If you plan to bring your furry friends to China, this guide will help you get them through the customs process smoothly.

What to prepare

China has varying policies for pets coming from different countries or regions. If you come from one of the following designated countries or regions,

New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii (the US), Guam (the US), Jamaica, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong (China) and Macao (China)

 

you need to prepare:

1. Quarantine certificate:

•  Pet information (including breed, scientific name, gender, color, date of birth or age);
•  Serial number, date, and position of the implanted microchip;
•  Result and date of animal health examination.

2. Certificate of rabies vaccination or immunization record.

3. Pet electronic microchip: The microchip must comply with international standards ISO11784 and ISO11785, otherwise you need to bring a reader that can read the implanted microchip.

 

If you are from one of the non-designated countries or regions, you need to prepare:

1. Quarantine certificate:

• Pet information (including date of birth or age);
• Serial number, date, and position of the implanted microchip;
• Rabies vaccination date and validity period, type of vaccine (inactivated vaccine or recombinant vaccine), vaccine brand, manufacturer's name;
• Date of rabies antibody titer test, name of testing institution, test result;
• Result and date of animal health examination.

2. Certificate of rabies vaccination (inactivated virus vaccine or recombinant/modified vaccine).

3. Rabies antibody test report issued by a laboratory recognized by China Customs. (The blood collection date for rabies antibody titer testing should not be earlier than the second rabies vaccination, the antibody titer or immune antibody level must be above 0.5 IU/ml, and the test result is valid within one year from the date of blood collection).

4. Pet electronic microchip: The microchip must comply with international standards ISO11784 and ISO11785, otherwise you need to bring a reader that can read the implanted microchip.

Other things you may need to know:

(1) If you bring guide dogs, hearing dogs, or search and rescue dogs with all the right documents, including quarantine certificates, vaccination proof, electronic chips, and professional training certificates, your furry friends can be exempt from quarantine after passing an on-site heath check.

(2) Elderly, frail, pregnant, or lactating pets, or those with pre-existing conditions, may not be suitable for transportation or quarantine. You should consult a veterinarian to ensure their fitness for travel before bringing them to China.

 

The following are some of the frequently asked questions about bringing pets to China.

Q1: Can I bring to China other pets besides cats and dogs?

A: Only dogs and cats are allowed. And only one pet is allowed per carrier per entry.

 

Q2: Under what circumstances does a pet need to undergo quarantine?

A: 1. The pet is not implanted with an electronic chip, the electronic chip information cannot be read, or the information does not match the official animal quarantine certificate;

2. The pet is coming from a non-designated country or region, but does not have a rabies antibody test report or the test report does not meet the requirements;

3. On-site inspection shows suspected symptoms of infectious diseases or parasitic diseases.

 

Q3: Under what circumstances will a pet be repatriated?

A: 1. The number of pets brought in exceeds the limit;

2. Official quarantine certificates, vaccination certificates, and other documents are incomplete or do not meet requirements;

3. The pet fails quarantine inspection.

 

Q4: If I do not have an antibody titer report, can I enter Shanghai for quarantine?

A: Yes.

There are a total of 10 ports in China where your pets can be quarantined, which are:

Beijing Capital International Airport (Capital Airport Customs)

Beijing West Railway Station (Beijing West Railway Station Customs)

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (Hongqiao Airport Customs)

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Pudong Airport Customs)

Shanghai Railway Station (Railway Station Customs)

Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal (Pujiang Customs)

Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal (Baoshan Customs)

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (Urumqi Airport Customs)

Alataw Pass (Alataw Pass Customs)

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (Guangzhou Customs).

 

Q5: Can I use an Animal Health Certificate obtained before leaving China when I return with my pet from a one-week trip to Thailand, with the certificate being valid for 14 days?

A: No, you cannot. You have to provide an animal quarantine certificate issued by the country or region where your pet come from - in this case Thailand.

 

Q6: What is the validity period of an antibody titer report?

A: The validity period for rabies antibody titer testing is within one year from the date of blood collection.

 

Sources: Shanghai Customs, Pudong Airport Customs, Huangpu Customs