Travelling and Entry China with Pet – taking Dog or Cat to China

Possibility of travelling to China with Pet

Is it possible to travel and take a pet(e.g. Dog or Cat) to china?

Yes, travelling and entry China with pet is possible. But the live animals of travellers entering China are limited to dogs or cats, and each person is allowed to bring one pet into China per time. According to Announcement No.5 of 2019 from GACC(General Administration of Customs of China) this regulation shall come into force on May 1, 2019.

If you want to drive into china with your own car and pet, please find more information here for driving through china

Definition of a Pet

If you want travelling with your pet(s) and taking your pet(s) to China, you should know what kind of pet(s) are allowed to enter china, please note that not all animals qualify as pets. A pet is a privately-owned companion animal not intended for research or resale and includes the animal groups only Dogs and Cats.

Customs and quarantine

Will the Pet be required a quarantine/isolation in the CIQ designated facility for 30 days? It depends.

• Pets from designated countries or regions with valid microchips, after passing the on-site inspection and quarantine, it will be released. Designated countries or regions including New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, United States, Guam, Jamaica, Iceland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macao. This kind of pet don’t need a quarantine for 30 days in the CIQ designated facility and can entry china from any port which is allowed international travellers to enter.
• Pets from non-designated countries or regions(Pets not from the above countries and regions), with effective microchips, providing rabies antibody test reportsissued by the admissible nominated laboratory (antibody titer or immune antibody level must be above 0.5iu/ml) and passing the on-site inspection and quarantine. This kind of pet don’t need a quarantine for 30 days in the CIQ designated facility and can entry china from any port/border which is allowed international travellers to enter. The rabies antibody test reports issued by the admissible nominated laboratories, and the list of admissible nominated laboratories can be found below.
• Pets belonging to guide dogs, listening ear dog, rescue dogs, with effective microchips, whose carrier can provide the corresponding user certificates and professional training certificates and passing the on-site quarantine. This kind of pet don’t need a quarantine for 30 days in the CIQ designated facility and can entry china from any port which is allowed international travellers to enter.

Pet satisfying the above conditions may be exempted from 30 days isolation.

Pets that do not meet the above conditions, are required to complete a 30-day quarantine in the CIQ designated facility at the quarantine station designated by the customs (the period of detention shall be included). Pets which need to be quarantined shall enter China from the ports with the quarantine facilities. List of ports with quarantine facilities can be found below. The customs shall supervise and inspect the pets in quarantine.

List of designated countries or regions

New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, United States, Guam, Jamaica, Iceland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macao.

List of admissible nominated laboratories

Rabies serological testing laboratories designated by General Administration of Customs, P.R.China(GACC):

• Newest update, on September 7, 2022: List of rabies antibody testing laboratories accepted by the General Administration of Customs of China（update on September 7, 2022）
• April 17th update: China Customs Administration updated the list of laboratories, now there are total 62 laboratories on the list.
• List of admissible nominated laboratories for Rabies antibody detection for pet travel to china
• Canada: Centre of Expertise for Rabies CFIA/ACIA Ottawa Laboratory Fallowfield Animal Diseases Research Institute, 3851 Fallowfield Road
P.O. Box 11300 Station H
Nepean, Ontario K2H 8P9 
CANADA
• China: Diagnostic Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife Associated Zoonoses
Department of Virology
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute (CVRI)Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Liuying Xi Road 666 
Jingyue Economic Development Zone
, Changchun 130122
, Jilin Province of China.
• France: Agence nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail (Anses)
Laboratoire de la faune sauvage de Nancy, B.P. 40009
54220 Malzéville Cedex, 
FRANCE
• Germany: Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler Institut,
Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10
D-17493 Greifswald – Insel Riems
, GERMANY
• South Korea: Rabies Research Laboratory
Division of Viral Disease
Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency
Ministry of Agriculture, 175 Anyang-ro, Manan-gu
Anyang, Gyeongii 430-757
, South Korea
• Mexico: Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria, Km. 37.5 de la Carretera México-Pachuca,
Tecamac, Edo. de México
, MÉXICO
• Republic of South Africa: Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute
Rabies Unit, Private Bag X05
Onderstepoort 0110
, SOUTH AFRICA
• United Kingdom: Rabies and Wildife Zoonoses Group
Virology Department
Animal and Plant Health Agency, New Haw, Addlestone
Surrey, KT15 3NB United Kingdom.
• United States of America: Poxvirus and Rabies Branch Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mail Stop G33
Atlanta, GA 30 333, 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• United States of America: Kansas State University Rabies Laboratory, Avenue, Mosier Hall Manhattan, Kansas 66503 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• List of admissible nominated laboratories for Rabies antibody detection for pet travel to china

