Last Updated: 17th July 2026
Written by Shaun, Managing Director and co-founder of Departure Pets – with lifelong experience in animal care and formal qualifications in animal handling and behaviour.
Flat-faced breeds are one of the most specialised areas of domestic pet travel. With the right preparation and documentation, an interstate move for a snub-nosed dog or cat can be arranged safely. Here is what to know before you plan your move within Australia.
Key Takeaways
- Brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds are a specialist case for air travel and need their own assessment before any interstate flight is arranged.
- A BOAS examination completed within 60 days of travel is required for brachycephalic pets, with the certificate presented to airline staff at lodgement.
- The minimum age for brachycephalic breeds is 12 weeks. Non-brachycephalic pets can travel from 8 weeks, depending on the route and documentation.
- These breeds need an IATA airline-approved PP travel crate, sized one level up from standard, for extra airflow. Your consultant confirms the exact crate before travel.
- Temperature is the main risk, so flights are scheduled around the forecast for your travel day and the specific requirements of your airline.
- Virgin Australia and Qantas each apply their own protocols for brachycephalic travel, including meet and greet services and flight restrictions. See the airline-specific section below for details.
What is a brachycephalic breed?
Brachycephalic, or snub-nosed, breeds are dogs and cats with a shortened skull and a flat face, such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and Persian cats, etc. Their distinctive look comes from a compressed airway, and that anatomy is exactly what calls for a little extra planning when they fly. If you are not sure whether your pet falls into this group, the full breed list is further down this page, and you can always get in touch with our brachycephalic pet travel team to check if your pet breed isn’t listed.
Why do snub-nosed pets need extra care when flying interstate?
The shortened airways common to these breeds can make breathing harder, particularly when a pet is warm, stressed, or in an unfamiliar environment. This is often referred to as Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). Air travel naturally involves a change of environment, so airlines and pet travel specialists treat these breeds differently from longer-nosed pets. The aim is straightforward, to confirm your pet is healthy enough to fly comfortably before any travel is arranged.
Learn more about BOAS assessments for brachycephalic pet travel.
What does Departure Pets require for domestic brachycephalic dog & cat travel?
Because of the added risk, Departure Pets transports brachycephalic pets at the owner’s risk, with the right documentation in place. The key requirement is a BOAS examination carried out by a registered veterinarian within 60 days of the flight. This is a specific assessment of your pet’s airways and overall fitness for air travel, and the certificate needs to be presented to airline staff as a physical copy at the time of lodgement.
It is worth knowing in advance that if a pet does not pass this examination and is deemed not fit for air travel, a re-booking or cancellation fee may apply. The outcome of the vet’s assessment is outside Departure Pets’ control, so it helps to arrange the examination early and talk through the timing with your consultant.
What is a BOAS Examination?
A BOAS examination is a veterinary assessment used to evaluate whether a brachycephalic (short-nosed) dog is fit to travel safely by air.
BOAS stands for Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, a condition that affects the upper airway of flat-faced breeds and can make breathing more difficult, particularly during stress, exercise, or warm weather.
During the examination, a veterinarian will assess:
- The pet’s breathing at rest.
- Breathing after light exercise (if appropriate).
- Any signs of respiratory distress, such as noisy breathing, excessive panting, coughing, or gagging.
- Nostril size (stenotic nares).
- Overall fitness and body condition.
- Whether the pet can safely tolerate the conditions associated with air travel.
If the veterinarian is satisfied that the pet is fit to fly, they will complete a BOAS Certificate, which airlines require for many brachycephalic breeds before accepting them for transport.
Which airlines transport brachycephalic dog and cat breeds interstate?
For domestic interstate travel within Australia, Departure Pets works with both Qantas and Virgin Australia, and each airline has its own approach to transporting brachycephalic breeds. Brachycephalic travel is also restricted to certain ports, so your consultant will confirm which routes are available in Australia for your pet. Airlines do not accept direct bookings for pet travel, which is one of the reasons these moves are arranged through a specialist.
Airline-specific requirements for brachycephalic pet travel
Virgin Australia and Qantas each apply their own protocols for brachycephalic pets and brachycephalic cross-breeds, without exception. Your Departure Pets consultant will confirm exactly what applies to your pet’s breed, route and port, but here’s an overview of what to expect from each airline.
Additional handling requirements for brachycephalic pets
For many brachycephalic relocations, an extra layer of support is arranged on the day of travel called a Meet and Greet. This means a Departure Pets team member personally attends the airport to assist with your pet at check-in (lodgement), pick-up (release), or both, rather than your pet moving through the airline’s standard cargo process alone.
Given the added sensitivity around flat-faced breeds, some airports and airlines require this hands-on presence as standard practice for brachycephalic travel. Where a Meet and Greet applies to your pet’s route, it will be included in your quote and confirmed with you during the booking process.
Virgin Australia
- BOAS veterinary clearance: required for all brachycephalic pets and cross-breeds. The assessment must be completed within 60 days of travel by an Australian-registered veterinarian, and travel cannot be arranged without it.
- Meet and greet: required at both check-in (lodgement) and release for every brachycephalic move with Virgin.
- Lodgement (Check-in): Where your pet is checked in with the airline at the departure airport before their flight.
- Release (Pick-up): Where your pet is collected from the airline at the arrival airport after landing.
- Flight structure: Virgin permits one direct flight sector per day for brachycephalic pets. Multi-sector itineraries are not available.
- Approved departure times: outside of 1 May to 31 August, flights need to depart before 9am or after 6pm. If a morning departure is selected, two flight options before 9am need to be available, so there’s a same-day alternative if the first is disrupted. Where two valid morning options aren’t available, Departure Pets will quote Qantas instead, as a backup option.
