Admission eligibility, microchip and vaccination sequencing, IATA crate standards and door-to-door transport.
Whether a pet can travel is settled before any ticket is booked. The destination country grades source countries by rabies risk, and that grade decides whether the animal needs a microchip, a vaccination, an antibody test, a waiting period or arrival quarantine. Miss one link and the pet cannot enter. Carrier capacity comes second: cabin, checked baggage or air cargo depends on size, breed and seasonal temperature limits. The China-side procedure has hard deadlines of its own. Customs requires a declaration 7 to 14 days before departure, the on-site inspection is completed within 7 days of departure, and the Animal Health Certificate issued is valid for only 14 days, or 10 days for the European Union.
Admission eligibility, microchip and vaccination sequencing, IATA crate standards and door-to-door transport
Pet handling at an airport cargo terminal: the crate is a rigid plastic shell with ventilation grilles on all four sides, metal door frame and latches, and the shell fastened with metal bolts. Live animals travel under the IATA Live Animals Regulations, crate dimensions are calculated from the animal's measured dimensions, and brachycephalic breeds require extra allowance on top.
Pets are not classified the way trade cargo is. The commodity name does not matter; three things do: the risk grade the destination country assigns to the source country, the breed and size of the animal, and which channel it leaves through. All three are fixed before booking, and there is very little room to change them after the ticket is issued.
| Transport Channel | Pets Suited To It | Carrier Requirements | Key Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-cabin | Very small dogs and cats | Crate fits under the seat in front, and most carriers accept a soft-sided carrier | Most carriers set a combined pet plus crate weight limit, commonly 8 kg or less; only a few places per flight, usually 2 to 4; some destinations and carriers do not accept in-cabin transport |
| Checked baggage | Small and medium dogs and cats travelling on the owner's flight | Rigid crate meeting IATA standards | The owner must be on the same flight, and the animal is collected from the oversized baggage area on arrival; weight and combined dimensions are set by the carrier; some routes suspend the service in extreme heat or cold |
| Air cargo | Large dogs, multiple pets, owner not travelling | A compliant crate plus an air waybill, handled through the airport cargo terminal | Collected from the cargo office against the collection document after arrival processing; a night flight may mean waiting until the next day if customs has closed; carrier restrictions on brachycephalic breeds are stricter than for the cabin; some destinations only accept entry by air cargo |
Breed and size form the second threshold. Brachycephalic breeds have a less favourable upper airway structure, so their margin for heat dissipation and breathing is lower than other breeds, and they are more prone to respiratory distress under the stress, low oxygen and temperature swings of a cargo hold. Almost every carrier restricts or bans them from the hold. A large dog over the cabin weight limit can usually travel as cargo, and the question becomes whether the carrier accepts that breed.
The destination country's risk grading sits at the very front of the process. Mainland China falls in the highest threshold band in most strict markets: the approved country lists of Australia and New Zealand do not include it, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists China as a high-risk country for dog rabies, and Singapore places mainland China in its most restrictive band. Those three points set the starting line for eligibility, and no transport plan can route around them.
The relationship between microchip, rabies vaccination and antibody test is irreversible. The microchip has to be implanted before the vaccination, and the blood for the antibody test has to be drawn after the vaccination, with the prescribed number of days in between. Getting the order wrong is not a matter of supplying an extra document; the whole timeline restarts.
| Step | Sequence | Specific Requirement | Consequence of Wrong Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implant the microchip | Must come before the rabies vaccination | The chip has to meet ISO 11784 and ISO 11785, carry a 15-digit numeric-only code and be readable by a universal reader | A vaccination given before the chip is implanted is treated as invalid, and the animal has to be vaccinated again with the whole clock restarted |
| Rabies vaccination | After chip implantation, and the vaccination has to stay valid throughout | The minimum age at vaccination is set by the destination: 12 weeks for the European Union and the United Kingdom, 91 days of age for Japan; Japan also requires two consecutive vaccinations at least 30 days apart | A vaccination given below the minimum age or with too short an interval is not recognised, and the animal has to be vaccinated again |
| Rabies antibody test | Blood drawn after vaccination, result of at least 0.5 IU/mL | Blood is normally drawn about 30 days after the primary course; testing has to be done at a laboratory recognised by the destination | A sample drawn earlier than the required interval invalidates the report, the blood has to be drawn again, and the waiting period restarts from the new draw date |
| Waiting period | After a satisfactory antibody report | Japan: 180 days from the blood draw; Australia: 180 days; New Zealand: depends on the source category; the European Union sets no waiting period but limits the validity of the certificate | Arriving early only moves the animal into quarantine for the missing days, with boarding and handling costs borne by the owner |
Japan adds exclusions for the microchip and the vaccine type. A chip whose first six digits are 900202 is not accepted as an identification measure, and live and RNA vaccines are not accepted, only inactivated or recombinant vaccines. These restrictions do not appear in the rules of other markets and have to be checked separately for Japan.
