Many bluewater sailors travel with pets — dogs, cats and birds are common on offshore passages. KnotWise includes a dedicated Animals on Board section that feeds directly into your Customs Declaration PDF and Crew List PDF, giving you documentation that customs and port health authorities accept worldwide.
Adding an animal to your vessel profile
- Navigate to Crew in the left sidebar
- Scroll to the Animals on Board section at the bottom of the page
- Tap or click «+ Add Animal»
- Fill in the required fields and save
The animal now appears in all PDF exports. Use the Active / Inactive toggle to exclude an animal temporarily — for example, when a pet is ashore with a crew member. Inactive animals are hidden from exports but remain in your records.
Fields reference
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | No | The animal's name — shown in exports |
| Species | Yes | Free text — e.g. Dog, Cat, Parrot |
| Breed | No | |
| Microchip Nr. | Yes | ISO 15-digit number — required by most countries |
| Vaccination Certificate Nr. | Yes | Number from the official vaccination booklet or pet passport |
| Certificate Valid Until | Yes | Expiry date — shown in exports |
| CITES relevant | Yes | Checkbox — tick if the animal is a CITES-listed species. See below. |
| On Board From / Until | No | Optional date range — «On Board Until» shows «On Board» when left empty |
| Active | — | Toggle — inactive animals are excluded from all PDF exports |
CITES — animals requiring special permits
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulates the international movement of certain animals, even when kept as pets. Crossing a national border with a CITES-listed animal — including by sea — may require official permits issued by your country's CITES management authority.
Common CITES-listed pets include parrots and other psittacines (Appendix II), certain reptiles and tortoises, and some ornamental fish species. The listing applies regardless of whether the animal was captive-bred or wild-caught.
If your pet is CITES-relevant, tick the CITES relevant checkbox in KnotWise. The status appears as «Yes» in your Customs Declaration and Crew List PDFs. You are responsible for obtaining and carrying the required permits — check the CITES Appendices and contact your national CITES authority before departure.
Customs Declaration PDF
The KnotWise Customs Declaration PDF includes an «Animals on Board» block listing all active animals with their species, microchip number, vaccination certificate number, expiry date and CITES status. If no animals are active, the block shows «No animals on board».
To generate the declaration, navigate to Export → Customs Declaration. A review dialog opens with your pre-filled data — verify before exporting.
General documentation requirements
Requirements vary by country and change regularly. As a general baseline for most destinations, ensure you have:
- ISO 15-digit microchip implanted before vaccination
- Rabies vaccination valid at time of entry — check minimum waiting periods per country
- Official health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian — many countries require this within 10 days of arrival
- EU Pet Passport if departing from an EU member state
- CITES permits where applicable — see above
Always verify current requirements with the destination country's port health or agriculture authority well in advance. Some countries — including Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii — enforce strict quarantine rules that may require months of preparation.
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