Bringing a dog or cat to Japan
There is no quarantine if you prepare correctly, but preparation is slow and unforgiving. Pets from most countries need a microchip, two rabies vaccines, an antibody test at a designated lab, a 180-day wait after the blood draw, and notice to AQS at least 40 days before arrival. Pets from 6 designated rabies-free regions skip the vaccines and the wait. Any mistake can mean up to 180 days in detention.
Which rules apply to you
Japan sorts arriving pets by where they travel from. Find your group, then follow its steps.
| Arriving from | Titer test | Wait after sample | Permit | Quarantine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designated rabies-free regionsIceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and Guam (list as of July 2013). Hawaii has no ISO2 code, so it is not in the origins list; the rest of the US is non-designated. The pet must have lived there since birth, or for at least 180 days immediately before export, or since being exported from Japan. | No | — | No | Only if rules not met |
| All other countries and regionsEvery country not on the designated list, including the US mainland, the UK, the EU, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. | Yes | 180 days | No | Only if rules not met |
Step by step
Microchip the pet
Use an ISO 11784/11785 15-digit chip, implanted before you send the advance notification.
Notify AQS 40+ days ahead
Send the advance notification to the AQS office at your arrival port at least 40 days before arrival (NACCS online, email or fax). AQS replies with an Approval of Import Inspection.
Vet exam within 10 days of departure
A vet examines the pet within 10 days before boarding. The pet must show no signs of rabies, and dogs no signs of leptospirosis.
Get the government certificate
The export country's government issues and endorses the certificate (Form AB recommended). It confirms residency, the microchip and the clinical exam. Have AQS check the draft first.
Fly direct or seal the crate
Fly direct if possible. If routing through a non-designated region, the crate must be sealed in the export country. Dogs must arrive at a designated port.
Inspection takes under 12 hours if everything is in order. Otherwise detention for up to 180 days (or the residency shortfall), or the pet is sent back.
Microchip first
Implant an ISO 11784/11785 15-digit chip before the first rabies shot. Chips starting with 900 202 are not accepted, and some other 900-prefixes need early notice to AQS.
Give two rabies vaccines
Give the first dose at 91 days of age or older, after microchipping. Give the second at least 30 days later, while the first is still valid. Inactivated or recombinant vaccines only; live and RNA vaccines are not accepted.
Rabies antibody test at a designated lab
Draw blood after the second vaccine and send it to a lab designated by Japan. The result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml. It is valid for 2 years.
Wait 180 days
The pet may arrive no sooner than 180 days after the blood draw. Keep boosters going so the vaccine never lapses.
Notify AQS 40+ days ahead
Notify the arrival-port AQS office at least 40 days before arrival. Late or changed notifications (earlier date, extra or substitute animals) are generally refused.
Vet exam and government certificate
A vet examines the pet within 10 days before boarding. The export country's government then endorses the certificate (Form AC recommended). Originals are required, with no pencil or correction fluid.
Arrive at a designated port
Dogs must enter through one of 19 designated ports (for example Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose or Naha airport). Cats arriving elsewhere need advance contact with AQS.
Up to 180 days of detention at an AQS facility (at the owner's cost), or the pet is sent back, if requirements are not met
Good to know
- Cats
- Same rules as dogs (microchip, vaccines, antibody test, 180-day wait, 40-day notice). Cats are not limited to the designated dog ports, and the leptospirosis check applies only to dogs.
- How many pets
- Not specified
- Parasite treatment
- Not mandatory, but strongly recommended before export, and the treatment should still be effective on arrival. Record any treatments on the certificate.
- Arrival
- Dogs: 19 designated ports only, at 11 airports (New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Osaka Itami, Kobe, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha) and 8 seaports (Tomakomai, Keihin, Nagoya, Hanshin, Kanmon, Hakata, Kagoshima, Naha). Cats have no port restrictions but should contact AQS first. Whether pets can fly in the cabin is up to the airline.
- Electronic certificates are accepted from the USA, Brazil and Spain; others must be originals.
- Any error on the certificate can lead to detention, return or euthanasia. Have AQS check drafts before the government endorses them.
- Combination vaccines (distemper/parvo for dogs; FVRCP for cats) are recommended in case of detention.
What we could not confirm
- The designated regions page says its list is 'as of July 2013' and subject to change. Still current per AQS, but recheck it.
- minAgeAtVaccineWeeks = 13 is derived from 'at least 91 days old'.
- The AQS page does not set a minimum gap between the second vaccine and the blood draw (titerMinDaysAfterVaccine is set to 0 to mean 'any time after the 2nd vaccine').
- The page for designated regions (import-free.html) could not be fetched directly; the details come from AQS's official PDF version.
Sources
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-28. Rules change: confirm with Animal Quarantine Service (AQS), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) before booking.