The microchip is used both in transport and in destination registration, and the chip number has to match every document digit for digit. Japan's animal quarantine service reads it with its own reader, and where it cannot be read the importer needs a reader capable of reading that chip. For a pet that has already completed the chip and vaccination steps, check that the vaccine's period of immunity covers the arrival date; Japan requires an unbroken sequence on this point.
The antibody test is not optional. The European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom for pets from unlisted countries, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore generally require an antibody report for dogs and cats from mainland China, issued by a laboratory recognised by the destination. A result from a non-recognised laboratory is not accepted, which amounts to not having done it at all, and that only surfaces after the waiting period has already been served.
The Pet Quarantine for Outbound Carriage module has been rolled out nationwide since 10 April 2025 and allows online declaration through the China International Trade Single Window or the Internet Plus Customs portal. The person travelling, or an agent, declares to the local customs office 7 to 14 days before departure and books and completes the on-site inspection within 7 days of departure. The on-site inspection checks that the animal matches the declared information and carries out a clinical examination covering demeanour, skin and mucous membranes, body temperature and condition.
Where the documents are in order and the inspection is passed, customs issues the Animal Health Certificate within 3 working days of completing the inspection, and in ordinary circumstances issues it on the spot. There is no fee for the certificate.
The Animal Health Certificate is generally valid for 14 days, and for 10 days for the European Union. Certificate validity is the shortest link in the whole timeline, so departure has to take place within it. A workable rhythm is to complete the online declaration 10 to 14 days before departure and the on-site inspection 7 to 10 days before, pushing the issue date as close to departure as possible.
The chip has to meet ISO 11784 and ISO 11785, carry a 15-digit numeric-only code and be readable by a reader. Where the chip does not meet these two standards, the owner has to provide a reader capable of reading it, otherwise the on-site verification cannot be completed.
In general the pet should leave together with the person travelling. Where that person has to leave first, the pet may travel separately as cargo within the validity of the Animal Health Certificate and the other documents. The window in that case is narrow, and booking, certificate issue and handover have to run against a reverse-planned schedule, because any delay makes the certificate expire. At the on-site inspection the handler should restrain the animal properly; where it shows aggression or other abnormal behaviour, customs may stop the inspection.
The three channels differ widely in cost, risk and availability. The usual order of decision is whether the destination allows it at all, then whether the pet can go in the cabin, and only then price. Reversing that order tends to mean discovering after payment that one link simply does not work.
| Dimension | In-cabin | Checked Baggage | Air Cargo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet's situation | With the owner throughout | On the owner's flight but separated | Travelling alone, owner not on board |
| Typical conditions | Combined pet and crate weight usually under 8 kg and the crate fits under the seat in front | Depends on carrier and route, and some carriers have discontinued the service | Widest weight and size limits, able to take large dogs and multiple pets |
| Temperature limits | Not applicable, the cabin environment is controlled throughout | Subject to ground temperature embargoes | Subject to ground temperature embargoes, and all three points, departure, transit and arrival, have to comply |
| Collection | Leaves the aircraft with the owner | Collected from the oversized baggage area | At the airport cargo terminal against the collection document |
| Main risks | Limited places, restricted crate size, some carriers do not accept it | More loading and unloading, longer exposure to apron temperatures | Longer stress period, collection limited to certain hours, night flights may be deferred |
Temperature embargoes are the easiest rule to overlook in summer and winter. Most carriers suspend carriage of warm-blooded animals in the hold when the ground temperature is above about 29 °C or below about minus 7 °C, the lower bound varies by carrier and breed, and near the lower bound a veterinarian's cold acclimatisation certificate is usually required. The judgement is made on the actual apron temperature rather than the forecast, and it applies to every airport on the route including transit points. A single stop at a hot summer airport can make the whole itinerary impossible to carry.
