IATA crate size calculator for dogs and cats
Quick answer
A travel crate must let your pet stand without touching the roof, turn around and lie down naturally. The minimum inside length is the pet's length from nose to the root of the tail plus half the height from the floor to the elbow; the width is twice the width across the shoulders; the height is the standing height to the top of the head or the ear tips. Snub-nosed breeds need about 10% more room.
How this tool works
The calculator applies the widely published sizing method for live-animal containers to your four measurements and rounds up. It is a minimum: crates are sold in fixed sizes, so choose the next size up, and check your airline's own container rules before you buy.
Rules base last updated 28 September 2026. Screening tool, not legal or veterinary advice.
Questions people ask
A — nose to the root of the tail; B — floor to the elbow joint; C — across the widest point of the shoulders; D — floor to the top of the head or the ear tips, whichever is higher, with the pet standing.
Read more on this
- IATA Approved Dog Crate Requirements: The Complete 2026 Guide
- Best Pet Travel Carriers in 2026: Top 10 Airline-Approved Options Reviewed
- How to Crate Train Your Dog: A Complete, Vet-Backed Guide
- Dog Car Seats vs Travel Beds vs Crates: What's Actually Safe on a Road Trip?
- Qatar Airways Pet Policy 2026: No Cabin Pets, Cargo Only
More free tools
- Can my pet fly?The earliest date your dog or cat can travel on your route, and the dated steps to get there.
- Which airlines will take my pet?Carriers on your route that take your dog or cat — in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo.
- Where can my pet travel?Every destination we cover, sorted by how soon your dog or cat could go.
- When to give the tapeworm treatmentYour arrival time in, the exact window for the vet visit out — in local time.
- When to get the health certificateYour arrival date in, the days your vet can issue the certificate out.
- Is your breed restricted?Which airlines refuse your breed and which countries ban or restrict it.
