The Tap Air Portugal pet policy for 2023 includes various options for flying with dogs or cats in the cabin and hold of the plane. The cost of flying a pet with Tap Air Portugal varies depending on your destination, and whether your cat or dog will travel in the cabin or cargo hold. Tap Air Portugal accepts trained Assistance & Service Dogs to fly in the cabin free of charge, but Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) must fly under the standard pet travel policy. You can also check out pet travel reviews for Tap Air Portugal, or leave a review if you’ve flown your cat or dog with Tap Air. Read on for the full Tap Air Portugal pet policy 2023.
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booking process was made easier since 2022 as pets can be booked online, alongside your booking.
Have travelled several times between London Heathrow and Lisbon - flight is smooth and staff does not tend to bother even if our dog stays outside the bag, on our laps.
Check in was simple, with the lady just having a quick look at our dogs in their carriers. Slightly more space under the seat in front for our dogs in their carriers, in comparison to other pet friendly airlines.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of contents
Dogs and cats in the cabin with Tap Air Portugal
| Dogs & Cats in the Cabin of the Plane | ✅ |
| Dogs & Cats flying as Checked In Baggage | ✅ |
| Pets flying in Cargo Hold | ✅ |
| Assistance Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Psychiatric Service Dogs in Cabin | ✅ |
| Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Cabin | ❌ |
Dogs and cats in the cabin are accepted by Tap Air Portugal in their travel bag, up to a combined weight of 8kg. Other types of animals are not permitted to fly in the cabin.
The travel bag or kennel must meet Tap Air Portugal’s specifications as outlined in their pet travel policy. On the flight, the travel bag will be stowed underneath the seat in front of you, you can’t remove your cat or dog during the flight for safety reasons.
Cost of flying a pet in cabin with Tap Air Portugal
The pet in cabin fees are:
- €35 for internal Portuguese flights
- €70 for Europe and Morocco
- €150 intercontinental flights
Dogs and cats in the hold
In the hold, dogs and cats up to 45kg can be transported within a kennel. Although this is reduced to 32kg for flights to, from, or stopping over in the USA, France, Hungary and the Netherlands.
Any pet weighing over 8kg and up to 45kg can travel in the hold in a flight friendly kennel. However, Although the maximum permitted weight of your dog and kennel is reduced to 32kg for flights to, from, or stopping over in:
- the USA
- France
- Hungary
- Netherlands
Note that Tap Air Portugal no longer accepts reservations to carry brachycephalic animals in the hold, ie. snub-nosed dogs or cats. This restriction is a due to respiratory limitations that these pets could encounter in the hold of a plane, which could ultimately put their lives at risk.
Tap Air Portugal’s hold is a heated environment with climate and pressure control, to enable your dog to travel as comfortably as possible. For the safety of your dog, the kennel must meet the legal requirements of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Also, if the pet kennel has wheels, make sure that the wheels can be dismantled or locked before travel so that the kennel is not able to roll around in the hold.
Cost of flying a pet in the hold with Tap Air Portugal
To transport your pet in the hold if they weigh up to 32kg, the fees are:
- €80 for internal Portuguese flights
- €120 for Europe and Morocco
- €230 intercontinental flights
For pets and their kennels weighing over 32kg and up to a maximum of 45kg, the following fees apply:
- €130 for internal Portuguese flights
- €230 for Europe and Morocco
- €300 intercontinental flights
Tap Air Portugal Non-permitted dog and cat breeds
Tap Air Portugal’s dog and cat policy stipulates that the following breeds may not travel in the hold. If they weigh less than 8kg, together with their carry bag, they are allowed to travel in the cabin of the plane:
- Affenpinscher
- American Bully
- American Pit Bull Terrier / Pit Bull
- American Staffordshire Terrier / “Amstaff”
- Boston Terrier
- Boxer
- Brussels Griffon
- Bulldog (all types)
- Cavalier King Charles
- Chow Chow
- Shih-Tzu
- English Toy Spaniel / Prince Charles Spaniel
- Japanese Chin / Japanese Spaniel
- Lhasa Apso
- Mastiff (all types)
- Pekingese
- Shar Pei / Chinese Shar Pei
- Pug (all types)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier / “Staffies”
- Tibetan Spaniel
- Chihuahua
- Burmese
- Exotic
- Himalayan
- Persian
- Scottish Fold
Tap Air Portugal Assistance & Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
If you’re travelling with a trained and registered Assistance or Service Dog, they can fly with you free of charge in the cabin on your Tap Air Portugal flight. It’s advisable to book in advance as Tap Air Portugal may need to limit the number of dogs that they can permit in the cabin. Psychiatric Service Dogs with proof of registration and training are also welcomed in the cabin, at no cost.
As Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are not trained to perform a specific task for their owner, they can’t fly under the Tap Air Portugal Assistance & Service Dog policy. ESAs must travel under the standard pet policy.
Excluded Routes
Only registered Assistance & Service Dogs, with the appropriate paperwork, are transported to the UK, and only in the cabin. All other pets can only be transported out of the UK with Tap Air Portugal, except from London Gatwick – pets can’t depart from this airport or Dublin, Ireland with Tap Air either in the cabin nor as checked baggage.
If you’re travelling with your pet to countries outside of the EU, you should contact the Veterinary Directorate-General by email so that your pet travel documentation can be checked in advance by veterinary control. This must be done before travel, and up to a maximum of 48 hours prior to departure of your Tap Air Portugal flight.
If your pet does not comply with established health rules, its entry into the country may be refused. This requirement applies whenever you travel with your pet from countries outside the European Union (excluding Switzerland, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Vatican City State).
Booking Process
You must book your pet on board as soon as possible, to ensure that Tap Air Portugal can meet your request, although you can arrange for your pet to travel up to 24 hours before the flight departure.
Reservations for animals cannot be made online when booking your own flight, therefore you have to call on (+351) 21 843 11 00.
If Tap Air Portugal doesn’t suit your requirements, check out the pet travel regulations for other airlines. You can also learn about flying in mainland Europe with a pet. If you are travelling with more than one cat or dog, read up on flying with multiple pets.
Always protect your pet against vector-borne diseases in a foreign country, and remember to leave a review if you fly your pet with Tap Air Portugal!