Brachycephalic breeds are restricted or banned from the hold by most carriers, and in summer some carriers impose an embargo period for them. A larger brachycephalic dog can neither go in the cabin nor in the hold, so the practical options narrow to road transport or a dedicated ground transfer, and that has to be established at the planning stage rather than discovered at booking when no carrier will take the booking.
Whether a connection is possible depends on the destination. Some markets require the pet to enter at designated points, or expressly prohibit entry across a land border. Japan only allows dogs to enter through designated airports and seaports, the European Union requires entry at a traveller's point of entry designated by each member state, and the United States requires dogs from high-risk countries to enter at an airport where a registered animal care facility is located and prohibits entry across a land border. Transit points have to be checked when the route is chosen, not adjusted after the ticket is issued.
The IATA Live Animals Regulations are the common standard for carrying live animals by air. The 2026 edition is the 52nd and took effect on 1 January 2026. Carriers set their own conditions on top of the standard, and the same breed can produce opposite answers with different carriers, so confirming with each carrier before booking is the only reliable approach.
Brachycephalic breeds are restricted or refused outright in the hold by most carriers. Some carriers exclude them through an explicit positive list; Air France, for example, does not accept American Bully, British Bulldog, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier or Pug and their crossbreeds. Some carriers impose additional reinforcement requirements for aggressive breeds: the crate has to be built from solid wood at least 12 mm thick, or use a wooden and steel frame of 25 mm square or more, assembled with bolts or screws, with the door reinforced by welded mesh and fitted with a stop pin to prevent the door being pushed or pulled out of shape. This requirement depends on the breed, not on the size of the animal.
Hold transport of pets generally comes with a ground temperature range. Most carriers set the upper bound at about 85 °F, roughly 29 °C, and the lower bound between about 45 °F and 20 °F, roughly 7 °C to minus 7 °C, depending on the carrier and the breed. Below the lower bound a veterinarian's cold acclimatisation certificate is usually required. The embargo test covers the apron temperature at departure, transit and arrival, so a summer itinerary leaving a hot airport often has to move to an early morning or late night departure.
Crate dimensions are calculated from measured dimensions of the animal, taking the minimum internal size: length = A (nose tip to base of tail) + one half of B (floor to elbow); width = C (shoulder width or widest point) x 2; height = D (floor to top of head or ear tips in a natural standing position, whichever is higher) + the thickness of the bedding. Brachycephalic breeds get a further 10% on top. The calculation gives the internal dimension of the crate, not the external dimension.
The functional test matters more than the formula: the animal has to be able to stand normally, turn around and lie down naturally inside. All four sides need ventilation openings, with a combined ventilation area of at least 16% of the total surface area of the four sides; mesh openings must not exceed 25 mm square for dogs or 19 mm square for cats, and where the openings are larger, fine metal mesh has to be fitted on the inside. A crate with a separate top and bottom cannot rely on plastic clips alone and has to be fastened with metal bolts and nuts; the locking pin usually has to penetrate at least 1.6 cm into the crate body; and the door has to be metal or of adequate strength, with metal hinges and locking pins.
Where the crate has wheels, they have to be removed or fixed so they cannot turn. There must be no sharp protrusions inside, and spacers should be fitted on both sides and the back so that other cargo does not block the ventilation openings. The outside has to carry Live Animal and This Way Up labels with the pet's name, breed, age and the owner's contact details. A crate that does not meet the standard is the most common reason for refusal at the counter, and it happens more often at the last moment than a documentation problem does.
Sedatives are generally not recommended. They interfere with temperature regulation and breathing, and the risk rises when combined with the pressure and temperature changes in a cargo hold. Where a veterinarian prescribes one for a therapeutic reason, it has to be declared to the carrier and cleared in advance, and must not be given on the owner's own initiative.
