LATAM Pet Policy: Cabin, Hold, Fees and US Flight Rules (2026)

LATAM, the largest airline group in South America, carries dogs and cats in the cabin and in the hold on flights it operates itself. A small pet flies in the cabin if it fits in a carrier no larger than 40 x 28 x 25 cm (soft) or 36 x 33 x 19 cm (rigid). Larger dogs and cats go in the hold, up to 45 kg with the crate on twin-aisle aircraft. On long-haul flights between South America and North America or Europe, the cabin fee is USD 250 and the hold fee is USD 150, 225 or 300 depending on weight. Flights to the US have their own rules: dogs must be at least 6 months old, and LATAM has suspended pet travel between the US and several South American countries for most passengers because of the CDC rabies rules.

This guide is based on LATAM's own pets in the cabin page, its pets in the hold page and its help center, as read in October 2026. Rules change often on South American routes, so confirm with LATAM before you book, and check the entry rules for every country on your trip.

LATAM pet rules at a glance

The table brings together the numbers most people look for first.

The basic rules for any LATAM pet

LATAM carries dogs and cats with their owners on flights operated entirely by LATAM. The service does not apply on connections with other airlines or on codeshare flights, even if LATAM sold you the ticket. Other species, and pets too heavy for the hold, can only travel through LATAM Cargo.

The pet must not be sedated, must be in good health and calm, and must be at least 16 weeks old and weaned at least 5 days before travel. On flights to or from the United States, the minimum age is 6 months. A female pet cannot be pregnant or have given birth in the 48 hours before the flight. Minors, including those using the unaccompanied minor service, cannot add a pet to their booking.

LATAM also notes that oxygen masks are not available for pets in an emergency.

Flying with a pet in the LATAM cabin

A small dog or cat travels in its carrier under the seat in front of you, and stays inside for the whole flight. LATAM does not set a weight limit for the cabin. Instead, the pet must be able to stand up without touching the ceiling and turn around without touching the walls. If it fits, it can fly.

You can use one of two kinds of container:

• A flexible carrier no larger than 40 x 28 x 25 cm (15.7 x 11 x 9.8 in).
• A rigid kennel no larger than 36 x 33 x 19 cm (14.2 x 13 x 9.5 in), with a metal gate locking at the top and bottom.

Either way, the container needs a leak-proof, absorbent base, good ventilation and no wheels, and it cannot be altered or modified. Your seat must be an aisle seat, not in the first row or an emergency exit row. Cabin pets are accepted in Economy (up to 5 per flight) and Premium Economy (1 per flight), but not in Premium Business, where the seats leave no room for a carrier. Flights operated by Wamos Air for LATAM do not take cabin pets because the under-seat space is smaller. Our guide to flying with a dog in the cabin covers how to prepare.

LATAM cabin pet fees

Cabin fees depend on the route, per leg:

• Within Brazil: BRL 200.
• Within Chile (except Easter Island): CLP 50,000.
• Within Colombia: COP 60,000.
• Within Ecuador or Peru: USD 45.
• Regional flights (between South American countries, to Central America and Cancun, Punta Cana to Miami, and Santiago to Easter Island): USD 200.
• Long-haul flights (South America to Europe or North America): USD 250.

Some countries add tax. If your trip includes a stopover where you can leave the airport, you pay for each leg. You can pay through the Contact Center, on WhatsApp or at the airport counter.

Flying with a pet in the LATAM hold

Dogs and cats too big for the cabin can travel in the hold in a rigid kennel. The weight limits depend on the aircraft:

• Single-aisle Airbus A319, A320 and A321: up to 32 kg with the kennel on flights up to 4 hours, up to 23 kg on flights of 4 to 5 hours, and no hold pets on flights over 5 hours.
• Twin-aisle Boeing 767, 777 and 787: up to 45 kg (99 lb), but only 32 kg on flights to, from or through Europe, Argentina or Venezuela.

If a long-haul twin-aisle flight connects to a single-aisle flight, the stricter limit applies. The kennel can measure up to 300 linear cm (length plus width plus height) and no more than 115 cm high, with at least 5 cm between the pet's head and the roof. Each passenger can check up to 2 pets in separate kennels. Single-aisle aircraft take only 2 hold pets per flight; wide-body aircraft have no set number but depend on space. Our guide to choosing a pet transport crate explains sizing.

The itinerary can have at most one connection, and the layover must be under 7 hours. Hold pets cannot travel on connections with other airlines.

LATAM hold fees by weight

Hold fees depend on the route and the combined weight of the pet and kennel:

• Within Brazil: BRL 500 (up to 23 kg), BRL 700 (24 to 32 kg), BRL 900 (33 to 45 kg).
• Within Chile: CLP 40,000, 55,000 or 70,000.
• Within Colombia: COP 170,000, 200,000 or 250,000.
• Within Ecuador: USD 50, 65 or 80. Within Peru: USD 60, 80 or 100.
• Regional: USD 125, 200 or 275.
• Long-haul: USD 150, 225 or 300.

