I’m looking to travel internationally, but the airline is saying that I can’t be accompanied by my assistance dog unless it is certified by ADI or IGDF. What can I do?
I’m looking to travel internationally, but the airline is saying that I can’t be accompanied by my emotional support animal. What can I do?
What do I do if I’m denied access with my dog? 

I’m looking to travel internationally, but the airline is saying that I can’t be accompanied by my assistance dog unless it is certified by ADI or IGDF. What can I do?

Individual countries and airlines determine their own regulations about access for assistance dog teams, and some only allow access for teams that were trained and certified by an ADI accredited organization. Assistance dogs which are not trained by an organization accredited by ADI or International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) are currently assessed on a case-by-case basis. ADI does not make these determinations or have any influence over decisions about access for individual teams.  

If someone has an assistance dog that has been personally or privately trained, they may receive certification from an ADI accredited organization if they become a client of an accredited organization. Some ADI accredited organizations will accept a privately trained team for evaluation and possible further training/certification if they meet their requirements. ADI Standards require that there is a minimum six-month training period for these teams. ADI or any of our member organizations do not just administer tests to verify or certify any type of assistance dog.

Guide Dogs UK has developed a web page that has specific information about international travel for Guide Dog/Assistance Dog teams. This may also be helpful to you. Another resource you may wish to contact is the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners. This is a worldwide consumer group of individuals who have assistance dogs. They have travel information on their website and members you can contact about to ask about travel issues, etc.

For further information, go to the travel resources page of ADI's website. 

I’m looking to travel internationally, but the airline is saying that I can’t be accompanied by my emotional support animal. What can I do?

ADI recognizes the challenges that are currently facing airlines regarding requests from customers to be accompanied by emotional support dogs on flights. ADI does not recognize emotional support dogs and our accredited organizations generally do not train, place, or certify emotional support dogs.
 
ADI is a coalition of non-profit organizations that raise, train and place assistance dogs. ADI does not directly provide, train, certify or register individual assistance dogs or assistance dog teams, as that is the function of our member organizations.
 
As the legal access laws and airline regulations vary considerably worldwide and governments and airlines determine their own policies, ADI does not make specific recommendations about whether emotional support dogs can or should be allowed to accompany their owners on flights. Each airline makes these decisions internally and in compliance with their government regulations. Some airlines will accept a letter from a medical professional that verifies the need for the dog, while others will only accept task-trained dogs that were provided by an ADI accredited organization. 

For further information, go to the travel resources page of ADI's website. 

What do I do if I’m denied access with my dog?

If you are an individual with a disability and are partnered with a trained assistance dog, you have public access rights in most countries. If someone denies you access to their business, you may try to politely explain the local laws. If you are further denied public access with your assistance dog, you may elect to contact the local law enforcement authorities to explain the local laws to the business owner.