An emotional support dog or cat letter for travel must be presented to the airline when a person with a mental health disability would like to fly with an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) within the cabin of the aircraft. This is a regulated requirement from the airlines, which must be typically provided to them at least two days before you have to travel. We recommend that you reach out to each individual airlines as their policies and procedures may vary. Check out this article for additional details on airline requirements for emotional support animals.
How Can I Get an ESA Letter from ESA Doctors?
It is required that the ESA letter must come from a qualified licensed mental health professional who has evaluated the mental, emotional or psychiatric disability of the person in need. The letter must indicate the therapist’s qualifications, ie. a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or therapist, and it must also be written on the therapist’s letterhead. Some airlines require that the ESA travel letter must be issued within the last twelve months. This letter may be referred to as an “emotional support animal prescription” or a “comfort animal prescription”, but these are misnomers and the ESA travel letter is not a prescription, but rather a recommendation letter.
Contents of ESA Travel Letter
The body of the ESA travel letter must have the following details, per the Air Carriers Access Act.
- That the passenger has been diagnosed with a mental health disability based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
- The emotional support travel letter should include that the emotional support animal was determined by the mental health professional as necessary for the passenger due to his or her mental health.
- That the mental health professional has the passenger under his or her care.
- That the mental health professional’s license, date of license issue, state and jurisdiction are all indicated and up-to-date.
Verification of ESA Travel Letter
Sometimes, airlines do further verification of your ESA travel letter by calling the professional or by requiring an extra document (that they provide) to be filled out and signed by the therapist. “The purpose of this verification is to prevent abuse by passengers that do not have a medical need for an emotional support animal and to ensure that passengers who have a legitimate need for emotional support animals are permitted to travel with their service animals on the aircraft,” per an excerpt from the Air Carriers Access Act. The verification process of an ESA travel letter is usually very simple and painless. Please contact us if you have any issues with your airline.
If you are currently not seeing a mental health expert and you don’t have any personal contact from such an individual, you could seek recommendations from your family doctor or from your friends. You can also try contacting local universities for any leads from their psychiatric program, or scour directory and newspaper listings for doctors in your area. If you would like a referral for a therapist in your area, you may also contact us and we will try to connect you to a local licensed mental health professional. Ideally, it would be beneficial to have ongoing mental health care from a professional as well.
How to get an emotional support animal letter? Click here to see if you qualify for an ESA Travel letter:
Disclaimer: Our content is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. Policies can change and companies can alter their rules and regulations. It is very important to do your own analysis and research before booking any flights.
You may need an English version of your ESA letter if you are traveling to the United States.
I’m traveling Dec.30 on American Airlines (Toronto-Montevideo) and the airline already approved my dog as an emotional support companion. However, I’m still waiting for the harness and card to arrive from USA Service Dogs Registration that was shipped priority yesterday. My question is whether my dog is required to have a harness identifying her as a service dog or whether she can wear a regular harness if the package does not arrive? I have electronic copies of the card and certificate. Thanks!
You do not need a harness or card. Registration of an ESA is not legally required nor recognized by the airlines. All you need is an ESA letter.
Already have my ticket to go to New York from Michigan on Delta Airlines never knew I could take my emotional support dog with me for no additional fee on the plane I have been on hold with Delta for 2 hours each time I call to find out what I need to bring do I need shot records do I need a crate or a carrier she’s very gentle dog 6 months old less than 10 lb doesn’t bite very friendly
Delta is very ESA friendly and they have their own ESA policy. You can find more information about Delta’s ESA policy here: https://esadoctors.com/airline/delta-airlines-emotional-support-animal/.
I am flying to Orlando Florida from Newark N.J .I have been seeing a psychiatrist for many years for many different mental illness. My dog comforts me in a way no human can. The reason for this flight is for my dads passing away and having a memorial for him. I’ve been reading a lot on this and are very confused. I read as long as I get a letter from my doctor it will be fine. Then I read they are looking to change that law for dogs that are for emotional support starting the new year they will not honor that kind of letter. I have to make reservations for myself and my daughter I will be staying for a month in times like this my dog just knows better then any human I find his comforting ways help me tremendously. How do I find out if this letter will be homered.
Emotional support animals are allowed on planes and there status should not change in 2017. You may also contact your airline to see if they have additional forms that they need filled out. If you would like to get connected to a licensed therapist to evaluate your need for an emotional support animal, please feel free to contact us or fill out the questionnaire in the link below.
https://esadoctors.com/esa-questionnaire/
Greetings!
Am a Stage 4 Cancer patient (metastatic disease) on Palliative Management
With the approval of my Oncologist and family support I opted to get a small dog who has provided me tremendous psychological support and gives cause to smile many times through the day, also the responsibility of caring for “little one” has impacted my daily life in a positive manner.
I have a letter from my Oncologist stating the dog seems to be having a therapeutic effect and I am progressing well to date, hence he recommends I be allowed to consider “little one” as an “emotional support dog”
“Little one” has also been through training and has passed the “Good Citizen Certification Exam”
Would these documentations suffice for “little one” to qualify as an “emotional support animal” as they are official documents (presented on the relevant letter heads)?
As long as your MD writes a letter for your disability and recommends an ESA for you, then it qualifies as an emotional support animal. Please note that the laws may differ from location to location.
[…] Traveling with an Emotional Support Animal? Be sure to have your ESA letter at the ready. Check out this list of what an ESA Letter must contain. […]
I have a letter from my psychiatrist already I just need to know what I need to do to get a patch for my dogs harness
Mary, although a patch and harness are not required, some of our clients have found it helpful to us these items to identify their emotional support animals.
I am beginning to resent people with animals in carts in stores. I’ve heard some say they aren’t ESA but no one is allowed to question them so they bring their pet everywhere. You should need to prove you are legit by a special collar on the animal. Otherwise, this won’t be allowed anymore. Too many people are abusing it.