Search dogs on certified humanitarian missions fly free.

Seasonal and route limits for hold pets

LATAM has several timing rules that catch travelers out:

• No hold pets to or from New York or Boston between December 15 and April 15, because of the cold. A small pet can still fly in the cabin.
• No hold pets on domestic Brazilian flights departing or arriving between 10:01 a.m. and 3:59 p.m., because of the heat, including itineraries that connect to such a flight.
• No hold pets on Brazilian domestic flights operated by Embraer aircraft.
• Hold pets are suspended between Santiago and Guayaquil.
• Passengers with a hold pet cannot use the transfer bus at New York JFK.

Our guide to pet transport in hot weather explains why airlines set limits like the Brazil one.

Banned breeds in the hold

LATAM does not accept snub-nosed (brachycephalic) dogs and cats, or breeds it classes as potentially dangerous, in the hold. The snub-nosed dog list includes the Affenpinscher, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bullmastiff, all bulldogs, the American Bully, Chow Chow, Dogue de Bordeaux, Brussels Griffon, Lhasa Apso, English, Italian (Cane Corso) and Neapolitan Mastiffs, Pekingese, all pit bull types, Presa Canario, all pugs, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Japanese Chin, Tibetan Spaniel, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and English Toy Spaniel. The cats are the American Burmese, Himalayan, Exotic Shorthair and all Persians.

The dangerous list adds the American and Japanese Akita, Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Doberman, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Anatolian Shepherd (Karabash), Rottweiler and Tosa Inu. Dangerous breeds that are not snub-nosed can fly with LATAM Cargo, and snub-nosed pets small enough for a carrier can fly in the cabin. Our guide to snub-nosed breeds and flying covers the options.

Flying a dog to or from the US on LATAM

This is the part of LATAM's policy that changes most often. LATAM says pet travel is temporarily suspended between the United States and Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia because of the CDC rules for dogs from high-risk rabies countries, with some exemptions at airports that have a CDC animal care facility. Orlando has no such facility and LATAM does not carry pets there. Dogs vaccinated outside the US cannot be flown to Boston or Orlando.

Where travel is allowed, every dog must be healthy, at least 6 months old, microchipped and travelling with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. A dog from, or recently in, a high-risk country needs more:

• If vaccinated in the US: the US-issued rabies vaccination form and an export health certificate endorsed by a USDA-accredited vet. It can enter through the airport named on the CDC form.
• If vaccinated abroad: a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, a foreign rabies vaccination and microchip form certified by an official government vet, and a valid rabies titer from a CDC-approved lab. It can only enter at an airport with a facility, which for LATAM means New York JFK, Atlanta, Los Angeles or Miami.

Dogs from low-risk countries such as Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay need only the basic requirements. A connection through a high-risk country such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador or Peru counts even if the dog never leaves the airport. The CDC dog import page has the current rules, and our guides to importing a dog into the US and pet transport from Colombia to the US go further.

Documents LATAM asks for

LATAM asks for two kinds of paperwork. The first is whatever the origin, connection and destination countries require, such as vaccination records, permits, blood tests or a microchip. The second is a health certificate from a vet, issued no more than 10 days before travel, with the pet's name, age, breed, vaccinations and a statement of good health; bring the original and a copy that the airport keeps.

LATAM's help pages also summarize some country rules. Within Brazil, a first rabies dose needs a 21-day wait. Chile's agricultural service introduced new entry requirements from July 27, 2026, including an official certificate valid for 10 days, a microchip and a rabies vaccine at least 21 days old. Colombia requires an ICA sanitary inspection certificate for every trip in or out.

How to book

You cannot add a pet online. Book through a LATAM sales office, the Contact Center or WhatsApp after buying your ticket. Cabin pets can be added up to 4 hours before departure and hold pets up to 48 hours before; within Brazil, hold pets can be requested up to 60 days ahead. Space is limited, and once the pet is confirmed you can only get your boarding pass at the airport, where staff check the carrier and documents.

LATAM's help center answer on flying with a pet repeats the main conditions in one place and is worth checking a few days before travel, since route suspensions are added and lifted there first. If an agent tells you something different from the website, ask for it in writing through the Contact Center or WhatsApp chat so you have a record at the airport counter.

Places LATAM will not fly pets

The service is unavailable or restricted on flights to or from the Galapagos Islands, Aruba, Australia, Curacao, England, Mount Pleasant in the Falklands, New Zealand and South Africa. Fernando de Noronha accepts only guide and police dogs, plus limited exceptions for residents. For the UK, see our guide to pet transport to the UK.

Common mistakes with LATAM pet bookings

• Booking a codeshare or partner flight and expecting LATAM's pet rules to apply.
• Planning a winter hold trip to New York or Boston.
• Booking a long layover; hold pets need a connection under 7 hours.
• Arriving with a health certificate more than 10 days old.
• Booking Premium Business with a cabin pet.

Frequently asked questions