diff --git a/pygmt/clib/conversion.py b/pygmt/clib/conversion.py
index e924fad5332..092ccab11bb 100644
--- a/pygmt/clib/conversion.py
+++ b/pygmt/clib/conversion.py
@@ -9,11 +9,16 @@
 import numpy as np
 from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
 
+StringArrayTypes = Sequence[str]
+
 try:
     import pyarrow as pa
+
+    StringArrayTypes |= pa.StringArray
 except ImportError:
     pa = None
 
+
 def dataarray_to_matrix(grid):
     """
     Transform an xarray.DataArray into a data 2-D array and metadata.
@@ -267,7 +272,7 @@ def sequence_to_ctypes_array(
     return (ctype * size)(*sequence)
 
 
-def strings_to_ctypes_array(strings: Sequence[str] | pa.StringArray) -> ctp.Array:
+def strings_to_ctypes_array(strings: StringArrayTypes) -> ctp.Array:
     """
     Convert a sequence (e.g., a list) of strings or a pyarrow.StringArray into a ctypes
     array.
diff --git a/pygmt/clib/session.py b/pygmt/clib/session.py
index 959baac1540..fe55d241536 100644
--- a/pygmt/clib/session.py
+++ b/pygmt/clib/session.py
@@ -34,11 +34,16 @@
     tempfile_from_image,
 )
 
+StringArrayTypes = Sequence[str]
+
 try:
     import pyarrow as pa
+
+    StringArrayTypes |= pa.StringArray
 except ImportError:
     pa = None
 
+
 FAMILIES = [
     "GMT_IS_DATASET",  # Entity is a data table
     "GMT_IS_GRID",  # Entity is a grid
@@ -945,7 +950,7 @@ def put_strings(
         self,
         dataset: ctp.c_void_p,
         family: Literal["GMT_IS_VECTOR", "GMT_IS_MATRIX"],
-        strings: Sequence[str] | pa.StringArray,
+        strings: StringArrayTypes,
     ):
         """
         Attach a 1-D numpy array of dtype str or pyarrow.StringArray as a column on a