Bringing a dog from Korea to America is surprisingly straightforward — and we are sharing every single step so your experience is as smooth as ours was.

Bringing a dog from Korea to America is much easier than bringing a dog from America to Korea.

Here is what you have to do, We left from Gimhae but I imagine everything is the same through Seoul.

1st. When you book your airline ticket, make sure your airline allows dogs in the cabin, that is if your dog is small enough. I know as of right now, Korean Air, Delta and Air Canada allow them. Call the airline before you book your ticket and make sure there is room for your dog on your specific flight that you have found (they only allow a certain amount per flight). Then, book your ticket. Call back and pay fr your animal’s reservation. (Some airlines have you pay when you get to the airport, but you still have to reserve their spot)

2nd. Make sure your dog is up to date on all their vaccinations. They have to have their rabies shot at least 30 days before you travel. We also had Eunee microchipped.

3rd. Have your vet fill out two forms. One is a health certificate basically stating their color, breed, weight, sex, and that they are healthy. The second form is a rabies certificate. It has all the same information but also includes their rabies vaccination number and if the culture was live etc. BRING 2 COPIES SIGNED BY YOUR VET

4th. On the day of your departure, before you check in, bring your pet and their forms to the quarantine office. It is located on the 1st floor, in the back left corner of the airport in the International Terminal. They open at 9 am, but saw us at 8:30.

The man who helped us spoke great English and filled out all of her forms. They typed up 2 forms for us, one original and one copy. We paid 11,000 won and that was it.

When we arrived in Japan for our layover, a lady brought us through customs and made a copy of her paperwork and that was it.

When we entered US customs, they just asked if she had all her shots and let us through. The Toronto Airport was super nice and no one complained when we had Eunee out of her cage and on our laps for the layover. (she was a little sketched out)

It was incredibly smooth and easy.

We did bring her cage twice into the bathrooms on the plane and gave her water. I also unzipped her cage a few times and gave her an ice cube to chew on. She was incredibly mellow and honestly it was super easy to bring her to the states.

If you are reading this and still have questions about transporting your pet, please do ask.

Q: What airlines allow dogs in the cabin from South Korea? A: At the time of our travel Korean Air Delta and Air Canada all permitted small dogs in the cabin. Always call the airline directly before booking to confirm their current pet policy and to check availability on your specific flight as airlines limit the number of animals per flight. Reserve your pet’s spot immediately after booking your own ticket and confirm the pet fee which varies by airline.

Q: What documents do you need to fly a dog from Korea to the US? A: You need two documents both signed by your vet — a health certificate stating your dog’s color breed weight sex and general health status and a rabies certificate including the vaccination number and live culture details. Bring two signed copies of each. Your dog must also have their rabies vaccination at least 30 days before travel and we strongly recommend microchipping before departure.

Q: Where is the quarantine office at Gimhae Airport in Busan? A: The quarantine office is located on the first floor in the back left corner of the international terminal at Gimhae Airport. Official hours begin at 9am but they assisted us at 8:30. The staff member we worked with spoke excellent English completed all the paperwork for us and the total cost was 11,000 won — one of the most affordable parts of the entire process.

Q: How do you keep a dog calm on a long international flight? A: Eunee was remarkably calm throughout our journey which we attribute partly to her temperament and partly to keeping her comfortable and hydrated. We brought her carrier into the airplane bathroom twice to offer water and gave her ice cubes to chew on periodically through the mesh of her carrier. Having her directly under the seat in front of us meant she could hear and smell us throughout the flight which helped enormously.

Q: What happens at US customs when you arrive with a dog from Korea? A: Our experience at US customs was completely straightforward — the officer asked whether Eunee had all her vaccinations we confirmed she did and we were waved through without further inspection. Having all documentation organized and readily accessible is essential but the actual crossing was far less complicated than we anticipated after all the preparation involved.