Bringing a dog or cat to China (mainland)
Quarantine-free entry is possible if you follow the rules exactly: a microchip, a health certificate, rabies vaccination, and (unless you come from one of 19 designated places) a rabies titer from a GACC-approved lab. Only one dog or cat per person per entry is allowed. Pets that don't comply get 30 days' quarantine, and only at the few ports that have quarantine facilities.
Which rules apply to you
China (mainland) sorts arriving pets by where they travel from. Find your group, then follow its steps.
| Arriving from | Titer test | Wait after sample | Permit | Quarantine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GACC-designated countries/regionsPets coming from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii (US), Guam (US), Jamaica, Iceland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong or Macao. Hawaii has no ISO2 code, so it is not in the origins list; the rest of the US is non-designated. | No | — | No | Only if rules not met |
| All other countries/regionsEvery country or region not on the designated list, including the US mainland, the EU (except Cyprus, Portugal and Sweden), Canada and the rest of Asia. | Yes | — | No | Only if rules not met |
Step by step
Microchip the pet
Use an ISO 11784/11785 chip, or bring a reader that can read it. The chip number, implant date and implant site must appear on the health certificate.
Vaccinate against rabies
Rabies vaccination must still be valid when the pet arrives. Carry the original vaccination certificate.
Get the official health certificate
Get it from the official veterinary authority of the country you depart from, issued within 14 days before arrival. Use one certificate per pet.
Declare on arrival
Fill in the pet registration form, declare the pet to Customs and have the chip scanned at on-site inspection. If everything is in order, the pet is released with no quarantine.
30 days at a GACC-designated isolation facility if there is no valid microchip, a certificate is missing, or the pet fails on-site inspection
Microchip the pet
Use an ISO 11784/11785 chip. Implanting it before or at the same time as the rabies vaccine is recommended.
Give two rabies vaccinations
The pet needs at least two rabies vaccinations in its lifetime (inactivated or recombinant vaccine), and the current one must still be valid on arrival.
Do the rabies titer test
Draw blood on or after the date of the 2nd vaccination and send it to a GACC-recognized lab. The result must be >=0.5 IU/ml, and the test is valid for 1 year. Carry the original report plus a photocopy.
Get the official health certificate
Issued and endorsed by the export country's official veterinary authority within 14 days before arrival. It must include the chip, vaccine and titer details.
Declare on arrival
Submit the registration form and documents and have the chip scanned. A compliant pet can enter at any port with no quarantine.
30 days at a GACC-designated isolation facility if the titer report, microchip or certificates are missing or invalid. A pet that needs quarantine must enter at a port with quarantine facilities; otherwise it is returned or destroyed.
Good to know
- Cats
- Same as dogs. Only domestic dogs and cats count as pets; other species do not qualify.
- How many pets
- 1 dog or cat per person per entry. Extra pets are returned or destroyed.
- Parasite treatment
- No requirement at national level; deworming is recommended (Shanghai government guidance)
- Arrival
- A compliant pet can enter at any port. A pet that needs 30-day quarantine must use a port with isolation facilities. USDA lists these as Beijing Capital Airport, Beijing West Railway Station, Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao airports, Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai International Passenger Transport Center, Wusongkou Cruise Terminal, Urumqi Diwopu Airport, Alashankou and Guangzhou Baiyun Airport.
- The rules come from GACC Announcement [2019] No. 5, in force since 2019-05-01. The Chinese text prevails over translations.
- Accredited guide, hearing and search-and-rescue dogs with training and user certificates are exempt from quarantine. Emotional support animals are not.
- Microchip number must match on all documents.
- Owners may need to register dogs with local police within about one month of arrival (city rules vary; some cities restrict large breeds).
- A pet returning to China needs a new health certificate from the country it is departing; the Chinese export certificate is not accepted.
What we could not confirm
- The designated-country list comes from Shanghai government and China Daily summaries. GACC may change it by announcement, so check the current list on customs.gov.cn.
- The 14-day certificate window and the 'two vaccinations' rule come from origin authorities (USDA, Finland) quoting GACC Annex 1. I could not read the annex itself.
- The list of ports with quarantine facilities comes from USDA. GACC may have added ports since 2019; Shanghai guidance mentions 10.
- It is unclear whether pets from designated countries also need 2 vaccinations; the GACC text only says a valid rabies vaccination certificate is required.
Sources
- GACC Announcement [2019] No.5 (Chinese, official)
- Shanghai Government – Announcement on Further Regulating the Quarantine Supervision of Pets Brought into China
- Shanghai Government – How to bring a pet to Shanghai (designated list, titer FAQ)
- Beijing Government – GACC Announcement [2019] No.5 (English)
- USDA APHIS – Pet travel US to China (origin-side; ports list, 14-day certificate)
- Finnish Food Authority – Export to China (origin-side)
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-28. Rules change: confirm with General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine before booking.