List of ports with quarantine facilities

Pets which are required to complete a 30-day quarantine in the CIQ designated facility shall enter China only from the following ports with the quarantine facilities:

• Beijing Ports: Beijing Capital Airport Port and Beijing West Railway Station
• Shanghai Ports: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai train station(Station customs), Shanghai International Passenger Transport Center(Pujiang Customs)
  and Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal(Wu Song Customs)
• Urumqi Port: Urumqi Diwopu International Airport
• Alashankou Port: Land Border

Pet Microchips for travelling to China

Pet-implanted microchips should meet International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards ISO 11784 and ISO 11785. The 15-bit microchip code contains only numbers and ensures that it can be read by the reader. Carriers may have to bring their own microchip reader if the pet’s microchip does not meet ISO standards.

Rabies Antibody Test for Pet travelling to China

Pets from non-designated countries or regions, should have effective microchips and provide rabies antibody test report. Rabies antibody test for pet must be issued by the admissible laboratories. Antibody titer or immune antibody level must be above 0.5 iu/ml. The date of collection of rabies antibody titer tests should not be earlier than the 2nd rabies vaccination (available on or later than the same time). Rabies antibody titer test is valid for one year from the date of blood collection. (note: if pet after receiving rabies vaccine re-vaccinated within the validity period, the results of the rabies antibody titer test continue to be effective).

Official Health Certificate / Quarantine Certificate

The official quarantine certificate attached to the pet shall include the following:

• Pet information (including date of birth or age)
• Number, date and implant site of the implanted chip
• The time and expiration date of rabies vaccination, the type of vaccine (inactive vaccine or recombinant vaccine), the name of the vaccine, and the name of the manufacturing company
• The date of rabies antibody titer detection blood collection, the name of test institution, the result of antibody titer
• Results and dates of clinical examination of animal health.

The above content cannot be modified.

If there is any defect in the certificate, the pet will be returned.

Vaccination Certificate

Your pet should have vaccination certificate, it must be valid for the duration of your trip. Pets must arrive within the period of “effective period for rabies vaccination” and “effective period for rabies antibody testing”.

GACC Announcement

The regulations of entry china with pet are according the GACC(General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China) Announcement No.5 of 2019 (on Further Regulating the Quarantine Supervision of Pet Import) as following:

In order to further adapt to the new situation of port enforcement, the quarantine supervision of pet import (dogs and cats) should be carried out safely, scientifically and regularly.

The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows:
1. The live animals entering China are limited to dogs or cats (hereinafter referred to as “pets”), and each person is allowed to bring one pet into China per time.The carrier shall provide the customs with valid quarantine certificate and rabies vaccination certificate issued by the quarantine authorities of the original country or region. Pets should have microchips.
2. Pets entering China shall be quarantined for 30 days at the quarantine station designated by the customs (the period of detention shall be included). Pets which need to be quarantined shall enter China from the port with the quarantine facilities. The customs shall supervise and inspect the pets in quarantine. The customs shall, in accordance with the designated countries or regions and non-designated countries or regions, carry out classified management on the pets , and the pets with the following conditions shall be exempted from quarantine:
(1) Pets from designated countries or regions with valid microchips, qualified by on-site quarantine;
(2) Pets from non-designated countries or regions, with effective microchips, providing rabies antibody test reports issued by the admissible laboratory (antibody titer or immune antibody level must be above 0.5iu/ml) and passing on-site quarantine;
(3) Pets belonging to guide dogs, listening ear dog, rescue dogs, with effective microchips, whose carrier can provide the corresponding user certificates and professional training certificates and passing the on-site quarantine.

