Incheon airport pet friendly?
 

I have a very long layover at Incheon airport in South Korea. I will have my small dog with me as he will be traveling in cabin but I want to make sure I can walk around with him and have him on a leash inside the airport not just stuck in his carrier the whole time. Has anyone had experience with this? Is there a pet relief area anywhere? Thanks.

South Korea has very strict quarantine requirements for dogs. If you meet those, you should be fine to leave the airport with your dog, but they're not the easiest requirements. I haven't seen dogs off-leash on the air side at ICN in all our trips with our dog there, but I have seen several after passing through arrivals.

We've had a tough time finding hotels that will accept our dog, too, as most we have contacted have strict 5-kg limits, but there are a few just a few minutes from the airport that we've stayed at in the past.

adding to this: There's no airside pet relief areas at ICN. You will have to exit the terminal for a proper walk (there's trees and grassy areas in the parking lot right across from the arrivals level).
If you aren't originating in Korea, you'll need proper paperwork for him to enter the country. The requirements are pretty much standard:
http://www.airport.kr/iiacms/pageWor...de=C1202010700

The Grand Hyatt has a large area that you might be able to let him go free in. You can catch the bus from berth 12 or 5 from arrivals.

When I mention strict quarantine requirements, I'm referring mostly to the rabies-neutralizing antibodies test. It's not a cheap or quick test. If you haven't had it done yet and plan to fly soon, it might be difficult to get it done in time.

Not sure what to expect — please help?
 

I've read and understood the requirements and am confident I'll be able to comply with them, however, I will be having an 11 hour layover at the Incheon International Airport. My route is from Manila, Philippines to San Francisco, California, via Asiana Airlines.

I've tried to contact the Incheon Airport to ask about this, but I had to sign up to a mailing list to do this, which I was okay with, but the website is so bad that I couldn't successfully do this.
I also tried asking through their Facebook page and their reply was along the lines of: We haven't experienced long layovers with pets and you're not allowed anywhere with your pet.

I question the accuracy of this reply because Korea has rules about the entry and exit of pets...How can an International Airport not have any information about it?

I'm frustrated to tears and afraid. I can't leave my baby! Does anyone out there have any information that could be useful to my situation? I'd be so grateful for any help.

I have repeatedly been through Incheon with dogs on a leash, and there never was a problem.
As there are no pet relief areas in the post-security transit area, you will need to leave the airport anyway (and enter Korea, meaning your dog needs to comply with the regulations including rabies titer blood test etc.).
For an eleven-hour layover, get a (day) room in a pet-friendly hotel (I can recommend http://www.incheon-hotel.com/en/day_use.html - inexpensive & convenient). and take doggie on walks around the neighborhood. There's parks and forested areas near the hotel I linked.

Transiting incheon airport with pet
 

I am traveling from Osaka to Okinawa via incheon on Asiana airlines with a 9 hour layover in incheon. Is there anything I need to do? My dog is flying in the cabin with me. I'm afraid they will make us out her in quarantine or will not let us leave. Is there a way to take her outside to pee or get a hotel for a few hours without any special regulations? Please help. Thank you.

The worst thing that could happen to you is that you will not be able to leave the transit area with your dog if the paperwork isn't complete and/or the requirements aren't met. As you are transiting, you will just be sent back into the transit area if the animal quarantine officer determines ineligibility to enter Korea.
The requirements are pretty standard, though - the only exception being the rabies antibody test which has to be done with a few weeks of advance notice. See them listed here: http://www.qia.go.kr/english/html/An...tock_007-8.jsp

Officially, there is no way you can get outside without entering Korea and passing by an animal quarantine officer who will accept your dog into the country or not.
Inofficially, you can try going through customs without declaring the dog. You may not get stopped. I don't recommend this at all. Get the paperwork in order, it's not that hard.

Or cancel your flight and rebook on Korean Air, who offer itineraries with 90-minute layovers where you'll be done with the whole trip in a bit over six hours (KE 724 connecting to KE735)

Help!!

I am hoping that someone can give me some input. I have posted on several forums and made numerous calls not only to Korean Air but USDA export as well as Pet relocators and still cannot get clarification. I will be traveling in August with two pets from US to Malaysia, ONe is 16 y/o and I need to have her in the cabin with me, The other will travel cargo bc she is over the weight limit.
I finally discovered that even if u can have a pet in the cabin (Korean AIr and Asiana) you CANNOT land in Malaysia with a pet in cabin!! So now I am trying to figure out
if I can travel from LAX to ICN with my pet in cabin and then transfer her to the cargo after I land in ICN. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY experience with this ??

THANK you!!!!!

Hi! I'm also travelling with my dog this coming May...I also have an 11hrs.layover to Incheon Airport going to Vancouver... I'm from manila.. I just want to ask if what happened during ur layover?is titer test needed? ThankU so much...

Hi!! I have decided that KA and layover in ICN is not the best route for me. I love KA but they do not have a "comfort stop" there for pet care.
Will your dog be in cabin or cargo??