Get the dog or cat’s entry certificate checked as well as the airline’s carriage approval. The airline decides whether it will carry the animal. Incheon Airport’s current dog-and-cat entry guide says an arriving dog or cat also needs a quarantine certificate issued by the exporting country’s responsible government agency, a declaration, and animal-quarantine review before customs.
Confirm the certificate before departure
Ask the relevant quarantine authority to confirm the current requirements for the animal, departure country, route, and certificate. Check the animal identity and travel details on the document against the booking before relying on the airline approval.
The airport’s animal-quarantine page also lists a certificate issued when departing Korea as a possible document for a returning dog or cat. That line does not establish that every returning animal or route qualifies. Confirm the actual case with the authority rather than treating an old Korean certificate as automatic clearance.
For the airline side, use the separate pet-approval guide to check carriage and payment. A completed airline step does not replace the government certificate or arrival review.
Keep three results separate
- Carriage accepted: the operating airline has accepted the animal under its route and transport rules.
- Arrival declared: the traveler has completed the animal-quarantine section of the baggage declaration for the arriving dog or cat.
- Quarantine reviewed: the certificate has been submitted to the animal-quarantine officer before customs, and the authority has determined the next step.
Keep the issued certificate, airline animal record, declaration copy if available, and any authority response together. None of those records alone proves that every later checkpoint is complete.
Stop if the certificate is missing or does not match
The airport guide says a dog or cat without the quarantine certificate is subject to return, while a certificate that does not meet the conditions may lead to detention. If already at arrivals, tell the animal-quarantine officer about the missing or mismatched certificate before passing customs and present the documents you have. Follow the authority’s handling; an airline receipt cannot resolve the certificate problem.
Before travel, contact the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency’s Incheon Airport Regional Office about the exact certificate for your case and terminal: the current airport page lists 032-740-2671 for Terminal 1 and 032-740-2007 or 032-740-2021 for Terminal 2 animal and livestock-product inquiries. These numbers do not guarantee English handling, approval, or a particular case result.
Incheon Airport’s current pet-entry and animal-quarantine pages checked October 6, 2026 KST. Reconfirm the animal, country, route, certificate, and operating airline before departure.