A guide dog
Learn more about travelling with animals:
An assistance/guide dog:
- is transported in the passenger cabin free of charge,
- does not have to be placed in a transport container,
- is not subject to any weight limit
- must have a harness,
- does not have to wear a muzzle, but for safety reasons please bring one with you,
- should be protected against any possible contact with other passengers on board (e.g. kept on a harness),
- must fit in the passenger seat area (at the owner's feet) because, for safety reasons, it is prohibited to transport the dog on laps when the 'fasten seat belts' signal is activated.
Do you want to guarantee space for your dog? Purchase the additional space next to you by contacting the Contact Center. (opens in a new tab)
Acceptance of assistance dogs on our flights depending on the travel route:
- Requirements for flights to/from the USA
- Requirements for other flights (outside the USA)
According to the US definition, a service animal (or an assistance animal) means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.
Types of assistance dogs:
- Assistance dog for a person with physical disabilities
- Guide dog of a blind or visually impaired person
- Signal dog of a person with auditory dysfunction
- Dog signaling disease attacks (e.g. diabetes, epilepsy)
- Psychiatric service dog
Maximum limit of dogs per passenger: 2
Can the dog be trained independently? YES
Required documents:
USA - Service Animal Air Transport Form (opens in a new tab)
USA - Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (opens in a new tab)
The passenger is required to report the transportation of the assistance dog and send necessary documents no later than 48 hours before the first departure flight.
Where to send the documents? Attach the completed documents to the Special Assistance Contact Form.
*It is a criminal offence to knowingly and wilfully make false, fictitious or misleading statements on a Service Animal Air Transportation or Service Animal Relief Attestation form in order to secure disability services provided in accordance with US regulations.
Additional documents required from August 1, 2024, for flights to the USA
You must provide:
- CDC Import Form receipt - learn more;
- proof of the necessary rabies vaccinations.
Assistance dogs traveling to the United States must:
- show no signs of illness,
- be over 6 months of age,
- have a microchip.
Steps for booking assistance dog service to the USA:
- Compile all required documents and submit them through the form.
- Document verification will take up to 48 hours. After verification, you will receive an email informing you of the positive or negative outcome of the review.
- Upon successful verification, the service dog will be added to your reservation. Remember to have all the documents you previously sent with you at the airport.
ATTENTION! Assistance dog service request for flights to the United States is available no later than 48 hours before the flight, so we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. A service dog request submitted less than 48 hours before the flight may not be confirmed.
Please remember that due to CDC requirements, assistance dogs traveling to the USA from high-risk countries can only be accepted on flights to three airports in the USA: New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), and Miami (MIA).
An assistance/guide dog is an appropriately trained and specially marked dog, in particular a guide dog of a blind or visually impaired person, and a dog assisting a person with a physical dysfunction, which helps the person actively participate in social life.
Types of assistance dogs:
- Assistance dog for a person with physical disabilities
- Guide dog of a blind or visually impaired person
- Signal dog of a person with auditory dysfunction
- Dog signaling disease attacks (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes)
Maximum limit of dogs per passenger: 1
Can the dog be trained independently? NO
Required documents:
- A certificate confirming your dog's training, issued by a reputable training institute(certificates confirming independent dog training are not accepted).
- Certificate of completion of required veterinary vaccinations,
- Passport,
- A statement that the dog meets the requirements to travel as a certified assistance dog.
The passenger is required to report the transportation of the assistance dog and send necessary documents no later than 48 hours before the first departure flight.
Where to send the documents? Attach the completed documents to the Special Assistance Contact Form (opens in a new tab).
Attention: Due to the necessity of quarantine, LOT Polish Airlines do not accept the transportation of assistance dogs on flights to the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
Remember that the assistance dog allowed to travel in the passenger cabin :
- Obediently responds to its owner's commands and behaves appropriately in a public place
- Does not pose a direct or indirect risk to the life AND health of fellow passengers.
- Does not satisfy physiological needs in the passenger cabin or at the gate, unless this is done in a manner that does not cause health risks or hygienic problems.
- Has the necessary documents and its owner has provided the required forms for the journey on this route.
Verification of service animal service prior to departure:
The carrier has the right to ask two questions related to service animal verification on flights to/from the US:
- Whether the dog is trained to assist a person with a disability?
- What tasks and activities the dog is prepared for?
Refusal to transport an assistance dog:
We may refuse to transport an assistance dog in accordance with US DOT regulations in the following circumstances:
- The assistance dog poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of others.
- The assistance dog is disruptive in the cabin or gate area, or its behaviour on the aircraft or at the airport indicates that it has not been trained to behave appropriately in public.
- Carriage of an assistance dog would violate applicable health and safety regulations of the US federal government, US territory or foreign government.
- A passenger with a disability wishing to travel with an assistance dog in the passenger cabin has not provided the necessary forms, which may cause a delay in the flight.
- The assistance dog, due to its size, does not fit in the passenger seat area, and there is no possibility to seat the passenger with the dog elsewhere on the plane.
* LOT Polish Airlines reserves the right to transfer a dog which behaves in an inappropriate manner to the baggage hold for an additional charge or to refuse carriage. The owner of the dog will be held fully responsible for all damages and additional costs resulting from the dog's carriage.
Emotional Support Animal - ESAN
According to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, emotional support animals are no longer classified as assistance animals, and we will no longer use this category.
Animals that are not trained assistance/guide dogs may be carried for a fee on board the aircraft (within the allowed number and weight limit), in an appropriate carrier or in the cargo hold.