Turkish Airlines Pet Policy: Flying With a Dog in 2026

Pets in the Cabin (PETC)

Turkish Airlines accepts cats, dogs and small songbirds (budgies and canaries) in the cabin. The pet and its carrier together must not exceed 8 kg, and the carrier can be at most 23 cm high, 30 cm wide and 40 cm long (Transport in the cabin). It must be a soft-sided bag with ventilation holes of at least 2.5 cm on at least three sides, zipped shut for the whole flight and stowed under the seat in front (Pets allowed on board).

• Window seats only for passengers with a pet in the cabin (not emergency-exit or bassinet rows)
• Two pets of the same species that are used to each other may share one carrier if the total stays within 8 kg
• Only one carrier per passenger in the cabin; a maximum of two carriers per passenger overall (the second goes in the hold)
• Flat-faced breeds such as Pugs and French Bulldogs can fly in the cabin within the 8 kg limit, but not in the hold

Booking and Fees

You can add a pet on the Turkish Airlines website or mobile app using your booking code (PNR). A reservation for a pet in the cabin or hold must be completed and confirmed at least six hours before the flight, and Turkish Airlines notes that even an approved request can be denied at the airport (Pets allowed on board). The number of pets per flight depends on the aircraft type; no fixed number is published.

Fees are charged on top of your ticket and vary by route. Rather than print a number that may be wrong for your trip, use the official pet fee calculator. A few rules from the terms and conditions worth knowing: free window-seat selection applies only if you pay for the pet when buying the ticket; the pet fee is not refunded if you change or cancel voluntarily, but is refunded automatically if the airline cancels or changes your flight.

Pets in the Hold (AVIH) and Banned Breeds

Pets that don't fit the cabin rules can travel in the hold in a hard-sided carrier with a lateral locking system. Per Turkish Airlines, the carrier with the pet must weigh less than 50 kg and measure at most 75 cm high, 75 cm wide and 125 cm long; larger crates go via Turkish Cargo. Two adult dogs may share one crate only if each weighs no more than 14 kg. If a layover is 4 hours or more, or the flight is longer than 8 hours, food and an automatic water dispenser must be in the crate.

Flat-faced dog and cat breeds have not been accepted in the hold since 1 October 2021. Some breeds are only accepted via Turkish Cargo, and others (including Pit Bull-type breeds, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and American Bully) are not accepted at all — check the full lists in the terms before booking.

Service Dogs (SVAN) on Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines lets service dogs, guide dogs for visually or hearing-impaired passengers and medical alert dogs travel in the cabin free of charge (Service animals). The dog must be professionally trained and certified, and you need a valid training certificate, vaccination certificate, ID card and whatever your destination requires. Without them, the dog may be refused or moved to a carrier or the hold.

• The dog wears a vest and/or ID collar, and the leash or harness is attached to your belt for the whole flight
• It stays clean and settled in front of your feet — never on a seat — and a muzzle must be kept with you
• If it doesn't fit the space in front of you, blocks the aisle or behaves disruptively, it may be refused or rebooked
• On flights outside the US you must show a vet statement or written declaration about toileting on board
• Service dog and psychiatric service dog bookings can't be made online — contact the airline

Turkish Airlines also says it assesses the dog's training and competence, whether the certification is valid and verifiable, and whether training was done only online. That's exactly as it should be: as a 30 kg dog who lies in a footwell for whole flights, I can tell you the training is what makes it work — not a vest.

Flights To and From the US and the UK

On flights between Istanbul and the United States, Turkish Airlines follows US Department of Transportation rules, and service dog reservations must be confirmed at least 48 hours before the flight (Service animals). Under the DOT rule, a service animal is a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability; emotional support animals are not service animals (14 CFR 382.3). Airlines may require the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, plus the Relief Attestation Form for flights of 8 hours or more. The form itself warns that knowingly making false statements on it is a federal crime (DOT form, 18 U.S.C. 1001).

Dogs entering the US must also meet the CDC's import rules that took effect on 1 August 2024, and Turkish Airlines asks for dog documents on US routes to be submitted for approval in advance (Country-based situations). Psychiatric service dogs are accepted only on flights between Istanbul and the US. For London Heathrow, service dog users must get a pre-approval letter from the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (apply at least 72 hours ahead) — and pet dogs can't fly to the UK on Turkish Airlines at all.

Bringing a Dog Into Türkiye

Entry rules come from Türkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, not the airline. Per the Istanbul Airport Veterinary Border Control Point, a cat, dog or ferret travelling with a passenger needs:

• A passport or ID document showing ownership, and a microchip
• A rabies vaccination given after the microchip was implanted
• A rabies antibody titre test at least 30 days after vaccination, at an EU-listed laboratory, with a result above 0.5 IU
• A 90-day wait from the first titre test result before travelling (not repeated if boosters stay in date)
• A veterinary health certificate issued by the exporting country's competent authority within 2 days before travel

A passenger may bring at most two animals, and transit passengers who don't enter Türkiye only need to meet their final destination's rules. More on big dogs everywhere: can a large dog fly in the cabin?, Italy's new 30 kg domestic cabin rule, and my full Fly With Your Dog guide.