Pets have to leave through an airport with international passenger or cargo flights, while the quarantine formalities are handled by the customs office where the pet is located. Where those two conditions overlap decides which route involves the least work.
Shanghai handles more outbound pets than any other city in the country, and Shanghai Customs has produced a dedicated guide to applying for the Animal Health Certificate for outbound dogs and cats, with clear instructions for online declaration, inspection booking and on-site collection. Departures use Pudong and Hongqiao, with dense direct flights to North America, Europe, Japan and Southeast Asia and the widest choice of carriers.
Beijing Capital International Airport is the main gateway for North China, with direct flights to Europe, North America, Japan and Korea. Tianjin, Shenyang and Dalian have fewer international routes, so some northern cities have to move the pet overland to Beijing or Shanghai first, and the road leg has to be added to the overall schedule.
Guangzhou Baiyun and Shenzhen Bao'an handle departures from South China, with more routes to Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand and the Middle East, and both customs offices have substantial experience with outbound pets. Routing through Hong Kong, China widens the coverage further, but a transit there has to satisfy both mainland exit requirements and Hong Kong, China transit requirements, which have to be checked with the carrier and the competent authority at the transit point in advance.
Chengdu Tianfu and Shuangliu and Chongqing Jiangbei can take direct flights to Europe and North America, and pets from western cities mostly leave this way. Pets departing from inland cities usually need a domestic connecting leg first, and the quarantine certificate for the domestic leg is not the same as the one for the international leg, so the two validity periods have to line up or the certificate has to be obtained again at the transit point.
Choosing the departure city means working out three things at once: whether the local customs office can accept the declaration, whether a carrier at the chosen airport accepts that breed and size, and whether the destination country accepts that airport as a point of entry. All three have to be satisfied before the route is fixed, and a route that satisfies only two will stall partway.
The same pet can face a process that ranges from a few months to more than a year depending on the market. The deciding factor is the rabies risk grade of the source country, and mainland China falls in the highest threshold band in most strict markets.
| Market | How Mainland China Pets Are Treated | Key Thresholds | Common Sticking Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Dogs follow the high-risk country process; cats have no federal documentation requirement | Dogs: at least 6 months old, compliant microchip, dog import form receipt submitted 2 to 15 days before arrival, rabies vaccination, antibody titre of at least 0.5 IU/mL, and a reservation in advance at a CDC-registered animal care facility with entry through an airport where that facility is located; cats: healthy on arrival | Without a valid titre or a facility reservation the animal has to be held at the facility to make up the difference; implanting the chip after the vaccination restarts the whole sequence; the dog's rabies vaccination has to be certified by a veterinarian in the United States before departure |
| European Union | Processed under the non-listed third country route | Microchip, rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or older, antibody titre of at least 0.5 IU/mL from an EU-approved laboratory, an animal health certificate issued by an official veterinarian valid for 10 days together with a non-commercial declaration, and entry at a traveller's point of entry designated by a member state | Short certificate validity and restricted entry points; dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and Norway also need Echinococcus treatment within 24 to 120 hours before entry |
| United Kingdom | Since Brexit its own rules apply, not the EU harmonised process | Microchip, rabies vaccination at least 21 days in advance, tapeworm treatment for dogs within 24 to 120 hours before entry, the Great Britain Animal Health Certificate valid for 10 days from issue, and travel on an approved route with an approved carrier | Pets from unlisted countries may also need an antibody test completed more than 3 months before travel; the United Kingdom bans certain dog breeds from entry |
| Japan | Processed under the non-designated region route, the longest of any market | Microchip before the first vaccination, two rabies vaccinations with the first at 91 days of age or older and at least 30 days apart, antibody test at a designated laboratory with a result of at least 0.5 IU/mL, a 180-day wait from the blood draw, advance notification to the animal quarantine service at least 40 days before arrival, a clinical examination within 10 days before departure, and a certificate from a government authority in the exporting country | An insufficient waiting period means quarantine for the missing days; a wrong microchip and vaccination order or a missing certificate item can mean up to 180 days in quarantine; entry only at designated airports and seaports |
| Australia | Mainland China is not on the approved country list and direct import is not possible | The pet first has to move to an approved country and live there for 180 consecutive days, then be exported from that country; that country's conditions, an Australian import permit, an antibody test and at least 10 days of post-entry quarantine on arrival all have to be satisfied | Permit applications normally take 20 to 40 working days and can take up to 123 working days; the permit is needed before a quarantine space can be booked, and spaces are limited |
