Published in 2025 / Updated in 2026
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is a certified pet that helps ease the emotional distress of a person with a mental illness. A pet with such a certificate can be carried free of charge in the cabin of an airplane on flights of some airlines. The pet does not undergo any training to perform its role, and is not a service animal. To obtain an ESA certificate, you only need a conclusion from a licensed psychiatrist from the United States. The most popular pets for such purposes are cats and dogs, but any other animal can be.
A pet with an ESA certificate can indeed be taken on a plane for free, even if it is not included in the airline’s pet transportation rules. This is possible in the United States and on board some international airlines.
A landlord cannot refuse to rent a property to a person with an ESA certificate, even if living with animals is prohibited. At the same time, the landlord does not have the right to charge an additional fee for the pet, since an ESA is not a pet in the general sense, but a therapeutic tool. This is possible only in the United States.
This certificate is recognized in the United States and on board some airlines both in the United States and around the world.
However, airlines are free to decide whether they allow such animals on board, and to set restrictions on the type of animals accepted on board.
Here is a list of some international airlines that allow ESAs on board:
- Air France
- Asiana Air (for flights to/from the United States only)
- China Airlines (emotional support dogs only)
- KLM (for emotional support dogs aged 4 months and older only)
- Lufthansa (for flights to/from the United States only, animals under 8 kg)
- Singapore Air (for emotional support dogs aged 4 months and older only)
How to get an ESA
You can only get an ESA for your pet if you have a mental disorder that is confirmed by a medical report and a letter from a licensed psychotherapist or psychiatrist in the United States.
Mental disorders that may qualify a pet for an ECA certificate:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Chronic stress
- Panic attacks
- Depression