The list of designated countries or regions, the list of admissible laboratories for rabies antibody tests results, and the list of ports with quarantine facilities shall be subject to the announcement of the General Administration of Customs.

3. Under any of the following circumstances, the customs shall, in accordance with the relevant regulations, return or destroy the pets within a specified period of time:
(1) Bringing pets over the limit;
(2) The carrier cannot provide the customs with valid quarantine certificate or rabies vaccination certificate issued by the quarantine authorities of the original country or region;
(3) Pets which need to be quarantined enter China at a port that does not have conditions for quarantine facilities;
(4) Pets are not qualified by quarantine.

Guide dogs, listening ear dog, rescue dogs that cannot provide the vaccination certificate only may be vaccinated against rabies at a qualified institution upon application by the carrier.

For pets to be returned within the specified period, the carrier shall,within the prescribed time limit, get them and take them out of China with a retention certificate issued by the customs. if they are not received within the time limit, they shall be automatically abandoned.

For the specific quarantine requirements on pets entry, please refer to the attachment Quarantine Requirements of The People’s Republic of China on Pets Import.

The contents of this announcement shall come into force on May 1, 2019.

Announcement is hereby given.

Quarantine Requirements

Here are Quarantine Requirements of The People’s Republic of China on Pets Import

The overall requirements

(1) Pets (dogs and cats) must be subject to customs quarantine supervision in accordance with The Customs Law of the People’s Republic of China, The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Entry-Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementation regulations.

The China Customs implements classified management of the pets in accordance with the designated country or region, and the non-designated country or region.

(3) Each person is allowed to bring one pet into China per time;

(4) Pets shall be subject to on-site quarantine by the customs at the port of entry. The customs shall release, return or destroy the pets according to the on-site quarantine results.

(5) Pets that need to be quarantined shall enter China through the ports with quarantine facilities, and shall be quarantined for 30 days at the quarantine station designated by the customs.

(6) For pets to be returned within the specified period, the carrier shall,within the prescribed time limit, get them and take them out of China with a retention certificate issued by the customs. if they are not received within the time limit or cannot be returned within a time limit, they shall be deemed to be automatically waived and be destroyed.

(7) In order to comprehensively and accurately grasp the situation of passengers who bring pets into the China, the carriers should fill out the Information Registration Form for Pets Import (Dogs and Cats) on the scene.

Pets from designated countries or regions

(1) Designated countries or regions including New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, United States, Guam, Jamaica, Iceland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Macao, China.

(2) Pets brought in from the above-mentioned countries or regions shall provide valid quarantine certificates and vaccination certificates issued by the exporting country or region, and shall be implanted with valid micro chips. After passing the on-site quarantine, they shall be released.

(3) Pets that do not need to be quarantined may enter China through any port. Pets that need to be quarantined are allowed to enter China only at ports with quarantine conditions. Pets in need of quarantine entering China from non-designated ports that do not have quarantine conditions are allowed to return or destroy within a time limit.

(4) Pets that cannot provide the official quarantine certificate or vaccination certificate shall be returned or destroyed within a time limit. Pets that are only not implanted with microchip shall be quarantine for 30 days.

(5) Pet-implanted microchips should meet International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards ISO 11784 and ISO 11785.

The 15-bit microchip code contains only numbers and ensures that it can be read by the reader. Carriers may have to bring their own microchip reader if the pet’s microchip does not meet ISO standards.

(6) Pets are required to undergo a clinical examination of animal health carried out by the authorities of the exporting country or region within 14 days prior to arrival to ensure that they are not infected with the related animal-borne disease and parasitic diseases, including rabies, listed in The List of Import Animal Quarantine Diseases of The People’s Republic of China.

(7) The official quarantine certificate attached to the pet shall include the following:

• Pet information (including breed, scientific name, gender, fur color, date of birth or age);
• Number, date and implant site of the implanted chip
• Results and dates of clinical examination of animal health.

The above alteration will result in an invalid certificate.

If there is any defect in the certificate, the pet will be returned or destroyed.