| New Zealand | Mainland China is not on the approved country list and direct import is not possible | Likewise the pet has to move to an approved country, live there for 6 months and be exported from there; the new import health standard for cats and dogs takes effect on 1 July 2026, with both the old and new standards running during the transition | From 1 October 2026 the new standard requires official identity verification at least 6 months before export; except from Australia, at least 10 days in an approved facility with a booking made in advance |
| Singapore | Mainland China is placed in the most restrictive band | Antibody test with blood drawn at least 28 days after vaccination and a result of at least 0.5 IU/mL, a 90-day waiting period from the blood draw, and 30 days of government quarantine after arrival; from 1 April 2026 import permits and clearance have to be handled through an agent recognised by the competent authority | If the pet arrives more than 5 days after the owner, or the owner has owned it for less than 6 months at the time of import, a 10-day home quarantine is triggered |
| Canada | Lower threshold, no arrival quarantine | Rabies vaccination certificate, documents in English or French; a microchip is not mandatory but is recommended | Document language and vaccination validity are the most common sticking points |
Markets such as Canada and Russia are comparatively simple, and in most cases a rabies vaccination certificate is enough; South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand likewise build on a rabies vaccination certificate. The differences among these markets come down to certificate validity and whether additional parasite treatment is required, so confirming country by country before departure is more reliable than applying experience from elsewhere.
The dog left from Shenzhen with the owner starting the process three months ahead. The microchip was implanted and then the rabies vaccination given, with blood drawn 30 days later and an antibody titre of 1.2 IU/mL. Because the high-risk country process applied, a registered animal care facility had to be reserved and entry made through an airport where that facility is located, so the original plan of a Seoul connection to San Francisco was not workable and the route was changed to a direct flight to Los Angeles. The dog import form was submitted 12 days before arrival, the receipt travelled with the crate and was verified by the carrier before boarding. The flight was moved from midday in July to an early morning departure to avoid the apron heat.
The combined weight of cat and crate exceeded most carriers' cabin limit, so the animal travelled as checked baggage. The microchip and vaccination were completed in the required order, the antibody test was issued by an EU-approved laboratory with blood drawn 32 days after vaccination, and the animal health certificate was issued by an official veterinarian 4 days before arrival with its 10-day validity and a non-commercial declaration attached. The entry point was Paris Charles de Gaulle, a point of entry designated by France. All documents were scanned and sent to the veterinary service at the entry point for pre-check before departure, and verification on landing took under 40 minutes.
Japan is the longest of the non-designated region routes. The dog received two rabies vaccinations after the microchip was implanted, 31 days apart, and blood was drawn after the second and sent to a testing facility designated by the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, returning a titre of 1.8 IU/mL. The dog then waited 180 days in China from the blood draw, during which the advance online notification to the animal quarantine service was completed and the acknowledgement received 40 days before arrival. The clinical examination took place 8 days before departure and the certifying authority in the exporting country issued the certificate in the format Japan recommends. On arrival at Narita the import inspection was completed and the dog released within 12 hours, with the whole schedule running close to seven months.
The dog travelled as air cargo, and the carrier operated a dedicated live animal acceptance procedure. The United Kingdom requires dogs to be treated against Echinococcus within 24 to 120 hours before entry, with the product name, manufacturer and exact time recorded by the veterinarian in the Great Britain Animal Health Certificate. Because the pet came from an unlisted country an antibody test was also required, with blood drawn 30 days after vaccination and more than 90 days before travel. Entry was restricted to Heathrow, which has pet reception facilities, and the border authority checked the documents on landing; where the conditions are met no quarantine applies.
Canada's threshold is comparatively simple, and the essentials are a rabies vaccination certificate and documents in English or French. The cat completed microchip implantation and vaccination as required, with the antibody test handled in parallel. The direct Chengdu to Vancouver flight accepted checked baggage transport, with the combined pet and crate weight within the carrier's limit. Clearance on arrival used the vaccination certificate and the pet health certificate, there was no quarantine step, and the journey from leaving Chengdu to arriving home took two days.