- Virgin Age limit for Brachy pets: Minimum 12 weeks of age for brachy transport and maximum 7 years of age
Qantas
- BOAS veterinary clearance: required for purebred brachycephalic pets, completed within 60 days of travel. This can be completed by an Australian or international veterinarian. Brachycephalic cross-breeds are exempt from this requirement.
- Flight structure: Qantas allows multiple flight sectors per day for brachycephalic pets.
- Weather embargo: Qantas applies an extreme weather embargo and won’t fly pets when the forecast is below 5°C or above 35°C on the day of travel. This can affect same-day connections and travel during peak summer or winter periods.
- Meet & Greet Services Qantas: Some airports require a Departure Pets team member to personally assist with your pet’s check-in (lodgement) and/or pick-up (release).
- Qantas Age limit for Brachy pets: Minimum 12 weeks of age, no maximum age.
Meet & Greet is required:
- At check-in for pets departing from selected Australian airports (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston and Townsville)
- At pick-up for pets arriving into Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.
- For purebred brachycephalic (snub-nosed) breeds, Meet & Greet is required at both check-in and pick-up regardless of the airport.
- If a Meet & Greet service is required for your pet’s journey, we’ll include it in your quote and advise you during the booking process.
How does weather affect brachycephalic travel?
Temperature is the main consideration for snub-nosed breeds, at both ends of the scale. Rather than applying fixed seasonal dates, airline temperature restrictions are assessed against the forecast for your actual travel day, so flights are typically planned around the cooler or milder parts of the day depending on the season. On the day itself, the airline’s cargo team carries out the final weather assessment and decides whether conditions are suitable for travel. Your Departure Pets consultant coordinates directly with the airline, and with you, to manage any change.
Learn more about how cold weather affects pet air travel in Australia
What travel crate does my brachycephalic pet need?
Brachycephalic pets travel in an IATA airline-approved PP travel crate (the Northern Hemisphere equivalent is a BB crate), usually sized up a level from a standard crate to allow extra airflow and room. Exact crate requirements vary by airline, so your consultant will confirm the right size and what can safely go inside before travel. Loose items such as toys, beds and harnesses are not permitted, though a thin blanket or towel laid flat on the base is fine.
Brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic breeds
The table below covers the purebred brachycephalic breeds that require a BOAS assessment, alongside examples of longer-nosed breeds that generally travel under standard rules.
| Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) breeds – BOAS assessment required | Examples of non-brachycephalic breeds – standard travel rules apply |
|---|---|
| Dogs
Affenpinscher Cats Exotic Shorthair |
Dogs (examples)
Labrador Retriever Cats (examples) Domestic Shorthair |
** Please note: Neapolitan Mastiffs are considered a ‘giant breed’ and often too large for transport when fully grown. Pet transport for Neapolitan Mastiffs is often limited to puppies 12 weeks to 6 months old but it is dependent on animal weight and dimensions at the time of booking.
Cross breeds are assessed individually. The non-brachycephalic column shows examples only and is not a complete list.
If your breed is not listed here, please contact us and we’ll confirm how it is classified for travel.
Planning your pet’s interstate move
If you are arranging a move within Australia, our domestic travel page walks through how interstate pet transport works from start to finish. Relocating your brachycephalic pet overseas instead? Our international brachy pet travel page covers pet transport from Australia.
Moving with the Defence Force is its own process, and our ADF and Defence member pet transport page is the best place to start. You can also read what our customers are saying about their experience.
When you’re ready, request a domestic pet transport quote and we’ll match you with the right specialist team to organise your brachycephalic pet transport.
Brachycephalic Pet Travel FAQs
- Can my brachycephalic dog or cat fly interstate?
In many cases, yes. These breeds can travel domestically provided they pass a BOAS assessment and meet the airline and route requirements. Travel is arranged at the owner’s risk with the required documentation in place, and your Departure Pets consultant will confirm what’s suitable for your pet’s breed and route. Learn more about The Pet Check-In Process for Domestic Pet Travel within Australia and the Do’s and Don’ts of Pet Travel. - What is a BOAS assessment and when do I need it?
A BOAS examination is a veterinary assessment used to evaluate whether a brachycephalic (short-nosed) dog is fit to travel safely by air. For brachycephalic breeds, it must be completed within 60 days of travel (current at time of publication), with the certificate presented as a physical copy at lodgement. Learn more about BOAS assessments for brachycephalic pet travel.
If your pet is completing Australian quarantine before an onward domestic flight, airline acceptance depends on where the assessment was done. Qantas is currently the only domestic airline accepting certificates from overseas vets not registered in Australia; Virgin Australia requires an Australian-registered vet’s signature. If this applies to you, check with your Departure Pets consultant before booking the assessment to avoid delays. - How old does my brachycephalic pet need to be to fly?
Brachycephalic breeds need to be a minimum of 12 weeks of age to travel. Non-brachycephalic pets can generally travel from 8 weeks, depending on the route and documentation. Your consultant will confirm the minimum age for your pet’s specific journey. - Does my brachycephalic pet need a special crate?
These breeds travel in an IATA airline-approved PP crate, usually sized up a level from standard to allow extra airflow. Crate requirements vary by airline, so your consultant will confirm the correct size and setup before travel. Only a thin blanket or towel is allowed inside, with no loose items. - What happens if my pet doesn’t pass the BOAS assessment?
If a pet is examined and deemed not fit for air travel, they won’t be able to fly, and a re-booking or cancellation fee may apply. The outcome of the examination is determined by the vet, so we recommend arranging it early and discussing timing with your brachy pet transport consultant so there’s room to plan if anything changes.
Airline policies, government regulations and industry requirements can change over time. This article reflects information current as of the date above. For the latest requirements specific to your pet’s journey, please contact your Departure Pets consultant.