Paws Across America: Traveling the USA with Our Corgi
- Christopher Gregory
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Your Ultimate Guide: Visit America with a pet Corgi, from initial plan to the actual one month trip.
Introduction & Disclaimer
This is a personal account of our journey bringing Luna, our 1 year 10-month-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi, from Singapore to the USA for a one-month family holiday on
18 May – 16 June 2025. Instead of leaving her with friends or boarding facilities, we saw this as a valuable opportunity to experience international travel with a pet.
We opted not to engage a professional pet relocation service due to high costs. Instead, we navigated the entire process ourselves. Note that the breed, size, and weight of a dog
significantly affect travel options. Luna weighs 9.3kg - above the 7kg in-cabin weight limit on most airlines - so finding a carrier that met requirements while avoiding cargo travel was key.
Choosing the airline
After researching in January 2025, we discovered that United Airlines was the only carrier flying directly from Singapore to the USA (San Francisco) that allowed slightly larger pets in-cabin, provided they fit comfortably inside an airline-approved carrier.
Booking Luna’s pet ticket involved using United’s online chat support to share her breed, weight, and carrier dimensions. The round-trip fee was USD $300. Once confirmed, we began preparing the required documents and health checks.
Pet Carrier
We purchased a soft-sided, airline-approved pet carrier from Lazada that fit United’s cabin requirements. While Luna couldn’t stand upright in it, she could comfortably lie down and turn around. Once in the air, we were able to unzip the top to give her more ventilation and allow her to peek out.
Documents & Procedures - Before Departing Singapore
Here’s a breakdown of the essential documents and processes:
- Veterinary Health Certificate – Issued by a local veterinary clinic.
- Vaccination Records
- Core annual vaccines
- Rabies vaccination (administered on 10 Feb 2025)
- Rabies Serology Test (10 Mar 2025) – One month after the Rabies vacination
- We chose the FAVN test (~$598), which is widely accepted.
- Luna’s antibody level: 3.46 IU/ml (Singapore AVS requires ≥0.5 IU/ml)
- Serology Report – Either RFFIT (~$200) or FAVN is accepted by NParks.
- USA CDC Dog Import Form – Submitted online 10 days before departure.
- Export License – Applied via NParks/AVS on 24 Apr 2025.
- Screwworm-Free Certificate – Issued within 5 days of departure by a licensed vet.
- NParks/AVS Endorsement – All documents endorsed online.
- US Vet Appointment (for return) – Pre-arranged in San Francisco for Form A-4 /050824.
Tip: Print multiple hard copies of all documents.
Departure Day – 18 May 2025
We checked in 3 hours before the flight. Luna was well-exercised that morning to help her stay calm. At Changi Airport, her documents were reviewed, the carrier tagged, and we passed through immigration smoothly. Interestingly, no one asked to see her export license. The 16-hour flight to San Francisco went better than expected. Upon arrival, we were directed to the live animal inspection area where all documents were checked and approved.
Note: Luna’s 4 weeks supply of kibble was almost confiscated, as the packaging was opened. US regulations stipulate that dog’s food must come in their original packing and not opened but the officer kindly allowed it through.
Accommodation – Pet-Friendly Hotels
Using Booking.com, we filtered for pet-friendly hotels, which typically means dog-friendly
(most do not accept cats). Prices varied from free to US$50 per night; on the average we paid US$30/night extra for Luna. At hotel check-in, we have to sign an agreement to take full responsibility for Luna and promising not to leave her alone in the room.
Traveling Across the USA with Luna
We were pleasantly surprised by the USA's pet-friendliness. Restaurants and shopping malls - even those marked “No Pets” - welcomed Luna after confirming with staff. Service dogs are universally accepted.
We rented a car and visited:
- Yosemite National Park- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Redwood Forest
- Seattle, Portland & San Francisco
In cities like San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, public transportation allowed Luna onboard. Seattle stood out for its dog-friendly amenities - free poop bags, welcoming staff, and even pet-friendly workplaces.
Luna enjoyed meeting new people and dogs throughout our trip!
Preparing for Return to Singapore
We returned to San Francisco on 8 June and took Luna to a pre-booked vet appointment on 9 June. The vet completed NParks Form A-4 /050824 and submitted it to the CDC for endorsement using an express 3-day service (processed in Minnesota).
The endorsed documents were delivered to our hotel by 12 June, in time for our 14 June flight. Cost of US vet visit: US$494.
"Fun fact: Luna’s coat became shinier and softer thanks to the cool, dry US climate"!
Documents for Re-entry to Singapore
The following documents were required to bring Luna back into Singapore:
- Vaccination Certificate (core + rabies)
- Serology Report
- Veterinary Health Certificate (Form A-4 /050824 endorsed by CDC)
- Dog License
- Import License (via NParks eServices; apply 10+ days before arrival)
- AVS inspection appointment (aligned with flight arrival)
Note: No US export license from CDC was required.
Updated 5 July 2025 The entire process was surprisingly straightforward and stress-free. On our return to Singapore, Luna was handed to Changi Animal & Plant Quarantine (CAPQ) for inspection with all the required documents. In our case, the officer reviewed Luna’s vaccination records and confirmed her rabies antibody levels were sufficient — so no quarantine was needed.
Total Cost for Luna Travel
Rabies Serology Test $600
USA vet check $640
Health check/ Rabis vacillation Singapore $150
Hotels $1,100
Airline $400
Total cost to bring Luna is approximately S$2,890
Author: Christopher Gregory
Featured in Dogs Singapore Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AvkwT3JSK/
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