The first plan was scheduled over five months, and only during execution did it emerge that mainland China is not on Australia's approved country list, so the pet could not be imported directly from China and first had to move to an approved country, live there for 180 consecutive days and be exported from there. The vaccinations and blood draw already completed under the first plan could not count towards the residence period in the approved country, which restarted from zero. The schedule was rebuilt with the dog first completing the residence and local quarantine requirements in Singapore and then exported from there, taking about fourteen months in total. There was also one rework midway through the preparations, when an earlier antibody report was found to have been drawn before the required interval after vaccination, so the blood had to be drawn again and the waiting period extended once more. The lesson is that the eligibility assessment has to come before any documentation step; reverse the order and none of the earlier work counts.
Can my pet travel on the same flight as me?
Yes, but there are three cases. A very small dog or cat can travel in the cabin provided the crate fits under the seat in front and the combined pet and crate weight is within the carrier's limit, which most carriers set at 8 kg or less, and with only 2 to 4 places per flight. An animal over the size limit but still within the carrier's acceptance range travels as checked baggage, on the same flight but separated, and is collected from the oversized baggage area on arrival. A large dog, multiple pets, or a pet travelling without the owner has to go as air cargo, collected from the airport cargo office against the collection document after arrival processing.
Why does the microchip have to be implanted before the rabies vaccination?
Because the validity of the vaccination depends on the chip tying the record to a specific animal. If the chip is implanted after the vaccination, there is no way to prove that the record belongs to this animal, and under the rules of the European Union, Japan and other markets the vaccination is treated as invalid, so it has to be given again and the whole clock restarts. The chip has to meet ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 with a 15-digit numeric-only code. Japan additionally requires that the chip can be read by the animal quarantine service's reader, and where it cannot be read the importer has to supply a reader.
How far in advance should the antibody test be done?
The usual arrangement is to draw blood about 30 days after the primary course is completed, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/mL. That 30-day interval is firm, and a sample drawn earlier invalidates the report. A waiting period follows the blood draw: 180 days from the draw for Japan, 180 days for Australia and 90 days for Singapore. The European Union sets no waiting period but requires the report to come from an EU-approved laboratory. The testing body has to be a laboratory recognised by the destination, and results from non-recognised laboratories are not accepted.
Can brachycephalic dogs and cats fly?
They can in the cabin, but usually not in the hold. Their upper airway structure leaves little margin for heat dissipation and breathing, so they are more prone to respiratory distress under the stress, low oxygen and temperature swings of a cargo hold. Most carriers restrict or refuse them outright, and in summer some impose an embargo period. A few carriers exclude them through an explicit positive list; Air France, for example, does not accept American Bully, British Bulldog, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier or Pug and their crossbreeds. A larger brachycephalic dog can neither go in the cabin nor in the hold, leaving road transport or a dedicated ground transfer as the practical options. The crate has to be 10% larger than the standard calculation, with additional ventilation.
Can pets be shipped in summer?
Yes, but the timing has to be avoided. Most carriers suspend hold transport of warm-blooded animals when the ground temperature is above about 29 °C, and the restriction applies to the apron temperature at departure, transit and arrival, so a single stop at a hot airport can make the whole itinerary impossible. The workable approach is to move the flight to early morning or late at night, or to use the cabin. The same applies in winter, where below about 7 °C to minus 7 °C a veterinarian's cold acclimatisation certificate is usually required. Cabin transport is not subject to this restriction because the cabin environment is controlled throughout.
Can pets be shipped directly from mainland China to Australia or New Zealand?
No. Mainland China is not on either country's approved country list, so the pet first has to live in an approved country for 180 consecutive days and then be exported from there. Australia's process also includes an import permit, an antibody test and at least 10 days of post-entry quarantine on arrival, with permit applications normally taking 20 to 40 working days and up to 123 working days, and the permit is required before a quarantine space can be booked. New Zealand requires at least 10 days in an approved facility except for pets from Australia, and from 1 October 2026 the new standard also requires official identity verification at least 6 months before export. Schedules of this kind usually run to more than a year.