(8) The on-site quarantine content of China Customs for pets brought in from designated countries or regions mainly includes verification of official quarantine certificates, microchips and on-site clinical examinations.

(9) Pets with symptoms of animal-borne disease and parasitic diseases found in on-site clinical examination should be quarantined.

Pets from non-designated countries or regions

(1) Non-designated countries or regions refer to all countries or regions except the countries or regions listed above.

(2) Pets from non-designated countries and regions shall provide official quarantine certificates, vaccination certificates, and rabies antibody test reports issued by admissible laboratories of China customs (antibody titer or immune antibody quantity must be above 0.5iu/ml), and implanted with a chip. After passing the on-site quarantine, they will be released.

(3) Pets that do not need to be quarantined may enter China through any port. Pets that need to be quarantined are allowed to enter China only at ports with quarantine conditions. Pets in need of quarantine entering China from non-designated ports that do not have quarantine conditions are allowed to return or destroy within a time limit.

(4) Pets that cannot provide the official quarantine certificate or vaccination certificate shall be returned or destroyed within a time limit. Pets that fail to provide rabies antibody test reports issued by the admissible laboratory of China customs or in the absence of chip implantation, (including those that fail to provide or provide substandard materials), shall be quarantined for 30 days.

(5) Pet-implanted microchips must comply with international standards ISO 11784 and 11785. The 15-bit microchip code contains only numbers and ensures that it can be read by the reader. If the chip does not meet the above criteria, it should have its own reader that can read the implanted chip.

(6) The vaccines given to pets should be inactivated virus vaccines or recombinant/modified vaccines, not live virus vaccines.

(7) The date of collection of rabies antibody titer tests should not be earlier than the 2nd rabies vaccination (available on or later than the same time). Rabies antibody titer test is valid for one year from the date of blood collection. (note: if pet after receiving rabies vaccine re-vaccinated within the validity period, the results of the rabies antibody titer test continue to be effective).

(8) Pets must arrive within the period of “effective period for rabies vaccination” and “effective period for rabies antibody testing”.

(9) Pets are required to undergo a clinical examination of animal health carried out by the authorities of the exporting country or region within 14 days prior to arrival to ensure that they are not infected with the related animal-borne disease and parasitic diseases, including rabies, listed in The List of Import Animal Quarantine Diseases of The People’s Republic of China.

(10) The official quarantine certificate attached to the pet shall include the following:

• Pet information (including date of birth or age);
• Number, date and implant site of the implanted chip;
• The time and expiration dates of rabies vaccination, the type of vaccine (inactive vaccine or recombinant vaccine), the name of the vaccine, and the name of the manufacturing company;
• The date of rabies antibody titer detection blood collection, the name of test institution, the result of antibody titer;
• Results and dates of clinical examination of animal health.

The above content cannot be modified.

If there is any defect in the certificate, the pet will be returned or destroyed.

(11) The on-site quarantine content of China Customs for pets brought into China from non-designated countries or regions mainly includes verification of official quarantine certificates, vaccination certificates, rabies antibody titer test results, microchips and on-site clinical examinations.

(12) Pets that have found symptoms of animal-borne disease and parasitic diseases on the on-site clinical examination should be quarantined.

Quarantine requirements for pets

(1) During quarantine, pets are not allowed in principle to be taken out of the quarantine station.

(2) During quarantine, if pets are in abnormal health, the customs shall notify the carrier in time. Upon application by the carrier, the customs may allow the pet clinic to enter the designated area of the quarantine farm for medical treatment; if the corresponding medical treatment item cannot be completed within the quarantine farm, the diagnosis and treatment of the pet shall be performed in the institution that meets the medical treatment conditions and customs supervision requirements, and the customs shall supervise the process of diagnosis and treatment.

Other explanatory items

(1) Guide dogs, listening ear dogs and rescue dogs with valid official quarantine certificates, vaccination certificates, microchips and corresponding professional training certificates may be exempted from quarantine upon passing on-site quarantine;

(2) Pets that are frail, pregnant or lactating, and have previous illnesses may not be suitable for transportation or quarantine. Carriers shall consult the local veterinarian to ensure its affordability before bringing it into China and bear the corresponding responsibilities.