days. If you are travelling from Sabah, Ireland, Singapore, New Zealand, Brunei, Sweden, Japan and the UK, they will not need to be quarantined, but if you are coming from Thailand or Sarawak, the time is extended a little to 14 days.

Please note that due to high rates of bookings, your quarantine facilities need to be booked at least one and a half months in advance to secure air-conditioned units. PetAir will only accept bookings for air-conditioned quarantine to minimise any risk of sickness. 

The quarantine holding areas are empty, so you will need to provide bedding, food, water, litter and boxes, leads and possibly a floor covering such as newspaper.  You could even leave them something that smells of you to comfort them. 

 PetAir will be responsible for looking after your pets during quarantine. Owners are only allowed to visit the pets on the first and last day of quarantine in the presence of a Petair Staff. PetAir has at least one member of staff at the quarantine centre to care for your pets during working hours. Please feel free to provide PetAir with their favourite treats. 

Additional Information

There are no restrictions on the number of pets imported, but the local Malaysian authorities might have local regulations about the number of pets that can be kept in residential premises.

You are required to obtain all of the necessary permits that will allow you to import your pets into Malaysia. . Quarantine officers will not allow pets to enter the country if there are no import permits. 

The import permit is valid for  60 days from the date of issue.

We hope that this reassures you, but should you need more specific advice, please let the helpful team at PetAir help, they are all delighted to help you.