What paperwork does a pet need to enter the United States?
Dogs face the strictest requirements. China is listed as a high-risk country for dog rabies, so a dog has to be at least 6 months old, have a compliant microchip, be covered by a dog import form receipt submitted 2 to 15 days before arrival, be vaccinated against rabies, have an antibody titre of at least 0.5 IU/mL, and be reserved in advance into a CDC-registered animal care facility with entry through an airport where that facility is located, and it may not enter across a land border. Without a valid titre, the official position is that the animal has to be held at the facility to make up the difference. Federal requirements for cats are light, essentially being healthy on arrival, though carriers normally require a health certificate from a veterinarian in the country of departure and individual states may have their own vaccination rules.
Is the process for cats the same as for dogs?
No. Most markets apply lighter requirements to cats than to dogs, but the difference varies by country. The United States imposes no dog import form, antibody test or entry point restriction on cats, only that they be healthy on arrival; Singapore, Japan, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Australia and New Zealand apply the same rabies risk rules to cats and dogs. The air transport side needs attention too: brachycephalic cats such as Persians and Himalayans are subject to the same hold restrictions as brachycephalic dogs, and cabin weight limits apply equally.
How do I size the crate?
Measure four figures first: A is the body length from nose tip to base of tail, B is the height from floor to elbow, C is the shoulder width or widest point, and D is the floor to top of head or ear tips in a natural standing position, whichever is higher. The minimum internal crate size is: length = A + one half of B, width = C x 2, height = D + the thickness of the bedding. Brachycephalic breeds get a further 10% on top. The functional test is that the animal can stand normally, turn around and lie down naturally. Do not rely on the formula alone: combined ventilation on all four sides has to be at least 16% of the total surface area of the four sides, and a crate with a separate top and bottom has to be fastened with metal bolts rather than plastic clips alone.
Does the pet need feeding in transit, and can a sedative be used?
Feed a light, easily digestible meal at least 2 hours before departure, and normally no food during transit, with water kept available. Fit an empty fixed food bowl and tape a small amount of dry food to the outside as a spare. Sedatives are generally not recommended because they interfere with temperature regulation and breathing, and the risk rises when combined with the pressure and temperature changes in a cargo hold. Where a veterinarian prescribes one for a therapeutic reason, it has to be declared to the carrier and cleared in advance, and must not be given on the owner's own initiative.
Can a pet be shipped without the owner travelling?
Yes, as air cargo. The pet is loaded on its own and handled through the airport cargo terminal, and the owner does not need to be on board. The advantage is the widest weight and size limits, able to take large dogs and multiple pets; the cost is that the animal flies alone with a longer stress period, and on arrival the consignee has to collect it from the cargo office against the collection document, with a night flight possibly meaning the next day if customs has closed. On the China side, customs allows the person travelling to leave first and the pet to follow as cargo within the validity of the Animal Health Certificate and the other documents, but the window is narrow and has to be run against a reverse-planned schedule.
Is quarantine always required?
It depends on the destination and on how well prepared the pet is. Japan, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States impose no routine quarantine where documents and testing are fully compliant. Australia and New Zealand, to maintain their rabies-free status, generally require at least 10 days of post-entry quarantine except for pets from Australia, and Singapore requires 30 days of government quarantine for pets from mainland China. Japan and the United States also apply top-up quarantine: where the antibody titre is inadequate, the waiting period is short or a document is missing, the animal is held at a quarantine station or an animal care facility for the missing days at the owner's expense.
How is the outbound pet quarantine procedure declared?
Declare online through the Pet Quarantine for Outbound Carriage module on the China International Trade Single Window or the Internet Plus Customs portal, a module rolled out nationwide since 10 April 2025. The person travelling, or an agent, declares to the local customs office 7 to 14 days before departure, books and completes the on-site inspection within 7 days of departure, and the inspection checks that the animal matches the documents and carries out a clinical examination. Where the review and inspection are passed, customs issues the Animal Health Certificate within 3 working days of completing the inspection, and the certificate is generally valid for 14 days, or 10 days for the European Union.
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